Well . . . getting better, anyway --

Here was the countertop next to our dining room table before we got the counter AND the sink replaced.

BEFORE:

LOTS of dog food under there - that's what happens when you have large dogs.

This sink was AWFUL -- I kept a planter in there so no one could see just HOW awful it was!
(Okay -- so I'm just not "tidy" enough to keep a brass sink polished.  Get over it!)

CURRENTLY:

So here's the new set-up over by the dining room -- MUCH better, in my opinion. 

(At least the dog food is hidden behind those little curtains now.) 



 Mark is going to install an electrical outlet there behind the microwave so that cord won't be hanging over the edge, and of course we need to patch the wall and paint it to match the rest of the beige kitchen walls, but it already seems much much better to me.  

That picture and the stuff sitting on the counter are there to more or less hide the things that still need done. It'll be even better when that's all been put away.

And then there's the rest of the kitchen.  Here's a "before" (well - "during" actually) picture -- the formica backsplash had been removed but the new countertop and windowsill hadn't been installed yet.

It does look large, given the fact that all the "stuff" had been removed and it was empty!

I guess I SHOULD tidy things up before taking pictures, but -- what can I say?  This is how it generally looks now.  Looks much better to me, for sure, although those drawers there on the left are obviously not completed, and the giant center drawer under the stove top there on the right isn't in place, but hey -- we're getting there.



That black counter does make it a bit darker in there, but on the plus side, you can't see every single breadcrumb either! And since there are so many light sources, it's not really dark once they're turned on.  I WOULD like under-cabinet lights one of these days, though, Mark . . . when you have nothing better to do.  ;-D   (Like THAT'S ever going to be the case!)  I'm glad we installed that beadboard backsplash, though.  I like the white color at the moment, but it's nice to know it can be painted a new color if I feel like it.