Backsplash anyone?

This past weekend we picked out the tile for the backsplash (ok, my wife picked it out).

She had been to the Cancos Tile place and picked out 2 or 3 different ones she liked and brought back one for me to see. When I saw it I liked it a lot and told her to order it. Unfortunately, she wanted me to take a trip to the store with her to see the other stuff as well, and to finalize the purchase. I acquiesced and went.

She was complaining to me that the salesman she had been working with was not very good, and she had hoped that Jimmy was back, because she likes him much better.

Jimmy, was in fact back.

I can understand why she liked Jimmy and not the other guy. The other guy had the personality of wood. Jimmy on the other hand was very nice. A aging rocker type who makes his customers feel like they are making the right choices and just makes them feel comfortable. He was a very likable guy. Apparently, Jimmy had used the same tile in his house, and even showed us pictures of it. From this point, my wife was sold.

I was sold too until the price came in. All in all it wasn't bad, but I was expecting a number in the $300 range, it was about double that. In actuality the space is pretty large that it has to fill. Not a whole wall, but it's very long.

When we left I teased my wife that she was very happy her new boyfriend was back to help service her.

Granite countertops are cool

Yesterday the granite counter tops were put in. This puts us one step closer to a finished kitchen.

It is amazing how much more finished the job looks when the counters are in. The colors for the two counter areas compliment each other as well as the cabinetry and the tile floors.

We had even asked the granite place to save the piece they cut out for the big sink and they offered to cut it round so we made a lazy susan out of it and put it on the island. It really looks great.

The only thing they screwed up was my wife's desk area. Apparently they are really good at measuring everything else, but when it comes to measuring a 3x2 square they have no idea how to do it. This piece (which isn't connected to any of the other pieces) was 1/2 inch short. They offered for us to keep it, but I'm not sure what to do with a really heavy piece with a small hole in it for cables. Maybe I'll make a table, or just let them take it back.

My wife thinks this is all a tease because she can't actually use the kitchen yet. The plumber (who is on vacation this week) needs to hook up the sinks, stove top (which is still not in yet), dishwashers, garbage disposals and hot water dispenser, as well as finalize the radiant heat floor and my hookup to the BBQ outside.

The contractor needs to put in the tile backsplash (after my wife picks out the tile), do some small finish work including hooking up an electrical box and putting in drawer handles.

After that we can get the wood floors stained and sanded, and I need to do some touch-up painting.

Then I can clean up the remnants of construction. I think we're looking at about 2-3 weeks more before it's all done.