The Silestone is here!

They began installing our counter tops today!  They are going to have to take some pieces back to the shop, but we should have completed counters very soon.  We decided to go with Silestone in White Zeus Extreme.  Can't wait to have a functioning kitchen again!

Here are some reasons we chose to go with Silestone...

• Silestone® is the only counter top with built-in Microban® antimicrobial product protection to safely fight the growth of odor-causing bacteria 24/7 for the life of the product. As a result, Silestone is easier to clean and stays cleaner in between cleanings.
• The quartz in Silestone makes it naturally scratch-resistant. Only three other natural minerals - diamond, sapphire and topaz - are harder than quartz. Quartz is a seven on Mohs Hardness Scale (diamond is a 10).  
• Because it is non-porous, Silestone does not need to be sealed. Granite, marble and limestone, on the other hand, must be sealed on installation and resealed regularly to prevent staining. Silestone is a maintenance-free star compared to solid surfaces that may require rigorous maintenance to clean up tough stains, scratches and scorch marks.

View www.silestoneusa.com for more information!

Cabinet time

The cabinets are coming along and it is starting to look like a real kitchen!  Can't wait to see it when it is complete.

The floors are finally done!

After several weekends of laying hardwood floors they are finally done!  

Flooring weekend one

For some reason, we both thought the floors would be done after a day or two.  After starting, we realized that would not be happening.  After two full days it's almost half way done!  Looking great, too, I am in L-O-V-E with how it is looking!  More to come as we get it all done.

The first boards going down!

Lots of cutting.

Here is our progress so far!

 

We painted the house and what a difference it has made!  I like this gray so much better than the red and the peach that was there before. 

Ever had a scissor lift in your house?  We have.  Glad Jeff was able to get a hold of this for the ceilings!

While Jeff was up there, he added a new fan, too!

Wood vs. Metal

Our kitchen and living room are separated by five large columns, encased in ornate, white molding.  Since they are load-bearing, the columns can not be removed so we decided we would just replace the molding with something more modern.  When Jeff pulled off the molding of one of the columns, it left a small metal pole with an industrial look.  Now we have a dilemma.  Should we polish up the metal and keep the poles or should we replace with a different wood molding?  What do you think?

Columns with molding

Column without molding

I love me some samples!

The downstairs is coming along!  We have picked out a brazilian pecan hardwood floor, rift cut oak cabinets with an expresso stain, silestone countertops in white zeus, and a flocked foil wallpaper for the downstairs bath.  Having some difficulty picking out a true, light gray paint for all the walls, but hopefully I can make a decision soon without buying too many more samples.

Brazilian Pecan Flooring

Rift Cut Oak Cabinet, White Zeus Silestone

Flocked Foil Wallpaper

Lots of Gray Paint Samples

Lincoln's Door

Lincoln now has her very own door to go in and out!  I think she will love it, once she figures out she can go in and out as she pleases.

There goes the kitchen

We have begun our largest project yet, the kitchen!  Below are some pictures of the before as well as where we are now - under construction and without a kitchen.  We have access to a plugged in refrigerator and a grill, but that's pretty much it!  I will keep posting pictures of our progress, and I hope by September I can post photos of the final product!

Kitchen before...

I'm on a boat

We installed the HydroHoist on our dock just in time for Memorial Day Weekend!

Dining Room

Our first big project was the dining room!  We removed the judges paneling, changed the wall color, updated the lighting fixture and picked out furniture.  Loving the way our first project turned out!

Photo of dining room before we moved in

Jeff removing judges paneling

 

Painting

Finished!

Ohhhhh Mexico

We took a break from house renovations and took a trip down to Mexico with our close friends and family to seal the deal!  We had a perfect wedding and an amazing time.

The Painting has Begun

We are starting to pick out paint colors for the house and we have decorated our first room!  It is one of our guest rooms, all ready for visitors.

Appliance Hording

We are getting ready for our kitchen remodel!  We have started to buy new appliances piece by piece from Craigslist, eBay, etc. as we find what we want.  Soon we will begin with the remodel, or just open our own appliance store.

Jeff and Mike loaded these up in Atlanta, then Jeff drove them up to Nashville and got some help to unload them.

Here they are all cleaned up!

Timbeeeeer!

We finally got some of the dead trees out of the way.  They definitely improved the views in the front and the back.

Backyard before...

Backyard after!

Front yard before...

Front yard after!