I love the traditional, old- world, classic kind of look. I love tiles that have lots of variation in surface texture and in the glaze color. It does seem to be hard to get that glaze variation in the off-white color I am looking for; I have only seen that in the darker colors. Maybe an off-white tile with an overglaze of a slightly darker shade would give the look I am after? Does anyone know of a tile like that? I need a "biscuit", "cream", or "bone" type of color to blend with my light, creamy colored granite. I'd love to see photos of your tiles and backsplashes, if you have any.

Also, if anyone has any subway tile backpslashes with decos and/or borders/listellos, etc., I'd love to see them for ideas. I'd also love to see any examples of 2-tone subway tile backsplashes (where the border or decoratives are different colors than the field tiles). I've seen that done on some beautiful sample boards in various tile shops, but have never seen it in real life. Thanks so much.

Purchased from: Hardware Resources

Jeffrey Alexander Brand
Belcastel Series » Order # MO6373NI

I got the matching knob and the matching polished nickel cabinet latches for the upper-most wall cabinet doors.

You can purchase them at other online vendors as well.

They are very well made, incredibly shiny (Bling!) and heavy.

See weblink below.
Kompy

Here is a link that might be useful: Hardware Resources

The old kitchen had a bunch of issues: not enough storage or countertop space, no ventilation, peeling paint on the cabinets, hideous vinyl floor, and stained butcher block countertops.

Here's the old kitchen:

There was a bunch of unused space in the eating area--we stuck our microwave and recycling bins in this area:

Although the old kitchen had a number of issues,we found the layout to be reasonably functional (given the constraints of the house--it's a 1935 brick colonial with a 1970's-era addition on the back). We did not have the budget or the patience for a major remodel that would involve an addition and/or moving walls around, and we generally like the layout of the rest of the house. So we decided to keep the basic floorplan while replacing everything and making some changes around the edges. We added shallow lower cabinets and a strip of countertop to the wasted space in the eating area, with open shelving above. We added an externally vented hood and switched to a wood floor that matches the rest of the flooring on the first floor of the house. We went with two big lower drawers instead of cabinets for pot and pan storage. Here are some pictures of the new kitchen--I'll list all the details at the end.

Counters: Caesarstone Raven
Floors: oak stained to match the rest of the first floor
Cabinets: local custom shaker cabs in "frosty white"
Hardware: Top Knobs
Sink: Kohler Whitehaven
Faucet: Delta Allora
Backsplash: Solistone Mardi Gras in Carollton
Range: GE Cafe gas with double oven
Dishwasher: Bosch SHX33RL5UC
Refrigerator: Kitchen Aid Counter Depth French Door
Hood: Zephyr Savona 30"
Microwave: GE Profile with trim kit
Paint: Martha Stewart Spring Melt
Table: Room and Board Aria in white
Chairs: Ikea Sigurd in dark gray

We are very happy with the end result. I'm particularly pleased with how all the colors came together. We LOVE the new backsplash. I had seen a few pictures online of how the tile looked installed, but it's hard to envision in your own space with just a single sample tile. The tile is a greenish gray that varies depending on how the light hits it. It's actually uniform in color, but it appears variegated because of the light effect. It has a little bit of shimmer but isn't too showy. I had originally thought we would go for gray paint on the walls, but our dining room is painted green so I started looking at grays with some green in them, and we ultimately ended up with paint that is green with a gray overtone (Spring Melt from Martha Stewart at Home Depot). The pictures don't do it justice, but it coordinates really well with the backsplash and I find it really soothing. I also really love our new hood--going from no ventilation to this is a huge improvement! The Zephyr Savona is a chimney-style hood but it has a rounded edge that makes it a little sleeker looking.

Based on everything I've learned over the last few months it seems like a lot of what we did is right in line with current trends (quartz counters, white cabinets, some open shelving, farmhouse sink), but we love it so I'm not too concerned about it looking dated in a few years. Plus we are planning to stay in this house for years to come, so no worries about resale.

Let me know if you have any questions. I benefited so much from seeing and hearing about others' decisions--would be happy to help if I can!

Here is a link that might be useful: Emser tile link:

Here's my before! Not bad for almost 60 years old. The cabinets had solid birch end panels. The range was cool but the oven's thermostat was unreliable. I never really knew what it was heated to. LOL. The oven door would fall open easily and was dangerous.

Kompy

Kitchen

EDITED TO ADD...some more phone camera pics!

The counters are marble and my ceilings are 9 feet so I am not sure how tall the uppers are but they are the standard off the counter and extend all the way to the crown. Thanks for all the kind comments!

This post was edited by quelyn on Sun, Apr 28, 13 at 20:55

Here's a close up of the edge, which shows the color under different lighting

Against White:

Against a cherry stain:

A long view of the island, showing more of the slab; the lines are caused by a reflection from the ceiling

And as a bonus pic, contrasted against the true Carrara Bianco marble that is going on the raised ledge/sill (an original detail we chose to retain)

This post was edited by gooster on Thu, Apr 18, 13 at 18:09

When we built our house last year we set aside an 11.5-foot long stretch of wall in the basement for a kitchenette. My brother brings his family from overseas once every couple years and they stay about a month. Because they have strict religious dietary restrictions, it is always best for them to have their own kitchen space (for example, none of the dishes, cookware, or utensils they use should ever be exposed to pork). When he isn't visiting I use the freezer for overflow (and very occasionally the refrigerator) and the oven a few times a year (maybe baked potatoes in the summer or a turkey at Thanksgiving).

We had electrical and plumbing added by our builder, but we planned to install a kitchen later. Much later. Until my brother called in October and told us he planned to visit in a month. I wondered if I could put in a kitchen in a month and quickly decided I could.

I may have chosen Ikea cabinets anyway to keep costs down, but now I was definitely going with Ikea because I didn't have time for anything else. And it was nice that I could fit the whole kitchen in the back of my minivan. I found out my brother was coming on Sunday, planned the kitchen Monday-Wednesday, purchased the kitchen Thursday, installed the cabinets Friday-Saturday, and had the countertops measured for granite on the following Monday. Everything but the backsplash installation was done by the time my brother arrived, and I finally got around to that early this week.

Ikea was having one of their "10% off if you spend $3500" sales, so I got everything from them that I could to get the discount - cabinets, granite, sink, garbage disposal, and accessories. They usually have a 25 sq. ft. minimum for countertop installations but they did mine anyway even though it was half that. The installers did a nice job, too. I already had the range and refrigerator from a previous house or I would have considered stainless.

Oh, and I know putting the range in a corner is not optimal, but I did it anyway because that was the layout I liked best. It does meet our state building code, which says only that the range must be installed according to the manufacturer's specifications. The manufacturer says this is OK. My brother uses the oven quite a bit, but almost never uses the stove. Maybe they make rice now and then. If someone were using the stove often, I would beg them to only use the burners on the left.

You can't beat Ikea for ease of installation. We are not big DIY-ers and the hardest part was probably the light rail and top trim. I agonized over drilling holes for the knobs, too, but they came out OK.

So here it is. I'll give as many details as I can remember, but if you have questions feel free to ask.

The basement is a walkout, and the picture above was taken with only natural light. The puck lights inside the cabinets were obviously on, and I have them on a motion sensor switch so they come on when you enter the basement. It's a nice night light for my son (who has a bedroom down there) and my husband (who has an office down there). The light is not really that yellow, that's the photography.

The picture below shows the texture of the glass in the cabinets. It isn't quite clear, which I like. It is actually more opaque in real life than in this picture. I'm sure I'll put more stuff in these cabinets at some point.

And this shows a closer view of the granite, backsplash, and Ikea sink:

Here are the details:

Ikea Adel white cabinets (they are kind of an off-white)

Ikea knobs (I think they are called Fintorp)

Steel Grey granite

AKDO 3/4-inch x 3/4-inch Carrara Bella honed marble backsplash

Ikea Bredskar 20" undermount sink with collander

Daltile City View Seaside Boardwalk 18"x18" floor tile

Tri-flow faucet from local water filtration company

Zephyr Breeze II Range Hood

Samsung RB195ACBP Refrigerator

GE electric range

LED undercabinet lighting is from American Fluorescent AMF-LUL24WH

LED puck lighting is from WAC Lighting HR-LED 85-WT

SW Comfort Gray paint

This post was edited by mpagmom on Fri, Apr 19, 13 at 16:32

Here is a link that might be useful: Crossville Unicorn

We're not finished with the kitchen so pardon the drawers that aren't adjusted correctly, etc, but here it is taken with a camera phone.

(p.s. we paid $50/sq ft for 3 cm at HD)

kitchen

Here's the samples I have so far.

I'm leaning towards the 3rd one, but just can't commit yet.

Like most of us on here, I adore Pipdog's backsplash and have been looking for something that would give me a similar look. I found one that I thought might do the trick. It's Sonoma Tilemakers Vihara Annika Silk:

I finally found a place locally that had it and It didn't look the same in person as on the web. Here's a small sample they gave me. I told them I really needed to see a larger piece, so I asked them to order a sheet of it. That was 2 weeks ago and I'm still waiting for it.

I did manage to find white onyx one place, but it didn't look like pipdog's to me. I forgot to take a picture, but it looked similar to the honey onyx except whiter.

Here's another look I love, but I haven't been able to find anything similar that looks good with Taj Mahal.

Here's the flower tile. I didn't ask the price at the place I found them locally, but I found it online for $40 something, so I think it may be more than I want to spend.

This post was edited by msrose on Sat, Apr 6, 13 at 17:18

What has been your experience on how this type of backsplash holds up to cooking, grease, splashes, etc. I will seal the marble and the research I've done shows that sealing it will help keep it looking good. I've found more information on marble countertops than actual marble backsplashes in use (lots of pretty pictures, though).

Thanks for any information on marble backsplashes in action. My granite will be volga blue, my walls are a light gray, and I think this might work for my backsplash!

kitchen

And here's what it looks like today:

Finally, here's a closeup so you can really see the tile (suggested by our own EAM44!):

The last pic shows the color the best. I tiled it all by myself, and it looks as though I was drinking while tiling, but I swear I wasn't! (I sure had a few last night, however!) But know what? I still love it. :) I'm going to tile all the way up on either side of the window, and I'll use a grout that's darker than the tile, since I like the way the shadows look now. But that'll have to wait until I have a free weekend with good weather.

This post was edited by gooster on Mon, Apr 8, 13 at 0:42

Hopefully, your GC will find someone else who feels confident and comfortable with the installation. Or, put a toilet in the kitchen and see if he'll give it a go. (The tile, that is.)

Home Depot

Now, depending on the rest of your decor and taste, something closer to solid black (I'm not a fan of oil rubbed bronze - I prefer a cast iron look) would work. You could also do a stainless faucet and crystal knobs on the cabinets.

There's no wrong answer - just buy what you love and ignore the advice of a kitchen designer.

It must be:
-dark gray/black
-matte or at least not highly reflective
-relatively uniform/low movement
-relatively bulletproof
-<$100 sq/ft installed (for reference the honed opalescence is running $75-85 in my area)
-it does not have to be granite but I would like stone

I used to have time to be utterly, wonderfully TKO but with a baby, I'm TBO(totally baby obsessed) and TTO (totally tired out). Appreciate the help.

Here is a link that might be useful: Belwith pull

Ok - here are all the details...
Cabinets - custom builder. Shaker style. Full overlay. Painted cabinets - Colored Lacquer used is same color as SW Impressive Ivory.
Wood cabinets - natural cherry.
Hardware - Amerock Highland Ridge in Dark Oil Rubbed Bronze. 128mm and a few 3" pulls on small drawers.
Countertops - Anasazi Soapstone from The Stone Studio in Batesville, IN
Backsplash Tile - Debris Tile from Fireclay Tile. 2x6 subways in Kelp Green with swirl accents.
Fireplace Tile - Modern Mythology Phoenix Mixed Stone Mosaic
Paint - Walls are SW Krypton. Trim is SW Impressive Ivory at 50% intensity
Floor - Historic Blend Hickory floor from Tennessee Wood Flooring with hand distressing and square nail holes. 3, 4 & 5" planks, mixed.
Range - Bertazzoni Dual Fuel 48" range in black
Hood - Vent a Hood
Dishwasher - Bosch 800 Plus
Microwave - Sharp 24" Drawer
Sink - Blanco Silgranit Super single in Anthracite
Faucet - Grohe Concetto in Chrome
Soap Dispenser - Elkay Deluxe in Chrome
UCL - Neutral White LED strips from Environmental Lights
Pendants - Kichler Sayre 12" in ORB
Chandelier - Murry Feiss Sullivan Collection in ORB

The old kitchen was not in a terrible state, it was just not functional for us. The double ovens wouldn't close and we'd been reduced to duct taping them closed. The cooktop didn't cook anything evenly and the tile was coming up. There was also a ton of wasted space, which just irritated me when I couldn't find a place to store anything.

I knew I wanted a traditional range because I have short arms and always worried about burning myself when getting things out of the wall ovens, so I knew that a layout change was in order. We also had a very dark space with almost no natural light. We opened up the room to the dining room and put in light colored cabinets with lots of great lighting. The room definitely doesn't feel dark anymore. YAY!

Here's what we were working with before:

And here's what we have now...

Love the dog food storage. It makes feeding time a whole lot easier.

And my spice/knife drawer - thanks to Breezy for the idea!

It seems like just about every decision in our space has been touched in some way by you guys. Thanks for helping us create our dream kitchen!

PS, I live near Penzey's. It's a both a blessing and a curse. :-)

Cj

home

Cabinets: Custom inset shaker style by Dutchwood Cabinetmakers painted Sail White
Hardware: Westerly pulls by Amerock in Satin Nickel, Hafele butt hinges in Satin Nickel
Paint: Walls: Benjamin Moore_Coastal Fog // Trim: Benjamin Moore _Linen White
Tile: Dal-Tile Rittenhouse 3x6 in Biscuit
Countertops: Madreperla Quartzite
Range: 36” Wolf, all gas
Hood: Vent-a-hood
Refrigerator: 36” SubZero French Door
Dishwasher: Re-used KitchenAid
Sink: Franke KBX11028 with sink grid
Faucet: Rohl/Perrin & Rowe Traditional Bridge Faucet
Filter Faucet: Kohler Traditional Wellspring Beverage Faucet
Filter: Multi-Pure
Recessed lights: Halo 4” incandescent
Pendant lights: Restoration Hardware, 8” Benson pendant in Satin Nickel
Undercabinet lighting: Kichler Xenon

Before:

After:

More photos are on photobucket, if they ask for a guest password, it is Gardenweb.

This post was edited by ArchitectMamma on Mon, Mar 4, 13 at 7:46

What is NOT finished:
*Still waiting on banquette bench for between the 2 built-ins
*New Dining Table
*2 ends of the Backsplash Tile are not installed yet b/c they were sent back to manufacturer to get a bull-nosed edge.
*Custom light switch cover to match BS tile.
*Deciding on window treatments-whether or not to do them...

Specifics:

*Custom Cabinetry- Gilreath Cabinetry in Harrisburg PA
Perimeter is 36" finished, island is 34" high, baking area 33" high

*Colors of Cabinetry- BM Barley 199, BM Mascarpone AF-20 Cabinets were finished with a catalyzed lacquer (not paint) and clear top coat.

*Wall Paint- Kitchen- BM Elephant Tusk OC-8
Dining Area/Living Room BM Woodlawn Blue HC-147
Living Room BM Putnam Ivory HC-39

*Countertops- Vermont Imperial Danby Marble 3cm (purchased from PMI in NJ); Black Walnut 2" Thick Island Top finished with Satin Waterlox (constructed by our Cabinet Maker)

*Island Size is 9 feet x 51 inches *We keep 5 stools at the island but 6 fit fine (2 at the end)

*Appliances-
Thermador CIT365GM 36" Induction Cooktop (mirrored finish)
Electrolux Icon Double Ovens- Professional Series E30EW85GPS6
Electrolux Icon French Door Fridge- Professional Series E23BC68JPS5
Bosch 800 Plus Dishwasher- SHV7ER53UC
Miele H4080BM Speed Oven
Marvel 60RDEBBO Fridge Drawers

*Floors- Red Oak finished with Minwax Provincial Stain and Vermeister Commercial Finish Poly. Matte

*Hardware-
Renovation Hardware Gilmore Cup Pulls in Chrome
Top Knobs Cabinet Latches in Chrome
Emtek Old Town Clear Knob in Chrome
Schaub & Company 6" Chrome Pulls and 12" pull for Dishwasher

*Lighting-
UCL & In Cabs- Seagull LED lights 3000K temp
Drum Pendants- Lamps Plus
5 light Chandelier- Visual Comfort- Michael S Smith Eiffel Chandelier in Polished Nickel

*Sinks-
Main- Kohler Whitehaven K-6489 36" Apron Front Cast Iron Sink
Prep- Kohler K-6584 Iron/Tones Cast Iron Sink

*Faucets-
Main- Moen Woodmere in Chrome S7208C
Prep- Moen Woodmere Prep Faucet in Chrome S6208C
Soap dispensers- Moen
Pot Filler- Moen Showhouse

*Insinkerator Evolution Essential Disposal
Insinkerator Instahot Faucet F-HC2215 Chrome
Insinkerator SST-FLTR

*Backsplash by Wizard Tile
Design is Ribbons & Feathers with Crackle Glaze in Custom Color

*Stools- Counter Height from Grandinroad

BEFORE: This project included pushing out the entire back of our 1950 Cape 7 feet. Also, removing about 5' of our living room wall which involved moving the basement steps over. Removing a wall between the dining room and kitchen, adding a covered porch. We also did all new siding and other exterior things but I'll stick to inside.

Kitchen was originally a galley measuring about 19' x 9 1/2'. Dining Room was about 8 1/2' wide. Now it's really one large room 28' x 16 1/2'. Kitchen side alone is 16' x 16 1/2'

Choosing reveal photos was worse than narrowing down pics for our Wedding Album! SO sorry in advance for the quantity! Hopefully you'll never have to ask me for more pics : )

AFTER:

BAKING AREA SIDE OF KITCHEN:

Most of my drawers like these are adjustable which I'd highly recommend. If they weren't I wouldn't have been able to remove partitions to fit taller pieces.

Key Cabinet

My KitchenAid

COOKTOP SIDE OF L:

THERMADOR INDUCTION COOKTOP--

CORNER:

SINK WALL:

DISH DRAWERS & DISHWASHER:

COUNTER HEIGHT WINDOW BUMP OUT:

TV Pocket Doors Over Fridge

ISLAND:

Thanks, Breezy : )

Storage at Back of Island (Shelves are 9 1/2" deep)

NOW GOING TO THE RIGHT OF THE SINK/FRIDGE WALL into Dining Area:

6" DEEP BROOM CLOSET

LOOKING FORWARD TO SPRING/SUMMER VIEWS:

MY ORGANIZATIONAL SPOT (cork back, file drawer, printer, BluRay player, desk items, charging drawer)

WHERE BANQUETTE BENCH WILL BE:

BAR AREA:

REFRIGERATOR DRAWERS:

CUSTOM SLIDING DOORS-- These were at one point supposed to be pocket doors but I didn't want to close off views by having 3' of wall pocket on either side so came up with this which is working well at blocking sound but still gives an open feeling to the space.
I also love the 3 lights on the top so it's less busy and easier to clean!

INTO LIVING ROOM:

LIVING ROOM LOOKING INTO KITCHEN:

The blue looks brighter than it does IRL:

A FEW LAST SHOTS...

THANK YOU GW for this FUN, FULFILLING, (and often STRESSFUL) Experience : )
Fishies

This post was edited by 2LittleFishies on Tue, Mar 5, 13 at 19:48

kitchen

Thanks

Master bath:
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/bath/msg0312293027171.html

Other baths:
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/bath/msg0312481917657.html

And now for the kitchen!

Our little bar area:

Where we keep the dog food:

The view into the family room, now open to the kitchen (oh now how to furnish that room?!?)

the microwave hiding spot (garage door/pocket door):

Pantry - just 12" deep

Mudroom - widened by about 1 foot:

Mudroom bench

Here's some general info:
Granite - Bianco Antico
Tile backsplash - Red Rock 2x8 in Twig
Hood - Modernaire in Oil rubbed bronze with blackened steel accents
Lights - Hudson Valley Garrison (bronze) and Winfield pendants (bronze)
Faucets - Rohl
Knobs - colonial bronze in pewter and brushed nickel, pulls Omnia brushed nickel, and mudroom pulls/knobs Emtek in bronze.

Thanks to the many GWers who helped me address and navigate the issues as they arose. I only wish I'd discovered GW when I was going through the design! But we love it and it's incredibly functional.

kitchen

And the winner is:

Random Quartzite from Lowe's at about $9 a square foot! The grout is Polyblend from Home Depot in Butter Cream. The stone is enhanced as well.

The quartzite ended up being the perfect thing to tie all my colors together and still give me the warm, slightly rustic touch I wanted and it was very budget friendly! I love that I didn't pay any shipping and I can return what I don't use.

Here is a link that might be useful: My Kitchen Reveal Thread

I used WD40 on my refrigerator and dishwasher and I think it is the best secret I have heard about yet. Has anyone else tried this?

kitchen

A while ago I posted for help deciding on what to do with the BS. Here are pics of my ABB kitchen:

You came up with lots of great ideas in that thread, but the one that just seemed right was donaleen's suggestion of a vintage-vibe BS with pencil liner. (Thanks, donaleen!) I might take artistic license with the height. Here's the photo example she posted (sorry, I don't know to whom to give credit!):

Do any of you have other examples of this type of simple BS with pencil liner? I think it would really help me envision what it'll look like in my space.

Many thanks!

Here is a link that might be useful: my old backsplash thread

appliance

Now to figure out if I want pulls or knobs on the uppers, and what to do with the pull out units (12 in spice and tray, and 12 in pantry).

Style choices take me forever. Do these look ok together?

kitchen

Yes, the backsplash... I got lots of help on GW and decided to go with a vintage-inspired 12" grey subway splash with chocolate brown pencil liner (thread below).

So I ordered and received all the tile. It just left me cold. The color was just too bland in my kitchen. (Yes, I had previously bought lots of samples.) And, though DH was happy to have the splash decision made, he really wanted a more contemporary splash. So I returned all the tile and let DH be in charge of round 2. He chose a linear porcelain tile that EAM44 suggested in a much older backsplash thread. The color sample suggested in that thread made the cabs look anemic, so we got samples of a different color, which we both ended up loving. And, finally, here it is in the boxes:

And here it is next to cabs (color is most accurate in photo above):

No installation date yet, but it's in the not-too-distant future. Thanks, GWers for all the help getting to this point!

Here is a link that might be useful: vintage-inspired splash thread

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...

Here is a link that might be useful: Ceasarstone seam

kitchen

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.

kitchen

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.

I don't baby this stone at all. In fact, I don't even use cutting boards very often (simply because I have a teeny kitchen with no good place for them). This is terrible for my knives, of course, but I like the nicks and scratches on the stone.

I have 2 kinds of 'wear' on my counter. One that I love, and the other that I don't love!

What I love are the marks of usage--scratches, dings, teeny chips. I want more and more of those. I'm restoring an 80 year old kitchen, and I want the counter to look as old an used as the rest of the kitchen.

Everyday look in my main (teeny) work area (you can see lots of fine white knife marks and scratches):

Another view:

After oiling (beautiful, but leads to pesky water marks, rubber marks, etc. as soon as I start using it)

What I don't love are the water marks! Argh, those pesky water marks! They drive me batty. They are only a problem if I oil the stone. If I leave it gray, the only thing that "stains/marks" it is oil (cooking oil, butter, etc.) but that can be washed off, The water marks mostly happen when something hot (like a dish right out of the dishwasher, or a lid from an in-use pot) is placed on it. The hot item seems to "steam clean" the bee's oil right off the stone. I can't figure out any solution to this.

Removed hot dish from microwave, placed lid here:

But the water marks I don't quite understand come from non-hot items. If the stone is freshly oiled, and I place a wet drinking glass on it, it will leave a ring. The ring (if faint) sometimes fades in a day or two, but not usually. Actually, I don't think think the ring is actually fading. I think the oiled area is fading to match the ring.

Water marks from regular glasses of water, and drips/puddles (these drive me batty). Am I the only one who gets these?:

Oh--the other thing that leaves rings is anything absorbent that can lift the oil out of the stone. So, I get a ring under my ceramic compost jar (the ceramic is unsealed on the bottom). Or flour spilled on the counter. Or rubber bottomed shoes (e.g. if I stand on the counter in sneakers or crocs, it will leave tread marks that won't go away until oiling. Or if I sit an appliance with rubber feet on the counter, it leaves footprints.)

All of these marks disappear with oiling. But constant oiling is hard for me and my poor elbow. So I'm thinking about "going gray."

Here is the everyday look in my other work area:

Another view (not for the faint hearted):

Of course, I still adore my soapstone. But I do with I could keep the dark look without battling all the water marks.

I've been painting the kitchen for a couple weeks now. It has been great to have mineral spirits and paint sitting right on the counters without worry. Of course, the mineral spirits stripped the stone back to gray. And I"m thinking of leaving it that way. Luckily, any color of soapstone works in my kithcen. But I do adore it dark.

But, black or gray, spotty or not, I love my soapstone!

:-)

Francy

Could you please include the name and color of your backsplash along with the name and color of your grout?

Thanks in advance.

kitchen

Ann

I’m not sure if I’m going to do a good job at explaining what all got changed, but here goes. And let me know if anyone has any questions!

Kitchen before :

The picture below is the old family room (what we now use as a dining room) and you can see the kitchen through that small doorway with the doggy gate. On the other side of this wall was the dining room (what we now are using as a family room).

We knocked out the wall between the family room and dining room, and widened the opening to the kitchen. It was a lot of demo:

And here’s what it looks like now (please excuse the snackers):

Here’s the view from the new family room (still need stools for that peninsula):

View from the new dining room:

View from the back wall to the new family room (old dining room):

Back wall:

Stove wall:

LOVE the Thermy :

What’s a contemporary kitchen without open shelving!

The peninsula is to the right under the shelves:

Here are some shots of the island (btw, the best thing about the remodel was adding a sliding glass door):

Some more random shots:

Does anyone have any suggestions for the far wall color? Green made sense before but now not so sure…

Thank you to anyone who’s made it this far!

This post was edited by amandasplit on Sun, Mar 3, 13 at 18:38

In most cases (especially if your trays are over ovens), you can reach the bottom of things on a shelf a few inches up. For trays, cooking racks, cookie sheets, etc., you only need to get to the lower corner and pull, you don't need to reach the top of the item to remove.

This setup allows you to be able to access not only the items in the tray dividers w/o a stool, but also the platters, etc.

Like this: