We are pretty excited about the house now that the kitchen is in. The place is really starting to feel like a home – our home! It took awhile, and I think was a bit more complicated than we first thought, but it looks awesome. You’ll probably recognize the cupboards if you’ve been to IKEA lately, and we have become experts on putting the cupboards and drawers together. Well, deb and our brother-in-law John are the experts at putting the cupboards together – I was on cardboard management. Seriously, if anyone needs help with an IKEA kitchen, give us a call!

Once the cupboards got installed, the appliances were set, and the plumbers came in and put in the sink and hooked up the dishwasher. They weren’t the cleanest, but got the job done!

We are so pleased with the butcher block counter tops. It really finishes off the island. Our installer, Jeff McMillan, is a perfectionist. The island is 140 inches (356 cm) wide. So to make the counter top work, Jeff cut the wood to give a design on both ends, and strengthens the counter. We think it looks awesome.

And this past weekend Uwe Leder put in the back splash. We went with white subway times with dark grey grout. I know, pretty standard stuff, but we want something that is simple and timeless. Uwe also did the red tiling in the Cottage, and the back splash is equally stunning. We are so pleased!

So now it’s the finishing touches – putting the matching front panel on the dishwasher, attaching the handles and installing the stove vent. Shouldn’t be long now!