Lovely home Mary! I love the gray siding w/white trim! It looks so clean and fresh!

I finally get to be part of this "club"! :-) This is the end of week 4 (on a 8-12 week project).

Kitchen is mostly painted and cabinets are going in. So far no big snafus, and even the surprises weren't so surprising - just delaying us a day here and there. Everything has been ordered and most everything has been delivered and is waiting. I come home every afternoon to some new excitement in the house!

Ooooh, Ooooh, I think I can finally call myself Mid-Remodel!!!!!!!

Drywall will be done tomorrow and next week is paint and flooring and my cabinets will go in on the 19th and 20th!!

We are paying a local cabinet installer $300/day to help us on those two days. My husband would be able to do it, but I'd like to finish this kitchen before the end of SUMMER!!!! :-)

I'm going to post pictures after the walls and floors look better. I'm so glad to finally be able to jump from the beginning remodel to mid-remodel!! It's been a LOOOONG seven months of DIY!

Can I graduate from the old mid-remodel thread to the new mid-remodel thread ?

How's it going, you ask ? Not well. Not well at all.

As previously posted in the snafu post, my contractor has disappeared. On 03/31 I got a voicemail from him telling me he has "lost his sister" and that he would be gone for three days, he sounded really upset. I texted him to say fine, do what you need to do, keep me informed. Haven't heard a peep since then, despite me leaving messages every day. I don't know where to find him ... all his tools and supplies are here and I have not paid him more than justified to this point, but the house is barely livable, no functioning kitchen, barely functioning bathroom, a complete mess. I am furious. I had to cancel my soapstone installation appointment for this morning because he hasn't made adjustments to cabinets and sink that were requested.

I have deadlocked the doors that he has access to, so he can't get in to remove his tools without me being here. I am so angry with him for his lack of communication that I am not sure I can be civil to him if/when he shows up.

I am so bummed. The kitchen countertop was supposed to be the last thing before the backsplash, which was supposed to be the very last thing in this remodel. I have SO been looking forward to the soapstone install. I had booked a precious vacation day so I could be here for it, and now I am sitting at home fuming and stewing over my contractor. I alternate between worrying about him (he is probably in his 60s) and being indescribably furious. I just walked down to his favourite lunch spots to ask the folks there that know him if they've heard from him (they haven't).

Sorry to be such a downer :-(

Mary, your yard is so pretty !
alanandnancy ... WHEE ! cabinets ! Yay !

Everything has been going very smoothly with the GC I picked. Our new oak floor is in, third coat of poly on this morning. Since I'm in CT, not NC like Mary, it's only 55F outside, and the smell in the house is extremely stinky. I have the front door and window open....the neighbors must think I'm nuts :) My cabinets were delivered today and are in the garage. As I said, everything with the GC has gone very well, so I should be very happy....except the granite company left a phone message and said the final delivery date of the granite is now May 5th (originally was April 26th), no explanation given. That has put a BIG crimp in my plans since we are hosting a large party for my daughter's First Communion on May 10th. I was not going to paint the two renov'd rooms until after the BS was up. So much for showing off the new kitchen that day :( Flatcoat: so sorry about your dilemna....I had a cleaning lady I used for a year who was very dependable, but then never showed up one week. She left a phone message saying her father was sick. Five months later she shows up on my doorstep asking for the job back. I didn't need her (kids are older now), so said no. I saw in the local news last week she was arrested for stealing and forging checks from homes she recently cleaned. Be very, very careful if this guy shows up again...make sure you are not alone, because you just never know. Best wishes to you and your situation. Diane

Our cabinets are in (although I had to RTFM to the GC in order to get him to put the right screws in the right places - IKEA "I don't bother with instructions" - yeah you do if you want my drawers to hold plates and pots...), the oven and hood went in today, all my drawers and doors shut gently, and we have electric sockets. Next week is painting (most of the house), and then the countertop arrives on Thursday, and then plumber and electrician back on Friday so I can have a cooktop and a sink. It's looking great, but I'm going to be so glad when it's done. Cooking for tinies in the spare bedroom on a single slow electric burner is wearing after 4 weeks :) Sympathy to those who are having nightmares.

mary_in_nc -- your home is gorgeous! My grandmother lived in Waynesville, so I know (well, knew) Asheville. Lucky you!

I've waited to pipe in here because last Friday the appliances were to be installed, and I was thrilled, thinking I could post photos of our kitchen with appliances! However, the electrical for every single appliance (and every single appliance requires electricity) was wrong. Every one was wrong -- it's comical, don't you agree? When I called the GC to tell him to send the electricians tout de suite he rhetorically asked "Jeez, didn't they read the specs you gave them?"

One can lead a horse to water .... So Monday, all day, my twenty-two month-old and I shall be babysitting the electricians. I now know so much about what is required for all these appliances! The installers will come back Wednesday. Fingers crossed.

In the meanwhile, our cabinetmaker is dilly-dallying about, s-l-o-w-l-y putting all the dividers in / pulls onto the cabinets. He took an over two-week "break" on our kitchen; over two weeks where our kitchen sat vacant, where he could have done all this. Since our floors were finished last week (and we decamped to a hotel) we ostensibly could have moved back into the kitchen (at least unpacked) but because of his glacial pace, no can do. Luckily, we are really adept with that laundry room kitchen!

In all fairness, the plumbers did come Friday so the faucets / accessories were put in the sink and so now we have running water there (handy for cleaning). The plumber was so angry about having to cut the drain for the sink, claiming either the countertop installers (who placed the sink) should have done it or the cabinetmaker (although the sink wasn't in when the cabinets were installed). He was really giving me the business but I had this wonderful epiphany: it's not my problem. He's the plumber and he should figure it out. If he won't, then the GC can figure it out, but either way I don't have to. I'm usually a worrier so for me this was bliss!

These are tales we all know, esp. poor flatcoat! I really wonder what happened to your GC .... I'm thinking good thoughts for you.

And now here's our space to date:

rmjkitchen, I love your light fixtures, as well as the rest of your kitchen. May I ask the make/name of them, please?

flyleft -- you are v. sweet! Thank you.

The dining room chandelier is by Knikerboker Lighting. It's the Soffitto Qubo s55 (55cm square). I got it through a friend I made here on the Kitchens forum, giacomo_it. He ordered it for me. (Giacomo's contact info can be found at: Archisesto.) Please note, as I didn't until too late, that this has a toroidal (magnetic) transformer, which means it requires a special switch for magnetic low voltage. (I'd purchased electronic low voltage switches, and they are v. expensive! [over $100 each] "Luckily" the magnetic low voltage switch is less, "only" $83. Ouch.)

The entry light is the Sunlight Chandelier from Trans Globe Lighting. With the help of an "interesting" fellow in a nearby town, I put on the six foot stainless rod (it came with a short chrome rod). You can see from the picture (in the link) that mine isn't quite fluffy enough -- you have to shape it yourself, which on the one hand is fun, and on the other is a problem. It'll be nearly impossible to get it to look like their picture -- trust me. It'll look good, but not like what I thought I was purchasing ....

My granite guys are here right now- Whoee!

Got the old granite off the ponywall in the LR and the peninsula in the kitchen.

New granite is crack free, and fits better, BUT, a different color and pattern than what I already have. What a bummer! I'll post pictures later, but I guess I have to come to terms with this... they are spending tons of time (haven't even taken a lunch break), and I am getting free granite windowsills and backsplashes, so I don't know, I knew/guessed this was a possibility. Oh ye Granite Gods, how have I displeased you? :>(

Where's Samantha when you need her? Wish I could just wiggle my nose and have everything all right! OH well, maybe once my shaped backsplashes (thanks Dorothy for the inspiration) are up, the color/pattern difference won't be so noticeable, and with window trim and crown molding and cupboards all in, and cardboard and carpet off floors... it'll all be OK, and then I can concentrate on finishing Master BR, three bathrooms, family room, downstairs kitchen, and LR, oh yeah, and then we can do the front entry addition.

It helps being able to vent here, and hear other's tales of woe and those of happiness- my friends are probably sick of hearing about my sad tales! :>)

LOL Raehelen, I was wondering why you were wishing that Samantha from Sex and the City was with you ! Good thing you mentioned the nose twitch and directed me back to thinking of Bewitched ...

Flatcoat,

Am I giving away my age?

I was just a wee babe when Bewitched was on! Honest! :>)

Here's the pics I was too 'spirit knocked out of me' to post yesterday.
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DH says to just leave it alone. I don't know... don't know if I need to learn to live with it as he suggests, go on to the next which is a lot! Or...what...I'm feeling granite-whipped again!

New granite has a completely different pattern, ie totally random and no direction- which in itself is fine, pattern wise it's acceptable the way it meets the old counter...but color wise- this one has way more blue, and not much black, so reads a much lighter gray- the shapes are a completely different size and proportion too. It's not sealed the same as the other one, water left on for a few hours soaked in, doesn't on my previous counter- so not sure if it could be 'enhanced'? If it could go dark like it does when wet, we'd be good to go...Damn! (Computer erased my whole message when I typed D...luckily was able to 'undo', so the Damn stays!!!)

Probably jinxing myself by posting this here, but house is being painted today, oven should be working by tonight, countertops (caesarstone) are due on Thursday, cooktop and sink installed Friday - could I have a workable kitchen by this weekend?!!! How many fingers and toes can we all cross here?!

Thanks for the info, rmkitchen--saved to info file. And I always admire giacomo's rooms when he posts them. He tries to be helpful when he can...in between creating *fabulous* kitchens and baths!

mls -- I totally KWYM about the jinx. I posted on the old thread since I had started demo on our fireplace, had picked out cabinets and found an architect. Now, here I am what 1 month, 2 months later, still with the Mexican blanket covering the hole in my fireplace and no progress to be made. I did manage to take a driving tour of the remodeled houses my architect designed. But I shall be hanging out in mid-remodel land for many, many moons. :-)

Well, "mid" remodel might be stretching it, but we're making progress. I wish I had pics here to post. Electrical, plumbing and building inspections done and passed! Cabinets are pretty much finished. Our KD brought over some finished doors and they look very nice. Terra Cotta tile ready for the floor, he brought a sample tile with a satin glaze; we'd only seen shiny glaze before. Looks great. Today they are installing new windows. They had to make the window frame larger, no small task given the giant block of granite they had to break to do it. My au pair said it was like an earthquake in the house today. But when I get home tonight there will be new windows. That is the first new, pretty thing that will have been installed. Insulation later this week, which apparently will be smelly. Then sheet rock, then radiant floor heating. Not sure what comes after that.

It is taking a long time, but I'm trying to be very zen about it. We have a temporary kitchen set up in a sitting room on the second floor, with a mini-fridge, microwave, toaster oven, kitchen table, burners, and a cabinet for food. Lots of paper plates, etc. So it is not a huge hardship.

We're also doing our powder room and building a new back porch, so I think we'll be at this for a long time.

Last posted on this thread in February. We are essentially "done". But still haven't posted "finished" pix as I can't seem to make the last few decisions on the finishing touches. The backsplash decision is killing me. Also the decorating "what do you hang on the walls" and "where do you hang it" is another killer. And besides these things we are now diying the guest bathroom which is down the hall from the kitchen. Things are going s-l-o-w-l-y. I did have family over for a "pasta bar" dinner last night and I used all six burners on the new Icon. That was great. Any encouragement, advice or kick in the pants would be welcome.

vwhippiechick-

Start looking for tile for the BR. If you're anything like me, you'll find the BS tile while you're there. On a whim, I just mentioned I also have a kitchen to finish, and between 4 different tile places- think I may have found it! (However, until my granite issue gets resolved, can't buy tile, cuz who knows what's going to happen!?!#%*!) And... that really sucks for me, cuz if this tile was going to work, I cudda matched up tile for FP in LR, then cudda picked oriental rug, then cudda done drapes, done planter pots...now I'm at a standstill again... OOPs, sorry this was supposed to be a kick in the pants for you, not all about me...

vwhippiechick - please post photos BS or no BS!! It helps all of us who are stalled realize that, eventually, these remodels do wind down and get completed. You can save your completely finished stuff for the FKB, but show us something to keep us going!! Good luck with the tile choices!

Can I just say if murder was legal I would be committing it?

I am paying the contractor for what he has done so far and sending him on his merry way. Then I will no doubt have to pay another contractor to redo most of what I paid the idiot for. I am living in a mess and obviously no light at the end of the tunnel yet.

Then the granite installer turns around fast like and slaps my cabinet door with his rag that is dripping with denatured alcohol. I noticed 2 days later it removed the finish! So now I have to address that issue. My cabinets were not replaced because they are custom made and still in perfect condition (and beautiful IMO). The cabinets are cherry and whats the chances of getting that door refinished to match cherry that is 8 yrs old, probably NOT good.

I ordered a kitchen faucet online from Ira Woods. It was missing a trim ring, and they will NOT help me. Delta will not send me one because I must "go thru the retailer". Tomorrow I am doing a chargeback on the credit card. Ira Woods ran me around for a few days. And stopped responding as of 4/10. They said "we are trying to locate the part for you" on 4/10. I have an idea Ira Woods, open another faucet and send me the trim ring from it. The box HAD been opened prior to my receiving it and one package ripped open.

Is it possible to get good workmanship and service?

Had to check the last post to see where I was the last time I posted :)

So far we have taken down all the cabinets (the garage is full to the brim) and we've removed all the vinyl and plywood sheathing layer flooring. Yesterday I removed the last cabinet (the one with the sink - what a pain).

I am continuing to work on the drywall (hard to make it look perfect) bit by bit. I finished taping and it's on to the third coat of mud but first I'll need a LOT of sanding :(((

This weekend we are going to put in a new 6 foot casement window above the sink and we're going to try and position it "just so" so that it meets the counter.

Think that's it - flooring people come May 8th and cabinets May 13th so it's go time!

I feel like it's all coming together! (prob just before the fall, right?) My oven and hood and wine fridge work, lights are installed, and countertops come tomorrow 9am. I am a very happy bunny right now :)

It has been so long since anything progressed in my kitchen. I wish I was part of the finished kitchens by now. Six weeks now with NOTHING changed. The contractor did not want to do anything else until he could install the backsplash because he didn't want to make more trips here than necessary. For the backsplash we have been waiting for a mural for behind the range. So still no plumbing, no finished electrical, no appliances, no repair of the floor mess. The cabinet maker hasn't finished the trim or toekicks and has 2 doors still to install and he is waiting for the floor to be fixed because he only wants to make one more trip. My ray of hope came today, I got an email from my tile artist and she has shipped my mural!!! the missing link is on its way so hopefully it will be here Friday! In the meantime I can stare longingly at my cabinets and look at the pretty mural on the artist's website. Sigh.... One day I will move into the kitchen but I sure am sick of microwaved and slowcooker food.

Here is a link that might be useful: my mural

Oh Teapotter! I LOVE your mural. How beautiful, homey, cozy and warm. It will look wonderful in your kitchen when you finish.

I collect teapots, so this is a very special mural in my book!

And they're in! The countertops (white Caesarstone) look stunning, the seam is visible to me, but what do you expect when it's pure white connected to pure white, right under a window... And then our lovely electrician came and hooked up the cooktop and the rest of the lights, the fridge is in, and the only thing I'm missing is hooking up the plumbing: and that should be tomorrow. I'll post pics this weekend :)

And more! The plumber came early on Friday, hooked up the sink, faucet, waste disposal, undercabinet filter, fridge. Only issue was a missing plug for the dishwasher, which hubby found at a local store. And the lovely plumber came back (at 3.30pm on beautiful sunny Friday afternoon) to install it, and wait while the dishwasher ran through a complete cycle.

We've been putting all the gubbins back into our kitchen this weekend, and had friends for lunch yesterday, and we love it. The only problem has been one of the burners on the GE Monogram induction cooktop isn't working as it should, so the GE tech is coming out on Thursday.

Now we have peace and quiet for a few days until our GC comes back from a long weekend on Thursday to put up the backsplash, finish painting the walls in the rest of the house, and refinish the floors next weekend.

I LOVE our new kitchen. The flow is so much better, and the appliances are phenomenal. And I love the color...

Week 2 of Kitchen Held Hostage, film at eleven.... Down to the studs. We had a bit of a disaster with a dropped ceiling that turned out to be stuffed with drainpipes & such -- pricey extra. Things are moving slowly. The framing sub is a flake; the electrician is a hard worker; the GC is staying on top, I hope. Cabinets to be installed within a week to 10 days.

We had a VERY productive weekend! We were able to get most of the perimeter cabinets installed, as well as most of the appliances. Half the island was set. We stopped where we did so my husband could run the electrical to the island appliances and outlets. The top panel for the refrigerator was ordered wrong and we have to wait for that to be reordered along with a few tiny mistakes, but all in all, it feels like I might actually get my kitchen back sometime in the near future!! :-) But I've been demo'ed since October - what's a few more weeks to completion?

I have hesitated to post here because I have been mid-remodel longer than most of you have been alive...(ok maybe a two year remodel isn't that long...) anyhoo, I finally feel, that since we're six weeks or so away from completition, may be I can post in the mid-remodel groups thread :oP

Tile guy finished the shower and floor (this is an entire house remodel, from bottom to top, adding a bathroom and moving many walls and soffits). So my master actually looks somewhat like a bathroom and my evil plans are actually coming to fruition (I used crocodile tile and I both worried about it and loved it...now everyone loves it) :oP

The deck of the soaking tub can't be finished until we get the circle cut in the tiles (since the last tile guy lost part of the circle we had cut earlier). There's on guy in the state who cuts these circles...it's a pain! So that room can't have cabinets or anything until the deck is finished since they butt up against the tub (which is 36" high).

So tile guy is heading down to the family bathroom, which after THREE tubs that leaked, is finally plumbed with a new jacuzzi tub (I will never try to save money with american standard AGAIN!) I should have just dropped a couple grand in the first place instead of giving it to the plumbers. That room will likely be finished this week :)

The powder room floor is done and the toilet set, but still waiting for parts to actually work. (The old plumbers didn't know how to install so they cut the expensive pipes down to shorter pipes and installed the "high tank" very low on the wall). But it's the only room that's actually plastered, so it looks to be "done" almost.

I will finish the move out this week on Friday, but between then and today I will get the first couple of coats of venetian plaster on the hood wall in the kitchen (a bear to reach if I don't do it now...since there's less than 12" in the gap...once trimmed out...my butt won't fit) :oP

Next week our finish carpenter is ours full time, so while I'm gone, he'll be laying down the layout, repairing the floor and finally setting cabinets! When I get back I might feel like I have a kitchen. ANd hopefully I will have new granite and marble by then. (The previous slabs I purchased in full were sold so I have to start over).

All in all...we feel so good about seeing work actually happen. We can see that we'll actually get to live in our home again someday! Hopefully for a few months before we have to move out to a bigger home when we have child number two :oP But we'll cross that bridge later I guess!

Don't think I've posted to one of these, and I'm way behind on uploading pictures.

We passed our rough inspections this morning and insulation is going in now - they'll probably be done in less than an hour (we didn't have that much area to insulate).

Insulation inspection is tomorrow and drywall starts Wednesday.

Cabinets are being delivered tomorrow morning.

I gotta get some pictures for y'all to see.

igloochic - nice to see you on this thread!

Our progress has slowed down some in part due to life outside the remodel, in part due to the fact that what we're doing right now is time-consuming and blocks access to the kitchen (we're finishing the floor).

Our new floor is looking amazing. It's quickly becoming my favorite part of the kitchen. (Am waiting to spam with more pics until the floor is truly done.)

Still to do:
only one more coat of poly left for the floor, then 3 days of curing.
finish sanding, rebuilding, staining and sealing doors and drawers
decorative touches and sealing of backsplash
move stove and fridge back in
toe kicks and quarter round
build, stain and install decorative shelf unit
install doors and drawers
install potfiller
decide on and install behind the stove backsplash
decorate / accesorize

longer term (hopefully not too long):
rebuild cabs above stove and install OTR mirco/convection unit
convert stove to gas
hall pantry

redo the rest of the house, too.

I don't remember if I posted in the other thread or not (and don't feel like reading the whole thing to see). But I'm definetly mid-remodel now.

Doing the whole house remodel thing makes it hard to do the finishing touches in areas that should be finished by now. And it seems every time we start to make progress we find another mistake the old GC made that we have to fix.

Right now we're having a heck of a time with the cabinets. We have 2 extra 18" base cabinets (one with drawers, one door) but need only 1 little 12" cabinet. But since we bought these sooooo long ago, of course, NOW no one sells them anymore. I think I have a lead on a similar style unfinished cabinet, though. Wish me luck!

I just keep reassuring (or is it lying?) myself that everything will come through one way or another, sooner or later.

We passed the rough inspection today! Hurray! I had hoped the guys would get down to it and I would see some insulation going up too but everything seems to be a little 'manyana' around here and progress is s-l-o-o-w. Not igloochic slow, but too slow for me.

My paranoia is that the kitchen cabs were delivered in late Jan. How naive of me to think that we were getting them just a few weeks before we needed them. They are well wrapped and protected - I've only peeked rather than unwrapped as I'd like to preserve them in the packaging till we need them.

I can't wait till we have walls and am hoping the next phases will go a little pacier now that the task of bringing plumbing/electrics into the 21st Century is complete.

Cabinets have all been installed except for a few doors and drawers, wood floors installed and finished, and all new appliances installed (except DW) on Friday. Good thing the GC was here when the appliances were delivered. Lowe's contracts to a delivery service, who sent two very small/young "men" to try to wrestle the huge fridge through my front door. They didn't notice that they caught it on the door latch and got stuck there. Luckily, the GC sprung into action with his drill and helped them out. (phew!) My kitchen counters were templated today, as was the vanity in the adjacent powder room re-do. Left on the list: painting, backsplash, crownmolding, a new window above the sink, and tiling the powder room floor.... So far, so good, though I keep having to spend a little more here and there for things.

Remodel is on hold for a while due to medical reasons. Nothing concerning, it just means that Hubby won't be doing any heavy lifting or major physical activity for the next 6-8 weeks.