Getting close to finished

 The kitchen has turned out great. The painting will be finished tomorrow. I've been looking for tile for the backsplash. My original idea was for something distinctive, but was talked into looking for something more neutral, so as not to either clash with, or take away from, the "busy" quartz countertop. I am still not convinced about what I'm going to choose, but there is a sweet 30% discount available at Olympic tile because I bought the countertops at Ottawa Granite Pro. The counter is the same as in the main bathroom.

Because the kitchen is quite neutral, I've chosen turquoise as my accent colour for some new countertop accessories. I believe I have accumulated enough of them now and will shut down the shopping expeditions to Home Sense and its sister stores. I will post pictures when painting is done. I might even include the little Icelandic gnome.

Installation of the countertops, with their under mount sinks, went very smoothly. They all look great. Despite my original wish to have the counters in the bathrooms, NOT to have edging in the same material, that's what I've ended up with. Because the little backsplash is no longer required this has turned out to be a money saver. And I like the look. 

Ensuite bathroom counter

Main bathroom counter. The storage area underneath will be re-configured into a useable space with doors that don't snap back on their own and trap your fingers, just as you reach for something inside

Despite a setback involving a faucet for the bathroom, the project is nearing completion. Home Depot sells their products in sealed boxes. Very cute. They do a great job of sealing up defective items with missing parts. I can't help but wonder how the person who originally bought this faucet, got away with returning something with missing parts. And why didn't the Home Depot staff member not look at what was being refunded. But I must extend kudos on the excellent re-wrapping and sealing job. All's well now. The exchange provided a faucet in perfect condition with all parts included.

I'm still undecided about the area rug for the seating area of the living room. I'm already returned one that I bought on Amazon. This return was accompanied by a certain measure of guilt, having watched an edition of Marketplace that shows much of what gets returned, becomes landfill. However, the rug didn't look as advertised either in colour or quality.

The colourful round mat I ordered from Home Depot for the tv area arrived today. And after very careful unwrapping, in case I had to use that wrapping to return it, it works just fine. The pop of colour needed in that area is now in place. Ta-da.

A cosy mat to rest my feet. Double-sided tape will keep accidents to a minimum. I don't wish to waste any more wine by tripping over the edge, splashing the wine on the loveseat, and breaking the glass. By the way I've switched to stemless wine glasses since then.  The stand up fan doesn't live in that spot. It was an oopsie in the photo.

The master bedroom still needs the return of the newly painted white cedar chest and unpacking of the second lamp. And there's the little matter of wall art. I did find a nice mirror at Marshall's and it will be hung tomorrow. It's a non-golfing day so work can proceed on the home front. For me the beauty of playing golf is that you can make a 4 hour game take up your entire day. Fun fun fun. But the design fairies never show up in my absence.

The office/guest room remains the 'staging centre' for everything happening elsewhere. The furniture itself is in place but pictures for everywhere are still taking up floor space. Again, progress is on the agenda for tomorrow.

If all goes well, the painting will be completed tomorrow and the pile of paint cans and pails will disappear from its little corner of the living room. I'll save a small bottle for touchups but will be rid of the larger mess. 

Although I thought the floor space here was exactly as in unit 905, it looks a bit wider and more open. And that's a good thing.

The final chapter will hopefully be written soon.