"New Countertops.....INSTALLED!"

As scheduled, the countertop installer, Ed, showed up soon after 8 AM.  He was amazing!  I helped him very little with moving the countertop sections.......he really did most of the carrying himself.  He'd set up his mini workshop outside the back door (thankfully it wasn't raining) and each piece went in and out until he was satisfied with how they fit.

His first plan of action was to remove the sink, pull out the stove, and disassemble the old countertop.  Disassembling meant freeing it from the cabinets, then cutting it into smaller pieces.

He was very good about letting me slip in to take a few photos as the work progressed, too.  Here, all the old is out and the new pieces are about to be lifted up to the cabinet tops so he can begin the final fitting.  Interesting to see the old wallpaper.  At one point, the kitchen must have been gutted, wallpapered, and new cabinets installed.   ;)

The 2 largest sections up on the cabinets.  We made one change from what the old countertop covered and added 10" to the back of the section closest to me in the photo, creating an extension for a "bar or eating" area.

I thought I would point out that not all of the cabinets are original.  The 3 drawer section on the right is new since I moved here in 2005, thus the different drawer hardware and interior.  That spot originally had a trash compacter in it.

The finished installation!  This is also provides a good view of the extra countertop that we'll use for the "bar and/or eating" area.  10" doesn't sound like much, but we tested it and it was perfect.  :)  Now we'll have to find a couple of nice stools.......

I thought I should include a photo that was taken without the camera flash and with the "over the sink" light off, too.   :)

 To add even more happiness to our day, I received a call from our flooring company and the flooring we ordered has arrived.  They'll be delivering it this Thursday so that it can "acclimate" to our house temperature/humidity, and the installation process will begin NEXT TUESDAY!!!!  (process starts with removal of the old floor coverings and then whatever prep is needed before the actual installation of the tiles)

Rob and Franklin will be here this morning to finish hanging the new drywall and begin the mudding/sanding process to prepare the wall for the final finish.  Things certainly are moving along nicely!   :)