This has been a slow process, but the countertops were finally finished today! We debated putting in granite, but I couldn't justify the big expense and it seemed out of place in our 1971 house anyway (especially with the broken window at the stair landing and the jagged driveway. They're on the to-do list, but it is a long list). And although it looks like people do it often, I was a little concerned about the weight on the IKEA cabinets. I opted for fancy fake granite laminate countertops instead. I am loving the color and pattern; you have to look closely to realize it is Formica. And I'm also excited about the humongous undermount sink, which was a last minute change of direction. Because the sink was designed more for granite in mind there is some edging visible, but it should still work great for sweeping food directly into the sink.
We still need to install the pulls, which I finally ordered yesterday, so we probably won't "move in" for a week or two yet because some of the drawers are hard to open. And the electricians will come back to install two pendant lights over the counter. I originally ordered 3, but we realized there wouldn't be room when the two large cabinet drawers open.
Our final dilemma is what to do with our black fridge, which will look fairly dreadful. We got it on Craigslist and Nick is now looking for another white one to switch out. Someday we would love to get all stainless steel, but we want to take these big expenses one step at a time.
