Half A Kitchen!

Half of our kitchen is in! I'd like to say we have fewer boxes, but as soon as the install crew emptied them, Jacob was running boxes to his room with plans for a fort running through his mind. He didn't get much school work done.

Conrad and I are so impressed with the Lowe's installation crew! They were very careful and thorough. They worked hard for an entire day, and are coming back Wed. to install the other half, then the granite people can measure and template the countertop. I am dreading living without a kitchen sink for clean up. The undermount sink is coming with the new counter. I am second guessing our counter choice--both color and material--but I'm trying to put my doubts out of my mind. We really agonized over this decision.

Lowe's has been so supportive of giving us the kitchen that we expected. I love the cabinets and we can't stop staring at the formerly empty hole now cozy and full. But we are not impressed with the company, Diamond. The color discrepancy between the sample and actual cabinets was so disappointing. The night we ordered, our Lowe's kitchen rep called Diamond, and they assured her that the cabinets would be "exactly like the sample." We were also told our re-order of black cabinet was a rush order, but that smaller order took longer than our initial order! Another issue is Diamond's use of particle board instead of plywood. It's true, the cabinets are "all wood" boxes stapled together, but everything else is particle board covered in thin colored paper. We picked out knobs and matching drawer pulls, but there aren't any drawer pulls; lots of knobs though! And the screws Diamond sent with the knobs are too long, so the crew drilled holes for knobs, but we don't actually have any knobs on the cabinets. For months we had a big empty hole where our kitchen was supposed to be, boxes crowding our house and all our kitchen supplies spread throughout the house. Mess everywhere, impossible to clean. Three months without a kitchen because of Diamond. It's been stressful. Looking at the kitchen and seeing cabinets, being able to put things away and clear away the disorder in our home has been a wonderful relief.

I expected our kitchen would be done before school started, but my new goal is that it will be done in time for Conrad's birthday (Sept. 22)and the holidays so we can have parties!

Kitchen Saga Continues

Since the Diamond "chocolate brown" cabinets were lighter than the sample (one also had a chip right on the front), Lowe's picked them up this morning. I don't know where we go from here. "Someone" from Lowe's is going to look at them and decide whether the sample and our cabinets match. I guess Lowe's isn't happy about taking them back, but in my opinion, it's all on the cabinet company. If we knew then what we know now, we would never have ordered Diamond. "All wood upgrade" means all the end panels are still particle board. Conrad is disgusted that the cabinets are stapled together. Our house is in chaos for who knows how much longer, and I'm teaching piano lessons everyday and we're starting homeschool soon. We're eating on the couch and I guess we'll be doing school on the couch too, since our table is holding kitchen items. I am somewhere between angry and depressed. The families that come for piano lessons are also getting a lesson in kitchen remodels.

Kitchen Remodel

The Lowes installer came over yesterday to look at the kitchen and check each box to make sure our order was complete. We love our cabinets (Whiskey Black Maple) and the glass pattern. But when he opened the box of "chocolate brown" my heart sank. They looked like a dark stain. Pretty--I actually have a couple pieces of furniture that color-- but not what I wanted, which was black. I was so disappointed. Conrad saw that, although we paid for the all-wood upgrade, the end panels are particle board! Their catalog states the upgrade is all-wood. He called the Diamond company and they weren't helpful. They simply don't make end panels in wood. Conrad was livid and ready to send it all back. Those end panels will be next to our dishwasher! Our Lowes rep promised to come over that evening to resolve this right away. She brought the samples with her, and we could see that our chocolate brown cabinet looked much different than the sample, although the cabinet company had assured us that the cabinets and sample are the same color. She promised to take all the chocolate cabinets back and re-order them in black, rush order. She also said that the installer would make our end panels out of wood, because Diamond would not (I still think that is bizarre). Conrad and I were both happy. She really went above and beyond to make us happy, and completely restored my faith in her.