Cabinets and Flooring and Tiles, Oh My!

Two weeks ago today, I was in Knoxville.  It was a quick trip.  I left my house at 6 AM Wednesday morning and was back home 37 hours later.  

I arrived at my meeting place early and thought I'd get an outfit photo, but no one was around in the parking lot so I perched the camera on the top of the car.  Then my phone rang.  So much for distance.  Just as my phone call ended, my real estate agent pulled up so I sureptitiously scooped my camera into my purse.

We spent the afternoon picking flooring and cabinetry and countertops.  Actually we spent the afternoon writing down all the options and talking to the builder, it didn't take me long to pick from the available options at all and I was determined to stick as closely to the standard options as possible.  I didn't quite manage that, but I came acceptably close.

I picked a pretty granite called Sapphire Blue for the kitchen countertops, and I opted to use the same granite in the master bathroom.  That was an upgrade.  I manged to find a cultured marble I liked for the guest baths, but not the master, so I went with the granite.  

It quickly became apparent that we were going to have to go to tile showroom to pick the tiles as they only had a couple of options at the model and none of them were acceptable.  I had hoped we would be able to do it all Wednesday, but it was not to be as the person we needed to meet at the tile showroom couldn't meet with us until Thursday morning. 

I had really wanted to go to my favorite museum  on Thursday morning and see an exhibit that was about to close but that was no longer possible.  Luckily by the time we got back to the office and I retrieved my car, it was only  a little after 4 PM.  I figured I had just barely enough time to drive to downtown Knoxville and get into the museum before they closed at 5.  I got lost, but I still made it.

I didn't have much time but I managed to see the exhibit I was looking for as well as take a quick turn around, not enough time to slowly absorb and commune with the works, but enough time to savor minute moments.  This piece, made of mylar, foam core board, intaglio etching, and graphite by Crystal Wagner, a part of the permanent collection, really captivated me as it seemed to hint at the spirit of the imagination and the boundaries between the "real" and fantasy, reminding me of the magic that can be found when we allow ourselves to dream and transcend the everyday, that it is possible to be both in the world and apart from it.

And then, it was done.  The museum was closing.  I was on my own again alone in the parking lot.  No one would be home yet at my step-daughter's house so I had some time.  I thought I would try the camera on the roof of the car trick again.  I was not particularly successful.  The sun was so bright I couldn't tell when the camera was about to go off.  I was so wired I couldn't stand still.    Actually I kind of like this photo, it captures the feeling of the entire trip, a little dizzy but fun.

Thursday morning we went to the tile showroom.  Once again I knew right away exactly what I wanted.  Once again it took longer to write everything down and work out the details than it did to make the actual choices.  And a good thing that because I just barely had time to grab a bite of lunch and head back to the airport.

I took photos to show G some of the selections I had made.  So far, these photos are my only link to my new home. The first picture shows the cabinets that will be in both the kitchen and the master bathroom.  Above the cabinet is the tile that will be used for the kitchen backsplash and the tub surround in the master bath. I thought I had taken a photo of the tile next to the granite as well, but apparently not.  Below the cabinet is the master bath flooring.  The kitchen floors will be wood.

This second photo shows the tile I chose for the fireplace surround in the living room.  This isolated image is the only concrete thing in that living room as it is the one space that remains completely shrouded in my imagination, a space undefined until I can at least see some floor plans and get my mental bearings.