It took a couple of revisits to line up and edge a few of the tiles, but the new slate foyer is finished. It's a big improvement over the marble, and the stone isn't as rough on bare feet as we thought it would be. Now that the floor's a lot darker the ceiling feels like it's been raised a few feet.

The stone work was done by Vallefuoco Contractors, who we recommend.

Last Saturday we had guests over for the first time. The azaleas are in bloom and the weather's great, so we grilled on the back deck and set up picnic tables outside. Sure enough, the party ended up in the kitchen - which is why we started this project in the first place.