Over the river and past the woods (forest preserves), out shopping we did go... with detailed list, measurements and credit card in tow! With the extra day off afforded us by President's Day and a screaming deal on a rental car, we hit the stores. (Ouch).
First we ordered a new screen door - because ours is old, ugly and inefficient. The back door is next to the pantry, so we added this to the project. The new door is thicker and the screen retracts so cold air doesn't seep in all winter long as it does now. For brushed steel handles rather than brass, it takes a 2-week special order. For around $300, we wonder why we didn't do this sooner.
Next we found a reverse osmosis water filtration system, which will be mounted inside the reclaimed wall of our pantry - which abuts our sink - so we don't lose storage space. This will also save counter space our Brita box takes up. The counter company will drill a hole for the separate spigot. And we'll have fresh filtered water at our fingertips 24/7.
After tracking down Lowe's employees a half dozen times, we got to sinks, wishing to compare the estimate from Greenmaker's supplier. With a dish strainer, our estimate was around $1,000 and we thought that seemed high. Stainless steel sinks are just a few hundred bucks, right?
Well, undermounts cost more. Maybe they're trendy, maybe they're more functional or maybe they just look better. Our idea is to have a (custom?) cutting board over the sink for extra prep space - and easy access to the disposal. We found the same brand, Franke, for a lower price. Two bowls, about the same size and shape, but without a sales rep available, I wasn't positive.
Then onto faucets. A huge wall O' faucets. My husband said he didn't want two temperature handles (I had no idea!) but I dislike the modern one-spout-with-attached-sprayer designs. I got dizzy looking at all the options. Or maybe I should have eaten before we left the condo.
The truth is, I don't recall what the faucet we selected earlier looks like. Lowe's faucets, too, were less expensive - $50 or so - than our estimate. But the thought of starting our decision process over freaked us out --- and we decided the extra dollars were worth it for peace of mind, staying on schedule and spousal harmony. Ohm....
Next stop: Greenmaker! We ordered our countertop - the one we first picked because the price difference between it and our 2 other choices was not that drastic and we really like sea shells mixed in with the specks of glass in the light concrete. We said Yes to the sink and faucet combo and were on our way.
We tossed a coin to pick glass for our few cabinets - going with a clear one with air bubbles that look like water drops. Out of several dozen choices, we made this one pretty easily.
Tiles for the backsplash we knew would be tricky. We wished for an artist friend to stop by or my mother, a great designer. Gwen held up one tile after another until we all agreed. It helped to have a sample of our countertop, wood stain and floor tile for this part. We selected a neutral and 2 colors of fire clay tiles to mix throughout the entire backsplash, including a larger green organic "wetlands" color to anchor it and a bluish accent tile to bring in the gray/blue/flecked floor.
After paying deposits of half the cost for these items, we left Greenmaker, literally *spent.*
After a day of rest, we headed to Glenview for the last big-ticket items for our new kitchen: appliances. Doing research online and an earlier scouting visit saved us time and money. For instance, one of the appliances on our list was on sale on the Web site since our last visit AND I found a rebate that will give us $200 back for our purchases.
It also doesn't hurt to ask the sales rep if they can take anything else off the price - and this saved us another $50 to $100. We upgraded our range - got a GE with a fifth burner and a super sleek look. Everything was Energy Star rated and fit our existing kitchen plans and dimensions.
Abt will call when the stuff is ready and coordinate delivery once we have a clearer timeline. They even take appliances up stairs (we're on the second floor of a vintage walk-up) and take away the boxes and packing material, which is always tricky to break down for our recycling hauler. Oh, and delivery in Chicago is FREE!
After spending the biggest bulk of our rehab budget in 2 days, we were ready to head home. With cabinets expected the 1st week of April, we anticipate the contractor on site after Easter (which is early, March 22). And hopefully we'll *just* be sans kitchen for a month.
The countdown to demolition day has begun....
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