Updating Our Kitchen

Some old news . . .

About a month ago, we decided to give our kitchen a makeover. Our kitchen is small, but bright. We get nice natural sunlight and the white cabinets give it a clean look. After putting our own personal touches in every room of the house, the kitchen still remained untouched three years after we had moved in. We decided it was a little stark and in need of some pop.

First up, new countertop and sink. The countertop I could not do myself and the sink I could enlist dad's help with. We went through Nichols Home Improvement in Evansdale and they did great work. I was a little nervous at times, but decided next time I hire work to be done in our house, I need to butt out and trust the professionals.

The day the countertop installers were working a City of Cedar Falls truck pulled into our driveway. The city employee didn't even knock on the door. He walked right into the kitchen and asked to speak with the countertop guys. He asked them who was doing the plumbing. They pointed to me. He stared me up and down and asked if I was the homeowner. He was totally unconvinced, even though I was holding Charly. After explaining to me why he had invited himself into my home (as if I was a 12-year-old) he told me that it was my right as a homeowner to do my own plumbing, just that I needed to pull a permit from the city to do so. He said he'd stop back sometime and make sure I had no leaks.

I said "So let me get this straight . . . I need to pay the city of Cedar Falls money to unhook my kitchen sink and once the countertops are installed, hook a new one right back up? Even using the exact same plumbing?" He just smiled and nodded and left my house. One countertop guy said "That sucks." The other told me not to do it. So I didn't. And no one from the city has been back to check since! I told Kelli that the guy reminded me of a state trooper who pulls someone over hoping to book an OWI but instead finds a completely sober driver and slaps on a minor speeding ticket. The man saw a home improvement truck outside our house and was probably a little embarrassed to discover we were perfectly legit!

After the countertop and sink were finished, I installed the new backsplash. We found glass tiles at Home Depot that matched the colors already in our kitchen and since we loved the color, it saved us from painting. I kind of underestimated how much work was involved in scraping off the old "white heart" tile, putting the new on, and cutting tiny pieces for corners and trim. It was a three-four day process but Kelli was patient and most of the work was done before Ashley's baby shower. I didn't lose any fingers (came close a few times) and I've yet to make the finishing touches but we'll get there . . . maybe next year.