So did we learn anything from our almost two weeks of manual labor? Definitely.

1. Create a defined staging area to assemble materials and work out of. Unfortunately with our condo being a 1/1, we didn’t have this luxury and because of it our entire home has been in a state of chaos since work began. Seriously, just mounds of crap filling our once pristine abode.
2. A level is the single most important tool in cabinet installations. Usually a larger level that runs the length of the board is better, but we installed our entire kitchen using the only level we had, a tiny 6” one, and it turned out great. That’s how important it is.
3. If you can afford it, get a contractor to do the installation. We couldn’t – so we screwed ourselves, but it would have been really nice.
4. You will be without a kitchen sink for a month. Contractor or not, with a two week lead time between countertop templating (cabinetry finished) and installation it’s bound to stretch out to a month. Get ready to do your dishes in the bathroom sink, which leads me to my last point…
5. Make a resolution to get active once the kitchen is completed. Why? Because during the last month without a place to cook at home, you’ve subsided on a diet of Pizza, fast food, bar food, generally eating out, and then repeated the next week. Between the food and the stress you’ve probably put on a few. What did Leah and choose? Summer softball league!