Final Necro:
Just wanted to thank everyone who offered me advice in this thread (particularly speede5 and 2stonedbirds). I know I'm an ####### but I appreciate people reaching out to help me and provide resources and convincing me to keep it code-kosher (and permit-kosher) throughout.
I'm happy to say a few weeks ago I finally finished all of the trims/flooring/painting/etc. and it's all done (except the ceiling, I decided I wanted to add a few more pot lights and left it unfinished for the time being). Pretty damn happy with the results. Ended up taking longer (8-10 months in total, working some nights/weekends and taking 2 months off over Dec/Jan to avoid burnout) than expected, but I decided to take down a halfwall, and remove all the carpet/flooring for the entire main floor, bring the carpeted area up to the level of the former linoleum, and install new floors through out the main floor.
Thank god it's done. Now I'm looking for more projects to do because I have
all these damn tools.
Thanks again guys, you da best.
Deleted a closet/extended the far coutners, rebuilt the island (turned, built surround from scratch), rebuilt all cabinetry/countertops, installed the plumbing, electrical, hvac, caps, trims, moulding, etc. Lots of work, but I didn't pay a red cent in the end to a contractor (other than the counter guys) and managed to maintain full/near full usage of the kitchen the entire time by planning out the different stages. Feels good man.
Shoutout to
Crown Granite & Marble for excellent pricing, top notch service and delivery times, and great staff. Highly recommended.