Picking out the Perfect counter

 Here are the inspiration pictures I choose as the basic framework for my own kitchen

 My kitchen Pinterest Board

Amazing Tile floor

I am in the process of making all these leaf tiles myself.  

Raised Paintable Wall Paper

I am putting this on the ceiling (when I find a wallpaper guy who can do it)

hardware for Kitchen Cabinets

So, the hunt begins for the perfect counter top.  I thought maybe white was the answer.  White would brighten the room, but I found out that White Marble stains easily (not a good fit for me)

No, this is not working for me either

So..... went to every marble and granite store in town but surprise surprise I found this one at Home Depot

Blue Pearl Granite

Ok, so here are the steps to getting my counter top

1. order in the store
2. wait a week with no one calling to schedule measuring
3. call store to see what is wrong 
4. give them my correct phone number that they wrote down wrong
5. wait 5 days for a phone call
6. call home depot again to see what is still wrong
7. get a phone call the next day from installer and find out I have to build the base for my new farmhouse sink before they will come out to measure.
8. wait 4 days for cabinet guy to come to my house to build in my sink supports and dishwasher surround
   
   
   
   
9. now I call the counter guys back to reschedule measuring
10. wait one week for guy to come measure
11. wait 9 days for counter to arrive
12. find out the guy measured wrong and not one counter fits
13. The installers then remeasure counter and this time they make a template
14. wait 10 days for new counter
15. counter installed
    

oh wait.....it does not stop there!  one day later this happens

16.  Call counter installers main office and give the owner an ear-full.
17. Next day I have new guys at my front door that were really nice and sanded both corners next to the sink.  To my joyful surprise,  I found I liked the rounded corners a lot better!

So now I am happy.  My cats and dog are no longer running for cover.  But, I see that the grout in the tile backslash, above the new counter,  looks terrible so I

1. put a new bright white layer of ground in the seam
   
   
   
   
2. grout the gap closed between counter and back splash
3. call the plumber to install my faucet to my sink
4. tell my husband we will have running water in the kitchen after 2 months of eating out
5. put a bead of clear silicone in the joint between the sink and the counter so I don't water everything under the sink after I wash dishes almost every night
6. Painted the walls a greyish light blue.

I hated the drab color once it was all put up, so went back to hardware store and bought this

 and began doing this

all you do is paint it fast onto the walls, take a paper towel and using a circular motion just rub it around the wall.  The walls ended up looking like silver metal when the lights hit it.  I hung up the plates, put stuff on the counter and this it what it looks like now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BAM!

A little fine art in the kitchen is a good thing!


Now here are the side by side photos of the kitchen so far

before and after

Making progress now.










Appliances are from

I ordered the Range/Oven and microwave online from http://appliances.fumfie.com/

I ordered the sink from http://www.amazon.com/Kraus-Farmhouse-Single-Stainless-Kitchen/dp/B0032BYM2G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1387496851&sr=8-1&keywords=stainless+steel+apron+sink

  

The faucet came from http://www.lowes.com/

The counters are from  http://www.homedepot.com/c/SF_KB_Granite_Countertops

Next, the ceiling.....coming as soon as a can find a wallpaper hanger........ugh
This could take a while so there will be other posts in between.