The Kitchen Project Revealed!

I know you've been waiting patiently for it. The kitchen is not completely finished, but I thought I would post pics of what has been done so far.This is the kitchen, before I moved in. Note how the countertops were a golden-rod type color laminate. At some point in history, something thought this actually looked good...which leads me to believe that people in the early 80's were colorblind. Also note the plain white tile backsplash which are also used for the insides of bathtubs and showers. Blah sink (with partially clogged valves which made for horrible water pressure). Drop in stove. Blah island.

Instead of posting all the pics I took during, I'm just going to post some after pics.New items of note: porcelain tile backsplash, Gemini range, laminate counter tops. I had originally wanted concrete countertops, but the time crunch didn't allow for it. I'm pretty happy with my choice in color, even though Mr. Recommendation wasn't certain about it at the beginning.
This is the new sink. Black granite, but it feels more like slate. It was significantly bigger than the old one. In fact, a half an inch bigger, and it wouldn't have fit. Mr. Recommendation replaced all the plumbing stuff below, so now I have water pressure. The new faucet is brushed nickel, as well as the sink drains, and that skinny thing on the left is my spout for the reverse osmosis water. Note: the small accent tiles behind the sink.This is the new and improved island. Mr. Recommendation extended it by 10-12 inches so I can have a couple stools for an eat-in breakfast bar. He used three large tiles, four smaller accent tiles (same as what is behind the sink), and then surrounded it with the beige tiles. The brackets you see below are what stabilizes the top so no one has scambled eggs in their lap. The not-quite finished product. As you can see, I've taken some of the hardware off the cabinets and am preparing to paint everything white. Right now, it's more an off white. With the red I have painted my kitchen and dining room in, it makes the off-white look even more yellow.Almost makes you want to come over for a bologna sandwhich, doesn't it? Coincidentally, Mr. Recommendation is available for hire. Email me for more info. There isn't anything that this guy can't do.