Labor Day

Sometimes we think of Labor Day as the weekend before school starts, the weekend to close down the lake or seaside cottage, the weekend to rein in the garden after a Summer of benign neglect.

It is all those things but we shouldn't forget that Labor Day is meant to commemorate the history of the labor movement, and honor the people who do the laboring.

Designers can design just about anything. Bringing that design to reality takes a lot of people with a lot of talent.

With appreciation and huge thanks to all the guys laboring to bring my latest kitchen project to life.

Daniel Thibodeau, Jr., Floor Demolition

There were two layers of laminate flooring to rip up. Daniel is numbering the baseboard pieces as he takes them off.

Anthony Vitale, Wood Flooring and Tile Installation

Anthony is very precise, very fast, and can do just about anything, like the wood floor with a tile border in the next pic.

This is the Powder Room floor. I used the same tile in the Mud Room adjacent to this PR.

Carlos and Roberto, United Marble Fabricators

Templating for the new countertops.

Jim Muller, aka "the Marble Master", United Marble Fabricators

Jimmy pulled the marble slabs out of the warehouse and into the yard 
so I could see them in natural light and choose the placement.
He didn't bat an eye when I changed my mind. Twice.

Mountain White marble from Vermont. Slab #1.

Mountain White marble from Vermont. Slab #2

Rob Augart, Augart Construction

Rob is a firm believer in "you can never use too much duct tape". Even better, two different types.
If you need to re-use and re-configure cabinets, and fit in some new ones, Rob's your man.

To make the new counter depth refrigerator look built-in, Rob re-used one panel
from the old double oven cabinet and here he is building the rest of the frame.

Mike and Brett,  Juba Electric

Happy to wire anything.

and they clean up after themselves!

Bob Collamore, Ray's Cabinet Shop

Bob and his team are the best!
We used as many of the kitchen's existing cabinets as possible but had to have 3 custom made.

John Ramsay, Yale Appliance

John is the most patient appliance sales rep I know.
I think we punished him with 3, maybe 4 visits? All cheerfully endured.
Yale Appliance is the place to go in the greater Boston area for sales and service.
The range hood was missing a bag-o-parts (special screws, etc.).
Yale cheerfully overnighted a replacement set. Yeah Yale!

And many thanks (but no pics of) to: Kerry D. Martin and his son (plumbing), Larry and his minions at Doyle Lumber, the MOD at HomeDepot who opened two boxes of light fixtures to get me the right part that was missing from the recessed LED light, and Mark Collins, another patient and extremely knowledgeable rep from Ferguson.

Thanks for reading,

Linda Pakravan