A Few of My Favorite Things

Our Great Renovation of 2019 is winding down to a close. The "after" pictures will be ready for the taking soon enough but before that happens, I want to just sit still and focus on a few of my favorite things.

Our renovated kitchen:

This is where our project began and it is only fitting, that it is the first to be almost complete. Our "came with the original house" cupboards have been updated, painted and adorned with new hinges and handles to bring them into the 21st century. 

Our older almond colored fridge and stove have been replaced with new-to-us white appliances. The black dishwasher is part of the original decor, still works and goes well with the new color scheme. It stays.

The counter tops, back splash and kitchen sink/taps however? All new. All have been long awaited items I have wished for, for decades. The under the counter and over the sink lighting however? These were bonuses to me. Little add ons I didn't know I wanted but now that they are here, I can't imagine our kitchen without them.

The over-the-stove microwave was my Kitchen Reno Guy's suggestion and it was like he read my mind. I have always wished for this. How did he know? He had a perfectly good used microwave on hand, a cast off from someone else's renovations and it looks like it was made for this spot.

My Reno Guy suggested we lengthen the cupboard between the stove and the fridge, to match the other side (and also to cover the side of the microwave which would not have been covered by the previous one-shelf-shorter cabinet). Doesn't it look like it was always there?!

Our cupboard doors have new latches, so we don't need child locks on the cabinetry to keep the cats out of the cupboards. This feature is easily a tie for first place on a few of my favorite things.

Our kitchen table continues to find a new spot every day, as it has never moved off the main floor throughout the renovation project. It is Mom's table and chairs and I think it is only fitting that they have been a part of the process every step of the way.

The kitchen is the only room which has this door treatment. I could have easily been swayed to continue this style throughout the house but I'm glad we didn't. Because ...

... I absolutely love these baseboards and most especially the rounded corner moulding. "This" was what I came home to last night - almost completed baseboards with the corner mouldings all in place. The rounded corners were something I KNEW I wanted. I had a painter or two, who tried talking me out of this added feature and cost but I was adamant. Our new rounded corners are quite likely my all time favorite part of the entire renovation.

I'm also lovin' our new interior doors. Note the black knobs and hinges and how cohesive this look is, to our updated kitchen. The doors close perfectly, sit where you leave them (we had a door or two that automatically wanted to close itself before) and the door handles? Honestly, I feel like I'm in a five star hotel when I turn these door knobs. They aren't your run of the mill standard door knobs. They feel good to the touch.

Our living room showcases "all that has been done". The flooring (which was the catalyst for all that followed), new paint, cable outlets with plug ins right beside them, for a future TV (so there are no unsightly wires showing), check out all the new electrical outlets (perhaps my second favorite thing!) and the baseboards. 

The living room is the room my son had "a vision" of what he wanted the end result to look like. I can't wait for its finishing touches to complete its look. I have a feeling this room will be the pièce de ré·sis·tance after all is said and done. 

We still have lighting, registers/cold air registers, door stops and blinds to purchase and install. We (and I use the term "we" very lightly - it is more like "he" - my Second Son who has been an integral part of each step of this renovation project) are in the home stretch now!

Perhaps my most favorite thing of all? The feeling that Mom would have given this her nod of approval. How I wish she could bear witness to all that has transpired around here lately. I have felt her within me, our home and the decisions that have been made every step of the way. She would have looked forward to her weekly letter with pictures and updates. I can feel Dad's presence within my son, his capability and willingness to take on such an onerous task. His attention to detail, his ideas and his perseverance are traits I can back track to Dad and see the way they have trickled down the family tree to my brother and beyond.

So many of my favorite things are wrapped up within this renovation project. Many of them which are beyond what the eye can see. But even to the naked eye, things are looking pretty good around here. I am grateful. So grateful...