Appliance choices

I just sent Paul the final-final list for appliance choices, and wanted to capture it here. (I use the term "final-final" since I once sent him a "final" plumbing fixture list that turned out to need revisions - hence the new term, "final-final".)

As I mentioned a long time ago, my wife and I have long been fans of KitchenAid appliances, and we are pretty much sticking with that brand. This is one area where we definitely saved some money in the budget. For example, our freestanding refrigerator will likely cost around $1800 - which is way, WAY cheaper than say, a $10k SubZero model. I don't mean to pick on SubZero specifically, but I'm really doubtful that we will be able to discern a difference between cold SubZero food and cold KitchenAid food. Also, I think the free-standing models are far cheaper and easier to repair or replace: if it ever dies, just slide out the old one and slide in the new one.

Now that I've got that bit of refrigerator philosophy off my chest, here's the choices we made:

36" induction cooktop model# KICU568SBL (in black - wasn't available in white)
(the induction part is what makes this so cool....I hope we don't have to replace too many of our pots and pans though....)

36" under-cabinet range hood: model #KHTU160KWH (in white)
(nothing special, just your basic range hood)

30" Double convection oven: model #KEBS208SWH (in white)
(double ovens....imagine how fast my wife will be able to bake for me with these babies! :))

Refrigerator model #KFIS25XVWH (in white)
(this fridge is a fairly new style, with the freezer on the bottom - drawer style - and the upper refrigerator portion accessed by french-style doors. I hope we like it....)

Garbage disposer: model #KCDS075T
(nothing too interesting, just a good 3/4 HP model...though I'm not sure if we're even supposed to use one of these since we're on a septic system)

Dishwasher: model# KUDS40CVWH (in white)
(An interesting choice to be made these days, is whether you want a food grinder in your dishwasher. Traditional models have always had them, but apparently the key selling point in dishwashers is decibel levels - so manufacturers advertise "super quiet" models w/o the grinder. Usually this means the food debris gets collected in a filter which then requires semi-regular cleaning. We got a grinder model.)

Freezer: Frigidaire model# GLFH21F8HW (in white)
(KitchenAid doesn't make a freezer, so we let the salesman help pick this out)

We will be bringing our current (Maytag) washer and dryer with us for the downstairs laundry room. For the upstairs laundry room, we'll probably pick up some basic Sears models after we move in. My wife made a good comment about not wanting to get expensive models for teenage boys doing laundry for the first time... :).

Tile and grout choices

This will probably bore everyone to tears, but I wanted to capture our exact tile and grout color choices here on the blog. Most folks won't care, but this way I have a nice permanent record in case I ever need to get additional material.

Kitchen\laundry room\breakfast nook:
- Tile: SurfaceArt "Venetian Classics - Cathedral Stone - Pierre"
- Grout: #135 "Mushroom"

Kitchen backsplash:
- Tile: DalTile "Matte Urban Putty" (code 0761)
- Grout color: #382 "Bone"

Downstairs powder bathroom:
- Tile: SurfaceArt "Venetian Concepts - Capri - Sand"
- Grout color: #122 "Linen"

Master bathroom floor\wall:
- Tile: SurfaceArt "Venetian Select - Portofino Coast - Gray"
- Grout color: #301 "Artic Ice"

Master bathroom shower surround:
- Tile: DalTile "Matte Desert Gray" (code x714)
- Grout color: #301 "Artic Ice"

Entryway:
- Tile: SurfaceArt "Rustic Slate Beige"
- Grout color: #180 "Sandstone"

Upstairs laundry room and shared bathroom:
- Tile: SurfaceArt "Venetica Classics - Tuscany - Crema"
- Grout color: #101 "Quartz"

Upstairs private guest bathroom:
- Tile: SurfaceArt "Venetian Select - Portofino Coase - Ivory"
- Grout color: #386 "Oyster Grey"

Obviously we really liked the "SurfaceArt" brand (although we did feel a bit weird, picking out tiles that have such a strong Italian theme for our Colonial-style house); you can find a link to their site in the side bar. For the grout colors we simply chose the kind carried by DalTile, which turns out to be produced by Custom Building Products. I asked Paul to only use epoxy-based grout; it's more expensive, but doesn't require sealing and should stay nicer over the long term.

More trim, ready for hardwood and tile

The rooms that get a chair rub rail are starting to look awesome:

That is my office above, and yes I am very happy with how the colors turned out.

This is the trench used to bury the drain tube leading from the propane tank:

The finish grading around the house has been started; here, only the tops of the septic tank access covers are visible anymore:

We've been having a lot of rain lately and we're still getting quite a bit of puddling here and there around the house. Paul told me not to worry, and just be patient until the finish grading is completely finished, since that will help the water drain away from the house and reduce puddling.

The septic drain field has also been all covered up; if you didn't know any better, it would look like a nice park or playground:

We've purchased a second Ford Explorer; this one a bit nicer than the other one I showed previously, and will likely become my daily driver. Both are top-of-the-line (well, for ten years ago anyway) "Limited" editions. I like it, these are nice rigs:

I'm glad we're done used-car shopping; it takes up a lot of time.

A bit more work has been done in the master bathroom. Here the sand\thinset bed for the shower floor has been laid:

My wife asked for a small step to be added in front of the tub surround, and you can see that in the picture above as well.

We dropped off the tile for the murals yesterday to Paul Lewing, and he says he'll be done in about a week or so. After that, we stopped by the DalTile showroom in Seattle, taking samples of all of our tile choices, and finalized the grout colors. We are sticking with "neutral" choices, ie, the grout is close as possible to the tile color. We're just not feeling that adventurous anymore, I guess, or maybe we're tired out. :)

This is our blue-on-blue dining room, with the windows trimmed out, chair rail installed, and with crown molding as well:

Sorry, that picture is a bit dark. I think the whole house will look much better once we have some interior lighting installed. The crown molding looks so cool though, I had to share - wish we had enough budget to do crown in every room. Oh yes - those small round holes on the ceiling are the trim pieces for the high-velocity A/C ducts.

This next week will be a busy one. Hardwood installers will be starting on Monday, cabinet delivery is scheduled for Monday or Tuesday, and Paul will be starting floor tile installation (working around the hardwood guys). Appliances will be ordered tomorrow as well - in fact, I need to get done here and send Paul the 100% final appliance spec list.

The propane tank passed its inspection, and has been completely covered up. I called the propane company Friday to schedule the final hookup (to the house piping) but they were having computer difficulties, so need to call back. I've also been trying to get the phone company out here to hook up our DSL internet - I want to have that ready to go nice and early, so I don't go into internet withdrawals after we move :). I've also been talking with David from Symmetric Electric, having him get ready to come back out and hook up the low-voltage wiring (phone, cable, and data). Phew - lots going on, but I'm feeling like the finish line is nearly in sight.