Installation day one arrived with all the anticipation of a holiday morning, but like most home projects, it didn’t go perfectly. John and I stayed up late and woke early, buzzing about finally seeing our kitchen cabinets installed after nearly two months without any—no cabinets, counters, or sink. The excitement was palpable.
The day started well, but about an hour into the installation we received bad news: one of the two corner base cabinets was mirrored. In short, we were sent two right-hand cabinets instead of a right and a left. KraftMaid has already arranged a replacement, but the new cabinet won’t arrive for about two weeks. That setback pushed our expected completion date from the 19th to sometime in early January. Disappointing, yes—Grinch-y, even—but not the end of the world.
Despite the hiccup, our installer continued with the rest of the cabinetry. Progress was visible by the end of the first day, and more so the next. Here’s how the kitchen looked on Sunday night:
And here’s the update from Monday night:
The extra-tall 42-inch upper cabinets provide an incredible amount of storage; they feel almost cavernous. Burger, in his Christmas sweater, and I joked we could practically live inside one of them:
These setbacks are part of the renovation journey—frustrating but oddly reassuring, since they remind you that the final result is worth waiting for. Even if our kitchen is a bit late, we’ll have years to enjoy it once it’s finished.