The Kitchen Progress: Countertops and backsplash

People say that the last mile is the longest, now I feel it. It only took 6 weeks for our kitchen renovation to match from demo to cabinet installation. Now 4 more weeks later, we still do not have a working kitchen yet. It isn’t anyone’s fault – we have been travelling for work and family functions and our contractor unfortunately contracted COVID. Fortunately there is good progress to share – since last time I showed you the new cabinets, the countertop and backsplash have been installed!

The Quartz countertop

How do you like the new countertop? This is the Hanstone quartz in color “Montauk“. We purchased it from a local stone shop who did an excellent job installing it. We can hardly tell where the seam is:

We chose 1/4 inch bevel on the edge and 1.5 inch overhang from the cabinet. I think the countertop profile looks classic and timeless.

The stone shop also produced window stools using the leftover materials on our slab. We did not know it was an option until we asked at the stone shop. I really think it helped the kitchen to look more cohesive and therefore more calm.

The sink installation

With the countertop installation, the crew also installed the sink.

We chose a single sink for a smaller footprint, which still fits most of our pots and pans. The undermount sink was installed from the bottom using clips and glue.

We also chose a single faucet for a simpler look. It is beefy and has a retractable sprayer. I think it will serve us well.

Before our contractor caught the bug, he had started installing the sink plumbing. The new garbage disposal is hooked up to the sink. We are just waiting for the dishwasher drain to be connected in order to use the sink again.

The splurge in the kitchen

What our contractor did manage to finish before his time off was the backsplash! We had no idea what style and color of backsplash to use for a long time. But as soon as the countertop was in, the choice became easy. We took a bunch of samples home – over 20 pieces of different styles, put them against the cabinets and countertops. And the answer just revealed itself.

The tile is the Bianco Carrara Hexagon Polished Marble Mosaic from Floor and Decor, and the grout color is “rolling fog”. Marble tile is not cheap. And we have 54 sqft to tile because I wanted the backsplash behind the range hood to reach the ceiling. But I think it is OK to have one splurge in every space we create – we save from doing so much DIY work on the house, and the money we saved should be devoted to things we truly appreciate. In this kitchen, it is the backsplash tile which you see immediately walking into the house. This marble tile is substantial and definitely brings the wow factor.

Unpacking the kitchen!

As soon as the backsplash tiles was sealed (marble tiles need to be sealed every a couple years), I wiped down the cabinets and started unpacking! The first cabinet I restocked was the tea cabinet. So happy we chose the glass door design.

Small appliances we use daily such as microwave, multi-cooker, and water kettle were placed along the cabinet wall. We added many outlets along this wall with these appliances in mind, so when they are situated, the power cable can be hidden from the plain view.

I was excited to hang the first poster frame in the kitchen. This is actually a piece of tile from Slav’s hometown, with the castle (yes, his hometown has a huge castle which has its own church and prison!) pictured on the tile. The color of the frame was actually my inspiration for the kitchen cabinet. 🙂

Bowls and plates, utensils, and pots and pans were all situated in the kitchen cabinets. We did pare down before packing the kitchen. So what we have here are all the cookware we truly love.

We asked for 12″ overhang on two sides of the island for more seating options. The long overhang is also perfect to tuck in Roxie’s food and drink station:

I really love the island:

The current to-dos

So, this is the kitchen we are living in today! Our contractor will come back in the next week or so (as soon as he tests negative) to finish the sink plumbing and connect the appliances, and Slav will be connecting the gas stove and installing the range hood. We forgot to prepare electrical for the range hood, which means there will be one more trip to the attic hopefully the last time – then we will have a fully functional kitchen! So close!

The current to-do list:

1. Demoing the kitchen and the dividing walls between kitchen and living room. All existing tile, drywall, and floor will be removed including soffit.
2. Demoing the hall closet space for housing the fridge.
3. Running utilities – installing new gas line for the new gas stove, adding new plumbing and waterline for the fridge and dishwasher, modifying plumbing and waterline for the new sink and garbage disposal, rerouting the hood vent in the attic.
4. Slav wiring for outlets and switches.
5. Tiling the floor.
6. Adding exterior insulation and installing drywall; repairing ceiling drywall and skim-coat the existing walls.
7. Installing stair railing.
8. Priming and painting all the new drywall in the kitchen and stairwell.
9. Installing recessed lighting for the kitchen and the living room.
10. Cabinets installation.
11. Countertop template and installation.
12. Tiling the backsplash and installing window stools.
13. Fridge and dishwasher installation. Sink plumbing hookup (hopefully soon).
14. Installing the gas stove and range hood (hopefully this weekend).
15. Island outlet and HVAC return panels installation.
16. Under the cabinet lighting!
17. Door trims, moulding, and baseboards. Touch paint where it is needed.