Finishing Touches!

Well, we're pretty much done, and the kitchen is offically useable! I have running water, a fridge that's cold and an oven that's hot!
Oh, and it's all in a room that looks like something out of a magazine! I can't believe we pulled this off in only 2 weeks… 14 days from the start of demo to the counter being installed!
So here's the overall rundown of what we did (photos are at the bottom because my sister isn't supposed to see them! LOL We've decided she'll be surprised when she comes over… I'm trying to take up some space before the pics, in case she forgets! LOL)
Anyway, back to what we finished… we installed all new bamboo flooring ($1.99/ sq. ft. from Lumber Liquidators) and had the ceiling scraped and re-textured. In the living room, we textured over the fireplace, where Jamie had built a new wall to support the TV, and painted it all in a really pretty terracotta color. We also tiled over the existing hearth; it was horrible circa 1984 brown ceramic tile; we covered that with natural slate instead (which will also be extended up the wall to surround the fireplace as well)
The kitchen is all new… we ripped out the soffit to extend the cabinets to the ceiling, and replaced the flourescent fixture with 6 recessed cans and added two art glass pendants over the sink. All new cabinets, appliances and granite countertops and a fresh coat of paint on the whole thing.
To extend the size of the kitchen, and almost double our useable counter space, we filled in the existing back door and enlarged the dining room window to become a set of french doors into the backyard.

So that's the short version; we hired a contractor to do the window/door project, and he presented us with a totally empty kitchen space; he and his crew took care of the soffit and drywall, and textured as needed. (They also did some stuff in the half bath, but that won't all be completed until this weekend, so it will get its own entry when it's finished)
Dave came down and helped a LOT that first Sunday; he and Jamie finished pretty much half the floor, which is hard, messy, sticky work (Thanks so much, Dave! You're amazing!) Jamie installed the cabinets (I tried to help, but felt like I was in the way a lot of the time!) I was in charge of painting, and Jamie and I worked together to finish off the floor in the living room and the tile on the fireplace.

BEFORE