I feel like I can do this at this point, because we are moving from the realm of "the space where the kitchen will be" to the realm of... dare I say it??... ACTUAL KITCHEN.
The fridge will go in the space at the left of the pic above (the cabinet on the floor is just there temporarily on its way somewhere else). The range will be in the middle, with a microwave above, and the pretty glass-fronted cabinet in the pic below will be in the space at the top right. The cabinets will be trimmed out all the way to the ceiling, and we'll eventually put in a tile backsplash, so you actually won't really see any of the color on this wall. And in front of this whole expanse will be an island, with more cabinetry, the sink, a dishwasher, and a bar height counter with stools.
THERE ARE CABINETS. ON THE WALLS. Sorry for all the caps lock, you guys. I am a little bit excited. And I can't promise to be any better about it tomorrow, because the a(AAHHH!!!)ppliances are coming!!!
In other news, the flooring guys were wrapping up their day when I got to the house this evening - they had laid more flooring in the guest room...
...and dining room.
It looks amazing!! But the living room currently looks a bit disheveled, what with all the cabinets and wood-cutting going on.
I chatted with the flooring guys a while today about what they'd recommend to seal the floors. Being an eco-nerd, I'd hoped to use a non-toxic, low-VOC product like linseed oil. They warned me that using a natural oil would be super high maintenance (it would have to be redone frequently) and it wouldn't protect the floor well from spills, dog toenails, etc. They recommended a product called Glitsa that I'd never heard of. I came home and Googled it, and learned that it contains formaldehyde... but then found another site claiming that the formaldehyde breaks down very quickly and there's no off-gassing, whereas polyurethane finishes can off-gas for much longer. Sad face. What's a girl to do? Anyone out there have any experience with these purportedly green sealers?
There was also progress in the master bathroom upstairs - the floor tiles are laid! I heart white hexagons. It is like a beehive of cleanliness.
The shower is all prepped for tiles, including what I like to think of as the leg-shaving bench:
I can't wait to see how the glass tiles look up on the walls! And the rest of the cabinets! And the appliances! Things are getting exciting around here, people.
LOVE IT!!!
ReplyDeleteWow, it is so fun to watch the progress (it is so FAST). I considered Glitsa because it is supposed to be very hard and protect the floors well. Some of the floor refinishers I talked to said water based polys were as good as oil based, but several said they don't recommend them yet. It may be that they just don't have that much experience with them though and are uncomfortable recommending them. I'm afraid I can't help much because I just went with a regular oil-based poly.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of Glitsa, but I can confirm that in an aqueous solution, formaldehyde breaks down very quickly. We use some yeast plates with formaldehyde in them, and we have to pour and use them the same day. Within a week they can go in the usual yeast-plate trash.
ReplyDelete-Anne
Hil and Anne, thanks for the info! I am trying to approach this scientifically - like, not hear "formaldehyde" and FREAK OUT, if it's going to be completely gone within a day or two. At the same time, I want to avoid a bunch of weird lingering chemicals since I have some mysterious allergy/headache issues... Apparently we have a bit of time to make this decision (they finish the floor at the very end), so I will keep you posted!
ReplyDeleteHey! I just found your blog via DIYDiva and wanted to chime in on the floor discussion. I just found a product line called Vermont Natural Coatings (maybe you're already familial with them). Their topcoat is similar to a water-based poly except it's made with the byproducts of cheese-making. I think they call it PolyWhey. I've only used it on furniture although it is supposed to be for floors. From what I've seen of it, it's fantastic. You might want to check it out.
ReplyDeleteHillary, I hadn't heard of this product line - thank you so much for dropping in, and for the suggestion! I will definitely check it out! I pretty much love the idea of being able to say "welcome to our house. Check out our floor, it is made of old barn and cheese."
ReplyDeleteOld barn and cheese! That would be awesome. Haha. The floor is gorgeous, by the way, and I'm sooo jealous that it is old barn with a family connection! Fantastic.
ReplyDelete