Part 21 - Countertop

For the countertop we decided to go with Formica Laminate (Butterum granite).  The color goes really well with the Cherry cabinets.  The island was designed so that one person could sit at a stool comfortably on the end with the corbels (12" overhang) or  two people could sit on the dining room side if necessary (6" overhang).  We really wanted an island, but we also didn't want to take too much space away from the dining room.  The island configuration was a decent compromise.

For the 48" vanity bathroom we went with a beige granite top.  In the picture below, the vanity top is raised up so that the vanity could be stained without messing up the granite.

The vanity should complement the tile accents that we are planning for the bathroom.

Part 20 - Doors, Lights, and Crown Molding

More progress since the last post.  The most noticeable changes include light fixtures, six panel pine doors and crown molding on the cabinets.  Here are some shots:

Part 19 - Tile is installed

The tile is installed, grouted and sealed.  It turned out great.  We are really happy with the tile color.  It looks really nice with the cabinets.

Part 18 - Tiling begins

With the tile search completed, the guys started prepping the floor. The floor immediately above the floor joist is OSB, which isn't what you want under the cement hardibacker board. To prevent bubbling from moisture, the hardibacker should be installed on top of an exterior grade plywood.  The cement board is installed on top of the plywood with with thinset and screws.  This makes for a very solid floor which is important because we are using 18x18 porcelain tile.  Flexing in the floor could cause the tile to crack.

Here are a few shots of the finished subfloor.  You will notice that the seams haven't been taped yet in these pictures.

Here's a shot of the tile in the laundry/mud room.  The lines look to be nice and straight :)