Cabinets with crown molding, lockers, and tile in basement

They laid the tile on the floor in the basement today.  It looks nice.  The carpet was measured and will be installed next week.  They measured for the countertops today, should be here next week.

Paint colors, tile and carpet choices for basement

I took a half day off today to figure out some carpet and tile selections.  On my way home, I stopped at Cheney Carpet in Plymouth, MN.  They have great deals on VERY nice carpet.  I was impressed.  I talked to Brad at Cheney Carpet and he helped me narrow down my choices.  I brought home the samples and made a decision right away.  The carpet installer is going to come and measure tomorrow, so they can get right amount of carpet, but he can't install until the tile is done.  My next stop was to pick up Maddie and we went to Home Depot for the next 4 hours.  I labored over tile decisions.  I ended up with a marble tile for the bathroom floor, with a coordinating (I hope) tile for the shower area.  I picked out a travertine stone tile (honed finish, not shiny) for around the bar area including 3 feet around the bar for the stools and for the entry way to the basement.  I also picked out tile for the backsplash of the bar area.  My final selection of the day was to pick out iron rail spindles for the upstairs staircase.  It was a little tough to pick them out, but I did my best and made a decision on a pretty neutral option.

They installed the new gas fireplace insert today!

 We will get trained on how to use it next week.  Inspection is tomorrow.

 Here is the travertine tile I picked for the entry and bar area.

 Here is the backsplash for the bar area.  You can kind of see the wall paint color here too.

 This is the marble floor tile for the bathroom in the basement.  It is beautiful tile.

 Here is the bedroom in the basement and the aqua wall paint.  The picture doesn't do the color justice.

 The stairs (to the basement) were sanded and varnished.  You can see the dust on the walls (our whole house is FULL of dust)

 This the carpet sample that I picked out.  Carpet will be in the bedroom, closets, hallways, family room and inbetween the bar and the entry area in the basement.

Kitchen Cabinets INSTALLED...most of them...

Well, some of the kitchen cabinets were installed last Friday while the family took a roadtrip to Richmond, MN to look at granite for the countertops.  For those of you who don't know where Richmond, MN is, it is near St. Cloud and is known for granite (we figured this out when there was a granite place on every corner). 

There are a couple issues with the installation of the cabinets that we will have to work out with the contractor on Monday. 

Here are some pictures...

Tile options for the backsplash

These are the lockers (although they are upside down at the moment).  They will get placed next to the command center below in the laundry/mud room from the garage.

This is the command center (the upper cabinet isn't installed, and we ordered granit for the top)

What do you think?  Should we replace the front door?  Is that a ranch style door? 

Kitchen Cabinets were delivered today and doors installed on main floor and new cedar siding around new windows!

Wow, the kitchen cabinets were delivered.  Boy, do they take up a lot of room.  They look awesome!  I am so pleased with the finish and color.  I am also excited that the doors and door trim were installed.  I am really happy with my selection of doors.  They were a custom order door, but not much more (in price) than a 6-panel door.  I need to pick out a front door...it is so tough, because they are soooo expensive.  The kitchen cabinets will get installed tomorrow and Friday.  I need to get granite selected by Monday, so the fabricator can take measurements and start to process our granite order.  So many decisions to make.  I also need to pick out tile, paint colors, door knobs, faucets, etc.  I need help picking out everything.

Here is a picture of all of the cabinets in our living room, stacked on top of each other!

CALVIN'S 14th "Golden" Birthday!! Base coat of paint on main floor, "Shading" process done on basement cabinets, Appliances delivered!

The cabinets downstairs needed a final stain coat called "shading."  This is a process used to even out the stain on the cabinets, otherwise, Maple wood especially, takes stain differently and unevenly.  The "shading" process is a spray on stain that provides an even coat of stain on the wood.  Looks great.  The ceilings upstairs got painted/sprayed today and the painter, Mike Luebeck from Luebeck Painting and he also put the base coat on the walls.  The last bit of space that we had in the garage is now occupied by all of our appliances.  They all got delivered today.   They sure take up a lot of space.  I hope I love them.

A Busy Week: Mudding the sheetrock and popcorn ceilings, new knockdown texture on ceiling, finishing the floors, staining cabinets downstairs

A lot of activity has gone on this week.  Sorry I haven't posted much this week, but even though a lot has been happening, it wasn't worth taking pictures to show everyone.  We just came home from staying at the hotel over the weekend.  We needed to leave because the oak floors on the main level were getting finished and the cabinets were getting stained in the basement.  I found an awesome hotel on Hotwire.com.  If you ever need a CHEAP hotel in a pinch, go to Hotwire.com.  We ended up staying at the Northland Inn, in a suite room with a huge jacuzzi tub for $53 each night.  On Saturday, we took the kids to look at granite and then headed off to Mall of America.  Calvin and Chris did some mini golfing at Moose Mountain golf and then we went to Underwater World.  We were planning to go to IKEA, but the kids wanted to head back to the hotel for some swimming instead.  We came home today and took these pictures of the progress.

A letter, from my Grandma, that I found when packing up our STUFF...

It was interesting that I found this letter 2 weeks ago when we were getting the kitchen all cleaned out and ready for the main floor remodel.  My Grandpa and Grandma's house just sold and they closed the day after I found the letter.  I saved all of the letters my Grandma regularly wrote to me.  I am happy to have a little bit of history in her letters to me.  I miss her...

March 10, 2001

My Dear Michelle,
     Today is the 45th anniversary of our moving into this house and I still like it.  Grandpa picked out the plan for it.  I like the big kitchen.  The lot cost $1250 with the improvements in and paid for (water, sewer, and gas).  We are within 3 miles of our dentist, doctor, hospital, drug store, grocers, library and school.  I like this house best for what it never had-a morgage.  Kuehn's house across the street just sold for $169,900 (I heard).  Ours cost us $12,000.  I'm glad we can still be in our house.  We have a wonderful network of family to back us up should we need help.  I appreciate all the times you brought me to the doctor when you already had your hands full with a a new baby.  I appreciate the prepared food you brought.  I appreciate all the times you came over with tomatoes and onions, and made salsa with us.  It was fun making all those apple pies, too.
     Thanks for bringing Calvin and Alison for a visit once in a while and for letting me watch Calvin when he was little.  And thanks for the beautiful pictures of them we got for Christmas!
Love,
Grandma D.
P.S.  I think you and Chris are doing an excellent job raising your children.

With the whole remodel stuff going on at our house, this letter helps to reflect on why we decided to remodel.  We love the area, the neighbors, the trees, the layout of the house, and being close to family and friends.  Although we didn't build this house, I am attached, not from a material standpoint, but from all the things we would miss if we moved.  I like it right where we are.  I wish I could call my Grandpa and ask him advice on how to do something like install the hot water heater, or fixing something.  He was always there to answer those questions and usually would pay a visit to help out in any way he could.  For those of you that don't know, my grandparents passed away a few years ago.  This post is for both of them watching over us from heaven.  God Bless You!

Cabinets are installed in basement, new exterior door in basement, railing is up, and maple treads and risers!

Cabinets going in basement, hardwood floors starting install, Cabinet Door Sample with Stain