THINGS WE LOVE:
--Our cabinets were so reasonable and they work beautifully. We LOVE Precision Cabinets! Their install was immaculate and perfect. When we had a glitch with the warming drawer, they fixed it perfectly! While I couldn't afford every "bell & whistle" inside the cabinets, I love them.
--White Princess honed. It's gorgeous and I no longer have the OCD urge to constantly wipe my counters (our old granite was polished). I also love my backsplash done in the same material--I am attracted to visual simplicity so couldn't pick a tile :)
--Cheap dishwasher. Paid $500 and we love it.
--Deep cheap sinks. Our main Ebay sink is awesome($500)! Love the 10" big single bowl. The island sink was cheap too, and is the perfect size, $150.
--White everywhere and one big room. Not for everyone, but my DH and I love the big open light-filled room. Far cry from the dark rancher that it was. We tore down two walls and raised the ceiling.
--The soapstone buffet. It was a remnant piece and I love that it doesn't match the rest of the kitchen. Sets it apart and boy does the texture feel nice!
--The papertowel niche. Not important, but I like that the towels are off my counter and totally accessible.
--The two hidden cabinets in the island near the stools. All my Xmas dishes, Thanksgiving platters and everything fit in here!

THINGS WE WOULDN'T DO AGAIN:
--The Vent Hood: Modernaire was a NIGHTMARE to deal with here in the NorCal area. You have to go through a distributor who will upcharge you $2,000 to order a hood. Modernaire won't sell directly to anyone who is in the area of one of their distributors. The rep here was a complete idiot, ripped me off and in the end didn't deliver what I had ordered. I had to then hire someone else to fix the goofs. Not worth it!

--Order our range through AJ Madison. Total pain to get this stove delivered. The rest of our appliances came without a hitch but the delivery of the range was a disaster. They refused to deliver it until we had a concrete pathway, but our city had some issues with solid pathways and the runoff, etc. Had 4 delivery dates and they turned around each time and refused to bring it in the house. In the end I would have purchased this through our local store (there was no discount on this by buying on internet, unlike the other appliances).

THINGS WE STILL NEED TO DO:
--Help me pick kitchen table chairs! Those pictured are folding chairs for holidays. Our old ones were falling apart, so we ditched them in the move. What should I put there?
--Shades ordered and we are waiting for them to come and be hung.
--The stools (CB2 Vapor) are too tall and we need to have the legs cut down. They only come in 30" or 24" and one is too tall and the other is too short. Sigh.

THE DETAILS:
Cabinetry—Precision Cabinets, Brentwood, CA; painted in stock color which matches Simply White
Walls—BM Simply White
Kitchen Counters—White Princess granite, from DaVinci Marble & Stone in San Carlos, CA, with 2.25" mitred square edge
Buffet Counter—Brazilian Black soapstone from Texeira, SF, with no edge finish
Door and Drawer Pulls—Top Knobs, Square Pulls, Polished Chrome; ordered off the internet
Main Sink—Ebay purchase 36" SS Farmhouse w/apron front , single bowl, flushmount
Island Sink—Dawn 19X17 single bowl, undermount
Main Faucet—Blanco Meridien Semi-Professional in Brushed
Island Faucet—Santec Penza pull out in Brushed
Refrigerator—Electrolux WaveTouch; ordered off Homeeverything.com
Dishwasher—Whirlpool Gold Quiet Partner III; ordered from AJ Madison
Microwave Drawer—Sharp 24"; ordered from AJ Madison
Range—Viking Range w/6 burners and griddle; ordered from AJ Madison
Hood— Modernaire custom hood
Trash Compactor—GE Profile in SS; ordered from AJ Madison
Warming Drawer—Kitchenaid Architect Series II; ordered off Homeeverything.com; panel from cabinet co.
Backsplash—White Princess granite
Windows—Semco
Flooring-DuChateau pre-engineered floors in Lugano
Big Slider Door—Custom made 10’ bypass doors by McFarland Doors, w/custom screen
Island Pendants—Hudson Valley Pelham 13" ordered from Butler Lighting
Breakfast Table Pendant—Round 26" linen chandelier by Restoration Hardware
Buffet Sconces—Boston Library Sconces by CircaLighting.com

Before:

Family room:

After:

You were all very useful with tips and photos and our project is finally finished

It turned out wonderful (at least I think so) and I am proud to show it to everybody

Here it is:

• Cherrywood white cabinets with glassfront upper cabinets
• Restoration Hardware latches and lightplates
• Metro tile backsplash
• Panneled white ceiling
• Butcher block maple countertops stained and varnished
• Caesarstone(quartz: nougat) alternate countertops
• Mexican handmade tile flooring
• Carrara marble tabletop breakfast table
• 6 burners Wolf cooking surface
• Miele 48’’ hood
• Kitchen Aid refrigerator and warming drawer
• LG convection double oven
• LG dishwasher
• Firehaus farmhouse fireclay sink
• Newform main faucet
• Rohl Pot filler
• Hudson Valley lighting fixtures
• Metro rack waterbar
• Custom made coffee station( 2 Ikea plus butcher block)
• Crate and Barrel barstools
• Special cabinet for toaster, microwave, toaster oven and all small appliances(don’t like to see them)
. Custom stained maple spice rack

Thank you

Robert and Monique

Before the remodel, the desk was there but without shelving or cabinets above (just the wall and an old Nutone intercom). I designed the hutch specifically to house the new intercom system, and to have adjustable shelves. The vertical center piece also has a cable run built into the back so computer and other cables would have a place to go. Finally, I built the section on the right specifically for the monitor, which also doubles as a TV (Apple Macbook with Elgato TV tuner). I have it mounted on an Ergo mount, which enables it to be raised and pulled out so you can see it while cooking:

The top of the desk has the same granite as the countertops. There is an outlet below and behind the monitor, and another in the upper cabinet. The top left shelf houses the cable TV box; below that are the computer speakers which double as TV speakers.

We're in the process of choosing a patio slider to replace the old existing one. The current one is 20 years old and wood on the inside and vinyl on the outside.

We are looking to replace it with a French slider with Fiberglass on the exterior and either Fiberglass or wood on the interior. Can anyone give me some guidance as to which I should choose and why? This will be the most used door in the house, we have a 4 year old son (read: tornado) and 2 bulldogs who MUST go outside constantly to protect us from invisible things.

We are looking at the Marvin Integrity and Infinity lines.

Thanks so much.

Cate

And they are not expensive.

My friend Buehl (as always) has given some great advice with the link -

I will be recording and posting a Podcast on www.naturalstone101.com
this week, so watch for it - it will be something that any consumer can use
as a guide line for the templating process.

Here's a couple of other tips that I'd recommend:
1. if you have kids & pets - keep them away from the area to be templated
and especially pets - keep them in an area so that they won't get "let out"
by the templator.

2. remove EVERYTHING from your existing countertops - so that there's
nothing that the templator has to move and potentially break or loose.

3. make sure that the templator has really great directions on how to get to
your home, and insure that there will be a place for him to park his car or truck
close to your home's main entrance

4. if you are supplying the undermount sink - make sure it's on site - many guys
like to take the sink back to their shop on the day of templating, so have it
there for your templator.

5. if you are supplying the sink - open it up and INSPECT IT for DAMAGE -
prior to giving it to your templator - take digital pics with a today's newspaper's
date that's visable in the pics - trust but verify

6. if you are having a coktop - make sure that you have the cut out dimensions
and give those to the templator too - most guys (me included) do not ever
take the cooktop back to the shop, but will require it to be on the jobsite
on the day of install - MAKE SURE that your cooktop is there when the counters
are installed, as there are little screws on the underside of the cooktop assy
that will hang up" on the cutout (each unit is a little different) and the actual
cooktop needs to be tested for proper fit with the stone - otherwise, your
Fabricator could whack you with a "service charge" for him to come back
out and "enlarge the hole" for YOUR cook top to fit right....

7. make sure that ALL of your sink accessories are chosen and that you have
decided where you want any holes drilled for faucets, reverse osmosis, soap
dispensors, insta-hot, dishwasher vents, etc. REMEMBER - ANY hole is easier
for an installer to drill WHILE HE'S STILL AT YOUR HOME - it's WAY more difficult
if he's got to drop what he's doing three days later and come back to drill two more
stink'in holes - hence, another "service charge" .....

Here's a form that I use to help eliminate ANY questions in this department:

8. be there when the templator is there - if there is an aspect of the design that
is really important to you - make sure that the template guy knows about it -
put it in writing and keep a copy for your records. remember that the templator
is the eyes and ears of the Fabricator, and good communication will transfer
your desires for exactly what YOU want - to the Fab shop.

9. if there's something you don't understand - ASK QUESTIONS!!! Remember
that it's YOUR MONEY and YOUR HOME that the stone is going to go into -
YOU are the customer, and YOU are the one that's going to live with the finished
work -not the templator, not the fabricator, etc.....

10. balance number 9 with the understanding that Natural Stone is NATURAL...
God made it, and He has a sense of humor, so not everything is possible when
working with a particular species of stone - ie- fissures, color concentrations,
pitting, veins, inclusions, etc.....

11. a template is a "pattern" that the shop will follow in making an object - the
object (or objects) in this case is your kitchen - DO NOT ASSUME that an overhang
or a radius, or any other architectural feature will just "happen" - unless the
Templator KNOWS what you want, "it" may not get done...... so make sure
that you go over everything that you WANT with your templator.

these are just a few of the things that i'm going to cover in the podcast that will be available at www.naturalstone101.com - I'll also post a 10 minute
version of this on Youtube as well......

hth

kevin

A huge thank you to everybody on this forum who helped graciously with advice, photos, experience & info. What an incredible resource this is. Shout outs to Erikanh & marthavila for hood help, willowdecor for tile, all the stoners, and many more.

We moved in last week-bottom trim on fridge & dw are still missing, excuse the messy bottoms.

I'll be happy to provide details if anyone wants them.

Thanks for looking!

Marble Close Up

Soapstone Close Up

Wow-thank you for your wonderful feedback! It means a lot. We acted as our own GC on this build & had no kitchen designer, so I was really flying by the seat of my pants. We did find an amazing cabinetmaker and I couldn't be happier with his work. I'll reiterate it-this forum was amazingly helpful.

Here are the details below. I will post some more photos of the adjoining rooms and half walls (drjoann) during the week as I unpack & organize. The room with the baskets is the playroom and our carpenter built the built in based on a Pottery Barn Kids picture. Rhome, the area behind the range wall is a mudroom with lockers & cubbies. We moved from a 2 bedroom in the city so I often just wander into the mudroom and stare. LOVE IT.

Any questions or details I miss, please just ask. I'm happy to answer anything.

Ceiling height is 9 and a half feet

Floors: 8 inch heart pine, tung oil & satin finish

Cabinets: Local cabinetmaker. Inset, shaker style with single bead in Ben Moore White Dove

Perimeter Counter: Soapstone (Green Mountain Original)
Island Counter: Calacatta Marble (Honed, 5cm)

Backsplash: Horus Art Tiffany (crackle, bianco)

Pendants: Restoration Hardware Benson (smallest size)

Hardware: Cup pulls are RH Gilmore, pulls are RH Aubrey, latches are Rejuvenation, and ice box latches are Clifside Brass. All are polished nickel.

Stools: Holsag Bulldog in Heritage Walnut (online through cymax.com)

Hood: Modernaire PS 26 (42 inches, 18 inches height)
Contact person was Pat Hartman

Range: Thermador Pro Harmony 36

Microwave: Sharp Drawer

Refrigerator: Sub Zero 42 inch Side by Side

Dishwasher: Fisher & Paykel double drawers

Sink: Shaw's 30 inch

Faucet: Rohl (modern architectural series)

Potfiller: Perrin & Rowe Country series

Thanks for looking!
Katie

If the floor is being removed in the remodel, do take a look at radiant systems.Lots of those can be installed under hardwood as well as tile.

You can add a "regular" steam radiator in a different location but figuring out the size of one is beyond my skill set.

I also have a KA FD fridge and dishwasher. I had the water drips on the front of the dw too, mostly when I used the polish. Ever since I started the water they are gone.

I really don't find my KA appliances hard to keep clean at all. Good luck!

Here is my layout so you can see the island in relation to the rest of the kitchen:

It is three feet deep so there are regular-depth drawers on the side facing the kitchen and 1-foot-deep cabinets on the side facing the sink.

On the drawer-side (facing the refrigerator) the first is a knife drawer on top and pull-out trash and recycling underneath.

Under the sink (along with a water purifier, Never MT, and all the plumbing) I keep my cutting boards. The next two are banks of 3 drawers. In both top drawers I keep utensils.

In the second drawers I keep flour and sugar on the left and other baking supplies on the right. The bottom drawers have measuring cups on the left and mixing bowls on the right.

On the side facing the sink, the first cabinet has an outlet and that is where I keep the toaster and a crockpot. (The picture shows the food processor but I don't keep that in there anymore. It is too heavy and I use it too often to be hauling it up and down.)

The next cabinet has colanders and a stockpot. The next has bread, butter, peanut butter, crackers, honey and syrup. The last cabinet has cereal.

Probably more information than you needed, but HTH!

Here is a link that might be useful: Gizmonike's underprepsink organizer

I favor a more moderate approach to choosing CFM, and suggest putting more emphasis on hood size, shape and position.

If you're just talking about next to the range, rather than directly behind it, you can put the outlets as low as possible, and turned horizontal. They'll look a lot better there.

If you have upper cabinets on either side of the range you can use plugmold on the bottom of the cabinets instead. If your plugs are on their own circuit, the whole circuit can be made GFI. Otherwise, there are ways of making the runs of plugmold GFI. More complicated to do, but less offensive to the eye than the outlets you don't want.

We are in the process of building a house, well really renovating and adding on, and I am working with an interior designer. Since he is really good and has won numerous awards in our area, I figure I'll throw in what he told me.

I have seen a lot of pictures of kitchens with two stones that look good together that look good, but the designer with whom we are working is strongly advising me against it. Instead, he thinks that if I want two surfaces, I would be better off doing the other counter top in something like butcher block or stainless steel. He says if it ever works, you either need to go very simple with back splash or at least one of the stones or one of the granites needs to be pretty plain.

Determine layout that meets your needs, plus additional space for what you don't anticipate (will you try to cram a vacuum cleaner or step stool in there?).

Allow for adequate movement for humans operating in the space.

Make sure doorways are wide enough to enter and exit and bring shelving and food items into the pantry closet.

If possible, locate the pantry in the northeast corner of the house, or the coolest location.

Allow deep shelving for small appliance storage, bulk food, and other odd-shaped items.

Allow shallow shelving for easy access and visibility to canned goods.

A mix of open shelving and drawers will cover most of your pantry storage needs.

A place to store and sort recyclables

Bins or baskets for potatoes, apples, bananas etc.

Plan for ample lighting, maybe even a motion light for convenience.

Include wall hooks for miscellaneous items like aprons, sweater, or purses - this tucked away storage helps keep your main kitchen looking neat and tidy effortlessly.

Consider keeping some empty wall space - you might want to hang calendars, a reminder board, or hanging pouch storage (or fly swatters, yardsticks).

Many people associate the color white with pantries, and for good reason. White walls and shelving brightens a space allowing it easier to see your pantry goods.

Include outlets inside the pantry. These would come in handy to recharge items out of the way, like flashlights, cell phones or even popular rechargeable vacuum cleaners. Also, you may want to run a small appliance, such as a crockpot. DO NOT make the mistake thinking you can squeeze something like a small chest-type freezer into a walk-in pantry. Pantries need to be kept relatively cool; a freezer's compressor would generate too much heat to be located there.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pantry

Walk-in pantry -- can I see yours?
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0518351723171.html

Would A Walk-In Pantry Be a Major Selling Point To You?
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0512413918847.html

Wood or wire shelves for walk-in pantry
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0712125512141.html

What size should a step-in corner pantry be?
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0812114524457.html

Buehl's Pantry Pictures

And here's a preview:

The left side has 15" shelves and holds, top-to-bottom, cereals, snacks & drinks, gluten-free foods, small appliances, and two bins--one for yams & one for white potatoes. (Small appliance shelf now holds cookbooks. Toaster Oven & coffee maker are now on the floor.)

The right side holds, top-to-bottom, paper towels, baking/cooking supplies (next 3 shelves), small appliances, more baking supplies. The floor has a stool & paper plates.

Here is a link that might be useful: thread with closet pantries

Here is another walk-in pantry thread with helpful shelf spacing guidelines/recommendations:
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0518351723171.html

There is also a previous thread with photos of closet style pantries, which I'm still trying to track down. Of course, photos of pantry cabs will be helpful to people, too.

Anyway, here's hoping people will start showing off their pantries here, so we form a pantry album for others to consult.

Here is a link that might be useful: Thread as .pdf: Anyone Willing to Share the Inside of their Pantry?

I've seen this in California-style windows where they don't have trim, just rounded inset drywall, and it looks great. Use bullnose tile or pretty edge pieces (made for countertop edges) and it will be smashing. It makes the whole area waterproof, which is really nice for keeping little pots of fresh herbs etc up there.

And this is a Gardenwebber's kitchen, sorry I forgot whose! They used a piece of their countertop stone for the sill:

Go look at your design and see if there are many places where it maybe difficult for someone to paint, ie tiny sections of dry wall between the cabinet and corner, ie above the cabinet and trim does not go all the way to ceiling AND you have different ceiling color from the wall color. (can you even get your hand in there....) If there are many of these, you definitely want to paint before the cabinets.

I like painting before the cabinets go up for the remodels that we have done. Even if you paint before the cabinets, they need to come back for touch up where people will nick/scratch a little. This always happens at job sites.

GCs will do what they are used to doing or base the schedule on the painter's and other subs availability. You can drive the order of the job if you feel strongly one way or the other.

The same is true for hardwood. Some prefer to finish before and others after the cabinets. We are opting to finish (not lay down hardwood, that is done before the cabs.) before the cabinets. We feel that the we have spent so much money on the cabinets that they are the last to go on so there is minimal risk of damage to them.

I would talk to the GC you selected and see what he/she prefers as his/her work order. Either way, paint color is very important to pick early on so that other palette works well with it.

Many years ago, I screwed up royally with a paint color: it was a DIY job and I was young. It turned out to be pink and salmon at the same time, and I thought I was getting cream. Since then, I don't mind paying someone to help me pick a color or at least have a second second of eyes.

I priced soapstone, 5 different brands of quartz, and several granites. Jet Mist was my first choice but fell in the "custom pricing" category and there was none locally that I could see and touch, and none honed when it was time to making the choice. It would have had to be honed for me, at which point I would have been committed whether I loved it or not.

One company had one or two lots of leathered JM at their MD facility but it would have taken too long for them to ship it down just so I could see it. (At one point I was so frustrated with the timeline I asked DH what he thought about me throwing the kids in the car the next day and making a trip up to VA or MD to see it. He said no, but I know many people do travel further distances to see what they are interested in.)

Impala Black leathered is what I went with (a last-minute find locally for me, so I was able to go see it on very short notice and order it the next day, 5 1/2 weeks after cabinets), and it was in a slightly lower price category. It ended up being about the same as the quartz quote I got from the same company, and I like it so much better. (The shine was mostly what bothered me too about the quartz.) I have white cabinets, BTW.

I used a white that was a bit whiter than I wanted, but still worked. It has yellowed a bit and is a little creamier, it's perfect for me.