busy work

The theme for this period of the remodel is that I'm busy all day but don't have anything to show for it. That was today for sure. I did work some more on the window/door/baseboard trim. I am replacing all the trim, so I have been doing some samples to see what I want to finish it with. We're not painting it, so I am trying various stains. I've decided to shellac all the wood. It is a really nice looking finish that is simple to apply. It has been around forever and is non-toxic. I like it because you can still see and feel the wood. I also tried polyurethane, but I found it more difficult to apply and it puts a thicker finish on - it looks more like a layer of plastic over the wood. Polyurethane would be great in something that get touched all the time like a banister.

The electrician came by today to work out a schedule for finishing everything. He is really almost done - he just has to do the plugs, switches and light fixtures. He is coming on May 26 to do most of it. This is great because it is one step closer to finishing, but it also puts pressure on me because I have to buy all the light fixtures by then. He won't be able to do the garage though because all of our stuff is in there as well as the appliances in huge boxes so he can't get to anything.

The one thing I did finish once and for all is the tile in the laundry/mud area of the kitchen. This is my first official home improvement project, and I am very proud of it. The contractor coached me through it and told me that he was very impressed! The electrician said it looked better than the tile he set in his own bathroom! Now that the tile is in, he was able to roughly set two of the three tall pantry cabinets.

Here is my tile: