At last, another kitchen update!

Finally! Another kitchen remodel update. I can’t believe the last one was more than a month ago. Baby was nice enough to let me put this post together for you, and hopefully she’ll continue to be cooperative in these final stages of our minor renovation so we can bust this thing out.

Introducing, the new countertops, dishwasher, sink and faucet. And a new garbage disposal that doesn’t sound like a garbage truck. Seriously this thing is so quiet, at first I wondered if it was actually disposing of anything at all. But it seems as though garbage disposals are a lot quieter than they used to be.

We replaced our pinkish laminate countertops with new laminate. While that might seem like a strange decision to some, it works for us and our house.

First, the home prices in our middle-class neighborhood probably wouldn’t support expensive countertops. I don’t think anyone would expect to find much more than laminate. Maybe the most basic granite, but I’m not particularly fond of the look of the cheapest granites anyway.

Second, I love the look of soapstone, but it’s out of budget. So pricey! Luckily, this pattern is a pretty close match so it wasn’t much of a concession. It’s called Oiled Soapstone (Wilsonart), and it really does look like soapstone. The finish is completely matte and so smooth. A bonus: it was in the cheapest group of laminates.

Third, I’ve never known anything other than laminate, so I’m used to it. I didn’t really want natural stone maintenance tacked onto my to-do list. Plus my husband is prone to breaking things (sorry, Dan), so laminate will probably save us many shattered dishes.

You also might notice my tall backsplash underneath the window. I’m really loving the simple, clean look it brings.

The hodge podge mess that was here before had to go, but I had a bit of trouble figuring out what to put in its place. With the counters, paneling, and plaster wall above, I thought a fourth material (such as tile) might be too much. The simplest solution for me was to order a separate, thinner piece of laminate the width of the window apron. I considered having it go the entire length of the wall, but the switch for the garbage disposal was in the way. And since that’s a masonry wall, it would have been a huge huge undertaking to move.

Now that the bulk of the work is done, everything’s downhill from here! Really, the only things left are some finishing details, painting and decorating. Can’t say it will all get done quickly, but I’ll have another update shortly!

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