Anyhow, the results were fabulous and cheaper than any but the cheapest IKEA doors! I took in actual IKEA doors because they're really in metric, not English, units and had them measured on-site. AT MY REQUEST, THE COMPANY IS SAVING THE IKEA MEASUREMENTS FOR FUTURE REMODELERS! So this means that you won't have to buy more than, at most, a few IKEA doors or drawers because they already know what 6, 12, 15, 25, 30, etc., "inches" on IKEA cabinets really is!

The company is called Evans Cabinet and Doors. This is their website: http://evanscabinetanddoor.com/. Their work is top-quality and SUPER FAST--as in, my stuff was ready a week after I ordered it. The price simply can't be beat, and they ship all over the country for very reasonable rates.

On the stained cabinetry, they do NOT do bookmatching or other super high-end work (you'd have to go completely custom and be paying more than $500 a linear foot for cabinetmakers who do that), but the stuff is still really, really nice--it can meet or beat any of the major cabinet brands.

I had a ridiculous number of doors--nearly 100--and they didn't make a single mistake.

They can also drill holes that fit the IKEA door hardware, taking a lot of the frustration out of it.

Please spread this to anyone who is interested! I love to see people who do such great work for such a bargain rewarded!

These are their door designs:

http://evanscabinetanddoor.com/doors.htm

Evans doesn't do the glass inserts themselves on regular door orders, but they make the doors for the inserts.

It turned out to be cheaper than semi-custom.

If you happen to go there, though, and find you are not getting optimum customer care, post here and let me know. I know one of the managers (not a salesperson, though) as a friend of a friend and I could try to have him look into it. But I'd rather not "drop" his name here at this point.

I've linked to their website and their database of 182 granites. They also have travertine, limestone, and marble.

Down here is San Jose, near the SJ airport, All Natural Stone is another really reputable and reliable granite store with a lot of variety and pretty good customer service. Sometimes on a Saturday, it is hard to wrangle yourself a salesperson right away, but just do what my DH did and mosey on over to their rows of pink boxes of donuts and coffee while you browse and wait. A bit of a drive from the East Bay, but just one more suggestion.

Here is a link that might be useful: Intertile

There is a very large place close to San Francisco on the peninsula, that I would recommend avoiding, however. Extremely rude, and apparently this is their reputation generally.

Ultimately we bought from DaVinci Marble on the peninsula. Very good customer service, and knockout soapstone. Again, not the largest place.

Best advice from this forum

Care to share your best kitchen storage ideas?

Now that I have [X], I think I could have lived without it

tray cabinets - top 1/2 wasted space

What do you wish you had done differently?

They have a lot of information on just your topic...as well as other related information.

HTH!

this is Mapei siliver on white subways in master bath

this is tumbled crema marfil w/a close matching grout in kit backsplash

I would recommend, esp given your experience, to get a board apply some tiles w/different grout colors put it up in the kitchen & live w/it before you do the actual application

good luck

So now you can tell your contractor it does not take a lot of space to make a broom closet, lol.
HTH

Here's what my KD told me--and he was right.

Put the trash can on the opposite site from the DW (bcs the DW has to attach to the drain).

Have the sink drain run straight back to the wall (I have a center hole, so that makes it easy; a double sink would make it harder). My drain *had* to start running sideways immediately, but fortunately, that direction was *also* toward the dishwasher.

Have the plumber put ALL the cut-off valves, etc., on the same side as the DW. (on the opposite side from where the trash will be)

I was lucky--all that stuff fit most naturally on the left anyway. And so I could put my trash on the right.

There is *nothing* on the right side of my sink. Not a pipe to be found.

one nice thing: there's a space between trash pullout and DW, and I can stand in it. (OK, it's only 13.5" wide, but it's wide enough!)

I don't have a disposal (though if I had a slightly wider sink base, I could)

My MIL has a double sink, and she put the trash on the side without the disposal. (like you, she put the disposal in the short sink) She *did* notch her plastic trash cans so they would fit around it. Which means they wear out more easily.

One of these years, I'm going to go to her house w/ a tape measure, and then go get the duct-work company to make a zinc trash can the right size, w/ the notches and everything, so it'll be more durable.

I think if you can fit a medium-size trash can in there, you oculd fit a pullout. If a ready-made one won't fit, get a handyman/installer type person to help you fit a drawer in there to set the trash can in.

(one of my doors pulls out--the one w/ the trash--and the other swings open. you can't tell from the outside. Function trumps, in my opinion.)

The hooks I used are from Restoration Hardware, the big flat bit on top makes it really easy to get the towel on and keep it on:

For those following the other towel thread, these towels are RIGHT next to the toilet AND I have towels above it - no other choice in my small bathroom:

Tina

When I was planning our backsplash Bill Vincent had given me some great advice about varying the heights of the accent tiles, and I got considerable help from looking at a couple kitchens on the FKB (take a look at Mary_228's kitchen). I still remember when I stayed up almost all night trying to figure out where to put the tiles. Not a pleasant night. I just had a little tweaking to do the next day when I spoke to the tile guy.

As far as the area behind the stove, it's hard to tell how much room there is to work with. I really wanted a herringbone pattern and also wanted to incorporate the glass accents so I came up with this:

Here is a link that might be useful: More Bath Shots

I finally have some better pictures of the tile that someone else took for me. Here they are:



Basketweave marble tile, border of 4x4" unpolished Ming, base tiles, Ming pencil trim, and white subway tiles.



Closeup of basketweave patterned floor tile.

As you can see, it uses four different sizes. If you wanted to use something like this, it would be wise to choose a line of tiles that offer the necessary dimensions rather than trying to cut them to fit. It's also a nice pattern to mix 2 or more colors if [like me] you can't decide on just one.

So my advice would be to choose a color pallet you like, make note of the sizes offered, and seek a pattern accordingly.

Keep in mind you can also do medallions, insets, borders... tile is ideal for creative thinkers.

Here is a link that might be useful: some tile patterns

Here's a pic:

Everyone that walks into our kitchen comments that they love our backsplash. I don't think it reads "inexpensive 19 cent tile" at all. :)

Like you, we have an open kitchen with cabinets that do not go up to the ceiling (not a vaulted ceiling, though). This is what we have for lighting:

Island - one decorative pendant, about 240 watts incandescent total light (candelabra style bulbs). The fixture is gorgeous (IMHO!), the light "not so much" because it's an inverted pendant with onyx acrylic shade. Still, it's a lot better than no light, and we have a second prep area with better light.

Other prep area - this one has a light bridge over it, just 4' above the counter. Two 4" recessed 50-watt halogen fixtures and they are fantastic for task lighting.

General room lights - 6 5" 26-watt compact fluorescent recessed cans.

Undercabinet lights - Juno T5 (I think) fluorescent strips.

Overcabinet lights - Juno fluorescent strips (not sure of size), some of which are doubled up to give us more wattage so we can satisfy Title 24 (which requires no more than 50% of the total wattage in the kitchen to be incandescent).

We have no specific light over the sink - just general room lighting. I don't stand at the sink long enough to need light :)

We used fluorescent so much because of Title 24. Also, I'm not a fluorescent hater, in fact, I like it in some settings. We use the undercabinet lights for ambiance, or when using those counters. The above-cabinet lights are used for ambiance or to add to the general room lighting (and believe me, they add a lot). For task lighting, though, there's no question but that the halogens are the best.

HTH.

Here is a link that might be useful: my space at MSN

What we learned: always check the kitchen designers measurements, don't fear internet deals and research is your friend (up to a point!). Kudos to Durodesign, cooking.com, myknobs.com, RSLightingdesign.com, and needplumbingsupplies.com for great online service, delivery and prices.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ivorykay Kitchen Remodel

Ranchreno, here are my Kohler Memoirs pictures. How is your bath coming along?

Johnmari, keep your posts coming. Can't wait to see pictures of your bath as it progresses.

Here are the 'specs' for my new bathroom (6 months in the making!)

Sink: Kohler Memoirs Stately (24 inch version)
Toilet: Kohler Memoirs Stately One Piece
Bathtub: Kohler Bancroft

Sink Faucet: Kohler Memoirs Stately with Deco Handles (Polished Chrome)
Shower Valve & Trim: Kohler Master Shower (Polished Chrome)
Showerhead: Kohler Forte Handheld (Polished Chrome)

Wall Tile: American Olean Greenwich Village Designer White (Matte)
Floor Tile: American Olean Unglazed 1' porcelain in White with Sterling Silver accents
Grout: Spectralock Pro in Smoke Grey (wall and floor)
Beadboard: Nantucket Beadboard painted with Benjamin Moore semi-gloss finish in Super White
Walls: Benjamin Moore Pearl finish in Yarmouth Bue

Medicine Cabinet: Rejuvenation Mendenhall
Pendant Light: Rejuvenation Humboldt (Polished Nickel)
Wall Sconce: Rejuvenation Siletz (Polished Nickel)
Towel Rack, Ring & Toilet Tissue Holder: Restoration Hardware Asbury (Polished Nickel)
Towel and Robe Hooks: Restoration Hardware Chatham (Polished Nickel)
Glass Shelf Stand: Restoration Hardware Newbury (Polished Nickel)
Alcove Drawer Unit: Container Store
Alcove Shelf Baskets: Ten Thousand Villages
Shower Curtain & Towels: Restoration Hardware (Silver Sage)

To Do: Simple white curtain for window and white liners for shelf baskets

Thanks!!

Tina

Here is a link that might be useful: Finished Bath Pics

I'm going to try to insert pix as I go, so I apologize to anyone on a slow connection. And the photos aren't the greatest in terms of lighting. Taking them at night and keeping a good exposure balance wasn't easy.

The particulars:

Cabinets: Scherr's, doors are shaker with solid center panel in select cherry
Knobs/pulls: Knob Hill "martini" knob (HD only) and Liberty "retro curl" pull (knobsandthings.com)
Range: Bluestar 36" RNB, six burners
Hood: Vent-a-hood SEPXH18-242
Granite: Verde Butterfly, 3cm
Wall paint: BM, color is 1301, I forget the name of the red
Dishwasher: Kitchenaid KUDS02FRSS
Sink: Rohl Allia 6337 undermount
Faucet: Brizo Venuto in stainless w/ soap dispenser
Disposal: Insinkerator 444 w/ air switch
Fridge: Kitchenaid KSCS25INSS
Convection/Micro: GE JE1590
Pendants: forget brand- low voltage amber pyramid pendants from HD
Backsplash: 1x1 slate mosaic w/ "antique grey" outlet covers from Vermont Slate Art
UC Lights: GE Profile fluorescent
Floor: 3/4" oak strip, mixed new and c. '49; Minwax "Golden Oak" stain, Bona Traffic finish

OK, here's the overview. We haven't found counter stools yet, but there's a 12" overhang in the front of the island. It's supported by 3/8" steel bars, and the two center panels are actually doors to a cabinet. The island is roughly 5' x 8'.

Basically, before the project, this was two rooms, with a wall that lined up where the middle of the hood/range is. Left was the dining room, and the kitchen to the right.

Here's the view to one side of the island. Left of the door is the bar (where the plastic lock is on the door). The wall cabs are 13" deep.

The glass-front cabinets house our "company" dishes and various glassware. The 36" wide drawer bases below have everyday dishes, nice flatware, and various trays/bowls/baking dishes.

Here's a couple of closer views of the island and wall w/ the range. To the left of the range is a cabinet w/ tray dividers and a 4-drawer stack. Pot and pan drawers (30", 2-drawer stack) are to the right of the range)

Here's the wall w/ pantry cabs, more drawers, the fridge and MW. The big cab to the L of the fridge has pullout trays. We have another pantry in the laundry room (outside the french door in the other photos), and we haven't worked out what to put in each yet. Drawers to the L of fridge have everyday flatware, punkin gear, and overflow pots/pans. Drawers under microwave have bags/wraps, plastic ware, and colanders/mixing bowls. Above the MW are everyday glassware and misc stuff.

Closer view of the range:

Bad, but closer view of the backsplash:

Next is the sink/faucet/DW. Left of the sink (not pictured) are two cabs, one w/ a Rev-a-shelf trash pullout, and the other a skinny one for cutting boards w/ knives in a drawer above.

And finally, SWMBA (She Who Must Be Adored) aka "punkin," who finally gets to live in her house. She had just (finally) started walking all by herself, but was still doing it "monster style" because she was used to holding someone's hand(s).

Anyway, I've been reading, learning, and finally contributing at THS for several years leading up to this. So, we're really excited to finally be in the home stretch.

I also have black porcelain sconces (not that style, the kind with turtle shades) and I'm planning on 1" hex floors with black accents (have not yet decided how those accents will go though). I was considering doing the white cap but it just seemed to lack oomph and when I surveyed friends for their opinion they unanimously preferred black for the chair rail in order to match my bold and sassy personality ;).

I also don't get that black isn't neutral... I can't think of a color I like that doesn't go with it. BUT I can understand wanting to go for a change when renovating your bathroom.

I used a combination of glass mosaic and subway tile in my "vintagey enough to not feel out of place in my 120 year old house but not period" kitchen and I took my inspiration from the NYC subways that combined mosaic with subway tiles. Here's a picture taken ca 1910 I think in columbus circle:

and here's my backsplash:

So I think if you want to do a glass mosaic it would look great and not too modern. That said I think you need either some kind of a bullnose or some kind of chair rail cap for the top of your subway tile if you are going to stop it partway up the wall. It doesn't have to be as elaborate as a chair rail but you need some kind of a glazed top edge. As far as I know, the pencil liner strips do not have a glazed top edge (but I don't know what lines you are looking at).

We've been most happy with stripping the paint off the original registers...and this was the best for our budget.

For your ceiling needs, check out Reggio.

I have the brushed aluminum finish in my kitchen. Because it isn't really visible unless you look up under the cabinets, it works out just fine.

If you want to look at the spec sheets for Plugmold, the link below will take you to them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Plugmold spec sheets

I saw several posters happy with Easy Closets.com so I tried them. The online tool is amazing -- really easy to use and full of helpful tips. Then, I called and actually got a terrific, knowledgable, helpful, considerate, patient designer to perfect my closets.

The huge Master walk in -- 10' X 9 ' cost about $3800; the odd=shaped coat closet - 3.5' X 10' - cost about $900 (both in stained finish) and the cute, adjustable-shelf kitchen pantry in white was under $400.

If you use them, ask for Luis Perez at extension 171 -- I am not his girlfriend or business manager -- just a satisfied customer.

(Confession: my contractor installed them, not me, so I can't speak to ease but it took him no time...)

Dead wrong. You can use any door you want with pocket hardware. Door thickness is limited if you use the pre-fab jamb systems.
The biggest issue with pocket doors is meeting the outlet spacing rules and installing switches.
If you want a standard thickness wall (about 5.5 inches) you cannot mount any electric boxes in the walls at the pocket.
If you can tolerate a ‘wet wall’ thickness (about 6.5 inches) you can install electrical boxes but typically would not use the pre-fab door kit. Instead you turn the studs flat (and I bump them up to 2x6 width) and use 4x4 boxes that are 1.25 inches deep with a plaster ring.
The wall is a lot stiffer.
The other problem with the Johnson kits is preventing door swing. The plastic guides they supply tend to scratch the face of the door.
I install a section of aluminum angle in the floor of the pocket and groove the bottom of the door.
If the door has panels or is non-flat you typically need to mount a strip of wood on the pocket side of the door edge to make it wider and keep the decoration centered when the door is closed.

Here is a link that might be useful: Coburn's

Here is a link that might be useful: Classic Bath

Here is a link that might be useful: Precision Cabinets

Here are the details:
Cabinets: custom flush inset by local shop
Paint: cabinets - BM Mayonnaise (also on ceiling & trim)
walls - BM Potpourri Green
Stove: DCS 36" 6-burner all-gas range with low backguard (required by my local code)
Hood: Vent-a-Hood Excalibur, 36" in Biscuit
Fridge: Amana 36" cabinet-depth top-mount
Dishwasher: Bosch Integra SHX57C03UC with custom panel
Sink: Franke fireclay sink, 28 inches
Faucet: Chicago faucet wall-mount in polished nickel
Soap dispenser: Rohl Perrin & Rowe LS850P (with NeverMT)
Airswitch: Franke, in black
Drawer handles/Door knobs: House of Antique Hardware black glass hexagonal knobs & bridge pulls
Countertop: Belvedere soapstone from M. Teixeira in San Francisco
Tile: Subway Ceramics 3x6 subway tile, Daltile black liner & 3/4" round, green liner "dots" from B&W tile in Riverside, CA
Floor: Marmoleum in Butter with Coffee accent strip
Light fixtures: Skidmore pendants and Jefferson ceiling fixture, from Rejuvenation
Undercabinet lights: LEDs from LEDtronics
Outlet covers, pushbutton switches and switchplate: House of Antique Hardware

I added night shots this morning - the kitchen's completely different at night when the lights are on.

I wish I knew how to link you all to the shutterfly album - the pics are in order there! I hate that Photobucket doesn't let you organize your photos except alphabetically. :-P

My favorite things about this kitchen:
higher counters (DH and I are both tall)
plenty of light!
a faucet that doesn't drip!
a hood!
all that counter space!
super susans - 2 of them!
roll outs!

Now how do I get my photos into the FKB?

I have to say that I learned so much here while I was designing this space - about appliances, cool things like NeverMT and soapstone (always knew I didn't want granite). This is such a great resource!

Here is a link that might be useful: Night shots of the kitchen

Here is a link that works!

Here is a link that might be useful: Link to jgarner's kitchen

Here is a link that might be useful: new floors

Laticrete Silver Shadow or Light Pewter

Hydroment Mobe Pearl

Custom Building Products Platinum

Mapei Warm Bray

The tub is a Kohler Synchrony K-1195-L with the integrated tiling flange. The fixtures are all from American Standard "The Standard Collection." The toilet was the only thing we saved - it is a Kohler Memoirs Classic elongated.

The wall tile is Daltile Rittenhouse Square in Arctic White with a Portobello White Line Bordura accent piece which measures 1.5" x 8" and is installed 69" from the floor. The window sill is a white-gray marble with a polished finish.

The floor is Cerim "The Wood Collection" porcelain wood-look tile in the color "Ellinton." We chose two of the 3 available sizes - which measure about 20" x 8" and 16" x 6".

The walls and ceiling are painted in Benjamin Moore's Bleeker Beige (really Behr paint purchased at Home Depot). The door is a Simpson Shaker-style 5-panel. The trim was crafted by my husband out of MDF-thanks so much to posters on this forum who inspired the design.

The exhaust fan is a Panasonic WhisperLite FV-07VQL3 and the switches that control it are Leviton 6260M and 5634. The curtain rod is a Myson in a chrome finish and the curtain is a nylon "The Traveler".

The photos are in my Photobucket account: http://photobucket.com/albums/v399/MadamX/Bathroom%20remodel/ and the password is Maggie

Enjoy!

Here is a link that might be useful: Password: Maggie