Almost all trimmed out

Today was finish the trim day in the kitchen.

I had stained and polyurathaned some red oak trim to add around the room at 5 ft height as a plate rail.  We were not going to put plates on it, but it kinda carries through from the dining room decor.

It really dressed up the walls... and kinda tied it all together.  Now with my old lace curtains (I have those about 25 years now in my last three homes)  and a few items here and there, I can go into my kitchen and just mmmeeelllltttt into feeling it as "my space".  Do you know what I mean?

We are still working on the tall mop boards and base trim.  Those might go up before the weekend, we will see.  There are plenty of pieces left behind in the attic of the garage that we are choosing the best sections to reuse.

The island was such a good idea when Steve found it on Craigslist.  I am glad he came up with the idea of having an island with stools that slide underneath.  We will add the dishwasher to the opening on the right side where it faces the sink once Steve gets going on the plumbing.

The sink and dishwasher are the last things to hook up, and at the same time he is adding an icemaker unit to our fridge.  I really hate filling ice cube trays and sliding them into the freezer, only to have them spill, or something falling on top of them and sticking to the ice.  Or even worse, having the top tray sink down into the bottom tray and stick tight together!   We found the optional add-on icemaker for our model fridge and that will be a much-appreciated feature.  

Speaking of the fridge... we emptied it out today and put all the stuff on the island.  Then we carefully rolled the fridge over from the small pantry into the big kitchen.   We tipped it up into place on the "stage"!   This will allow the heat from the register behind it to flow into the room by raising it up on the box Steve made (see yesterday's blog)   Also in the summer months, it will allow the cool air conditioning to flow into the room too. 

This fridge really isn't all that much taller on the stage, it raised it only 10 inches.  It is still lower than the doorway next to it.   The topmost shelf in the freezer is a bit high for me, but easily reached by tall man Steveio.  The main portion of the fridge is at a good level now to reach in all the drawers and shelves.  A nice compromise!

Next to the fridge we erected a little "Coffee Station".  Because our countertop along the row of cabinets is taken up by the upper cabinets, there really isn't a good place to put a coffee maker that won't block the use of the drawers or upper cabinet doors.  Nor is there a good place to put a roll of paper towels. 

So Steve took another leftover piece of counter-top that originally came with the cabinets and made up this little shelf.  I found some wrought iron brackets with holes in the pattern on the sides that would allow a paper towel rod to be suspended between the brackets.  I stained a dowel and some end caps to match.   He put in a double outlet so we can plug in the coffee maker, bean grinder, and the fridge.  We have to grind up our Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans each day... yummmmmm the smell is almost as good as the taste!  The little blue pitcher we use to fill the machine with water. 

The last wall between the two doorways has been planned out since the first time I saw this kitchen.  It just took until now to bring it to fruition.    My lovely sis-in-law, Wendy Pfundtner, gave me this special wall hanging a few years ago.  I cherish it and it's so cute to see the little grandkids looking at it.  They love to see themselves and their cousins in the little plastic windows were I can slip in new photos every few months.   I had it hanging in the last house, and carefully packed it away in my steamer trunk until now.

It has cute sayings embroidered into it like: 

GRANDMA, LIKE A QUILT, GIVES COMFORT WHEN NEEDED

~~~

WHAT HAPPENS AT GRANDMAS STAYS AT GRANDMAS

~~~

GRANDMAS - WHERE MEMORIES ARE MADE AND GRANDKIDS ARE SPOILED

~~~

NANA ALWAYS HAS TIME FOR KIDS

~~~

HUGS & KISSES

~~~

GRANDMAS - WHERE EVERYTHING IS MADE WITH LOVE 

AND AN EXTRA SPOONFUL OF SUGAR

 Along the top, I put up five framed prints of the grandtots, all in a row

and I think that I am calling this .... 

MY MONKEY WALL! 

P.S.

I just got a sleepy phone call from a little 4 year old sweetie... he says:

"I am sleepy Grandma... I am very tired.  But I call you just once" 

I told Jameson to go get his mommy, but he wouldn't because 

he knew he was in trouble for sneaking her phone! 

 So we said goodnight and he hung up!   LOL 

A few minutes later I called again to get ahold of Heather, 

and she discovered the stinker has swiped her phone 

and had it in his bed with him as he slept.  Awwwwwww