What's New and Improved at Chez Claire

Walk here, but don't look down!

Time for some home improvement. My kitchen is pretty much where I want it now. I love the cabinets, adore the fridge (in oh so many ways) and the granite counter tops are deh bomb. Then, there is the creepy, dirt dimpled, yellowing linoleum floor. It was fine when it was spanking new, but over the years it grew dingy, yellow and frankly, it was never properly installed in the first place. The edges curl up like under the counter bottoms like the toes of Persian slippers.

A nasty bit, where the old fridge used to sit

The kitchen floor was in such a state of 'high ugly', I always feel guilty when serving food to company. I mean, would you want to eat food prepared in a place with a filthy kitchen floor? Yes, I am hard on myself. However, there was a pretty easy solution - a new floor.

So I scurried over to my local hardware store and made my decisions - I wanted flooring  to either look like tile or stone. I ended up choosing a dark Pergo laminate, that looks like rough slate.

I was surprised when only one guy showed up to install the laminate. I do have a small kitchen, but I wondered how the guy would get the fridge out of the way. No problem, the guy, who was very nice, had no trouble at all. I think if I'd had a dead blue whale in the kitchen he could have easily removed it too.

The old linoleum stays put and a leveling compound was smeared on

In goes the laminate over the floor cushioning pink mat

I was pleased that I was asked for input at many steps along the way, For example instead of just squaring off the tiles, the guy asked if I wanted the tiles laid so 4 corners met on the tiles, or instead have them offset. I went with offset, which is just more pleasing to the Sheldon side of my brain.

Before I knew it, I had a lovely new kitchen floor, with laminate that met under the counters nice and flat, dark enough to not drive me mad with every dropped onion skin, and pleasing enough for my eyes at least.  Behold the very-nearly-almost-new kitchen!

TADA!