Countertop installation

<span style="font-style: italic;">This blog chronicles my entire kitchen renovation from start to finish. Greentea Design has provided me with their solid wood <a href="http://www.greenteadesign.com/kitchen-cabinets.html" target="blank">kitchen cabinets</a>, and I'm taking care of the rest.<br /><br />If you'd like to be brought up to date, check out the archive in the sidebar for previous posts. I posted recently about the completed lighting, and now for the countertop installation.</span><br /><br />Choosing a countertop was quite an adventure. I had a particular idea of the look in mind and was searching for something that wasn't going to break the bank. I ended up going with a quartz called specchio white that is exactly what I wanted and for a great price. I am so happy that I went with a light coloured counter because it brightens up the space so much. I think it looks incredible against the cabinets. The material I chose has lots of grey and silver flecks in it that sparkles. SO PRETTY. As usual, I took many photos and in this case I took some during the installation process as well because I found it fascinating.<br /><br />To start the installation, my contractor had to cut a hole for the sink. I found this to be too painful to watch so I quickly snapped a couple photos and proceeded to stare out the window whilst cringing in agony.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifk18uoDWJ5ZCKKeFWRHnbMJZgooKRghQdhqyzExsyA89C0JQp7vLQj8uJzGppwol7FQ7W8i3kRC1DVlJ7aRqEm1EDmBKtDeTx6lgAHAuD9EozhnLxRiM3W62ZlN6bKOp1bQJZA9Gr6eg/s1600-h/1.jpg" target="blank"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275679380402318258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifk18uoDWJ5ZCKKeFWRHnbMJZgooKRghQdhqyzExsyA89C0JQp7vLQj8uJzGppwol7FQ7W8i3kRC1DVlJ7aRqEm1EDmBKtDeTx6lgAHAuD9EozhnLxRiM3W62ZlN6bKOp1bQJZA9Gr6eg/s800/1.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrsX13iKKpT84tQcKce3H7GFzs4zvulb0bJlkta5qhuGgTKxC67-IOTZ35eoPWtTI2hesaJvEgfV9xhOyOd1cdJqtP8R1eqp6GJc1_L0wDbJhLZHxzdm69F3wS_XCCp8YsZjlzm97bROw/s1600-h/2.jpg" target="blank"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275679372772048130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrsX13iKKpT84tQcKce3H7GFzs4zvulb0bJlkta5qhuGgTKxC67-IOTZ35eoPWtTI2hesaJvEgfV9xhOyOd1cdJqtP8R1eqp6GJc1_L0wDbJhLZHxzdm69F3wS_XCCp8YsZjlzm97bROw/s800/2.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />This next photo is the first piece (there are 3) simply set down on the cabinet. Looking good already!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinkCLNFNZ6uG2qW0nT5jvkMPRql3qle6FU1YVcHZlmt6pzm1Z1pHOsiJ_M7ssUiZ5dxXprz6t8RautsynDUR9hOetFIsI-n2v_3KKTnCyO86TBQ-xPeJX7_BdG86dGtjPPfLJHseDuOmA/s1600-h/3.jpg" target="blank"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275679780566485986" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinkCLNFNZ6uG2qW0nT5jvkMPRql3qle6FU1YVcHZlmt6pzm1Z1pHOsiJ_M7ssUiZ5dxXprz6t8RautsynDUR9hOetFIsI-n2v_3KKTnCyO86TBQ-xPeJX7_BdG86dGtjPPfLJHseDuOmA/s800/3.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><a name="post17"></a><br />The second piece was set down and after lots of chipping away at the wall behind it, the installers realized how wonky my walls are and had to take it back to the shop to cut some of the right side off so it would fit properly.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ740P53RuD6w1UsCdfXrK1LdhQSCkRlTz1K8MMzNCPthz2cl0NxbV1kcwTNI8jkFrMbcrKrCjZckq4lY6eDWBgsbTcdGy1E_enu_3VTFe0COysLakZM0x7gBj_YjXJCu6IEHHWTLRtUQ/s1600-h/4.jpg" target="blank"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275681231303521266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ740P53RuD6w1UsCdfXrK1LdhQSCkRlTz1K8MMzNCPthz2cl0NxbV1kcwTNI8jkFrMbcrKrCjZckq4lY6eDWBgsbTcdGy1E_enu_3VTFe0COysLakZM0x7gBj_YjXJCu6IEHHWTLRtUQ/s800/4.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />When they came back and got everything in place, they worked at filling in the seam between the 2 pieces that join. They were so meticulous, getting everything lined up and completely flat. The whole process (minus the time they took to go back to the shop) probably took 2 hours. In the photo below you can see the edge of the counter and how thin it is. I wanted a really thick profile, so they joined two 3/4" slabs to make the front profile 1.5" thick. (They had it in 1 1/4" thickness as well but they didn't have enough to do my counters).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj80CMyaB9BWPV6LmDDDgy9fhNZ17w21ihyphenhyphenInlWQlVLpOST1VuuOresmNITrHXjwG3K9abE0RLAygxFPK0rwFaKDaJckPX8o3GOutQSpYuD7SOpAAdC4ETx73oIAxCCEZA6fY7AlffGJGw/s1600-h/5.jpg" target="blank"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275681922888064962" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj80CMyaB9BWPV6LmDDDgy9fhNZ17w21ihyphenhyphenInlWQlVLpOST1VuuOresmNITrHXjwG3K9abE0RLAygxFPK0rwFaKDaJckPX8o3GOutQSpYuD7SOpAAdC4ETx73oIAxCCEZA6fY7AlffGJGw/s800/5.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />Here are some photos of it once it was installed.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_xsuNW9P262dTTRkug3ZfN0HzzTgr9J5PcAXNau-aRouiAxBhenixVopHm-ixKWanA7Ih8ouH52ll8LDTXWdPOp8REQVNkCZXAMnT_RsKbfOpNkNUhvZ5PpI1y7jqyADGOojS1beqzrk/s1600-h/6.jpg" target="blank"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275683035909926450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_xsuNW9P262dTTRkug3ZfN0HzzTgr9J5PcAXNau-aRouiAxBhenixVopHm-ixKWanA7Ih8ouH52ll8LDTXWdPOp8REQVNkCZXAMnT_RsKbfOpNkNUhvZ5PpI1y7jqyADGOojS1beqzrk/s800/6.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><table align="center"><tbody><tr><td align="right"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-OaD62LZT2Hi2-5OKWM3OJ9WvSu9dSh47KEBqsh3RNm3iUyyPg1zuU0vPPdL6Kf9Jlmc9lb2WbFdVeBQWmYDq_Y9yUaz8j2XC7hCScs1M3gxkpmh_UxGpfAtjexFeVk3ml4daIdZHa8c/s1600-h/7.jpg" target="blank"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275683032706682066" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-OaD62LZT2Hi2-5OKWM3OJ9WvSu9dSh47KEBqsh3RNm3iUyyPg1zuU0vPPdL6Kf9Jlmc9lb2WbFdVeBQWmYDq_Y9yUaz8j2XC7hCScs1M3gxkpmh_UxGpfAtjexFeVk3ml4daIdZHa8c/s800/7.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a></td><td align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGD5YMl5aIvxgT5O5HA61LIWx5pw4eiHX_DymwMxnP-8pn0FGOByazU6l3FwZ9IgU-Ae6EmDKBGKCbBRo4Xel_MrfZ9H3RF7otEtPbUTLYbDTKRmkLnzw5SsPRYlqQfNLSSeTY5Jcu9Gc/s1600-h/8.jpg" target="blank"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275683028233919714" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGD5YMl5aIvxgT5O5HA61LIWx5pw4eiHX_DymwMxnP-8pn0FGOByazU6l3FwZ9IgU-Ae6EmDKBGKCbBRo4Xel_MrfZ9H3RF7otEtPbUTLYbDTKRmkLnzw5SsPRYlqQfNLSSeTY5Jcu9Gc/s800/8.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggOKglkC6wx19uaQElEFvVWm_GdKgJAa2zTKw5wagL8iKO_5-s4S5iasYQJPZTVqpm6pXkjHHCv-4UlHLx6B-aYBvmr86YEVK9kenvxNoJZDNteg9D5wagID5BEpgnRGv4b0PlQwhtsJo/s1600-h/9.jpg" target="blank"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275683031580434370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggOKglkC6wx19uaQElEFvVWm_GdKgJAa2zTKw5wagL8iKO_5-s4S5iasYQJPZTVqpm6pXkjHHCv-4UlHLx6B-aYBvmr86YEVK9kenvxNoJZDNteg9D5wagID5BEpgnRGv4b0PlQwhtsJo/s800/9.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />They also siliconed my sink in place, which might I say looks fantastic.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSsMhAVtTGDvCHfRB4wApKTcbGOLAiyD6Q1ztGkX1f4SdWRtlj4rQMol6Cb_YTprfR1kLg8JGPBIA0qIMVW-ZlXUnRDTg55mOy4aLgi-22EzxDcsv2szBAGe4VOLlJwSfTDM9M-oiMqY8/s1600-h/10.jpg" target="blank"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275683952479124210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSsMhAVtTGDvCHfRB4wApKTcbGOLAiyD6Q1ztGkX1f4SdWRtlj4rQMol6Cb_YTprfR1kLg8JGPBIA0qIMVW-ZlXUnRDTg55mOy4aLgi-22EzxDcsv2szBAGe4VOLlJwSfTDM9M-oiMqY8/s800/10.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />Here are some photos I took to try and show the detail in the quartz, and the edging that they they did a SUPER job on. You can hardly see the seam anywhere, and if you can it's because your eyeball (or camera lens) is stuck up against it.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtRIFMEXaqL_bnLXqykuPNIiVeV0fWx-VNmbWXoBkOp5XNQTKuFZRYvbcs05Tv7c2cGakbmrRaoT1BqeZqVCGDo_zotxpTSh7CNhMR2nn3zj95OWo1AurF_9o6VooUsqy5q29yX58wD6U/s1600-h/14.jpg" target="blank"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275684550725609234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtRIFMEXaqL_bnLXqykuPNIiVeV0fWx-VNmbWXoBkOp5XNQTKuFZRYvbcs05Tv7c2cGakbmrRaoT1BqeZqVCGDo_zotxpTSh7CNhMR2nn3zj95OWo1AurF_9o6VooUsqy5q29yX58wD6U/s800/14.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia9SUxQnfUjB7DLZWMD5pdTs9xV8TogsBWLGCSogtaKgMenVBcjjTl-nCKQ8DuknlpEQl81B71rZhtBJSXI8MQSsS_DfS2lhIZO7RL2PpYSVXqwLlNNgl2o0q8AI6KvAiULnnhi41Bod0/s1600-h/13.jpg" target="blank"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275684552183265938" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia9SUxQnfUjB7DLZWMD5pdTs9xV8TogsBWLGCSogtaKgMenVBcjjTl-nCKQ8DuknlpEQl81B71rZhtBJSXI8MQSsS_DfS2lhIZO7RL2PpYSVXqwLlNNgl2o0q8AI6KvAiULnnhi41Bod0/s800/13.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />That evening I was so in awe of how the kitchen was looking at that point that I went and pulled out the kilim I had bought for under the dining table. A perfect fit!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsyBpCGTLdvj6J-ZEV-vs_kvCttWBFW1VtMMF6_DQUr-506ktRI_oAcF8bheHt7EuIt6TWQz5FQYa_s_bmznNMczd4kVIJTo4coMqFr0j48qZEsX8wqTPVabqlnmVD3tp-zHqeUcv2MMU/s1600-h/15.jpg" target="blank"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275686750686296674" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsyBpCGTLdvj6J-ZEV-vs_kvCttWBFW1VtMMF6_DQUr-506ktRI_oAcF8bheHt7EuIt6TWQz5FQYa_s_bmznNMczd4kVIJTo4coMqFr0j48qZEsX8wqTPVabqlnmVD3tp-zHqeUcv2MMU/s800/15.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />Once it all set for 24 hours, the plumber was able to install the faucet which I think is just so pretty. I really do love single hole faucets - such a clean look. And I finally got around to painting out the window frame - which was supposed to be centred over the sink but ended up centred over the cabinet. No big deal - hence the placement of the vase as a distraction.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7DN1JAEGwxh_GuPsfO614rMpHRef8cUwTIg1zm3pT14VApcj92OWNw0olH6QF2DxBRhPs37FtJd92CNCi5jUvCocELwAi7tz-ro01Bdmla2mdku1H1MkrPNL4CB0B6p8q2oj8-j18v2s/s1600-h/11.jpg" target="blank"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275685190723794578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7DN1JAEGwxh_GuPsfO614rMpHRef8cUwTIg1zm3pT14VApcj92OWNw0olH6QF2DxBRhPs37FtJd92CNCi5jUvCocELwAi7tz-ro01Bdmla2mdku1H1MkrPNL4CB0B6p8q2oj8-j18v2s/s800/11.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMezPsrrYoPSbsrtwQ8ksBv7OsSnlEx0a-ENkaySIvRwnoM-kNBKWFMqH_LFlEXhYWv2u5XNY-IOY-ozJGxvpBgbNSIr87ttRn9pXztCAubYk7oN4BJx9EXa_jgRb5TBv9G79nbx_hd24/s1600-h/12.jpg" target="blank"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275685176728157922" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMezPsrrYoPSbsrtwQ8ksBv7OsSnlEx0a-ENkaySIvRwnoM-kNBKWFMqH_LFlEXhYWv2u5XNY-IOY-ozJGxvpBgbNSIr87ttRn9pXztCAubYk7oN4BJx9EXa_jgRb5TBv9G79nbx_hd24/s800/12.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br /><br />P.S. For those folks in Ottawa looking for a countertop, check out <a href="http://planetgranite.ca/" target="blank">Planet Granite</a>. Sue was an absolute pleasure to deal with and was very accommodating.<br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">NOTE (end of March 2009): I take back what I said about</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Planet Granite</span></span>. <span style="font-weight: bold;">They WERE a pleasure to deal with UNTIL they installed my backsplash which I was completely dissatisfied with and to date, they have not fixed it. They were impossible to get a hold of, and after calling them about 15 times and I finally spoke to the owner, nothing has been resolved. (Oh - and Sue no longer works there).</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>

Countertop installation

This blog chronicles my entire kitchen renovation from start to finish. Greentea Design has provided me with their solid wood kitchen cabine...

Read more »

Remaining kitchen purchases

<span style="font-style: italic;">This blog chronicles my entire kitchen renovation from start to finish. Greentea Design has provided me with their solid wood <a href="http://www.greenteadesign.com/kitchen-cabinets.html" target="blank">kitchen cabinets</a>, and I'm taking care of the rest.<br /><br />If you'd like to be brought up to date, check out the archive in the sidebar for previous posts. I posted recently about some of the major purchases I've made for the kitchen such as lighting and appliances, and now it's time for the countertop, sink, faucet and backsplash. One of these I have no clue about and would love some suggestions.</span><br /><br />From the get-go I had an idea in mind for the countertop, and I kept going back to it. White. White. White. One of my main goals for this kitchen is to keep it bright and light since the space is small. I thought white countertops would help in this regard. I want to paint the walls white (or really light grey like the rest of the main floor), and thought if this continued on the countertops the space would flow nicely. I am not very knowledgeable on countertop materials, so I started at a kitchen/bath design store and went through samples of granite, marble and man-made stones like Corian, Silestone and Caesarstone. They had a kitchen in their showroom that had the most gorgeous white countertop I had ever seen, and it turned out to be Zodiaq quartz by Dupont. I asked for a quote, and a couple days later the salesperson called and asked if I was sitting down - never a good sign. $4200. WHOA. I then asked for a quote for Corian (turns out it's about as pricey since it's made of mostly petroleum) and honed granite, and they were both a little steep (the Corian was about the same as the quartz, and the granite a bit cheaper). I quickly learned going to a kitchen and bath store is not ideal for selecting a countertop. I went across the street to a granite shop and got a quote about $2000 lower, so going directly to the supplier is obviously a wise choice. But no one makes a white granite, or at least one that is mostly white. I went to <a href="http://www.planetgranite.ca/" target="blank">Planet Granite</a> a few days ago desperate to finally find something, and I found EXACTLY what I wanted:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi21EHoCOR_uD3yEa6unjMxM_dRQe1lDku96qVN4jcvgdYKqN0kORqublzUjf0uLnN6vIOE65IggLI6boETh0udwjJyse9Q0f8pLVyIq6HiCRSsyi2WHQISD_w5TWxDgZm5VZIN0s_y6kw/s1600-h/counter.jpg" target="blank"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256474676000461042" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi21EHoCOR_uD3yEa6unjMxM_dRQe1lDku96qVN4jcvgdYKqN0kORqublzUjf0uLnN6vIOE65IggLI6boETh0udwjJyse9Q0f8pLVyIq6HiCRSsyi2WHQISD_w5TWxDgZm5VZIN0s_y6kw/s800/counter.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" /></a><br /><a name="post7"></a><br />It's quartz, Specchio white by Hanstone. I was helped at the shop by Sue, who was an absolute pleasure, and she even went to the back and got the cutter to scrounge up a chunk for me to take home and photograph. Best part is the price. $2400. Not only is the price great but for that price they're doing a double edge of 3/4" slabs, so it will be 1.5" thick (that includes installation and cutting holes for the sink and faucet). I love a thick countertop. And she's charging me for the price of the 3/4". :) I also asked for a really squared edge, not the typical pencil edge they do. I am so stoked to see what it looks like finished. It seems to be a pretty durable material, as I will have cats jumping on and off of it so it was important that it withstand claws. Greentea had sent me a sample piece from a cabinet in the stain I chose so I brought it with me and I think it's going to look awesome.<br /><br />Now for the sink. I also had an idea from the start about what type of sink I wanted. It had to have squared edges for a more modern look. Turns out those sinks are quite a bit more expensive. I wanted it undermount, and I figured since I'll have no dishwasher that I should get a double bowl. I ended up with a single bowl, but a REALLY large one. And as far as sinks go, it's awfully pretty.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-WEHL4V1Jv22jMbjSKKUukO8bsLNVdiLOfrF-ZeDTNMEQyuNV3EQ0xxCt9j7iEf8FrEHZS0S9vJ-vnzOShDxDjxJkYKu3NrGaW4e5LTZqwAR3HG7G2IpUPQEKdzCFi7lXAHHiDsfVEg/s1600-h/sink.jpg" target="blank"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256618197260661730" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-WEHL4V1Jv22jMbjSKKUukO8bsLNVdiLOfrF-ZeDTNMEQyuNV3EQ0xxCt9j7iEf8FrEHZS0S9vJ-vnzOShDxDjxJkYKu3NrGaW4e5LTZqwAR3HG7G2IpUPQEKdzCFi7lXAHHiDsfVEg/s800/sink.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" /></a><br /><br />It's by Barazza, is 70cm x 40cm and 20cm deep, and ended up costing about $930. I love that it's deep and wide so I can pile it with dirty dishes. :)<br /><br />The last thing I purchased was the faucet, and at this point I was more than mildly concerned about my finances. I had always wanted a restaurant style faucet, but it seems they are just nice to look at instead of functional. I ended up at <a href="http://www.mondeau.ca" target="blank">Boone Plumbing</a> thanks to a tip from my boss, and yet another great salesperson (Sebastien) helped me out. I didn't have much criteria for a faucet, except I like the one-handle models, preferred brushed stainless to chrome, and thought a pull-down spout would be handy. I decided on this one:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr-BwhxbB5BjOw-lBjtMcggPIftvkeLgd0ePGWFsU7lDrkaEZbc_det3Gn3Xkso4lCwU0Aq776Cm8UAfxnGvPHfJZ2Yvr66oVPL9rSTO1bAMGF_hyphenhyphenJ0ePonKD1k49vDq7mw5r1zabUCb8/s1600-h/faucet.jpg" target="blank"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256623137088401762" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr-BwhxbB5BjOw-lBjtMcggPIftvkeLgd0ePGWFsU7lDrkaEZbc_det3Gn3Xkso4lCwU0Aq776Cm8UAfxnGvPHfJZ2Yvr66oVPL9rSTO1bAMGF_hyphenhyphenJ0ePonKD1k49vDq7mw5r1zabUCb8/s800/faucet.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" /></a><br /><br />It's by Moen, and was priced at $375. When Sebastien was putting the order in, I asked him if it would be on Moen's website so I can get a photo of it (I'm still waiting for it to arrive), since I had to post it on the blog. When he heard my story about the kitchen blog he said he would give me a discount, and only charged me $310. Gotta love that. <br /><br />Last thing is the backsplash. And this is where I have <span style="font-weight:bold;">NO CLUE</span>. It would be a small area, below the uppers on the new fridge wall. Actually, I have no idea if I should even do a backsplash. I think it would be a good idea since that area is visible as soon as you walk in the front door. I just haven't had much time to give it any thought. I figured I would ask you guys for suggestions since I really have no idea on style, colour...anything. With the hectic state of things here, any help would be very much appreciated.

Remaining kitchen purchases

This blog chronicles my entire kitchen renovation from start to finish. Greentea Design has provided me with their solid wood kitchen cabine...

Read more »