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March, 2009
 
 
 

11:51 p.m. — Saturday, March 21, 2009
The Kitchen Island - Completed!

Wow. This is the longest Raise the Ranch blog break I've ever taken. I feel a little guilty, but even more than that, I enjoyed my break! I guess life has been busy and the house has taken a backseat for the first time in a long time. As it should. Does that mean we're finally running out of projects?

Never! (Did I hear something about building a deck this summer...?)

We have, however, just completed one very important project: our kitchen island countertop! It's funny how few visitors realized it was made of cardboard covered with beadboard covered with a vinyl tablecloth. Even I got so used to it that I rarely thought about it.

Beadboard Tablecloth
(Beadboard and two layers of tablecloth...awaiting removal.)

But Ryan did not forget. He had a plan to finish the island by my birthday. (I did not know this was the plan...sneaky, sneaky.) True to form, he delivered on his promise.

Last month, we purchased the 3'x6' Numerär butcher block from Ikea in oak . ("Numerär" makes me think of Lord of the Rings...anyone else have this problem?) It was a few inches too short — one of the reasons we didn't buy it years ago — so Ryan solved this problem by adding strips of oak to each end. Norm would have been proud of his doweling and gluing. I know I am.

Island Curve Drawing

Next, he drew the curve on the wood using a clamp and a pencil attached to some twine (I thought his method was pretty ingenious)...

Island Curve

...And got to cutting.

Island Cutting

Then there was lots and lots of sanding. Did I mention sanding? The smell of oak sawdust in the house was so nostalgic and familiar. It's funny how certain smells can bring you back. I have a feeling that for the rest of my life, home construction — be it sawdust, paint, a moldy fridge, what have you — will always bring me back.

Sorry I have no photos of the sanding or the planing or the edge routing. BUT I do have a photo after one coat of polyurethane:

Island One Coat

And another after five:

Island Five Coats

Can you say, "Va va VOOM"?

Ryan's next project was figuring out how to get it upstairs without another strong guy to help. Because solid oak is stinkin' heavy. And his normal helper? Just recently had her gall bladder removed. Medical professionals tend to frown upon heavy lifting following organ removal. Strange, right?

Here's where I caught him trying to do it himself:

Island in Stairwell

He somehow managed to get into the stairwell, resting atop boxes from when we unpacked and installed our cabinets three and a half years ago.

Wow. Did I just say that? Ryan, are you shaking your head in disbelief right now? I am. First, it was sawdust, now this post making me nostalgic. Well, maybe not so much nostalgic as I'M SO GLAD WE'RE NO LONGER SLEEPING ON PLYWOOD.

With the aid of several throw rugs, we slid the countertop into the kitchen.

Countertop Sliding

See how shiny it is? The throw rugs are reflecting!

I took one last glimpse down into the island drawers. I definitely won't miss the tablecloth getting caught with the scissors and tape.

Island Drawers

And just like that, it was out with the old...

Old Tablecloth

...In with the new.

Island

Ta-da! Isn't it beautiful?

It's held in place with six screws underneath:

Island Attachment

Ryan wasted no time sitting down and placing an order at the counter:

Island Ordering

"Pancakes and eggs, please!" See him tapping his fingers with glee? See his ridiculously happy smile in each photo? I feel the exact same way. This was the best birthday present EVER.

Here's my favorite view:

Island Cabinets

Or maybe it's this one:

Island Stools

I can't decide. All I know is...

Island Love

This is love. Butcher block love.



Angela from Boonton, NJ said the following on 03/22/2009 at 04:40:00:
WOW!! Okay, so when are you having us ladies over again for a pancake breakfast so we can admire it?? :)

Aunt Ilse from unspecified said the following on 03/22/2009 at 06:28:01:
WOW! I LOVE the countertop. Ryan, job well done. I loved reading the comments and how they evolved..."Pancakes and eggs, please!" and "This is love. Butcher block love". I believe a ride up to Parsippany when I'm "retired" is in order! YAYYYYYY

brit from unspecified said the following on 03/22/2009 at 09:52:05:
that is beautiful

Aunt Elfriede from Egypt said the following on 03/22/2009 at 14:58:25:
CONGRATULATIONS! That sure was a nice Birthday present for the both of you... You are one lucky lady to have such a talented husband. Is there anything he can't do????

Marge Gregory from North Plainfield, NJ said the following on 03/22/2009 at 15:00:14:
It's beautiful! Isn't nice being married to a handy guy? Not to mention talented. Your home is lovely!

Sharon Kelley from Hainesport, NJ said the following on 03/22/2009 at 20:39:05:
Leah! How fun to hear from you on the EXACT SAME day I was thinking of you... today was painting Gobi Desert day. Anyway, the island is gorgeous and I am super excited for you! YAY countertops!

Seth from Florida said the following on 03/23/2009 at 07:13:08:
No granite? Just kidding it looks nice!

Pamela Wheelock from NJ said the following on 03/23/2009 at 13:02:11:
It looks even better in person!

 

3:05 p.m. — Monday, March 23, 2009
Toy Storage

Our new Ikea TROFAST toy bins are right at home in our blue/green living room:

Toy Storage

We actually meant to buy the unfinished wood units, but when we opened the boxes in our living room, lo and behold, we had brought home the white instead. At first a frustrating, "Oops," now I can't imagine it any other way.


 

11:59 p.m. — Monday, March 30, 2009
How Sweet It Is

"I just came across your blog this morning ~ WOW! What an AMAZING transformation!! I was online this morning trying to see if its possible to convert our ranch house into a colonial and that's how I came across your house. I have to say, its given me hope! I'm excited to continue checking out your blog."

Occasional e-mails like this make all the years of hard work — both on the house and on the blog — seem so worth it. Thanks so much!


 

2:38 p.m. — Tuesday, March 31, 2009
"Final" Kitchen Pictures

Now that the island is done, I thought it would be a good time to do a kitchen "panoramic." Here's how it looks from every possible angle.(Click on any picture to enlarge.)

Wow. Just a little different than the last kitchen tour I posted.

I totally love this kitchen. I love the colors: the contrast of the dark cherry cabinets with the light oak island top, the orangey walls with the dark tile and the black/stainless appliances. I love how the windows flood the room with natural light and I don't have to flip a switch until near evening. I love my new shelf across the windows and the pendant light over the table.

I could not be happier with how this whole project came out.

Big things still to do in here: tile the backsplash, finish scraping grout off the floor tiles (ugh), and build the built-in-bench seating. But for now — and the foreseeable future — we're calling it DONE.



Adventures In Babywearing from unspecified said the following on 09/04/2009 at 21:57:11:
I am in love with your windows!!! Steph

 

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