Day 127

Day 123

Day 118

Day 117: More Kitchen and Bathroom Makeover

And there it is -- workers have started installing our granite countertops!

Day 111: Splurging on Granite

After some consideration, we decided to jump in and get granite countertops for the kitchen. We fell in love with this color -- "Black Absolute Honed" -- because unlike most granite, it's not shiny. And it doesn't contain a leopard-like spotty design. I know all the knocks against granite -- you need to treat it more frequently, etc. But it was a tad more economical ($13/square foot) than the options like Corian.

And like I said, we fell in love with the granite color we found -- and as we've discovered with this remodel, falling in love can have expensive consequences.

Unfortunately, we had too much counter space (we're adding more space next to the fridge, where the bench used to be) to buy just one slab. So we're purchasing two. (December note: We're still waiting for the remainders, which they promised.)

This pic is from the storage yard at Stoned and Tumbled, the North Hollywood spot where we also purchased the travertine tile for our bathroom. Yup, Stoned and Tiled made quite a bit of money from us this year.

Day 109: The House Turns Brown

Another inspection passed, which means our outside can now undergo another coat. This time it's "browncoat," which, as you can tell, has now been applied to part of the back.



The bathroom is also being finished up, with final touches on the tilework.



Here's the bathroom, looking toward the toilet spot.



One more tub shot.



The east side of the house...



... and the east side up close, as you can see the division between old and new.

Day 105: Walled In

Not much new in terms of coating... we're waiting for approval in order for the final "brown coat," which will then give way to the stucco.



Wait -- the garage has drywall... that must mean...



Yup, the drywall is in! Here's the family room...



... and here we are in the family room looking toward the bedroom.



View toward the french doors.



The master bath peers out.



Latest bathroom shot -- yup, the tilework is done. And they did a pretty good job.



We like the detail around the tub too.

Day 104: Stucco and Tile Work Continue

Back of the house



Garage and back



Garage back



More tile surrounds the tub

Day 103: Stucco, Tile and Insulation (Oh, My!)

Talk about some serious progress being made. The first layer has been added to the walls -- two more to go (next up, it's the "brown coat," and then the actual stucco).



View from the side



The latest garage view



The side of the garage and the back of the house. Yes, I'm still bothered by the roof drain right above the garage entry door. What's up with that?!



The back of the garage



Ahh, travertine tile! Here's where the toilet will eventually go.



The tile up close. Good deal at $2.75/square foot. Which sounds cheap, but seriously adds up. We spent so much on tile in the bathroom and kitchen -- at least $3,000 -- that I'm not 100% sure it was worth it. It all looks nice, though.



The tub just fits -- barely...



Insulation in the bedroom...



... and in the family room.

Day 102: Do Not Enter

The bathroom, that is. With the walls undergoing a cement treatment (being readied for the travertine tile), progress is being made.



Our favorite little attention to detail here: The soap/shampoo nooks. Nice element that we didn't ask them to do.