Kitchen gets an update

So technically this isn't about our baby, but being a future Dad this will be important for our baby, so I'm putting it here. (Besides, I'm not starting on the nursery until this is done, so this should hold me accountable to finish the kitchen in a timely fashion.)

We started our kitchen remodel back in September of last year by upgrading all our appliances to things that actually work and look nice to boot. The updating was a necessity because until you've had to wash your dishes three times (once before going in the dishwasher, once in the dishwasher, and once again after to get what's left off) you won't appreciate a dishwasher that does its job without extra effort on your part.

Once our kitchen was functional, we got in a bit of a lull and put off remodeling for a few months, but once the new year rolled around, we picked back up full steam. Our most recent addition has been replacing our laminate countertops with stone (Quartz) and upgrading our basic tile backsplash to a seashell/fossil inlaid limestone tile. We also took the opportunity to upgrade the sink and faucet to a more modern look. The results are pretty nice, as you can see from the above picture. If you never saw our kitchen before, take a moment to thank yourself and trust what I'm showing you is a major improvement. When the whole project is done, I'll show the before/after pics, so be patient.

This weeks task is to hang the over-the-range microwave. Now that the backsplash is up, the microhood can go up and I can start burning food on the stove again without the fire alarm going off.

After that, what's left if to replace the window treatments (read: burn those vertical blinds), update the lighting and add some hardware to the cabinets. Tiffany is in charge of the windows and I'm taking the lead on the lighting. We are considering some under the cabinet stuff, but the main replacement will be overhead. I looked into some very nice and stylish fluorescents, but they won't work because of our heating vents, so we may we stuck with track lighting.

Any suggestions you all might have, let us know.