POST POST KITCHEN update . . . not over yet.

Tile, tile, and more tile, but none that we like - other than the three that we found and ordered.  ML picked it up at the store and was smart enough to open some boxes to look at it.  Lo and behold, it was substantially different than what we saw in the showroom.  The tile store agreed and refunded our money with no questions asked.  All we needed was more pink rather than red.

As a reminder, these two pictures on the right are what we started with.

This picture shows the new "pass through" oak countertop along with a slim glimpse of the trimmed out opening between the kitchen and dining room.   What you don't see is a new trimmed out window, tile backsplash - including behind the absent stove hood, and the custom shelves that will be on the left of the picture. 

 Here are the floor transitions.  I think they look fine.  I had to sand some dents out of the dining room floor and refinish a bit of it.  I must have dropped a hammer too hard on the protective cardboard . . .

And then there are the less obvious improvements, like a CLEAN GARAGE!!  You can barely see the new rack to store wood in the top right of the picture - which took all the scraps of wood and plywood that I couldn't bear to throw away - I might need them someday!  The ladders are all hung up, too.  ML always likes to keep the Christmas wreath because it smells good all year round.

And here is what's left.  A couple weeks of throwing some tiles and shelves in the trashcan and we'll be back where we were 4 months ago!