Just a quick update on the kitchen project for our own house: We are starting to see the finish line, or at least a point where we'll have a fully usable space again. Over the last two weekends we've painted, installed a window, hung the hood, and started to install cabinet boxes. Nearly all have involved snafus of varying degrees, reminding us why there are competent professionals who should be hired for these jobs!
Paint
Trims and crowns are not installed yet, but we wanted to get the walls painted before cabinets were in the way. I rented a sprayer on a Saturday planning to paint Sunday, but alas the hoses were clogged. Steph's dad was kind enough to help me get the first coat on with brushes and rollers. Then Monday morning I was able to get a new sprayer and knock out the final coat in a snap. With all the grooves in our wall siding, the sprayer was really the way to go. We went with Miller's "Winter White" in a satin finish, with zero-VOCs. Hard to tell in this photo, but it looks really crisp.
Window
With all the trim pulled off, we decided to replace our sink window with a sash-replacement kit. (This could also be done without removing the window casings if needed.) Marvin's Tilt-Pac is a great option, but we went with a similar product from Weather-Shield to save about 15%.The snafu in this case was in the window ordering process: The width and height of our window got transposed on the order, which was discovered right after I had ripped out the old sashes. This happened in part because I didn't do what architects usually do: provide the supplier with a scaled drawing and a window schedule. A simple step that I wouldn't skip for a client, but somehow overlooked for myself. So we sat back and waited a few weeks for the replacement replacement window to arrive. Now it is finally installed and we have warm double-glazing, smooth operation, and an etched lower sash to hide our neighbor's garbage & recycling. With the window in place, cabinets can start going in soon.
Range hood
We went ahead with the hood so that we'd have a nice datum point for locating the range and surrounding cabinets. For now we are not hooked up to the exhaust or electrical, but it is amazing how much more "kitcheny" it makes the space feel. This is weird because neither Steph nor I can remember ever living with a real hood.
Cabinets
Just getting started on this part — we're using Ikea cabinets, and I'll try to post in more detail about these soon. I have slight misgivings about using these, but for a DIY solution they are a decent choice. So far the biggest hurdle has been working around the walls that are bowed or out of plumb... and we have a few of those in our 100+ year old house.
One more thing: With the ceiling finally finished, we have the lights installed once again. Woohoo!