Lalitha

I went into the store thinking I was going to for sure go with white dove, since so many here have used it and have such gorgeous kitchens. However, when I hold the white dove up, it seems a little cool to me, and I was really wanting a warm, softer creamy kitchen that reads white, not too ivory. The lady at the store told me to look at it in the light of my own kitchen, but that's not possible since we're a new build, and my kitchen doesn't exist yet.
For those of you who used one of the three colors above, what made you choose it over the rest of the hundreds of whites out there?
For what it's worth, we're using a dark chocolate brown hickory floor, and most likely using a black laminate on the perimeter cabs. I haven't decided on the island yet...it will either be white as well, or possibly an espresso stain. We have one 36" window that faces north.

Thanks for any thoughts/help you can give. (And I realize that colors can be messed up royally on the computer screen, but I LOVE looking at pictures of white kitchens, so if you feel like posting a few, I wouldn't mind!!).

DETAILS:
Cabinets: Eudora Frameless
Island countertop: White Macaubus Quartzite
Perimeter countertop: Leathered Absolute Black Granite
Sink: Kohler Riverby Cast Iron
Faucet: Moen Woodmere in Stainless
Hardware on solid doors/drawers: Amerock Highland Ridge in polished nickel
Glass knobs and Bin Pulls in polished nickel: Van Dyke's
Range & Dishwasher: Thermador
Refrigerator: Kitchenaid Pro
Refrigerator Drawers: Electrolux
Sharp Microwave Drawer

Close up of the tile. It's hard to get an accurate color since it's so glossy. It's more blue/green than portrayed in pics:

I was standing on a chair when I took this. I feel like it makes the dining table look like toy furniture! Ha!

Behold...the unfinished bar and the fan with no blades. We live in the deep south...no judging the fan! Behind those closed doors lies my DH's very unfinished man cave.

And you'd know that the day after I took these, my new sofa cushion inserts came in. It's all fluffy and new looking again. Oh well!

The Pantry is actually the same color as the entry you see right past the range wall in the kitchen (BM Gray Wisp). But I didn't use a flash so it looks funky here:

I'm still undecided about the cabinet color....

Someone posted a link to Shanghaimom's stunning kitchen in another thread and I loved the color of her cabs which is bone white aka natural wicker.

Does anyone else have cabs this color?

I bought a little sample of the paint but it seems darker in my tiny kitchen than in the pics of Shanghaimom`s fabulous kitchen...

Any other color in BM that looks like this? It could be my lighting or lack of too...

We've since survived corporate downsizing ('adjusting to scale' was the term they used, lol!) and are settling into life here in the northeast. However, none of the kitchen designers seem able to actually tell us whether their cabinets are somewhere in the middle of mid-range. I did see a list of cabinet rankings here on GW, but it is outdated. I am curious to know whether anyone has experience with any of these cabinets:

Shiloh
Candlelight
Omega/Dynasty
Medallion
Brookhaven
Wellborn Forest
Woodland

We're trying to stay beneath the Plain and Fancy priceline, but at the same time, it's difficult to assess where these other cabinets rank in terms of overall quality, including all wood construction, minimal add-on fees for soft glide close, stain, etc. and overall appearance. Both of the KD's we have seen seem to be pushing cabinets we are not so keen on: Showplace, KraftMaid, Narrow River, as well as Wellborn Forest and Woodland. We are willing to pay for quality, but I think they are being pressured to promote whatever is 'on sale' right now. Hence, they are really waving the flags for Showplace, Wellborn Forest and Woodland. We'd love to be wrong about this ... any input is gratefully accepted!

I also know how invaluable I found the thread on aisle widths and island sizes with all the pics.

So...... if you have white cabinets and you know which color white you used, please post a pic or two of your cabs along with the color for those of us struggling with the 'which shade of white' color choice.

We popped in to talk to our cabinet maker thismorning and were looking at some samples - it's odd how difficult a decision picking a white can be! : )

Thanks so much!

Super White
Type: Slab - Granite

MARLFSUPERWHTSLAB
SUPER WHITE LEATHER FINISH SLAB 2CM
Thickness: 2cm - $26.00 S/F
MARLFSUPERWHTSLAB3
SUPER WHITE LEATHER FINISH SLAB 3CM
Thickness: 3" - $35.63 S/F
MARSUPERWHTSLAB
SUPER WHITE POLISHED SLAB 2CM
Thickness: 2cm - $26.00 S/F
MARSUPERWHTSLAB3
SUPER WHITE POLISHED SLAB 3CM
Thickness: 3cm - $35.63 S/F

I think that covers it. Again, the pictures are poor quality because my phone takes poor pictures.

These were my helpers and troublemakers through the entire renovation:

This is 1 of 2 islands. This is the smaller island and is used for prep work:

This is the larger of the 2 islands. My husband, kids and I spend most of our time at this island. It's 9 feet. We still need 1 more counterstool:

Please show me pictures of your frameless full overlay kitchens, especially if you have inset uppers.

Thanks!

Interior colors are all SW. The MB is Hearth which is part of the discontinued Martha Stewart line but I like it so much my local store continues to mix it for me. The den and fireplace wall is SW Portico. The Kitchen and rest of the GR is Wool Skein...an idea I stole from bigkahuna on the builders forum. You should check out some of the homes he's built!

Sochi,I'm pretty sure I've already gushed a time or two over pics of your house. Perfect, perfect perfect. Even your worst room looks pretty good IMHO.

I agree with sochi that we should show the good with the bad. Here's one of my next projects.......

Lower level family room.

Site of future wet bar:

OK, all of you out there with magazine worthy homes....show us the "other rooms"!

So we're meeting with our contractor today and I want to discuss a few framing changes with him. We've already decided to recess the fridge and center the kitchen window.

Our kitchen window is 6' long. I'd like to consider making this window counter-height (bigger, not just lower) and bumping it out about 6-8 inches to increase the depth of my counter space without increasing the footprint of our house. This would also solve my window trim issue.

Anyway, would this be a good move? Is it something that the TKO would recommend?

Here's a 3-D of our kitchen to give you an idea:

Thanks for your inputs!

Some of you might recall me, I posted my almost finished kitchen about a year ago. We recently had some new photos taken when our architect hired a pro for the day for a shoot. I figured I'd pay everyone a visit and share the new photos since my old ones were incomplete. The old thread is to old to be revived, so I'll try to repost the old original post below my new one for context as well. Hope you enjoy!

As I posted in my original thread, thank you to everyone who has posted here - your amazing example kitchens as well as your willingness to answer any questions was THE source for our ideas.

Money Shot:

Kitchen Island:

Sink View:

Rangetop:

Fridge / Pantry:

Fridge / Pantry Revealed:

Bar Area:

Pantry / Freezer:

Layout:

Kitchen Design Summary:

• Cabinets: Painted Maple built by local cabinet maker - local is a suburb southwest of Boston. Inset doors, self closing drawers. The finish is a sprayed on pre-cat lacquer that is tinted to match the BM Ivory White color.


• Cabinet Options: Includes pull out trash drawer wtih two cans to the right of sink. "Magic Corner" pullout in corner of L perimeter cabinets. Wicker baskets underneath microwave for fruit / vegetable storage. Vertical dividers in cabinet above oven. Spice drawer insert in top left island drawer. Knife drawer insert in top drawer to the left of rangetop. Dish drawer inserts (pegboard with adjustable plate holding pegs) in island drawers. Utensil and gadget dividers in misc drawers. Specialized rack on dry good cabinet that allows for storage on dor but puts weight in cabinet carcass.
  


• Colors: Walls are Ben Moore Pittsfield Buff (HC-24) and the trim and cabinets are Ben Moore Ivory White (925).


• Countertops: 3cm Calacatta Ruggine on perimeter, 5cm Utile Mahogany (edge grain butcher block) for island, 3cm Minas soapstone for pantry. Slab backsplash on perimeter is 2cm Calacatta Ruggine and slab backsplash for pantry is 2cm Minas soapstone.


• Hardware: Mix of Restoration Hardware including Gillmore cup pulls (4in), Gillmore Knobs, Traditional Clear Glass Knobs and Bistro Pulls (8in and 6in). All hardware is polished nickel.


• Lighting: Pendants are RH Clemson pendants in 14" size. General recessed lights are Cree CR6 LED lights. Oversink recessed lights are Cree LR4 LED lights. Undercabinet lights are xenon dimable light bars. In cabinet lights are xenon puck lights. all lights are dimmable.


• Floor: Rift sawn white oak stained to match existing floor (seen in family room pictures.) Floor has radient heating underneath, hence the need for rift sawn.


• Bar Stools: Pier One Mason Bar Stool in chocolate.


• Rangetop: Wolf 48" gas open burner with grill and griddle. Model #RT484CG


• Ventilation: Wolf 48" Pro Range insert in custom wood enclosure. Model #462212. Fan is 1200 cfm remote blower located on far side of garage (~20 ft connected by 10" duct.) Model #801642.


• Ovens: Wolf E series double oven - convection on top, regular on bottom. Model #DO302FSTH


• Dishwasher: Miele Optima II mounted to the right of the sink. Model #G2472SCVi


• Fridge: Subzero 27" Integrated Fridge only - located on sink wall next to paired wall cabinet for dry good storage behind island. Model #700TRLH.


• Pantry Fridge: Subzero 24" Undercounter Integrated Fridge located in pantry area on wall with freezer. Model #UC24R-LH.


• Freezer: Subzero 27" Integrated Freezer only - located in pantry area. Model #700TFIRH.
  
• Wine Cooler: Subzero Integrated full length wine fridge located in pantry area. Model #427GLH.


• Microwave: Sharp R530 countertop microwave installed in custom enclosure within island. Cubbie for microwave is ~26" x 21" high.


• Sink/Disposal: Franke Bowl and Half - model #PRX-120. Insinkerator Evolution Excell 1hp disposal. Bar sink is Franke KBX-110-13.


• Faucets: Main sink faucet is Rohl U.4702 in polished nickel. Bar sink faucet is Rohl U.4759 in polished nickel. Filtered water faucet is Rohl A1365 in polished nickel.


• Misc Appliances: Air Switch is Rohl polished nickel button with Insinkerator switch. Water filter is Watts Premiere UF3 from Costco.


• Backsplash: once installed the backsplash will be Ann Sacks Glace tiles in Ice. The tiles will be 1x6 sticks in a running bond pattern.


• Ceiling Speakers: 10" loudspeakers from Monoprice linked into Sonos wireless home music system (this system is amazing!)

Hammerhead Remodeling

Country Living Mag

Islands 2

Kitchens SS

10K kitchen bud

128 Kitchen Art Apples

Okay this island is huge but the seating is on the
end.

RDB Magazine

Hilton Head Kitchen Album

I want to thank so many out there for your help!!! I couldn't have done it without you. If you can believe it I really wanted the marble, soapstone and white cabinets kitchen, but this one really goes with my home beautifully. Some of my inspirations were Mamadadapaige, GGLKS, Erikanh, blakey, and so many others!
This was done on a budget since this won't be our forever home. We took down a wall between a small kitchen and small dining room. Everyone said don't do it and lose your dining room, but I am so glad we did. It really changed the way we live in this house. We have a relatively small island and it is the most used piece in the kitchen. We love it!

Some of the details-
Costa Esmeralda granite
Adelphi cabinets in eggshell
Kitchenaid french door counter depth fridge
Kitchenaid dishwasher
Kitchenaid wine fridge
DCS gas 5 burner range
Kobe Range Hood
Delta Victorian Pull down faucet
Kichler undercabinet lighting
Island Pendants- Kitchler Industrial
Insinkerater
Backsplash- Sonoma 2x6 tile in Krazy Krackle
Behind the range- Herringbone mosaic Krazy Krackle
Grout - Laticrete Antique White
Sink- Kindred
Harvest Pedestal Table-Pottery Barn
Parsons Chairs- PB
Bar Stools- 2 Schoolhouse and 1 saddle from PB
Drum Shade over table- Veraluz Tweed Shade
Floors- Oak with Minwax Special Walnut Stain
Paint- Crown Point Sand- Benjamin Moore

I have found my choice to be so easy to take care of. The granite hides things and doesn't show fingerprints. The stainless just needs a wipe with a wet microfiber every now and then followed by a dry one. And the wood floors have been fantastic...so much better than the white vinyl we had before.

Thanks again!! Maybe I will post more pictures thru the seasons when I change it up. There are lots of pictures, I tried to add some befores so you can see the change!
Click on the album for even more.

From Positano's Finished Kitchen

From Positano's Finished Kitchen

From Positano's Finished Kitchen

From Positano's Finished Kitchen

From Positano's Finished Kitchen

From Positano's Finished Kitchen

From Positano's Finished Kitchen

From Positano's Finished Kitchen

From Positano's Finished Kitchen

From Positano's Finished Kitchen

From Positano's Finished Kitchen

From Positano's Finished Kitchen

From Positano's Finished Kitchen

From Positano's Finished Kitchen

From Positano's Finished Kitchen

From Positano's Finished Kitchen

From Positano's Finished Kitchen

From Positano's Finished Kitchen

From Positano's Finished Kitchen

From Positano's Finished Kitchen

Here is a link that might be useful: Positano's Finished Kitchen

Apparently we have a small kitchen,lol... didn't think so til i got here either, it's 13'x12'
Island now measures 38"x 84"
walkways are 38" on sink side; 42" on oven side; and 36" on fridge side... all plenty wide, i was worried about pushing these measurements.

rosie you make great points - thanks! I passed them along to DH.

I tested out the 54" walkway in my current kitchen. I have a 37" peninsula so I measured out 54" from that to see how it felt. It did feel ample, and I can imagine if it was smaller I'd feel a little cramped if there were people sitting at the island and I was trying to get by to the fridge or oven.

I'm remembering my architect mentioning having to do something in the corner between the kitchen and dining room to hold up the 2nd floor addition. I'm not sure whether we can put a peninsula there after all. I'll talk to him about it. And I'll ask if that garage wall is load bearing.

Back to the math:

Steal 1' from the garage so that the room is 14' (168") in depth. Assume walls aren't wonky.

26" deep cabinets on the sink run
36" aisle between sink and island
30" island
46" aisle between island and garage wall
30" fridge and wall cabinets
___
Total = 168"

Here is a link that might be useful: White Zen kitchen

Is a cabinet door made out of MDF really considered to be a solid wood door (as one builder tried to tell me)? How does MDF differ from particle board? Is one better than the other in a rather humid environment, or are they the same? I've heard that MDF and Thermofoil are sealed, so they won't absorb water like wood, and I've also heard the opposite. I've heard that MDF baseboards and crown molding look just as good as wood but are more flexible, so they work better and "line up" better on walls that aren't 100% straight/even....and also that wood is the only way to go. Needless to say, I am very confused.

I don't know if it matters that we want white cabinets. If we can get them, we'd like to have some w/ beadboard doors and others a simple door in the same color. (Even though the kitchen is small, I'm afraid all beadboard would look too busy.)

For the cabinet boxes, I assume plywood is stronger than the particle board. This is a vacation home, and we are on a budget, so I don't know if it is necessary to have the boxes made out of plywood, or is better to put the money into solid wood (maple?) doors and save some $ by using MDF or particle board boxes??? It seems that everyone wants to tell you that the type of cabinets they sell are the best....and that the crown moldings they use (wood vs. "man-made") are "the only way to go"!? I'm even getting conflicting information from reps who sell both solid wood and MDF and thermofoil, so I'd really appreciate hearing from those who can shed some light on all this for me!

The previous kitchen had been remodeled within the last 10 years, but it was separated from the rest of the home and lacked sufficient counter space for a family of four. We decided to tear down the wall that separated the kitchen and laundry room and expand into the dining room to give us more counter space. The windows in the corner were too low to run counters and that proved to be a design challenge. Instead of raising the windows which would have altered the architecture of the exterior of the home, we decided to make the area a banquette. We also moved the old doorway off the foyer and created two larger arches which open up the kitchen to the living and dining room.

The space was too small for an island, so we had our counter top fabricator make us a work table that is movable -- it has wheels and we can roll it out of the way if we want to open up the kitchen.

Details:
Cabinets - custom by Los Angeles cabinetmaker - maple shaker style (bar area is espresso finish)
Countertops - Madre Perla quartzite
Backsplash - White onyx staggered tile
Faucet - KWC Eve
Sink - Franke
All KitchenAid appliances, except for GE profile microwave Vent-a-hood
Lighting - onxy pendants purchased at Lighting Emporium
Pulls - Great Indoors
Floors - White Oak hardwoods to match the rest of the home
Paint- Martha Stewart "Fossil"

Before:

During:

After:

and, of course, a photo of Pip himself, enjoying his new kitchen...

Rixi crema and Sonoma Ashbury chamomile:

I have an issue with my current arrangement, I need to use lots of large pots and there is not enough room on my burners to accomadate the 3 large pots I have on my 4 burners for a normal family dinner. I also need a very large oven that could hold a 27# turkey plus 4 caseroles, or a double oven. Wall ovens are not an option. A warming drawer would be nice, but I have one in my current GE Range and find that it dosen't work very well so I never use it. I really, really would like a self cleaning oven, I'm a slob and hate to clean the oven. I sear meat in large cast iron pans all the time and finish them in the oven, do a lot of stir fry cooking, and make huge pots of Sunday gravy, chili, stews and soups. My 7 year old grandaughter tells me I'm "the best cooker in the world and I should be a Chef when I grow up :) "Remember I am a slob, and cleaning ovens is not on my list of favorite things to do. What would you suggest? My ideal budget would be $6000.00, but I would go higher if that's what I need to do to make my life easier! Thanks you for your help!

I need to make a decision ASAP. My contractor needs to know what faucet I am putting in my kitchen.
I can't decide between the Delta Venetian Bronze pull down faucet or the Oil Rubbed Bronze pull down faucet.
They both have lifetime warranties so that doesn't make it easier.
Any opinions would be appreciated.
Thanks.

So, what I need help with is narrowing down my options to look at. I am looking for a nice, solid (all wood) cabinet, soft close doors and drawers, with quality finish that will stand up for awhile. Have a few bells and whistles in the design such as spice pullouts and pullout trays, but nothing too crazy. We are DIY'ers, so will be doing the install, etc. on our own. Not sure of the budget (there's some flexibility, but prefer to stay under 20K) as I'm trying to figure out the $$ to quality ratio!! This is where I'm at:

For the dimensions above (12x13 L kitchen with a 6' island), plus a 7 foot top and bottom wet bar, we received the following quotes:

First look was at a RTA (already assembled) Interlock cabinets was around $10,500. Doing a little more research, started to looked at semi-custom options and now have looked at three:
Lifetime: Around 11,500-12,000
Kabinart: Around 13K
Starmark: Around 21K

Can anyone offer some ideas of other cabinets I should look at. On my list yet to look is Medallion and Dewils.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated!!

Pull down
Single hole
High Arch
Traditional Styling
Chrome, Stainless or Nickel
$350 or less

I've checked some out at the local big boxes, but it's hard to judge since they aren't hooked up to water. The options available now are staggering. Do I want a locking magnet? What about touch on/off? Spot free finish?
Over 10 years ago I had a Grohe Ladylux back when the the pull downs were still new on the market. I loved it, but only lived with it 3 years. I don't know how it performed over the long haul.

FWIW my sink is a 24" Ikea Domsjo.

More than likely, I'll be buying online. I'm hoping for glowing reviews so I can narrow down the field. Do you have one you really love? Or know which ones I should avoid?

Thank you again for all your help.

We are closing in our two-story kitchen and building a master bedroom in the space above. We are also enlarging our upstairs hallway and adding a loft.

Any recommendations, suggestions, tips so it will go smoothly? I am new to this board but I have been perusing the threads and love all the suggestions and projects I have seen.
Thank you!

Cabinets: Custom, mix of flush inset and frameless (Martin Bernardo of California Kitchens & Furniture in Redwood City)
Colors: Benjamin Moore Aura in Acadia White (trim and inset cabinets), Sea Haze (frameless cabinets), and Wales Green (walls)â€"cabinets/trim are satin finish and walls are eggshell
Hardware (frameless): Rejuvenation Mission D pulls in polished nickel
Hardware (inset): 2" ball-tip hinges in polished nickel from Horton Brasses, small latches and Mission D pulls in polished nickel from Rejuvenation Hardware, and large bin pulls in polished nickel from Belmont Hardware in Berkeley.
Lights: Schoolhouse Electric Newbury (ceiling) and Union (over table) in antique black and Rejuvenation Skidmore (over sink) in polished nickel, all with shades from Schoolhouse
Counters: Barroca soapstone (M. Teixeira in SF) and beech butcher block (IKEA Numerar finished with low-VOC Waterlox)
Backsplash: Lanka Aquarello subway tile in frost with black 1/4" pencil liner (Tileshop in Berkeley and Art Tile in Oakland)
Shelves: IKEA Ekby brackets with douglas fir steps trimmed to fit (very creative thinking by Piedmont Lumber in Oakland!)
Flooring: Marmoleum Click tile in Eternity, Silver Shadow, and Volcanic Ash (Anderson Carpet & Linoleum in Oakland)
Range: O'Keefe and Merritt High-Vue 535 (existing)
Dishwasher: Miele Inspira G2142SCWH (Universal AKB in LA)
Hood: 36" Kobe RA094 (also Universal)
Sink: Kohler Cape Dory in white (plumbed by Ed at Bonafide Plumbing in Alamedaâ€"highly recommend!)
Faucet: Chicago Faucets 540 (FaucetDirect.com in Chico)
Refrigerator: Kenmore/Whirlpool model circa 1996 (existing, of course!)â€"will eventually be replaced with 36" counter-depth model

Island is temporary from the old kitchen, but is IKEA's Bekvam kitchen cart (love this; wish they made a bigger table version!) We will be replacing it with a 2' x 4' (or thereabouts) work table, hopefully with the same basic design. Table/shelves/shoe rack are also temporary while we figure out what to do there; no clue where they're from.

We were working with a huge-to-us-but-not-to-contractors budget of $30K that had to cover some significant structural work (most systems had not been touched since 1940 or before), so we had to make some tradeoffs along the way to keep costs in check. We managed to come in just under budgetâ€"woohoo!

While this remodel only took about three weeks of actual contractor work days (with some trades overlapping), it dragged out over several months, largely because by the end, we got DIY renovation fatigue and slowed to a snail's pace. The biggest delay was that we seriously underestimated how long the DIY tasks (painting, flooring, range hood + venting, sink install, tiling, a few others) would take us, since we were primarily just working weekends and learning on the fly. (This is also why we still have no floor thresholds and you shouldn't look too closely at the paint, which still needs touch ups in many spots...)

Our goals:

• Add more contiguous and useful counter space
  
• Add a dishwasher and ventilation for the stove
  
• Reconnect kitchen with rest of house as far as light/flowâ€"1939 remodel had cut off visual/physical connection between backyard and living areas
  
• Create better flow in the kitchen and connect the breakfast room to the main kitchen, but preserve its separate function
  
• Create a designated space for shoes, coats, and muddy dogs
  
• Return the kitchen to an aesthetic more appropriate to the age of the house (a traditional and relatively well-preserved 1915 California Arts and Crafts bungalow)
  
• Allow swinging door to swing into the kitchen, which it hadn't been able to do in decades

What we did:

• Removed clay chimney flue (original to house and serving the stove, water heater, and furnaceâ€"latter two had to be moved or replaced as part of the project to meet current code)
  
• Removed partition wall added in 1939 remodel
  
• Removed moulding added in 1939 remodel and replaced with moulding matched to original
  
• Removed ceramic tile floor; replaced with Marmoleum Click tile floating floor to lower overall floor height while preserving fir subfloor
  
• Repaired plaster, leveled ceiling, rehabbed windows, and replaced all cabinetry and fixtures

Lots more to say on all of this so I'll put that into a separate reply to keep it simple. But here's the important stuff: the pics!

The old kitchen (second kitchen for our old house, last renovated in 1939 with a 2007 seller facelift):

The new kitchen:

We are trying to get going, so have had two companies over so far to make proposals regarding our kitchen remodel.

Our idea is to take down a wall dividing the kitchen/family room, tear out a large pantry, take out a window and change the cabinetry layout.

Tomorrow, First up for In-Depth Interview:

A General Contractor with a storefront. They've been doing kitchen remodels in the area for over 10 years, all work completed by their employees. They handle everything from design through installation, including building the cabinets. They have worked up some complimentary layout ideas for us to see tomorrow which I imagine will make the one I worked on for a year look simply silly.

I'm not sure I'm comfortable handing control over to one company.

What do you think, and WHAT should we be asking during this interview?

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...

My KD is suggesting eliminating the glass doors and end panels, and subbing doors for drawers in several places.. I'm getting confused about which upcharges cost the most $$. Are there easier things to give up than others? Any regrets?

I am concerned Linen white is a little too creamy for me - we will have a walnut (dark) island but white marble perimeter. . . no gray in the marble though. I love cream and a crisp white together so maybe it will be fine, but think acadia is the safer choice - even though I haven't even seen it except on the swatch!

Do any of you have Acadia? Do you like it? Any funny undertones? I read somewhere it had a pink undertone but I 'don't see it - if it does that wouldn't work for my house though!

We ended up completing the house project ourselves so finalizing the kitchen and getting settled has taken some time. Hosting Thanksgiving for 14 was a major catalyst in the effort to at least get our main floor permanently decorated. Now the only thing missing is the barstools!

from the great room


Side by Side Refrigerator- Love it. I hated the previous french door refrigerator we had. So happy to go to the side by side.

Angled Corner cabinet- I know these aren't popular, but the storage is fabulous for all of our stemware.

Cabinet on the back of the island- its amazing how much fits under there!

Microwave cabinet- Since we don't use the microwave that often, I'm glad we hid it. With our open floor plan, I didn't want it visible from the great room and dining room except when in use.

5 Piece Drawer Heads- these were an upgrade, but I love the way they look.
Drawers, Drawers, Drawers- Love them! I had a lot of drawers in our old house and went with all drawers this time except for the sink base and the corner susan.

Pantry- Custom designed the shelf layout.


Lower Corner Cabinet-

Lights-

Dining Room Table- just off the kitchen. Thanks for your help on selecting the table. It was delivered just a few days before Thanksgiving. It has one more leaf that we take out for everyday use.

Some details:
Kitchenaid Appliances-
Refrigerator: KSC525MVMK
Wine Cooler: KURG24RWBS
Dishwasher:KUDE40FXSS panel ready
Range: KDRS467VSS
Lights: International Lighting 23341057 London Mist Four Light Seedy Glass Bell Pendant
Backsplash- Horus Cristalli Crackle Subway in Bianco
Knobs and Pulls: Alno Creative Inc knobs:ALN56206 1 1/4" / pulls 3 1/2" cup pulls solid brass in barcelona finish ALN56510
Faucet- Moen Brantford in Stainless
Disposal- Insinkerator Evolution Series
Sink- Blanco Silgranit in Biscuit with Offset drain Diamond Single Basin #440196
Granite- White Alaska/Delicatus
Cabinets- Brookhaven in Antique White for Perimeter and Matte Brown with black glaze for the island. Door style is edgemount recessed
Floors- 5" wide white oak quartersawn vertical grain with glitza (no stain)