Marathon Trip to Lowes

My decision not to take anyone with me to Lowes yesterday was a good one- I was there for 4 hours! It was a productive trip, with the kitchen & office cabinetry design now finalized. The designer we worked with is very good. He gave me a very cost-saving tip about how to create the laundry room I wanted, which I'm excited about.

The kitchen we priced is a Kraftmaid with a toffee stain. We couldn't get exactly what we want (primarily having the bar lower than the rest of the cabinets but still with a trashcan roll-out) through Lowes. Home Depot has lower prices on a stain color we like better, but the closest store has lousy service. So we're going to price a custom kitchen from the next door neighbor. We expect to go that route.

I changed the office from a cherry -which I realized will drive me nuts by highlighting dust, to a white laminate. What we shaved off the office price was added to the kitchen by changing cabinet features (such as roll-outs). We priced formica countertop last trip, but we like solid surface so much better; so I priced that this time. Once we have the contractor's estimate, we'll know if we have to cut any of these upgrades out. The bay window in the kitchen is a pricy item but one I'm not ready to sacrifice.

Major decisions I'm ready to focus on now are paint colors for various rooms. Other choices will hinge on room colors. I spotted inexpensive wall murals for kids rooms yeaterday and brought the brochure home. Josh wants a deer mural on one wall of his bedroom and Jeremy is asking for an underwater mural on the opposite wall. This could get interesting as their tastes are quite contradictory. The children were looking through the purple paint samples I brought home- I'm considering a deep, elegant purple for the master bedroom, and Josh quipped "Purple? Uh, Mom, does Dad know about this?"