Week 28 of our remodel brought continued progress on paint preparation—including on Saturday, when a crew was busy applying primer upstairs—but that was one of the least interesting developments this week.

We were excited to see that the construction crew had begun installing the trim around the windows and doors, so we finally had a chance to see what they are going to look like, after no small amount of discussion via email. The door trim is different from what we’re used to: it’s much broader and flatter than the narrower, rounded trim we had before, so it will take a while for it to feel familiar, but it’s not a bad look. The windows look very different with interior trim, and although it definitely provides a more finished appearance, I think a part of me will miss the old, more open feel.

As if the trim wasn’t excitement enough, our new kitchen cabinets were delivered during the week, and though they aren’t yet installed, just seeing them in the great room was enough to give us a better sense of scale. The island in particular stands out as being a surprisingly large piece: when everything is put together, it’s going to be a prominent element within the room.

The wall cabinets are white, as expected, but the island reads as more gray (and less green) than we anticipated when we picked out the color a few weeks ago. Of course, the room isn’t finished; the island may pick up some green from the tile in the backsplash and contribute a little more color when everything is put together. If not, the room may feel a bit more drab than we hoped, but as our designer keeps reminding us, we can always liven it up with rugs and furniture.

Finally, after what seemed like a very long wait—we ordered it months ago—we were happy to see that the new front door had been delivered and installed during the week. There’s no doorknob or lock, of course, but just the fact that there’s a door that can be closed instead of a gaping hole helps to make it feel more like a house and less like a quarry.

There was a slight complication with the sidelights for the door: due to a series of miscommunications, we ended up with clear glass, whereas I thought we were going to go with something that would offer a little more privacy while still letting light in. It’s too late to change things: we’d have to replace the sidelights entirely (and perhaps the entire door assembly), and considering how long it took to have the door delivered in the first place, that’s not a course we’re interested in pursuing. As we settle in, we’ll think about what we can do in terms of window treatments to make the front of the house feel a bit less exposed.

Enzo feels confident that we’re on track to finish the project well within the eight-to-ten-month timeframe we discussed at the outset, and is optimistic that we’ll come in on the early side of that estimate, within the next couple months. That’s both thrilling and panic-inducing, as it highlights the number of decisions, large and small, that we’ll have to make over the next few weeks.

Gallery: Week 28: Doors and Cabinets