Redoing my kitchen. Suggestions?
I'm very excited. What is weird is that I'm doing a few things in my kitchen that I did in the kitchen I had when I was married. I loved that kitchen and one of the most painful parts of my divorce was giving up that kitchen. I just want to make sure I'm not trying to recreate any part of my marriage, and that I'm doing the kitchen because that's what I like and what works for me NOW. (of course my therapist will tell me I'm perfectly fine and not looking back). |
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Sounds very exciting!!!! Nothing is sweeter than a new kitchen!!! Just would hate the remodeling part..  I think the one thing I've learned with kitchens is... "Don't hold back!!!" That's the only place where I'm saying DAILY "I wish I would have...." "Ugh... I wish.." |
| My dream is a well laid out prep area, with a solid spot for a nice, large cutting board, room to have plates/bowls right next to it, and easy access to garbage/compost. We rent, so remodeling is out. BUT - we're hoping to get a custom butcher block for the center of the kitchen, with a garbage slot on one side. Have fun with the new kitchen! |
| My current sink is a double stainless and I hate stainless. I don't have a garbage disposal, so there is no reason to have a double sink. So I'll get a big single sink with the cool curved faucet. I don't know if that will free up additional counter space on either side. |
Where is Darcy when she's needed???   |
| Remember we did our a couple of years ago, sounds like we are on the same page. Bottom drawers, no more crawling into the back of the bottom cabinet for stuff......it is wonderful! Freezer bottom refrig with Dutch doors, Kitchen Aid, counter depth, not sticking into the kitchen. I didn't want water thru the door as we are on well water and water things get clogged. Stove is drop in gas, 5 burner. Put a Lodge flattop grill over the middle so I can griddle. The cooking areas are a bit tight for a 12 skillet, but don't use that size often, so what the heck. I also put 220 electricity underneath because at the time I wasn't sure if I'd go with convection for stove or gas. Nice size convection oven, not too large, would have liked a double but then no more for microwave. Yes, the cabinets are without the middle bar, whatever you called it. We put decorative glass in the two cabinets flanking the sink with lights inside........under cabinet lights and since the cabinets don't quite reach the ceiling we put lights up there as well..........so I can illuminate the cabinets, under cabinets and over cabinets as an interesting evening appearance after clean up. All other lights are canisters in the ceiling and I went overboard there, but love it. Old eyes need more light. I didn't want natural stone counters either and went with a material like Corian but without the extra price tag. If it looked more like stone I'd be happier but the care on this is just.........Windex. Over stove hood is clear which is also easily cleaned with Windex. It has LED lights as does the light over the sink, love them, wish all were LEDs, maybe someday. Anyway, the LED's cast such a bright light that they reflect off metal........and remember Kdog is very reflection sensitive. At least once a week we spots a demon on the ceiling. Worse in winter when I use the lights more. Cabinets are also in the same foot print as before except to left of sink where we added another 18" stolen from the eating area. And we knocked down a wall, so the stove and counter now flow into the living room with a large counter on the other side which people could sit at.......if we had the stools, but it takes the highest stools (since the living room in sunken) and my legs are too short to get up on those high stools. Of course it's a mess as they work, but have patience. It will be great when they are done. Are you working with a designer, they can steer you into the 21st century instead of recreating 20th century kitchen. |
| Susan, are you the person whose self-cleaning oven caught on fire? I'm trying to remember who that was. There is a kitchen design place in my neighborhood that has been there for years and is very reputable. I am going to stop there next week and have a chat. I really don't want Lowe's or Home Depot to send over street people to install cabinets. I want professionals. (You should have seen the men who installed my dishwasher. They looked like they lived in their beat-up van). I don't mind spending extra $$$$. I plan on under-the-counter lighting, new light fixture (hadn't thought of ceiling canisters ) bottom mount sink. I'm not a fan of the 5 burner stove so I'm going with an ordinary GE gas 4 burner. I am having the over the fridge cabinet removed tomorrow since the new fridge is taller. Don't know if I'll have a cabinet over the fridge--that is so hard to get into and I really don't need bits of storage. I'd love to have a cutting board built into the countertop. |
No, fire wasn't me,  I'm thinking Diane.............. I did get the self cleaning oven but don't use it too often and try to use a drip tray underneath. Grease splatters, yeah, even a ammonia wipe down doesn't get it all and I do have to run a cycle, but always leary. Yes, the cab over the refrigerator is higher up, one side has cereal type boxes I can reach with my tip toes, other side has little used things I can just grab; rolling pins, etc. I lost some storage when the wall came down but finding I didn't need it once I cleaned out my clutter. I look at new casseroles, etc but know there is NO PLACE more to store items. Something would have to go out first. In a way, good deal, saves money. Ceiling canisters, love them but you need to have them sealed up in the attic to reduce heat loss........that's a whole different company than kitchen installation. We had the attic sealed* the year after the kitchen when in and each canister has it's own box around it so the insulation could be piled atop. Soon thereafter we had a new roof installed (can you say......MONEY OUTFLOW!) and all the pounding caused several of the canisters to drop down a bit in the kitchen and living room (yeah, did that room too) so had the installer come back and reset them (one worker--there were several, didn't set them properly) and when he looked up he went "I've never seen them sealed, that's great" and wanted the name of the insulator. *sealing is where all possible air leaks outside are sealed.....except for the ventilation. That includes all those canister lights, all the other ceiling lights, where the furnace flue travels up and out, all the sanitary stacks and the sill.....where the roof attaches to the walls. Once all tight, we had them load up on insulation. Before any work was done the company always does a "blower door " test to determine how much your house leaks air and retests after the sealing. It was amazing to the point it was suggested we might be a bit too tight. Wish you good time and yes, go with a company who has a designer on staff.......do you BBB research before hand. I so loved our company I had them come back and redo the main bathroom and laundry room from heaven. All out of money and need new concrete outside; drive, walks, patio but..........oh well. |
| O.k. so here I go, I waited until the weekend so I could take a minute to really answer this one! This is SERIOUS business for me! I too had to leave a kitchen. It hurt to leave the husband a little, really hurt to leave the house, OH MAN the kitchen REALLY?! Ugh! I got the kids and the dogs so I was good! I had to figure things out in a smaller home for 2 years and then I moved into a much larger home where I made 2 brand new kitchens! Yay! Here is what I love about them....They both have double ovens. I can make cookies to feed an army in a snap! I can have family dinners and everything is done at the same time and warm. I took the largest fry pan/skillet I had to the store with me and made sure it fit flat in the bottom of the sink before I bought it. I don't often leave a mess in my kitchen but sometimes things do need to soak. My countertops are marble. Completely indestructible (so far). The lips go over the edge of the sink so I can brush the crumbs from the toaster my kids ALWAYS leave right into the sink, it doesn't get stuck on a edge of a sink. The countertop - I do have to use some special stuff to wipe them with but I have used windex before and nothing horrible happened. I have a cooktop on an island with counter space opposing again no lip which I love no place for food or yuck to accumulate. The cabinets were here and I kept them because they were of good quality upstairs, Not exactly what I would have chosen but I was re-doing the whole house not just adding and re-doing kitchens. The cabinets downstairs were fun! I don't think you can go wrong here. Everything I looked at came with warranty's and guarantee's so I think it is a matter of your taste and what set up you want. I do have 2 pull out cabinets that take up a ton of space that I thought would be great for big items that never fit anywhere like platters and tall juice pitchers and such and yes those items fit but its tough to keep organized and the rolley ball things are always getting stuck. I hope this helps and I hope you have a ton of fun! |
| It's me again, sorry should have read before I started typing but I waited for days to answer and just got on and went with it. I just read about you doing the under the counter lighting. I have that. It gets kind of warm fast. I only leave mine on for a short time because I am afraid it may get too warm. It is verrrry pretty I have to say though. I can post a pic if you like. A. Just so you can see. B. So you can make sure you get a different kind than I have. |
Aleece, what type of undercounter lights get hot? Mine are LED and no problem. The above cabinet lights are just rope lights like people use at Christmas, I guess I could have gotten the type that change color  Green with envy  over the double ovens and the oversize sink, just didn't have the room. Stole what we could from the eating area. Marble, quartz and granite are lovely! |
Here are the pics I took this morning, I don't know what kind of lights these are. I don't think LED but I could be wrong. The bulbs are a but hard to find. The older man at the local hardware store keeps them in stock for me as you can see from both pics there are a ton. Again - very pretty, the pic really doesn't do it justice.  |
| I see, mine are a bit different....come to think of it, have I even seen the lights inside the cabinets? LOL! Must be magic. Love the size of the kitchen! |
| Appliances have been ordered. Of course there is a backlog at Amana (my fridge) so it might be 4-6 weeks to get everything. I'm in no hurry though. And of course I now need an electrician to wire for the over the range microwave. I have an appointment to look at cabinets tonight but don't feel like going plus I really don't like the store so why bother! |
| uh oh, no confidence in the store is not good. Just had to buy a new washer. No fancy stuff this time. My clothes don't warrant such care. |
OH NO! Don't lose Faith/hope! Can you find a different store? If not just go and I bet there will be one person in there you can connect with. Bypass every single person in there until you find one person you like and then make them handle all of it for you - The design, the set up, the measuring and the delivery. Of course you will have other people down the road but that person should be able to set it all up for you. Such a daunting process I know but just imagine how happy you will be when it is finally over and all the strange people are out of your house and you are all alone cooking in your pretty new kitchen!  |
Yep, I went with a remodeling company and they had regular sub companies they worked with. They scheduled everything: dumpster delivery, porta potty delivery, electrical, gas line, stove venting, appliance delivery, counter top delivery and set up. Zack and Joe were in charge of everything else from demo to cabinet & floor installation. They even helped bury Glacier dog.  |
| I re-did my kitchen which hadn't been touched in at least 50 years about 4 years ago. Here's what I learned: LED undercounter lights are the ONLY way to go. Do NOT get halogen as they are very hot-as in they will melt your coffee maker. Undermount sink is the way to go. Much cleaner, neater, etc. STRONGLY suggest solid surface counter tops. My preference is not Corian as that is what my mother in law put in (probably >20 years ago now) and I didn't feel they held up well. Corian might be a better product now. I have soapstone and also butcher block on the island. I've seen beautiful Cesarstone and other solid surface options. There are so many these days. I really wanted indestructable (soapstone) and I wanted to mix the materials which is why I added butcher block. I have some large, wide drawers in cabinetry and I LOVE them. If I ever do another kitchen, I will do more of them. Specifically, I think I will try for large drawers under the cook top. I really like that I got one of those faucets that you can pull down to spray. Deep sink is good and I like the suggestion of taking your biggest pot and trying it out. Also take your biggest pot and use it when deciding cabinets. Also choose fewer large drawers over many small drawers. Much cheaper plus the hardware is cheaper, as well. I found the paint quality of mine to be very good. Bring the manufacturer's specs with you when picking out the cabinets. Yes, it will make a difference. I used a contractor and I am glad that I did as he did a remarkable job coordinating the trades, etc. He also vetted them and if there was an issue (and one or two did arise: they always do), it was his job to yell at them and make them perform as agreed upon. Not my job: his. This let me avoid a great deal of stress. That alone was worth every penny I paid. My design preference was to go very basic, with an eye to add color and pattern with towels, accessories, art, etc. I know at this stage of my life that I prefer 'quieter' design and I wanted something I knew I could live with for years. Even today, when I watch HGTV (addict here), I still believe that my kitchen is better than any of the ones I see on TV. |
| Also: ONLY work with stores/contractors/vendors that you LIKE and TRUST. Even if it means waiting a bit longer. Make sure everyone is bonded and insured. We did have a plumbing accident a few months after the kitchen because a pipe fitting was defective. The massive water leak was cleaned up immediately--fortunately we were home and present when it happened but there was minor damage to floors. Plumbers' insurance paid to have the floors fixed; contractor coordinated and made sure it was all done well. The contractor works with this plumber all of the time so it was in the plumber's best interests to fix the error. Also, this is a small town so everyone knows everyone and in the trades, as everywhere, reputation is key. I don't fault the plumber: a piece of pipe was later found to have a defect. And we were made whole with minor inconvenience. |
Here is a sample of the cabinets and countertop I chose. The cabinets are maple with a natural finish and the countertop is Corian. The color is similar to Bob--beige with tan and brown speckles. I'm sure that's why I was drawn to it, even though I didn't make the connection til I had the sample home for several hours. I am getting LED lights under the cabinets and the Corian sink and all the pull-outs and drawers that I want. I'm very excited about this! |
| Counter tops look like mine, not Corian but same type of material. At first I was sub neutral because I love granite and thought I was downgrading, but I also knew my limitations in cooking, housekeeping, etc. I made the best possible choice. Clean up is a snap.......I use Windex...any window cleaner. Rather like My Big Fat Greek Wedding going around with Windex. It I also have that pattern inn the one bathroom and laundry room. I'm happy. Usually something I'm iffy on initially turns out to be the best choice....go figure. Yes, LED's. Also above the sink and stove, reflects easily and drives a sheepdog NUTS! Nothing wrong with natural wood......if I didn't have darker wood elsewhere it would have been a consideration. Last house had them and I liked the airy, clean nature. |
Craig the kitchen guy came by last night for final measurements. I picked out hardware for the doors (matte brass knobs with a silver finish). The countertops won't be installed until 7-10 AFTER the cabinets so the installers will cut a piece of my current countertop for me to use. I can handle this. What I'm having trouble wrapping my mind around is not having the kitchen sink for 7-10 days!!!! Because the cabinets will be a different size and configuration, my old sink cannot be put back. As Craig said "welcome to the dark side of kitchen remodeling." Good thing I have a giant bag of paper plates and plastic cutlery left over from SheepieFest! Anything that needs to be washed will be done in the powder room sink cuz my dishwasher will also be out of commission  I'm also having LED lights installed under the cabinet. These just came on the market--the light look like little pearls and they are on a strip. Very cool, literally. They produce no heat. I'm so excited!  I can make do without a sink for 10 days. The end product will be worth it. I wish I could invite everyone over for the grand opening! |
| Sounds great! I love the under-cabinet lights. We rent, so we are limited in what we can do, but we mounted a couple of battery-operated lights under ours, and it makes a world of difference. As for the sink, you're right - you'll survive! Paper plates and lots of take-out will do you for the week. We actually did our dishes in the bathtub, since our powder room sink was much too shallow. Good luck! Can't wait to see it finished! |
| I can't remember what we did. I know I went to Panda Express and got a big order and we ate Chinese for a couple of days......on paper plates. Still had a free standing microwave and refrigerator sat in living room. Some Lean Cuisines........breakfast probably cereal. It all went pretty fast. Coffee........I don't remember. Bought an electric skillet but never used it, couldn't be bothered to cook. Probably washed up things outside if there was clean up to do. |
| Really pretty. I especially like the light maple cabinets. If you have access to a microwave and a refrigerator, you should be in pretty good shape. If you grill and the weather cooperates, you will be in good shape but we did eat more take out than I ever want to think about again for the rest of my life. It's getting to be soup weather, right? You can microwave that, easy. Like you, our powder room became the default 'kitchen' sink and we emptied our stash of paper/disposable stuff. We did our kitchen in the summer and it was a complete to the studs/raise the dropped ceiling/new flooring throughout the kitchen and family room, new wiring, new plumbing, new window: EVERYTHING kind of reno so we were out of commission for about 3 months. |
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