i just installed a new sink and faucet in our kitchen...i thought it would be a rather simple job - unhook everything, remove the old one, drop the new one in, and hook everything back up.  simple.  but as anyone who's done any home remodeling knows, it's never that simple.

 we bought this really cool sink...color is called "sea salt". though you can't see it in the pics, it has this cool sea salt textured look to it if you get up close.  and we wanted a large, one-hole sink, too.  its measurements are EXACTLY the same as the old one...at least all the online sites, documents, instructions, etc. said so.

    so i spent an afternoon removing the garbage disposal, cleaning it, unhooking all the plumbing, setting up the new sink with the new faucet, etc...and then my friend trent came over to help install it since the new sink weighs about 135 pounds.  we got the old one out, put the new one in the hole and...crap. the hole was too big. the new sink turns out to be just a tad bit smaller than the old one...and since it's curved at the sides, the edges didn't align properly.  

   what to do...so trent had a great idea to bolster the hole with some wood planks to provide a firmer and more stable base, then to add a thin wood base template that had the old sink's dimensions.  so while we couldn't finish the job in one day, trent came over the next day and added the wood supports and template, and we got the sink installed.  there were a few other issues like different supply line connections between our water valves and the new faucet and the air gap not sitting properly...but, those will be easy to fix.  we love our sink...and i learned a lot from the project.  

next up is our fireplace mantle and a backsplash in the kitchen...oh yeah.