(That answers your direct question, but I took the liberty of adding additional information regarding the electrical requirements in a kitchen remodel.)

You should also have two dedicated 20 amp small appliance circuits. Practically speaking, I prefer that the outlets alternate between the two circuits. ABABAB, etc. I also prefer to have 3 circuits, as electrical needs have done nothing but increase over time. So, ABCABC. That will avoid you overloading any single circuit and tripping the breaker. Of course, these outlets are all GFCI protected. If you have a gas range, it can use an outlet from the small appliance circuits to supply the power needed to operate it's electric ignition.

You also deed dedicated circuits for the refrigerator, microwave, vent, and any hot water dispenser or chiller. The DW and disposal traditionally share a single circuit. None of these are GFCI protected. If you have an electric range, it will need it's own 50 amp circuit, but if this is new wiring, I'd err on future upgradability and put in wiring suitable for a 60 amp circuit (4 gauge) because future induction ranges may require that much power. Just install the breaker required by the current range, and if you ever upgrade, because the wire is already there, all that will need to be done is change the breaker. Separate wall ovens and cooktops should have separate 50 amp circuits. I might also upgrade the wire for a cooktop for future technological breakthroughs as well.

You will also need separate circuits for your under cabinet lighting. Depending on the maximum number of fixtures served by your kitchen's current overhead light circuit, the electricity can be sourced from that circuit. It can NOT be sourced from the small appliance circuits on the backsplash. That is a code violation.

And this is why a "simple" kitchen remodel can turn into such a costly project if the home is more than a few years old. Older homes began life with 60 or 100 amp panel, and they can't electrically handle the demands of a modern kitchen without upgrading that panel, and possibly the wire from the utility service coming into the home. The standard service is now 200 amps, and many newer homes are putting in 400 amp services as 200 amps has become borderline for family homes with lots of electronics. If I had to upgrade to 200 amps, I would certainly investigate the price difference in just going ahead to 400. Luckily, I live in an oddball older home with an 800 amp service, so I never have any electrical demand issues.

The hood should overhang the cooking zone such that a 45-degree expanding cone from each pot, wok, or pan is intercepted by the hood.

The flow rate (corrected for pressure losses) should be at least the aperture area (square feet) of the hood times 3 feet per second times some guess factor ( less than 1.0 ) that accounts for baffle effectiveness in increasing air velocity in the baffles close vicinity and for interior hood shape. Conservatism in performance would assume the factor is one, while conservatism in price and visual obtrusiveness would hope for 0.5, perhaps.

Actual flow rate for typical installations may be only 2/3 that for which the blower is rated at zero static pressure, even with an active make-up air system.

Duct size at full power should allow the air velocity to be 500 to 1500 feet per minute depending on, respectively, whether the ducting is in a warm environment or cold environment.

Make-up air always equals what gets out through the hood. The goal is to supply this without drawing it from wall switch covers, window seal leakage, and backdrafting of furnaces, hot water heaters, and fireplaces. For high flows this requires a system that is at a minimum passive, and at a maximum uses PID control to keep the house pressure constant at a very small negative pressure independent of fan speed or use of other fans, appliances, and fireplaces.

Although my hood is a Wolf, made by Independent, there have been several kudosi given to ModernAire on this forum, who will be happy to build a tailor-made configuration.

An external blower and intermediate silencer will minimize kitchen noise.

kas

To the right of my refrigerator is an oversized walk-in pantry. There are temporary shelves in there now... someday soon we'll have cabinets and nice shelving and I'll share those pics as well :)

So, anyway, here is the Finished Kitchen Part I with Part II pending in a few months if you aren't all sick of my kitchen already :) Part II will also feature interior shots of the drawers, as there's fun stuff inside all of them and I don't have pictures of that yet :)

So, without further ado...

Don't mind the odd silver thing on the drainboard- that's just the plug to the sink, it won't live there forever.

And, just for fun since so many people in the kitchen forum helped me to design these cabinets, this is the finished gathering/keeping room area off the kitchen. Note- the really ugly cabinet knobs are not staying. I wanted white marble and these were the only ones I found but they are not attractive:

Details:
Cabinets: Dutch Wood Kitchens
Granite/marble: Statuario marble for the perimeter cabinets and marble sink. Fabricated by IMG Marble and Granite. Blue bahia for the island, fabricated by Sinai/Big Brothers Marble and Granite who did a perfect seam
Island sink Concrete, fabricated by Paco Originals
Knobs/pulls Custom-made glass, created by Designer Glass Mosaics to match the granite.
Appliances Miele 42" cooktop, some kind of Jenn-Air oven, Sharp microwave drawer, integrated Bosch refrigerator (behind the mirror), integrated Fisher & Pickel dishdrawers (one next to each sink); integrated Bosch dishwasher
Pantry door Custom design, Sans Soucie Art Glass
Mural Stone impressions (custom design, they sent us the graphics and we created it ourselves
Chandeliers James R. Moder Crystal
Faucets & potfiller Whitehaus.

I think that's all- let me know if I forgot anything :)

Anyway, a BIG thank you to everyone on GW who gave encouragement, advice, and information about things that I never even knew existed etc. etc.

Now for the details (if I can remember them all!)

The cabinets are custom cabinets from a shop here in Atlanta called The Town Carpenter.
The cabinets are painted Sherwin Williams "Creamy White" with all of the black removed. This became known as "custom creamy" at the cabinet shop and they sold several more jobs of this color while my cabinets were being made.
The walls are painted Benjamin Moore's "You Are My Sunshine."
The floors are white oak from the trees we cut down while clearing the lot to build with multiple coats of tung oil - no stain.
The library ladder was made from the leftover floor boards with the same tung oil treatment.
The perimeter counters are honed Crystal Pearl Quartzite.
The island countertop is honed Virginia Mist.
The range is a 48" dual fuel Five Star (one gas oven one convection).
The hood is a Ventahood with a custom cover.
I have two dishwashers. One is a top of the line Kitchen Aid and one is a Miele.
The clean up sink is an Ikea Domsjo single bowl undermounted.
The prep sink is a Kohler stages 36" mounted wrong ways about.
The refrigerator is a SubZero and the freezer is a Thermador Freedom Column.
The warming drawer is a Miele.
The microwave is my old countertop model given a spot under the island. I'm not a fan of built in microwaves.
Behind the range is a sheet of brushed stainelss steel.
The other backsplashes are beadboard painted to match the cabinets.

I think that about covers it. I'll be happy to answer any questions and thanks again to the gardenweb community.

The problem is that the temperature the ovens are taken to during self-clean is close enough to the threshold of the thermal overheat protection device that they are triggered. They have to be positioned close enough to the heater element to "pop" before a runaway condition (stuck triac, thermostat, etc.) causes a fire. But a lot (read:ALL) of the electrical/electronic components going into modern appliances are imported and sometimes the cheaper examples are not capable of performing within the strictest tolerances. So the heating envelope may inadvertently overlap with the thermal cutout device during self-cleaning cycles.

The good news is that more than likely all that will have to be done to "fix" the problem is pull a cover off the back, reach in, and push a little red reset button. BUT, what I would do, when placing the service call, is tell the servicer to bring a new thermal overheat device with him or her. If the thing popped once, it will do it again. Why invite the problem back the next time you do a self-clean cycle?

Here is a link that might be useful: My finished kitchen

There is an ancient grading system for particle board that had a grade called mdf. That lead to some areas of the country making the two terms interchangeable.

I would call something furniture board if it was veneered particle board. It's like saying industrial grade particle board - its a term without formal meaning.

Both particle board and plywood can be laminated with veneer wood, vinyl, melamine - a low pressure laminate, or high-pressure laminates (like the brand names formica, wilsonart, etc). All materials come in different grades and some grades are commonly used for particular purposes.

And I have to mention that you could make cabinets out of t1-11 - a very rough grade of exterior plywood. Those cabinets would be all plywood - but I wouldn't want them. It's an example of all materials aren't created equal even when they have the same name.

The stuff used for cabinet backs is generally low density fiberboard - also called by a brand name "masonite" and LDF. LDF isn't structural, but then again - cabinet backs aren't generally structural - they are for dust and critter control. LDF is generally used to underlay sheet vinyl flooring. It used to be frequently used in theater sets to deaden floor sounds.

Medium density fiberboard is generally used naked for painted surfaces, but it can be laminated with veneer or vinyl or melamine. There are a lot of doors/drawer fronts made from Medium Density fiberboard or sometimes just the center panels in doors. It isn't often used for cabinet sides because it doesn't take fasteners well at all and it weighs a lot. Again, there are quality ways to construct cabinets with it - it just isn't done a lot so you're on your own judgment with that.

My entire experience with mdf was a bath vanity that continually chipped, then suffered water damage in a small area that fell apart from a unknown small plumbing leak that likely was there for a coupla months. Well, that and don't cut or drill holes into it in your house if you can avoid it because it aerosols fine icky powder everywhere.

There is HDF - High Density Fiberboard - generally used as part of laminate flooring. It is more or less water proof.

There are a few other things that can get used - like MDF or OSB core ply panels - those are excellent materials to make cabinets from - combining the best from each layer.

And you know what? We don't know enough about how these cabinets are made to give you any particular help. Lots of people go rabid over suggestions that some material or other is better. There are reasons to use one material vs. another to achieve specific results, but sometimes a material is picked because it will do the job cheaper.

Using the OP's specific information, Medium Density is good as a painting substrate as it doesn't react to changes in humidity as much as some of these other materials - including plywood. My bath vanity is not typical as it was a cheap in-stock variety.

The cabinets will be very heavy, something to think about if you're installing yourself. Like 50-75 pounds heavy.

It will withstand water better than particle board, but not a coupla months worth. I had fun actually immersing various cabinet materials in water once, and MDF will last quite a bit longer than particle board before showing damage and the damage will be less.

Again, personally, I would think about all ply for extra wide cabinets and request plywood shelves if you have any over about 21". Medium density is pretty strong on edge, but kinda "not very" used flat. In that, its worse than most particle board.

Otherwise, looks good to me.

And, I"m not sure if this matters to you. But, I realized that on those trash cabinets, it drives me crazy when it's door but there is a pull at the top center. I asked my cabinet maker if we could make it a bank of faux drawer fronts--sure, not additional charge. This way, to my eye, it makes sense to have a pull.

What Kind Or Range/Cooktop/Oven Is Safest For Little Children?

johnliu wrote,

"I have toddlers, so I need a high wall oven".
"Because of my babies, I won't consider a gas range".

"I'm getting induction because I care about my childrens' safety."

Does any of this sound familiar? I see these sentiments occasionally here on KF. They are expressed by younger parents who have very young children, or are planning to start families.

Oddly enough, I seldom (actually, can't specifically recall ever) hear these concerns from older parents who have actually raised children.

Humans learn from experience, so you'd expect the loudest warnings against ranges and gas burners to come from those with . . . experience. Why don't we?

I decided to go looking for data. Here is an interesting article, "Kitchen Scalds and Thermal Burns in Children Five Years and Younger", that was published in Pediatrics, Jan 2005.

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/115/1/10

The scientists examined the records of all kitchen thermal burns that resulted in a child's visit to a statistical sample of 100 emergency departments nationwide, over a period of five years, 1997-2002. They looked at all cooking-related thermal injuries, excluding accidents where a child pulled on an electrical appliance's cord and was injured by the toaster, coffee maker, etc and/or its contents.

The main findings were:
- Scalds from hot liquid were the main cause of burns serious enough for an ER room visit (was 2/3rd of the cases), and are the dominant cause of hospitalizations.
- Burns from touching hot pots or other surfaces were less common (was 1/3rd of the cases), and seldom resulted in hospitalization. Most burns were from touching a hot pot.
- There were 7 total injury patterns: (1) reached up and pulled down pot from stove or other elevated surface; (2) grabbed, overturned, or spilled pot onto self; (3) collided with pot or with person holding pot; (4) put hands into pot; (5) pot contents splashed onto child; (6) other; and (7) unknown. (1) (2) and (5) were the most common, accounting for about 50% of all the injuries. (6) and (7) were less than 10%.
- Boys were more likely to climb up on counters and spill pots on themselves. Girls were more likely to have hot liquids splashed on them.

Note what was not a significant pattern of injury requiring a hospital visit: chidren touching a hot oven door, chidren holding their hands in a gas flame, children turning on a gas burner and blowing themselves up. I can't say these accidents never happen, but if they do, it is so rare as to not show up in the data.

Here's my take on this. Your concern for the safety of your children, both born and unborn, should have essentially nothing to do with what kind of range, cooktop, or wall oven you choose. Whether the pot is on a gas flame or an induction hob really makes no difference to your child's risk of being scalded or burned, whether the knobs are on the front or the top makes no difference, and whether the pan is in a range oven or a wall oven also makes no difference. It isn't the appliance! that is the threat to your child. They all do the same thing: get pots and pans, and their contents, very hot. The threat is the pots and pans and the food in them.

Take care to keep pots on the back burners, handles turned in. Have landing space to set hot pots away from counter edges. Design your kitchen so you don't have to criss-cross the room carrying pots of hot liquid (unlike a couple of kitchens recently discussed here). Supervise your children and watch where you're walking. That is what is important, not your appliance selection.

From a father whose two kids have reached 11 y/o and 14 y/o without any kitchen accidents, despite having grown up in some awfully dodgy kitchens!

Here is a link that might be useful: What Kind Or Range/Cooktop/Oven Is Safest For Little Children?

There is an ease of cleaning and comparatively low heat quotient with induction. But there are limitations in terms of types of pan usage -- no issue if you're starting out and willing to invest in high quality cookware like Demeyere or Sitram profiserie. For those who have been cooking for a while it can be too radical to get rid of every pot and pan you own and love using.

I'm with stooxie on the Allclad, Calphalon front. Never again.

Perhaps the knowledge that you'd need to buy all new and very expensive cookware to make induction work will dissuade the DH. Get the cooktop you really want.

I have typed my opinions below each cooktop model.

Electrolux Icon E36IC80ISS
NO
True Timer: This cooktop does not have a true timer. In other words, you cannot set the elements to power-off automatically after cooking for a preset time. For example, you cannot program a cooking element to power-off after fifteen minutes of cooking a pan of rice. For me, an induction cooktop not having a true timer was a deal breaker.
Power: All the elements of this cooktop are under-powered compared to the Miele. (Of course, this cooktop is only about $2,100. So it is almost a thousand dollars less than the Miele.)
Boil-over sensor: The unit does not sense boil-overs

Bosch 500 NIT5665UC
No, not for me. But the Bosch would not be a bad choice.
Price: this cooktop is $3,200. The Miele is $3,000. The Miele has the benefit of not requiring the other element in the pair to be powered-off to boost an element's power to its maximum. The Bosch requires the other element in the pair to be powered-off before a burner can be turned to its maximum power.
True-Timers: Yes, the Bosch has true timers on all elements
Power: Yes, the Bosch is powerful
Boil-over protection: yes
Snob Appeal: In Miami, where I live, Bosch is not considered as high-end as Miele. For resale, this is a factor. Plus, it costs $200 more than Miele so it would not make sense to buy the Bosch over the Miele.

Miele KM5773
This is great cooktop. It is powerful. It has true timers. It has boil-over protection and more features than any other cooktop at any price. For example, it has a feature where if someone knocks on your door, you can instruct the cooktop to drop ALL elements to a very low power until you return. When you return to the kitchen, you can then return all elements to their previous settings with one-touch and continue cooking. Only two things made me pay $1,400 for the Gaggenau over the Miele. 1) I like the Gaggenau control know versus the Miele touch panel and 2) the large burner on the Gaggenau is about 15% more powerful than the same burner on the Miele.

Fagor IFA90
NO
I did not consider Fagor. However, because you have it listed, I went to the Fagor site and downloaded the manual. I have included the link to manual in this post
This cooktop is powerful. However, that is its only strength. It has no features such as true timers. (It doesn't even have a countdown timer.)

By the way, you don't want a Wolf induction cooktop. They are very powerful cooktops, but they don't even have true timers. Very disappointing. I like Wolf products. But their induction cooktop is a big miss.

Rob

Here is a link that might be useful: Fagor induction cooktop manual

momqs... beautiful countertops!! thanks for sharing! Yes, I had looked into quartzite, however, the only quartzite they had available locally was white quartzite. I actually had it on hold for a while, but decided it was too grey and lacked character. I longed to see a White Princess in person, but nothing near where we lived.

AN UPDATE...
I decided to stop by some yards in NYC since I was in town for the Thanksgiving holiday. I was hoping to see White Princess Quartzite as well as more marble samples (the white carrara samples here in town weren't doing it for me... way more speckling than veinings). It was my intention that, unless I fell in love with another granite not seen locally, to find my marble slabs and purchase them. I was lucky to find several places in NYC that supplied my local yard. WOW. I was like a kid in a candy store! There were about 50 times MORE selection. Though they were out of the White Princess, I literally walked right into the elusive Super White Granite/Quartzite. It blew me away!!!!! Had all the gorgeous marble quality without the maintenance. Without hesitation, I placed my deposit and am currently waiting for my 2 slabs to arrive to my fabricator. Here is a photo I took of one of the slabs:

Thank you all so very much! This thread has been so helpful and honestly, if I hadn't found the Super White, I would be going with marble for sure.

One piece of advice for those who do not live in a large metropolitan area and cannot seem to be satisfied with the granite selection available locally: travel to your nearest large city. I promise you your selection will increase tremendously and you will feel immensely better about your final choice.

Below pic Not sure if this really is CB. I think it is in the
crema family but not a bordeaux.

We did a total remodel/addition to a 1960's ranch with 8 ft ceilings (the appliances were original that complemented the green vinyl floor). Here's a rundown of the kitchen information:

Refrigerator: GE Monogram from US Appliance
Cooktop, oven: GE Monogram from US Appiliance (they were AWESOME)

Granite: Taupe (from GME in Houston, TX)
Brick Pavers from Magnolia Bricks in Praireville, LA
Backsplash: Tumbled marble from GME in Houston. Metallic accents from Daltile
Icemaker and wine refrigerator: Kenmore
Hood: Vent a Hood from US Appliance

Cabinets: Custom built on site

Hardware: Brushed Nickel pulls from Target, Oil Rubbed Bronze from RKI

Paint: walls---BM woodstock tan, cabinet & trim---SW Martha Stewart Cafe au Lait

Wire pullout baskets in pantry....Tuesday Morning

Wood accents/corbels/pilasters....Osborne Wood Products and VanDykes Restoration

Sink: Galaxy Sinks

Faucet: Danze Opulence

Thanks for all your wonderful advice! This was so much fun and I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

Still need window treatments and barstools. After 2 months of living here, there's NOTHING I'd do different.

Fondly, Jenny

And after:

Here's a link that might be helpful:
http://s873.photobucket.com/albums/ab300/donnakay2009_photos/Kitchen Remodel/

Our finished kitchen album can be seen here.

With the risk of coming across as gauche I am going to include approximate prices for our items (for our kitchen which was done January - May 2008). I was terribly na�ve when it came to determining our budget and found it immensely beneficial when others here would give prices. (in all fairness, it sometimes made me feel bad either that we weren�t as hoity-toity as others as well as making me feel ridiculous for spending so much when others achieved fabulous kitchens for a fraction of our budget) It gave me a real-world benchmark, and hopefully it will help someone else put their own project into some perspective. I wish more posters would share their budget � I think it�s that helpful. Let me preface this by saying I'm in Boulder, CO -- prices will vary continent-wide. We are less expensive than the San Francisco Bay Area and more than RTC, NC.

Caveat: I absolutely believe and know our kitchen could have (and I�d argue should have) been done for significantly less. Like our gorgeous countertops / backsplash were ridiculously expensive and I could have had a white marble for less than half. However, every time I look at the marbles from which I could have chosen I realize I would have been v. unhappy and any amount spent on them would have been too much. So it was "smart" to spend more to get what I really wanted and what I LOVE. ("smart" having a v. fluid definition depending on my mood!)

We (I) shopped around like crazy (love the internet!) for our appliances, hardware, etc., and feel I did a fabulous job getting the best prices for these items�everything was either on special or purchased on sale or using some sort of incentive. But at the end of the day, the appliances were still expensive�exactly what we want / need, though. At the end of the day, the hardware was still expensive�exactly what we want / need, though. At the end of the day, the cabinetry was still expensive. (Although I actually have mixed feelings about this�for the level of detail I wanted and all the bells & whistles we got I�m not sure it was expensive. The semi-custom lines at which we looked [i.e., Cuisines Laurier, DuraSupreme] were coming in significantly higher. If we'd gone with framed we could have come in for less, but not gotten the exact door / hood I wanted. If there were an IKEA nearby [the closest is in Utah], we probably could have used their boxes and had doors made up elsewhere. But we went neither of those routes.)

Our kitchen is approximately 13�w x 21'l (not completely true, as only one side is 21' long; the other wall is 11 1/2'). Our ceiling is 9� high (the upper cabinets are 47 �" high with crown moulding running from the top of the cabinets up to the ceiling).

cabinets, ~$55K
custom frameless painted (catalyzed lacquer) a custom white, island painted BM Onyx
all drawers full-extension with Blumotion glides and all doors with Blum soft-close hinges
one Rev-A-Shelf wood drawer divider
one Rev-A-Shelf plastic double tier flatware divider
custom wood drawer dividers (five drawers)
steel pegboard "broom closet" pull-out (thanks to dianalo for sharing inspiration pictures)
three chrome pull-out pantry units (Rev-A-Shelf)
four spice pull-outs (Rev-A-Shelf)
pegboard with wood "divider" dowels in (three) dish drawers
foot pedal four-canister trash / recycle unit (thanks to lowspark and alku05 for the foot pedal instructions), Rev-A-Shelf
magnetic chalkboards (two)
hood (design inspiration courtesy of mwardlb�s lovely hood)
maple butcher block island countertop with bow detail
tempered, safety glass-front doors and glass shelves
delivery and installation of these cabinets and attached custom crown moulding (but not including cost of custom crown which was ~$350)

appliances, ~$22K
refrigerator: Thermador 30" Fresh Food Freedom Column T30IR70
freezer: Thermador 30" Frozen Freedom Colum T30IF70
oven: Gaggenau 30" BX281610 convection double oven, (thanks to the supportive folks in the Appliance forum who talked me through this decision & held my hand as we waited five+ months for its delivery)
cooktop: Thermador Professional Series PCG366E 36" gas, six burners
vent: Broan 900 cfm external blower 332H
microwave: Sharp Over-The-Counter R-1214
refrigerator drawers: GE Monogram 24" ZIDI240PII
(delivery and installation of above appliances was ~$700)
instant hot / cold faucet and tank: Mountain Products Little Gourmet MT1401
under-sink water filter: Culligan
sink: Bates and Bates S2133.SS stainless apron front
faucet: Pegasus Professional Kitchen, from Expo (thanks to susanandmarkw)
soap dispenser: Danze Parma
dishwasher: KitchenAid KUDS03FTPA
air switch for above-sink light: Mountain Plumbing, stainless
disposal: Insinkerator Evolution Cover Control
hardware, ~$1,100
pulls: Restoration Hardware 4" Gilmore Pulls, polished nickel
knobs: Restoration Hardware 1.25" Cut Glass Knobs, polished nickel
fridge / freezer pulls: Hickory Hardware Studio 13" bright nickel
broom closet pull: Hickory Hardware Studio 5" bright nickel

lighting, ~$300
undercabinet lighting: Pegasus Associates Microfluorescent T4 fixtures
lighting inside cabinets: line voltage (120V) xenon pucks, American Lighting

countertop & backsplash, material, fabrication and installation ~$19K
Calacatta Xtra (seriously, that�s its name), honed, 3cm, with eased square edge � thanks to mnhockeymom for the inspiration!), runnels and a dishdrain
backsplash: Calacatta Xtra, 2cm
island butcherblock countertop provided by cabinetmaker

painting, ~$1K
walls: BM 871 Pearl River, Regal Matte Finish
ceiling: 50% BM 871, Regal Flat Finish
wainscoting: BM Impervo, custom to match cabinetry
toekicks: BM Onyx (which I painted myself with "help" from our puppy)

floors, price unknown as bundled in with installation of hardwood for entire first floor and staircase
red oak, "popped" with water then one heavy coat of Dura-Seal Ebony Stain (thanks to my husband for finding out how to get the dark finish I wanted from red oak), three coats of Bona Satin Water-Based Sealer

construction, ~$16K (I think, as it was bundled in with a nearly-whole house remodel)
removal of old cabinets, closing up old doorway to dining room, framing new entrance to dining room, moving almost all electrical plus some new, moving all plumbing plus much new, drywall (inc. smooth-coating existing orange-peel), fabricating / installing wainscoting in breakfast nook and sink wall facing family room and new casing around sliding door and window, crown moulding installation and painting

kitchen designer, $3K
we contentiously parted ways v. early in the process, but not until she had suggested moving the doorway to the dining room down the wall, and we love this change

Things we love
or, what we did right
-Sans doute moving the opening into the dining room down the wall so as to make a U-shape kitchen was the smartest thing we did. It has increased the function / made better the ergonomics tremendously!

-Full Marble Backsplash. It's gorgeous and I LOVE getting to see my true love, the marble, from many different vistas. If we'd had the marble as just our countertop the only time I would've seen it is when I was working on that counter. Now I can see it when sitting in the breakfast nook, when walking into the family room. It is absolutely the star of our kitchen!

-Large, single bowl, apron front sink. Having all that continuous room for washing large pots / pans / baking dishes is so incredible! I love how the apron front eliminates any lower back pain� not far to reach into the sink. We also have no splashing, as opposed to what we had with a shallower, drop-in sink.

-Raised dishwasher. It just makes sense! I know many love their dishdrawers but as we run a full or nearly-full dishwasher nightly, it would not have made sense for us to have dishdrawers.

-Side-opening wall oven. I was on the fence a long time on this one: that oven set (the Gaggenau 30" double wall ovens) was really expensive, but oh how we love the side-opening mechanism! It just makes so much sense.

-Foot pedal trash. Hands full of broccoli remnants + foot pedal trash = genius.

-Magnetic chalkboards � my children adore them! My older son (four years-old) loves drawing his robots and writing; my younger son (two years-old) loves standing and "coloring." We love being able to keep our timer and grocery list in a central and easy-to-locate spot.

-Full freezer and full refrigerator: we wonder how we lived before with combined units. It sounds insane, but for our vegetarian family with little children we are absolutely utilizing these separate units to their fullest.

-Polished nickel hardware: it�s beautiful. It�s just beautiful, and it takes a lot of work to get them looking icky / dirty; plus, I have to say they are a breeze to clean (when they do get icky)!

-Integrated Dishdrain: we had it carved into the marble on the right side of our sink (our dishrack sits atop it), and we LOVE not having a puddling countertop. We love not having a wet dishtowel or a rubber mat.

-Flatware and Dish Drawers right next to the dishwasher. Unloading the dishwasher requires just the slightest turn of the hips � it�s an ergonomic dream!

-Getting our puppy one month to the day after the remodel started (and three months before it ended). It was such hard work � miserably hard, puppy-training and living amidst chaos (as we were doing nearly the whole house). But man-oh-man am I glad we did it all at once! I am so grateful to have had all the ick and dreck at once. (She�s a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and we swear she�s part-cat: v. gentle, smart, affectionate. She�s never ever growled / been angry with our two little children, and our youngest is not the gentlest. He loves the puppy, but his love can be a bit rough. Cavaliers are also known for loving cats, and our youngest cat is the puppy�s best friend. They adore each other. But the puppy really really loves the children.)

-Not fighting. In our normal lives my husband I occasionally bicker � we�re married and we�re both strong, opinionated people. But for some strange (and miraculous) reason, we never had a fight during the entire remodel; we got along splendidly and truly were a team. Well, maybe not a team: I was definitely The Chief, but he was 100% on board and totally supportive. I wish I knew why that was because I�d like to bottle it!

Things we don�t love
or, things we�d do differently
(There are only two things we absolutely wish we�d done differently, things which we notice [and which irk us] on a daily basis. I�ll list those two first.)
#1 thing which drives us crazy
-Think about where countertop accoutrements (inc. countertop appliances) would live when planning light switches. I had one undercab light switch put, I thought, in an inconspicuous spot near the corner. I absolutely should have figured out where I�d be putting our toaster because, as it happens, the toaster now blocks the light switch. We�ve tried moving the toaster around but that�s just the spot where it makes sense. But yet it doesn�t make sense because it blocks the light switch. This is already frustrating and totally stupid on my part!

#2 thing which drives us crazy
-Pantry pull-outs. HATE them! Maybe hate is too strong a word (not really), but we realize now we would have been so much happier with standard shelves, not even roll-out shelves! (although those are divine) We have the pantry units from Rev-A-Shelf and find a) they are "adjustable" in name only, b) they don�t hold as much as you�d think, and c) a space-waster. If we�d had shelves we could have stacked cans or seen at one glance all our dry-goods. As it is, we have to pull out three separate units and honestly, we think it�s crap. Never again!

(These other things are things which we�d do differently in the future but which aren�t frustrating us daily.)
-Broom Pull-out isn�t deep enough to hold our stick vac. We�d told our cabinetmaker it needed to be 6" deep, so the pull-out door is 6" deep, but the way he built the support for the steel pegboard eats up an inch, so the interior usable space is only 5" deep � and not enough to hold our stick vac.

-24" deep lower cabinets. Too shallow! We didn�t realize until too late (as in, unpacking into this kitchen) that our penultimate kitchen had 32" deep lowers. What a difference! In all fairness to myself (as in, trying to make myself feel better), given the tight quarters of this kitchen we could not have afforded even 30" deep lowers; well, we could have, but then we would have lost our island which we are really enjoying. Next kitchen will be really different!

-Symmetry. I don�t know if it�s just for symmetry�s sake or for my husband�s, but flanking either side of the cooktop are spice pull-outs. Granted, he�s got them both filled to the gills with his goodies, but I could really use those 6" in my stack of baking supply drawers. Given the particulars of the layout of our kitchen the symmetry there would not have mattered.

-Having our microwave built-in. My husband was adamant he did NOT want a built-in microwave (the kind which have the trim-kits, I mean), so we found the Sharp over-the-counter microwave. Turns out there was some sort of "miscommunication" with the GC (so I guess I�m responsible). The "problem" is that the drywall behind the microwave wasn�t removed and reframed so as to accommodate the 1.5" the microwave juts out past its surrounding cabinetry. It�s already not bothering me so much, but when I do think about it I think "I wish we�d been clearer." Hopefully I�ll learn to live with it because I just don�t want to pay for the work!

-Double Ovens. We�ve always (well, in the US) had double ovens and I love to bake, so I never thought of a single oven. But so far, I�ve only been using one oven and as we�re the strictest of vegetarians it�s not as if we�ll ever have a turkey in one and pie in the other. I think how differently the space (& money) could have been utilized �. Who knows?

Why We Chose a Pure White Kitchen
I happen to love a white kitchen (clearly). I also love a creamy kitchen, a modern kitchen, a wood-tone kitchen and a colorful kitchen. Based on the layout of our house (both the floorplan as well as orientation), as well as our existing furniture, I knew "traditional" would make the most sense for this kitchen, and I am not complaining!

Our kitchen is also an interior kitchen: there are two windows in the breakfast nook end (one faces due north, the sliding door west), and the windows in the family room are all also facing due north. We get no direct sun in these rooms. The windows are large so do let in the light, but the quality of that light is different from a room which faces (predominantly) east, south or west.

It also might be my imagination, but I find the light here (in the Rocky Mountains, 5,400 feet elevation) to be a white light. When we lived in the San Francisco Bay Area the light had much more yellow to it, but here, it's clear and pretty white. I know artists like north light because of its purity, so maybe that's what I'm seeing. ???

Anyway, so based on our lighting conditions and based on my desire for a bright, cheery, and bright (again) space, pure white was really the only choice. Oh we tried many variants of creamy colors, inc. my beloved BM Calming Cream (which is the trim throughout our house -- it is the palest yellow, like a really old oil-based white paint which has yellowed with time). But none of them were "right." None of them gave me the bright, cheery, and bright (again) space I wanted and, for my emotional well-being, needed. (I feel blue in underlit, dark spaces.)

I still feel lust when I see all these gorgeous creamy kitchens posted here on GW, but in my heart-of-hearts, I know those would not have worked in this particular space.

I also appreciate that there are some who are quite vocal about their distaste for a white kitchen (or all-white anything), and I can appreciate that. Believe me, I do NOT look good in all-white (I am really fair and I look washed-out when wearing too much white, esp. a white shirt without a big necklace to break up the white from the shirt and the white from my face!) But this is absolutely the right kitchen for this space and for us in this space. When people have come over, the kitchen makes perfect, natural sense in the context of the rest of our home (and its furnishings). Can't beat that!

About the black island: I like it, but I do sometimes wonder if a dark, stained island would have been better. I just don't know. At the time (of planning), I was against it because I was worried how it might go with or fight the floor color. But what we have is this soft black and I like it!

Details:

Cabinets - Inset Shiloh Homestead painted MB Softwhite, Island Maple stained Espresso
Flooring - Tile Fashion Coffee 12 x 24
Countertops - Caesarstone Raven, Ceasarstone Misty Carrera - Mitred Edge
Main Sink - Franke 33" SS Apron - FHX710-33S
Main Faucet - Generic Costco Brand
Prep Sink - Elkay - ELU1618
Prep Faucet - Danze Como Pulldown
Refrigerator - JennAir CD FD - JFC2089HES
Ovens - Electrolux - EW30EW65GS
Warming Drawer - Electrolux - EW30WD55GS
Microwave - Electrolux - EL27MO45GS
Cooktop - DCS 36" Drop-in - CTD-365
Hood - Bosch - DKE9365AUC
Beverage Center - GE Monogram - ZDBC240NBS
Dishwasher - Bosch
Backsplash - White Glass subway tile from theglassmosiacoutlet.com
Backsplash - Stainless Steel 1x2 tiles
Pulls - TopKnobs - Princetonian
Paint - BM 1542 Himalayan Trek

Before:

After:

Sink Area:

Backsplash:

Island:

Island - Backside:

Pantry Area - Closed:

Pantry - Open:

Lazy Suzan - Corner Pullout:

A big thank you to everyone who gave such great advice over the past few months. If anyone has any questions on what we like /dislike please let us know.

Floor � Kaindl "Acacia" laminate
Cabinets - perimeter: Aristokraft Durham Toasted Almond Glaze, island: Wentworth Maple Java Glaze
Countertops � Brown Tan Granite, � bevel edge
Backsplash � 3x6 Edimax ceramic tile - Brunata
Stools � Target (Pottery Barn knockoffs - $65/each vs. $260/each)
Hardware - Lowe�s Gateway "Aged Bronze"
Faucet � Danze Opulence Single Handle � Stainless Steel finish
Pendants � Progress "Madison" Antique Bronze
Fridge � Kenmore (purchased 3 yrs ago)
Dishwasher � Frigidaire (purchased 6 yrs ago)
Range & Micro � Frigidaire Professional Series
Jelly Cabinet - Ebay
Walls � "Rejuvinate" Behr (Home Depot)

Here are (hopefully) the pics:

Here are the particulars with my comments about how I like them three years later:

Cabinets: Mouser, custom inset, maple "China" painted finish (almost identical to Dove Wing, Benjamin Moore paint); cherry, burnished autumn (I think that's the finish) under the bar -- These cabinets have held up so well. I don't find them hard to keep clean like I thought I would, and I have two very young children. I just use the Guardsman polish Mouser recommends. They haven't shown any cracking or anything like others had reported about painted white cabinets when I was debating whether I should go ahead with them. I'm so glad I just went with what I loved!

Also, word of advice: make sure to take inventory of everything you own and think hard about where you are going to put it all when designing your cabinets. Not until I did that did I realize that I didn't need a specific "pots and pans" drawer -- the height of my pots could fit in a normal drawer, even when stacked. Using normal drawers allowed me to fit in a shallow top drawer for spatulas, etc. I can't imagine not having that shallow top drawer. Also, consider using the cabinet above the refrigerator as a place to store cookie sheets, muffin pans, extra pot lids, etc. We just put a few dividers in -- wonderful use of space!

Countertops: Black Pearl Antique granite -- I LOVE my countertop! Talk about low-maintenance! The "antique" finish gives it a soft feel like soapstone and shows no fingerprints like a honed finish. The black pearl granite is better than absolute black in hiding dirt because it has a little variation in color. I wanted soapstone, but had to be realistic about my lifestyle, and this was a perfect choice. I get so many compliments about this countertop (got at Marble Systems in Fairfax, VA).

Backsplash: Marble subway tile in Creme Marfil (light cream), polished -- Still lovely, and I've completely neglected it!

Pendant Lights: Restoration Hardware -- They are like jewels, giving the kitchen more interest.

Paint on walls: Silver Sage from Restoration Hardware

Hardware: Cup Pulls from Restoration Hardware, brushed nickel

Range: Wolf 36" all gas -- This is the one thing I'm not totally loving. While I like the look a lot (the red knobs make me smile), we had some issues with the stove-top "exploding" (gas build up b/f turning on with a bang) and then not lighting, etc. The non-sealed burners are a pain for someone who has no time to dote on them. You have to make sure everything is lined up just right. A lot of heat seems to escape from the oven -- it heats up the kitchen a lot, and the outside gets really hot to the touch. If you have the oven going, you can't cook delicate sauces. The oven doesn't really cook things evenly. Whatever is cooking furthest from the convection fan cooks a lot faster than the portion near the fan. If you get a Wolf, get the extended warranty. They are very very good about coming out and tweaking it. While I adore the look, I had better, consistent performance from my old lower-end range. You really need to cook a lot to get a "feel" on how it cooks so you don't burn things.
Hood: Vent-a-Hood, Nouveau Pro -- Does a very good job, although it's pretty loud (not unusually so though)

Sink: Franke Oceania -- Another thing I still absolutely love. A large one-bowl sink is a must! We use the colander as a drying rack, which keeps drying dishes off of the counter and "in" the sink.

Faucet: Grohe Ladyluxe - Looks nice and performs really well

Refrigerator: LG, French door -- I don't love this fridge, but it's fine. I find that if I put lettuce/spinach near the back, it freezes sometimes. A cabinet-depth fridge is a lot less space than I was used to -- thank goodness we kept the old fridge in the garage.
Warming Drawer: GE Monogram - We use this more than we thought we would
Dishwashwer: Bosch -- Nice, basic, quiet DW. Beware of water streaks on the stainless front panel -- just can't get them out, but they aren't super noticeable, so it's not that big of a deal.

Microwave/Additional Oven: GE Advantium -- Much better use of space and money than a second oven, although we don't use the Advantium much because there isn't a lot of guidance about how long to cook things. They mostly tested brand-name processed food and tell you how long to cook those items, but don't give guidance on how to figure out how to program your casserole.

Appliances: Range: 36' All Gas Wolf Range
Hood: 36' low profile Wolf hood
Refrigerator: 30' Subzero built in fridge freezer
Dishwasher: Fisher & Paykel Dishwasher drawers

Countertops: Quartzite - natural stone seen under the names 'Monte Carlo' , 'Mother of Pearl' and 'Madre Perle'. Harder (and more brittle) than granite. This particular quartzite does not appear to etch.
Fabricated by Wolf Granite in Philadelphia.

Flooring; Ceramic Tile with metal infused into it. Purchased at Artistic Tile in 6 x 24s.

Handles: Purchased at www.myknobs.com - amazing pricing compared to other sources.

Faucet: Danze Parma pull down faucet in stainless steel purchased on ebay.

Sink: Stainless steel, zero radius apron sink purchased on ebay.

Backsplash: Tao toffee purchase at www.glasstilestore.com

Here's a close up of the ceramic floor. You can see the metalic sparkles from close up only. From the dining room you can't tell, but when you are actually on the floor you can see the sparkles.

Here's a pic of the two seams at either side of our sink (we picked a small slab).

and the quartzite slab before fabrication:

This was new construction, and we were owner/builders.

Cream Cabinets- Hampshire Cabinet Company
Maple -Youngstown beaded inset Parchment paint-brushed medium distressing, Van Dyke Brown glaze
Alder Island, Black Island, and Black Beverage center, custom made Jason Maechtle Carpentry (contracted after first cabinet maker went BK)
Granite- Persian Sand
Custom Walnut top made by Midwest Trim/Elburn Il
Cabinet Hardware- Baer Oil Rubbed Bronze
Floors- Hand scraped Walnut- Don Snow Flooring/ Elgin Il
Hardware- Baer- oil rubbed bronze
Sinks- Copper Farm Sink bought online from Manhattan Design
Lacquer Finish - Flat Patina- Coffee Surface- Smooth
Faucets- Danze
Lighting- Capital - Westwood in English Chestnut
Appliances- 42 in GE Monogram Fridge
48 in GE Monogram Cook top with Grill and Griddle
GE Monogram double convection ovens
GE Monogram Beverage Fridge
GE Monogram Icemaker
GE Profile Microwave
FP Dishdrawers
Backsplash - DIY tile bought from the Tile Store
Wall Color- Benjamin Moore Oakwood Manor
Chairs and Barstools- Artistica Marquess
Kitchen Table- Martha Stewart/Bernhardt- purchased at a clearance center, and had refinished to match our cabinets.. base- cream- top alder
Pantry- custom made shelves by trim carpenters
Floor- Mexican Saltillo Tiles
Appliances- GE French Door Fridge

The 3 things I like the best in my new kitchen..
1. The Walk In Pantry
2. The lighting..(doesn�t show well in pictures)
3. The Flooring

The 2 Things I�d do differently
1. Don�t like the mircowave set low in an island, might try to switch out later for a micorwave drawer, or might move to the panty
2. Previously had a Monogram 48 in fridge.. Thought with the 2nd fridge in the pantry AND a beverage fridge the 42 would be fine.. Wish I went with the 48

Here is a link that might be useful: More pictures

My new kitchen makes me smile. I have to thank everyone at the Garden Web Kitchen Forum for giving me wonderful, practical ideas to help create my new kitchen. I also have to thank my DH for allowing me to do what I wanted to do in this kitchen, mainly white cabinets.
I have lived in this house for 13 years and always knew one day we would (God willing) renovate the kitchen. At first I wanted to change everything as far as layout, however, as time went on I discovered the layout really worked well and all I need to do was tweak a few areas. I needed to create a larger prep zone; I needed the garbage bin to by my prep zone and not half way across the kitchen. I also needed move the microwave away from the range at the request of my four children. I switched the refrigerator and wall oven to shrink the work triangle. My DH and I debated whether to put in a narrow island/ table or keep our kitchen table. We decided the space would be too small for an island and I liked the family sitting around the table and talking to one another and not seated bar style.

Many thanks to the Garden Web for giving me the impetus to ask if we could raise an obtrusive beam (left over from a 1985 renovation) into the ceiling. This beam caused the 6" vent pipe to run through several cabinets severely limiting my storage space. All gone now! This alone helped to create more storage space .We also expanded the opening into the family room and eliminated a door into the dining room and upgraded the windows to tilt-ins.

Appliances:
Range: Electrolux Induction Cooktop Range with second oven.
Wall oven: Electrolux single wall oven
Refrigerator: Kitchen Aid Architect II French Door Refrigerator (KFCS22EVMS4) Love the water feature inside!
Dishwasher: Kitchen Aid KUDE40FXPA panel ready. And Yes! you can integrate a Kitchen Aid if you know up front you need to allow for an extra �" in length. My CG put an extra �" sheet of sheet rock on the wall and cut out the space for the dishwasher. We had plenty of room to accommodate the Kitchen Aid and make it look integrated.
Microwave: GE Monogram ZEM200SF
Hood: Broan Elite Rangemaster Power Pack RMP17004
Cabinets: Dura Supreme: Crestwood series
Arcadia Classic, Maple perimeter in classic white
Arcadia Classic, Cherry Hutch peninsula
Granite: New Venetian Gold
Hardware: Amerock 96mm Westerly Pulls in Satin Nickel
Amerock Revitalize Knobs in Satin Nickel
Sink: Franke Orca sink, Love,Love,Love!!!
Faucet: Kohler K-690 Vinnata in polished chrome
Lotion Dispenser: Kohler Fairfax collection
Backsplash: Sonoma Tile; market collection, Ashbury Series in Mojave ( 4x4, subway, bead liner and moulding) also, Tumbled Honey onyx .
Under cabinet Lighting: Utilitech LED under cabinet lights
Flooring: Verde1999, Moonstone 20 x 20 porcelain tiles.
Charging Drawer
Wall Color: BM 1639 Windy Sky
Before:

After:

Before:

afTER:

bEFORE:

After:






Before:

After:










Thank You !

We started the actual demo/remodel at the end of June 2009, and we were back in in early September, but it was not "completely finished" until we received our counter stools/window treatments in late fall. I love working in this space, and it is wonderful for entertaining.

link: http://s979.photobucket.com/albums/ae272/pssternpictures/

Here are some of the details:

Cabinets: Omega/Dynasty - Destin door style
Perimeters: Maple, Oyster finish with a caramel glaze
Island: Alder, Sable finish with a coffee glaze
Hardware: Top Knobs M827-96 and M827-7, Oil Rubbed Bronze
Countertops: Twilight Red granite
Sink: Franke PRX 160, stainless undermount
Faucets: Waterstone, Annapolis faucet, filtered water faucet,
side spray, air gap in satin nickel
Garbage Disposal: In-Sink-erator, Evolution Essential
Lighting: Recessed lighting
Pendants: Quoizel Monterey Mosaic Mini Pendants
Chandelier in Breakfast room: Quoizel Monterey Mosaic Bowl
Range: Thermador, 36" gas, PRG364EDG
Hood: Thermador VTN 1000 CFM
Refrigerator: Thermador, 36" Bottom mount freezer, French Door
Dishwasher: Thermador, DWHD64EP, 6 cycle
Microwave: Sharp, 30" Stainless Microwave Drawer, KB6525PS
Backsplash: Field Tile: Lycian Simena (travertine, 3x6 subways)
Framed piece behind range: Sonoma Custom Blend
Floor: Azuvi Austin Crema 20x20 porcelain tile
Breakfast Table, Chairs, Counter Stools: Artistica
Paint: Benjamin Moore, Louisburg Green over the sink
Benjamin Moore, Saybrook Sage in Breakfast and Family Rms
Windows: Milgard
Window Treatment: Custom valance and woven shades

Before:

After:

We've been so pleased with how our house turned out, and I especially love the kitchen. It's the heart of our home, and it's not only beautiful and homey in my eyes but has also proven to be very practical and functional with our large family. I can't think of much I'd do differently, especially considering we did this well within our budget! Some of my favorite things about it are....

Creamy white lacquered cabinets(SW Dover White) - they're custom hard maple and are holding up beautifully. They're durable, and wiping them down is a breeze.

Silgranit sinks - Love having a big single and a 2nd sink in the island - both get used daily, and the silgranit cleans up so nice!

Stainless appliances - KA fridge and dw, Bosch ovens, and Dacor gas cooktop - All have been great and have NOT been hard to keep clean. I use a stainless cleaner on them that actually repels prints for several days in between cleaning.

Step in pantry - I love the cute door and love the storage inside.

Danze faucets & pot filler

The layout - I would've totally flubbed up had it not been for you all pointing out flaws with our initial plan. So, so glad you enlightened us, so we could improve with what we had to work with. It's a very functional layout even when several of us are in there cooking/cleaning at once. Thanksgiving was at our house last year, and it was awesome!

MW in the island - Great so the kids can make things for themselves, and nice for shortie(5'2") me so I don't have to reach high. Would totally do this again!

Lots of smooth gliding deep drawers - love having our plates, pots and pans, and baking goods(flour, sugar, etc) in deep drawers. It's so much easier than doors!

Love my little "baking center" between the fridge & ovens. At the advice on here we made the counter extra deep here which allowed the fridge to have a built in look for a budget price, and the extra deep counter is great when cutting cookies/rolling out dough.

The wood floors - They're 4" white oak planks. This might be my single favorite thing about our house. I was a little nervous about having wood in a kitchen, but it is the EASIEST thing to keep up with and feels nice underfoot. We bought a good cordless stick vac(Hoover Linx) to use after meals, and once a week or so we use Bona cleaner with a mop.

Lighting - love having lots of lights and all on dimmers

Hope I didn't bore anyone with my comments! Now onto the pictures...

Here is a link that might be useful: New kitchen

Image link: Corner Stove (52 k)

We were going to do a stacked lazy/super suzan and started planning out where we'd put things and needed a place for some tall appliances. We also thought that most accessible storage would be the first drawer right below the countertop. I thought about using the corner cab for those tall items and they were a bit too tall to make it easy to have two lazy susan shelves. And that gave me the idea of just doing the top corner drawer -- that prized first drawer space. Asked our cabinet makers if they could and they said yes.

My new sink is deep deep enough to put my pressure canner or largest stockpot into for filling or washing. My large sheet or greasy broiler pans fit completely in the sink for washing or scrubbing. It is large enough to hold an entire DW load of dirty dishes after a party. In the summer, I can easily clean armloads of veggies from my garden in the sink. The Silgranit material doesn't show water spots or even look dirty. The sturdy sink grid gives me another place to drain things. The rear offset drain give me tons more room under the sink cabinet. It came with a deep stainless strainer basket that catches gunk and goes in the DW. It is smooth and silky to the touch, and warms quickly and stays warm. It looks great. I LOVE my sink.

So, a few weeks ago, I created a blog to archive the finished kitchen posts. In most cases, these posts are simply verbatim copies of the forum posts. Most contain a description of the kitchen along with a link to the photos. They are listed alphabetically by member for easy retrieval.
Finished Kitchens Blog

The blog currently has a major formatting issue: you need scroll down the page (below the links section) in order to access the contents of the posting. I'm working on a fix and will hopefully have this resolved soon.

Both MJsmama and HollySprings raised an interesting question: can the posts be categorized based on style, cabinet color, countertop, budget of kitchen, etc.? This would be alot more work, but could be doable if I can get some help setting up the categories (what specific categories should be used, and to what granularity (i.e., granite countertops - or - Golden Juparana granite countertops?). I would also need help categorizing each member's kitchen. Is anybody interested in helping?

If your finished kitchen isn't in the blog, please post it to the gallery and I will add it to the blog.
Please include a description of your choices (cabinets, appliances, countertops, faucets, lighting, etc.) We all want to know where to find the fabulous things you selected!
(For some members I have listed only links, no description. Please either post your description or you can email it to me; I'll add it to the blog.)

Have fun viewing all the beautiful kitchens... and don't stay up too late!!!

Finished Kitchens Blog

TwelveSouth + iPad + The Pro Chef.

The iPad has some very good cookbooks available.

I wanted to start a new thread so the new options didn't get buried at the bottom (hope that's okay!) The original thread was: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0112151330919.html?28

First - THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH for your fabulous ceiling fan suggestions and advice! I am taking it all to heart.

Per your advice, I'm going to aim for:

- Short height (to accomodate 8' ceilings)
- Around 42" - 44" width (since kitchen isn't very wide)
- Pewter/nickel finish for a more upscale look (and I can paint it like Bee did if I don't love it)
- I might be able to increase the budget a bit...
- Or, if none of these fans work - maybe I can just put a schoolhouse light fixture there now and get the fan later

Unfortunately, a lot of the fans that were suggested were too tall and/or wide for the space (sadly, including dianalo's awesome retro fan, and the lovely ones posted by clooney161 - but thank you both for posting them!), and some were Very cool, but too modern for my style.

And style is what I'm struggling with. I'd like the fan to be cottagy/classic, simple and elegant. Although our Ikea Adel cabs have a contemporary vibe, we're going to "try" to get them to be more cottagy by adding a small crown moulding and pretty feet to the cabinets, eventually swapping out the modern glass for seeded glass, using cup pulls, maybe some glass knobs, a victorian style faucet, farm sink, and colonial style nook chandelier.

And so - here are some more fan contenders (with one of the originals). Which one says "Simple, Elegant, Classic Cottage" to you? And if none do - should I just go for one of the schoolhouse light fixtures for now instead?

Our in-progress kitchen

Breakfast Nook Chandelier

Color Scheme I'm aiming for (warm, pale green walls - with pops of hydrangea blue and green as fabric and flower arrangement in ironstone pitcher - floor color in pic is better representation of our floor color)

THANK YOU!! I'm going to try and get some non kitchen related work done now. Hee hee.

P.S. Thank you macybaby and suzannes1 for your photos! They were helpful (and your kitchens are Beautiful!!).

I apologize in advance if the pictures are too big. I did try to follow the FAQ.

As a set up, I live in a small 1950 bungalow in an urban area. The house itself is charming. Coved ceilings in the living room. Two woodburning fireplaces. Hard wood floors. But tiny, tiny, tiny.

The kitchen and dining area (no dining room in this house, unfortunately) is extra tiny, and before the remodel, extra ugly and nonfunctional. The kitchen/dining area is 7 ½ feet by 17. The kitchen area is only 7 ½ by 10 feet.

BEFORE PICTURES.

These are sort of “after” pictures, in the sense that I had earlier painted the cabinets white, tore down the mauve and blue flowered wall paper, removed the wagon wheel light fixtures, and replaced the brown and gold brick linoleum, which ran up walls for a faux backspash.

Behind that blank wall on the right that you see are the steps to the basement and to the second floor. I played around with opening that area up, but it just didn’t work.

There was no functionality in this kitchen. The U shape of the kitchen made it impossible to open some drawers without opening the door of the appliance next to them, such as those next to my range (which was only 24 inch and very old) or those adjacent to dishwasher. The flue for the hot water heater took a big bite out of my available space. The fridge jutted into the entry the side door by about 8 inches.

AFTER.

Here are the after pictures.

Much of the best changes that I made are the least obvious. I moved the entry space in the back door over an inch to allow for the counterdepth fridge to be encased. I widened the other door as much as possible. I added arches to these entries and to the living room, which you don’t see in these pictures. I switched out the natural gas water heater for an electric one so that I could eliminate the flue.

There is nothing particularly special or high-end about my design choices. The granite is St. Celcia Light. The fridge is a counterdepth Kitchenaid; the dishwasher is Kitchenaid; the range is a slide in GE Profile; the UTR microwave is an Advantium. I did go from a gas range to an electric range. While I realize that this is not the normal progression, I’m happy with it. The cabinets are painted in Sherwin Williams Alabaster. I don’t remember the brand of the subway tiles, but I know that the brand is sold at Home Depot, although I got them from the manufacturer.

The floor is 1 ½ inch red oak, which is the same that is in the rest of my house. For anyone who is nervous about matching old wood like I was, it isn’t a problem. I also replaced the floor in my front entry way, which had horrible stick on tiles. No one but me would ever know that these were not original to the house.

So, this is my kitchen version of a little black dress. I was never looking for a statement kitchen. I only wanted a pretty kitchen that would fit into the rest of my house, which is a charming little 1950 bungalow. My goal was to make the kitchen look like it had always been a part of my home. So, while some may decry the blandness of a pretty white kitchen, I embraced it. I can dress it up; I can dress it down; but it always looks right, at least to me.

Maybe as important, I've cooked more in this kitchen during the last 3 months than I did in the last 3 years combined.

Again, I apologize for the size and clarity of these pictures. I did read and tried to follow the FAQ about posting. This was the best that I could do.

Now onto the details...

The project was conceptualized last October, construction began in mid November. We had semi functional use of it during Christmas but it still had a long way to go. After lots of structural repairs and slight idea changes along the way the project was probably completed with decorating done by late February. The place is considerably more functional and the floor is no longer going to collapse through to the basement. I decided to remove a large pantry which was taking up too much space, as well as remove the dining room closet which was too small to be used for anything. Those you can see in the before pictures. The lovely lady in those pictures is not me btw.

It took me many trips to the stores and many conversations to finally get everything dialed in exactly the way I wanted it. I feel that the style I have is very fitting to the home which is from 1922. Not sure exactly how I would categorize it but if I had to take a stab I'd say, somewhat traditional, somewhat french country, somewhat professional. But the final product came out very warm and inviting. We use the kitchen 10 fold now compared to the old one for entertaining purposes alone.

The old kitchen was a functional disaster and I wish I had some pictures of it before, but I only have pictures of the day of first removal. I have a video though of the kitchen before which I will post here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFlVyHeKd5I

Moving right along then... and since everyone loves to know what every little detail is I guess I'll have to run down the list which as follows:

Countertops: Super-white quartzite, and yes the island is all one single slab
Backsplash: herringbone Carrara marble with matte finish subway tiles
Flooring: Virginia hardwood wide plank hickory
Fridge: Sub-zero 36SXS
Micro: Viking designer series
Wall oven: Bertazzoni 24 inch classic electric
Range: 36 inch Bertazzoni gas
Hood: 40 inch Viking designer series with 650cfm
DW: Fisher and Paykel tall dishdrawer
Sink: Elkay stainless farmhouse
Bar sink: Kohler trough
Main faucet: Rohl country in satin
Bar faucet: Rohl country series, not exactly sure what model
Washer+dryer: Samsung front loaders
Chairs: Restoration hardware french cafe Madeline chairs
Other goodies: full extension soft close drawers, heavy cast knobs and pulls (some outfit in NJ) love the pulls because they actually are screwed directly into the face. The beer setup is a Khrome design tower with Perlick no drop faucets. Entryway color tiles on the stairs are from Pewabic pottery in Detroit, the steps are a shale of some sort.

Enough talk I'm sure you've already passed by all that and moved right down here to where I've stashed what you are all waiting for...

Before:

During:

And completed:

Any other pictures of specific areas I will try and make happen if you'd like. Ask any questions as well, I'll be around to answer them for you. Thanks so much for looking, and thanks for the great ideas and the knowledge I've gained from using this fine website.

sorry. Here it is.