Counter installation

The soapstone arrived- all 1700 pounds of it- and Adam created templates and went to work cutting the pieces. Then we hired a boom truck to get the pieces up to the second floor kitchen. It was quite an operation!

Soapstone for kitchen counters

The soapstone for the kitchen counters arrived today-- almost a ton's worth. Neighbor Ken came with a forklift to maneuver the container. The slabs were packed very well; it took quite some time to take apart a side of the packing to take a look at the stone.












This is a close up of the stone-- "Python" from M. Teixteira Denver-- not heavily veined, but some interesting color variations.
http://www.soapstones.com

They also packaged some epoxy for the seams and a quart of mineral oil.

I think I will try it unoiled first and see how I like it.

Master Bath

The bathroom vanity cabinets are now in. Adam will start on the travertine counter tops tomorrow.
There will be rectangular sinks on each end and counter in the middle, lower area with the drawers. We have chosen some rectangular sinks and brushed nickel faucets. We also have a small hot water heater under the right sink to help with getting hot water quickly to the bath.

I can't wait to try out the heated floor in here too! Ken installed an under the tile heating system, thermostatically controlled. Sounds like Heaven in the middle of the night and in the middle of winter.

This is a picture of the sinks we chose for the master bath.

Foyer windows trimmed and finished

The very tall foyer windows are now trimmed and finished. They are even with the second floor so they are very high. Bob H. completed the job by himself. Don't know how he was able to do it. The man is awesome! Now I just have to figure out how to clean the windows. Thank goodness he took off all the stickers, so it is not an immediate concern.

The wide window shows the top of the "old" Manor. When it is removed, there will be a nice view of the woods behind it.

Stair railings

The first portion of the stair railings are done. Now we won't fall over the side as we go upstairs. We will need to finish the wood, but not required for move-in.























A little touch of spring in the back yard. Several rogue daffodils peeking out. A cold snap that arrived on Monday has them bent over quite a bit though.

Kitchen Counters

We ordered the kitchen counters today. We chose soapstone and found what we wanted at M. Teixeira (soapstones.com) Denver facility. They will be shipped out next week. Here is a sample of the stone for the yet to be built island.

We chose the soapstone as it is heat and stain resistant. You treat the counter twice a year with mineral oil. Scratches can be sanded out and mineral oil applied to "fix" them. We wanted a rustic look and didn't like any of the shiny type counters.