I was able to answer most of my questions with a good search, but definitely used all of the beautiful "finished bath" photos for inspiration. I discovered that "shower niches" aka "shampoo niches" are a bugger to find good photos of, so I'm including a pic of that! I used some leftover kitchen backsplash tile and let the tile guy go to town.

Kohler Memoirs sink, toilet, and shower combo.
Hampton Carerra basketweave floor tile from the Tile Shop
Calacatta Gold vanity countertop
White subways, baseboard and wainscot trim also Tile Shop

Vanity is 36" high. 37" with top. Cabinet color is BM Sag Harbor Gray, which is obviously very green. The walls are the lightest possible green without being white--BM "Old Prairie." Top of wainscot is at 52".

The other bathroom with marble gets heavily used by two teenage boys. I considered the Tile Shop 2" hex, but the black dot gives even more "camouflage" so I went with that. This is our daily use bath, and I shed lots of long hair. My previous plain white tile had to be swiffered every single day. I wouldn't worry about the kids. We sealed with Miracle 511 and the grout has a built-in sealer. Boy-pee around the toilet should never be an issue.

The Tile Shop grouts were all wrong with the tiles. I used two different Tec Brand colors, which was my tiler's preferred brand. On the (true white-white) subways, we used "Dove Gray." The floor was slightly darker. Maybe DeLorean Gray? The floor tile is Hampton Carrera.

I can't wait to see YOUR pictures!!!

By the way, Bee...one of the things I love MOST about my kitchen now? Pull-outs under the sinks instead of regular doors. There are two drawers under the big 33" sink and one under the small prep sink. The backs have cutouts to accomodate plumbing and disposals. NO more dark nasty caves!

the cabinet maker came in today to work on the folding doors for the baking center and breakfast bar. i love the hinges we found for the baking center (non operable) but we need a few more for the upper glass front cabs.

i think the appliance garages for the breakfast bar look cool, but i can tell already that i went a little crazy with all the doors. while it will be nice to hide that section away when company is here it will no doubt remain open for business the other 363 days of the year!

we're waiting on the flooring to be completed to install the legs for the island. while i initially thought it would be a little too big, i find the size is comfortable for the space. it affords a lot of extra storage as well as houses my turbo-chef oven. while i HAD to have that oven, i'm not hot on the look of it. -i know, everyone loves it. except me.

i also thought i'd include a pic of the mudroom pendant. i bought it from an ebay vendor. it may sound crazy, but it is one of my most favorite things about the house! it's absolutely stunning IRL!

they finally started doing the millwork on the fireplaces and our stairs are being installed. as soon as they're complete we'll go over our punch list, paint and do the floors. while some lighting is in, i wouldn't let them hang any more until the floors are sanded. yeah, i'm crazy like that.

i'll be back soon. i have to break into my bottle of happy pills.

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

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

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

Another thing I will say about the creamy white as a trim color is that it seems to work with antiques and oriental rugs better than a stark white would.

Hobokenkitchen, I love the honed quartzite. It is absolutely bulletproof. I didn't want any shiny surfaces, and to me the whites in the stone came out more when it ws honed. The honed Virginia Mist on the island is a little more tempermental. If you lay a stick of butter on it to soften, you will have a darker spot the shape of the stick of butter. It sops up oil. However, having had a few big parties over the holidays, with gravy, flaming baked alaskas, and whiskey sours christening it, all stains just become part of the story. A good scrub with a dishsoap and a scrubby sponge mellows the marks.

For those hankering after a library ladder.My cabinet maker (Gary Luke at The Town Carpenter) made the ladder for me. He bought the hardware kit from the outfit linked below and used my flooring. He made sure to get an adjustable roller connection at the top, because the height needed for the bookshelf was different than the height neeeded to clear the counters on the lower cabinet.

Here is a link that might be useful: rolling library ladder

The only change to the floorplan of the house was that we closed off the door from the kitchen into the center-hall. Now the kitchen is accessed only from the dining room, or from the rear entrance of the house. There was a door to the center-hall and a small pantry; that space is now where the fridge and surrounding cabinets live.

The cabinets were ordered, but I did a good deal of the work, including the floor, countertop and back-splash. Prior to this renovation, the kitchen had a combination of original cabinets and a 'modernization' that was done in the mid-50's. The original cabinets were not economically salvageable, however the new cabinets are in the same style as the originals and the Chambers cook-top was part of the old kitchen.

Here are some pictures of the end result:

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER!

A few of my favorite things... all thanks to GW.

Corner drawers

Vertical pan drawers

Spice drawer

Potato and onion storage

Pet station

Charging drawer

Swing out compost

Other favorite things

Induction cooktop. Especially love the ease of clean up.
Tapmaster. How did I live without it?
Fiber optic disposal switch.
Pull out trash and recycling.
Gaggenau steam oven
In cabinet TV
More windows!
Prep sink next to cooktop

Could live without
Servo drive for trash pullout. Kind of nifty, but could do without it

Wish I had paid more attention to GW
Double hung windows. Like the look, but they are very hard to open and close b/c of counter depth.

All in all though we're very happy with how it turned out. It is *so* much more functional than the old kitchen.

kitch

When we moved into this house 17 months ago, we knew we'd need to update the kitchen. It was the size of a postage stamp and cut off from the rest of the house. See original floor plan here:

We really wanted a kitchen that would be open to our family room, would have eat-in space not separated by a brick wall, and - of course - more space. So we decided to take out the wall between the original kitchen and dining room, move the dining room to what used to be a formal living room that we never used, and taking out the wall between the old kitchen/dining rooms and a breezeway type area that was mostly wasted space.

After discussions with several design/build firms and countless hours of looking at floor plans posted to this site (thank you, those who gave us valuable input!), we pretty much designed the floor plan ourselves and then found a contractor who was willing to do it. We did have to convince him that we really did want this design. He wanted us to have a U-shaped kitchen with a peninsula instead of the island, but we really wanted the circular flow plan and felt strongly that we wanted 2 separate cabinet runs that make a disconnected "L" so we didn't have any corner cabinets. (With his design we would have had 2 corners on an 11-foot wall). What we ended up with was mostly like this:

Changes to this design included moving the warming drawer to the island, putting the icemaker to the right of the prep sink, and shrinking down the island a bit. We also moved things around within the mudroom. Generally speaking, this is substantially what we ended up with.

This was no small construction feat - we took out 2 walls, including one load-bearing wall to combine 2 rooms and an old breezeway into a single kitchen and then added a mudroom. From the first sledgehammer to the final nail, it took about 16 weeks. There were a few in the middle when we thought that the baby would come first but they got it done on time and for that we are super grateful!

For those who want to know what is what:
Cabinets - CWP (we originally wanted Crownpoint, but decided we wanted something made closer to where we live - VA - and less expensive). So far we've been pleased though the wainscot still needs to be touched up. We're glad we did the blue island with the white surrounding cabinets. It gives the room some personality, looks great with the soapstone and matches my Polish pottery!
Counters and sinks - soapstone from Buck's County. Love it.
Rangetop, hood and ovens - Wolf
Fridge - 48" Subzero
Warming drawer - Miele - we still don't really use this...
Dishwasher - Miele
Microwave - GE spacesaver. We went through a lot of angst with our contractor on the placement of this. We had this location in a prior kitchen and really liked it but he never did. We still like it!
Wine fridge - U-line
Ice Maker - SZ (found used on Craigslist!)
Backsplash - carrara marble (we originally wanted plain white but hired a designer for a few hours of input and he recommended this - we really like how it ties together the grey in the soapstone and the white in the cabinets)
Knobs and pulls- RH
Latches - can't remember, but found them from the Christopher Peacock look-alike kitchen blog
Faucets - KWC except for the filter/insta-hot which is Waterstone (I thought I would love the pull down one but I actually like the pull-out one at our cleanup sink more)
Pendants - Hudson Valley
Floors - White oak in kitchen, soapstone in mudroom. We had 3 different materials in the 3 rooms that were combined to make this (cork, wood, and slate) and had a hard time deciding what we wanted to have. In the end, we went with wood and stained it to match the adjacent dining room.

The pictures:

The old:

The new:

To orient yourself, the pantry to the left of the fridge is in the same location that our old fridge was!

Cabinets + Hardware: 30%
Appliances + Stove Rehab: 12%
Counters: 10%
Plaster/Walls: 10%
Electrical + Plumbing: 10%
Demo: 8%
Floor (Marmoleum Click, DIY): 6%
Sink/Faucet: 3%
Lights: 3%
Moulding/Doors (partial DIY): 3%
Permits (DIY): 2%
Roofing/Ductwork: 2%
Paint (DIY): 1%

A big thank you to everyone here on Garden Web who answered my many many posts. Also a bit thank you to those of you who posted your questions, stories & photos--learning from others helped a lot!

So, here are the details:

Cabinets: Custom designed by me. Crafted locally. I designed the cabinets to hold the items I wanted to store in them. The cabinet folks thought I was crazy when I would hand them a big bowl and say, "make sure it fits." But I love the cabinets and their functionality. My space is small so every little nook & cranny got used.

Hardware: Top Knobs Princetonian...Inspired by a kitchen here..can't remember who but THANK YOU! Love these handles and I love them installed all horizontally.

Granite: Antique Gold. Many trips to Chicago granite yards. This one was not my first love...that belongs to November Sky granite..but now that Antique Gold is installed I can't imagine anything else.

Windows: Replaced all windows & added some. Windows down to the countertop are one of my favorite things. The granite guys added a tiny granite edge in front of the windows which looks really nice too.

Sinks: Kohler Cast Iron Smart Divide in biscuit (main sink) & Kohler cast Iron prep sink. Prep sink turned out to be larger than planned because the granite guys cut the hole too big. In the end, I am really happy with the smaller sink. Many people commented that I wouldn't need/use the prep sink in such a small kitchen and that the location at the end of a countertop run wasn't great...But it is the main thing that helps my kitchen function well for 2 cooks. I am super glad that I stuck to what I wanted on this one!

Faucets: Kohler Simplice pull-outs. Simple & effective. So far no problems. Also have Kohler soap dispenser with a Never M-T...fabulous invention! Garbage disposal air switches..couldn't live without these.

Instant Hot--LOVE LOVE LOVE this feature..especially as the weather is getting colder. I drink lots of tea. Hubby drinks coffee. He bought a French press for coffee and uses the instant hot. No more electric coffee pot clutter...great bonus!

Stove--Dacor 36" 6 burner range. 36" stove is fabulous. I rarely use all the burners but I love all the spreading out space.

Shelving in front of windows. I know this is strange but it really works for me. They are basic wire shelves. They could span 6' without a center support. It's very nice not having to open drawers/cabinets to get out pans and every day dishes.

Flooring--oak flooring. Flooring wasn't supposed to change. I had tile that was decent but it cracked so we ripped out the tile (what a job!) and had oak flooring put in...the rest of my house is hardwood so we had the flooring integrated with the adjacent rooms. I am so glad the tile cracked...hard wood is wonderful.

Range hood--Kobe with custom built surround. First range hood I have had that vents outside...It actually works! It isn't as quiet as I would have liked but it still works great.

I think these are the basics. If there is anything else you want to know about, let me know.

After:

Before:

On the side of this cabinet is can cabinet that goes from floor to ceiling and holds all the cans single deep. This cabinet is fabulous..no more digging around for things.
Pics below.
Front view with the doors closed.

Doors open with toaster oven and microwave. We ran separate electrical circuits for each so they can run at the same time!

Can cabinet open. upper and lower doors were more stable than one big one. Doors line up with the rest of the panel that encloses the cabinet.

the fridge/freezer wall. i'm loving it. the fridge on the left (closest to range and breakfast room). hidden inside the center doors: open shelving and two large appliance garages for micro, coffee maker, etc... on the right, the freezer.

the range wall

the prep sink ...i LOVE the faucet!

we should have it finished up in the next couple of weeks. i'll have better pics then, along with the hardware which i am in LOVE with!

med: yes, i have the 30" thermador columns. we noticed over the weekend the back of the panels are not painted. it sort of sticks out like a sore thumb so i'll have to ask the cabinet maker to remedy this.

the center space between the fridge and freezer is nowhere near being done. while you can see how the doors fold inside, i'm afraid the doors for the appliance garages are not in place.

close up of the pocket door. the other side still needs to be finished. there's no hardware on the panels yet. i developed a severe case of brain fog and couldn't seem to get an accurate count of ALL the pulls ...and knobs ...and latches ...and cup pulls ...and crystal knobs ...and drop pulls. i seem to have a problem with commitment so i like to mix things up.

the garage doors will go directly under the shelves and flip up. while the counter is deeper than standard, i'll still only have approximately 17" of unobstructed counter. in our temporary house we have the microwave and toaster oven on the same run of counter and there's only about 10" left. it's enough space for what needs to happen in that area. plenty of room to set grocery bags for unpacking and certainly enough room to use as a prep center for breakfast and heating leftovers.

and here's a question for you. i wanted my pot filler centered on the backsplash but if i do that the grill cover won't be able to stay upright when lifted. i decided to leave it where it is ...except the range was not in place when they plumbed it, so it's not EXACTLY centered over the inside burner. what do you think? is it a big deal to have them scoot it over an inch or so or is this something i'm being ridiculously persnickety about?

as for the backsplash, i'm pretty sure i'll do the calacatta marble slab, polished. if anyone has a strong objection or concern PLEASE feel free to speak now! i like to consider all the options, although i'd prefer to stick with the same material. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. i never could have taken this on if it weren't for all of you.

Cabinets: Omega Signature, Maple in Parisian Pearl
Countertop: Statuary White Honed Marble
Islandtop: Craft-Art Brazilian Cherry
Backsplash: Bisazza Damasco Bianco Glass Tiles
Floor: Casa Dolce Casa/Casamood Neutra Silver Porcelain Tiles
Range: Wolf Duel Fuel DF304
Hood: Wolf Pro Wall PW302718
Dishwasher: Miele LaPerla G2830SCi/SS
Refridgerator; GE Monogram
Sink: Franke Kubus KBX-110-21
Faucet: Grohe Ladylux Cafe 33755SDO
Hardware: Bouvet Knobs 5201-25 and Bouvet Drop Pulls 5002-10 & 5008-18
Pendants: Flos Fucsia 1
Undercabinet Lighting: Kichler 10560WH & 10566WH
Stools: Emeco Kong and Emeco Stool

Here are pics and the details:

Perimeter Counters: Calcatta Gold
Island top: Black Walnut with vintage walnut stain
Cabinets: Custom
Paint on cabinets/trim: BM Swiss Coffee (color tweaked by paint store)
Wall color: Pratt and Lambert Pearl
Wolf 48" Range with double griddle (love this!)
SubZero s/s 48" Fridge with icemaker
Sharp microwave drawer
Bosch D/W (we have 2 and it was a great decision if considering this)
GE Monogram hood blower
GE wine cooler
Perrin and Rowe Faucet - PN
Shaw Farm Sink 30 x 18
Pantry: custom built
Paint on Pantry: Farrow and Ball Pigeon
Hardware on Pantry: Restoration Hardware Felicity in Antique brass
Kitchen Hardware: Restoration Hardware Aubrey Knobs - PN
Restoration Hardware Bistro Pulls - PN
Rejuvenation small latch - PN
Backsplash: Arctic white Daltile with platinum grout
Bell Jars - JV Imports - 11"D with bronze finish
Bar Stools: Crate and Barrel Pullman Leather Counter Stools

I will get pics up of laundry and bathrooms soon too!

Here's my impression of the company:

This is an assumption based on my experience: the cost is kept very low by keeping overhead very low. Customer service, ordering, questions, fabrication, shipping, anything that needs doing -- Mark seems to do it all.

I give high marks to the quality of the product; it was delivered in excellent condition with good packing; and the price was incomparably low.

Toward the customer service, I can't be as effusive. It was a struggle to communicate what I wanted. I'm not verbally eloquent but a good CS person can ask questions or tell you what they need to know to help you describe what you want.

Also, the timing was not exactly as sharp as he stated on the phone -- he said two weeks and it was more like 3 1/2 -- but it could have been worse. Though I had e-mailed and called at least 3 times to check on it, he didn't let me know of a delay in shipping due to finding a scratch on it that he needed to repair. (At least he took care of the scratch.)

However, if my assumption is correct and it's a one-man show, I give him a pass on the CS and the timing. He's not a PR person, but he is a craftsman and his workmanship was certainly spot on.

It is not an exaggeration to say that this kitchen is a result of GW’s collective wisdom. I did not ask that many questions but I gleaned untold amounts of information from searches and reading and participating in others’ threads and revisiting the FKB every time I had a new detail to conquer.

There are so many of you who have a good eye for the big picture as well as details when looking at layouts; and even more impressive and appreciated is that you take the time to walk each person through with honest, detailed feedback and encouragement. Thank you for looking so consistently at all the posts requesting help. rhome and buehl come to mind immediately -- I know there are others who do that as well and I am sorry for not remembering everyone to acknowledge.

Many others have kitchens posted to the FKB that gave me great inspiration, answers to questions and solutions to problems. You were a huge help and didn't know it, and I wish I could list every single one of you! (Many of these were not white shaker inset kitchens.)

Special thanks to jrueter for counter help and encouragement, among other things -- aside from the layout itself, that was one of my biggest challenges.

It feels good to be finished, and now I hope I can start to give back a fraction of what I received. Thank you to everyone!

Appliances
DW - Bosch
Like - Gets dishes clean
Don’t like - Plastics are wet in am unless I leave the door ajar; door catch is already broken, door won't stay halfway open (should be covered under warranty)
Hood - VAH PRH18, 36", 350 cfm (wish I had gotten more, salesman talked us out of it)
Fridge - Whirlpool Gold french door
Range - Electrolux Induction slide-in; still learning it but love it so far
MW - Sharp

Cabinets
Tar River Custom Cabinets, Creedmoor, NC, white inset with Blum glides
Like - Looks, the 30" and 36" drawer bases
Don’t like - Not as much useable space with inset; drawer glides don’t all work smoothly

Counters -
Leathered Impala Black, 3 cm, 3" radius corners, 1" radius corners, no radius
Love - Easy to keep clean, don’t show fingerprints, just the color I was looking for in a matte finish (didn’t want shiny)
Don’t like - sink reveal is not uniform, slightly negative in most places (I asked for flush, was told that slope of sink prevented exact flush but in one area it’s actually positive, one it’s flush, so sink is not set in perfectly; not being picky and preferring to have it finished, I am leaving it alone)
Supplier - Daltile
Fabricator - The Countertop Factory, Raleigh NC

Wood counter - Walnut edge grain, classical edge minus one bead from http://www.blocktop.net/; finished for non-food use

Sinks - Blanco Silgranit in Anthracite ordered from HomePerfect.com
Clean up - BlancoDiamond Super Single (drop in) 33"
Prep - BlancoPrecis Large (undermount) 24"
Like - Looks, size, location, maintenance
Faucets - Delta Leland 978 (Main) 9978 (Prep) (ordered from DesignerPlumbingOutlet.com
Like - Looks, function, ease of use

Hardware - Amerock
Like - Looks, feel
Don’t like - One set of cup pulls, on my one deep drawer, were not placed well but it was too late by the time I saw it

Lights
Pendants - Edison by Hudson Valley, with glass # D12 (~$600 total for 3 pendants)
Like - Looks, adjustable length
Tracks - WAC

Paint - Timberlake Painting, Mickey Smith
Kitchen walls - BM Quiet Moments (LR walls @ 50% formula of QM)
Laundry walls - Valspar Safari Beige
Garage hall walls - Valspar Oatbran (on same strip as Safari Beige)
Trim, ceiling, etc - White gloss (don’t know color, just agreed with painter to do white)

Floors - red oak, refinished with oil-based poly satin finish

Windows - Monarch double casement

Backsplash - Adex Neri White 3x6 beveled subway tiles, 1/2 round liners

Trash pullout, tall pan divider

Sweeby Test
warm or cool, tranquil and soothing or energetic and vibrant? calm, happy, dramatic?
Cool, tranquil, soothing, calm

cozy or spacious? light and bright or dark and rich?
Open, spacious, light, bright

subtle tone-on-tone, boldly colorful, textured?, woody or painted?
Simple, unobtrusive, painted (maybe not exactly subtle but not bold, overstated colors)

modern, traditional, vintage, rustic, artsy, retro, Old World, Arts & Crafts, Tuscan?
Backdrop rather than focal point, no particular theme, time period or style to stand out (vintage would be closest but not overtly so)

elegant, casual? sleekly simple, elaborately detailed, or somewhere in between?
Casual, simple (not sleek), understated touches of elegance, but not be intimidating

pristine or weathered, professional or homey?
Simple, summer cottage; Clean (pristine?), homey

whimsical, sophisticated, accessible, romantic? masculine or feminine?
Accessible, maybe a touch of whimsy and zing (in decorative elements); Neither overly masculine nor feminine (functional, clean straight lines for ease of construction, with a few rounded edges to soften)

How much zing? and where?
Quiet, unobtrusive but a breath of fresh air so when people walk in, invites but does not distract from fellowship

I've been saying "I really like my kitchen". DH was surprised that I wasn't saying "I love my kitchen". That's because it wasn't truly finished and clean until today when we got everything hung and most everything put away (still a few very minor things to do). So as of today, I can say "I LOVE my kitchen". I also LOVE my utility room just as much!

We are not completely finished with the house; we plan to add to the front to expand the LR and add a MBR. With the kitchen construction, we were all crammed into a small room together during the day, but with the addition, we have a refuge with our new kitchen.

View 1

Still need a piece of molding on either end to cover up the holes made to install Plugmold, which I couldn't stand and had replaced with Sillites

View 2

View 3

View 4

Mudroom

Baskets - World Market
Bag - Belvah, custom embroidered by mineembroidery.com
Shelf - salvaged from 200 yo house DH bought for office
Hooks - Pier 1 Imports

Pantry

Countertop and pullout shelves recycled from previous kitchen
Upper shelves built by carpenter

Laundry from kitchen

Laundry toward kitchen

Communication center and laundry shelving

4" shelves built by carpenter
Upper box shelves - Pottery Barn Outlet
Calendars, etc - Storables.com
Fabric boxes - World Market, Target

Here is a link that might be useful: Photobucket link

Here is a link that might be useful: Cabinet Works, LLC

Here's my current kitchen backsplash:

I watched all the granite work today - it is so interesting to me. I have a lot of photos if anyone wants to see (it can be boring unless it interests you I guess).

The sink is Kindred. The faucet is Grohe Bridgeford. Let me tell you how badly I want that running water.....never mind....you all get it or will eventually. Washing dishes in the bathroom sink is for the birds..........

I need sleep. Now the task is for me to choose paint color for the walls. Painters are coming on Monday.

In the pics the granite is just sort of laying in place so all the reveals, etc. are not right but you can get the effect for now!!

Tomorrow plumber comes to do sink, dishwasher and toekick heater and the granite guys come to do seams and backsplashes.

Hope I can make these pics work:

My prep zone consists of an island with a prep sink. In the cabinets under the island, I have everything I need for prep. My trash pull-out is at one end, and next to it is a large drawer where I keep two large stockpots and the box of trash bags. Above the large drawer is the shelf where my MW sits. The next cabinet has the really large stockpots (I do a lot of "big" cooking!). Next to that, there's the sink cabinet, and in the cabinet under the sink, I keep colanders and my chopper. The last cabinet in the island is a tray cabinet where I keep my cutting boards and cookie sheets (this is also directly across the aisle from my stove). I have three top drawers in the island. One drawer has a knife block in it where I keep all my knives. In another drawer, I keep all my other prep utensils, such as the garlic press, can opener, graters, etc. In the third drawer (the one over my trash cabinet), I keep miscellaneous junk that doesn't have an obvious spot elsewhere, such as chip clips, cork screws, etc. In the sink tip-out of the prep sink, I keep several of those little cheap, sharp paring knives from Pampered Chef, and a potato peeler.

In my cooking zone, which is the area flanking my stove, the narrow top drawer on one side holds pot holders and the wider one on the other side holds all my cooking utensils in dividers. In the drawers beneath the pot holders, I keep miscellaneous small baking pans, muffin tins, etc., along with the parts of my stove that I don't use a lot. Beneath the utensils, I have two wide, deep drawers that hold all my pots and pans. In the cabinets above, I keep spices to the right side of the stove, oils and vinegars above the stove, and coffee supplies on the left side (the coffee maker sits on the counter beneath this cabinet).

The clean-up zone is the area around my main sink and DW. Beneath the sink, I keep all my cleaning supplies and DW detergent. In the sink tip-out, I keep various scrubbies and my PC scrapers. In the tiny cabinet and drawer next to the sink, I keep dish towels and my soapstone oiling supplies (a bottle of mineral oil, a container of beesoil, and a large zip-lock bag with oily rags in it). The trash pull-out is directly across from the sink in the island, so it makes it convenient for clean-up, as well. Most of my dishes for eating, drinking, and serving are in the cabinets above the DW. The glasses are in the cabinet closest to the refrigerator. The silverware is in the drawer next to the DW, and beneath that, I have one drawer with other miscellaneous serving utensils and another with foil, baggies, etc. In the corner next to the DW is a lazy susan with all my small appliances stored on it.

Above the refrigerator, I keep my large mixing bowls and other seldom-used platters and trays. My "special" dishes are mostly on display on shelves to the right of the refrigerator, with the extras in cabinets beneath the shelves. Next to that, I have a broom closet, where in addition to the broom, swiffer, etc., I keep a container where I keep plastic grocery bags.

I have a desk where I keep a phone and phone message stuff, the dogs' cookie jar, a can with pencils, pens, and a pair of scissors, a stapler, and a clipboard with the grocery list on it. In the drawer under the desk, I keep miscellaneous junk and all our chargers. In the cabinet above the desk, I keep replacement lightbulbs, extra dog cookies, and a file box with all my appliance manuals and warranty info.

Next to the desk, I have pantry cabinets. These store all my dry goods, but since I have two cabinets like this, I have to organize where things go. I put all cans, jars, and bottles in one cabinet, along with cereal. In the other cabinet, I put all the staples, such as flour, sugar, rice, nuts, pastas, etc., which I store in stackable Tupperware Modular Mates. I also have small cabinets above the pantry cabs. In one of those, I keep all my Christmas dishes, and in the other, I keep baskets that I use for serving. In the cabinets beneath the pantries, I keep all my ovenware and additional serving dishes. In the middle, I have drawers where I keep all my plastic storage containers and reusable plastic plates and cups.

I have a large, nine-drawer chest in the adjoining eating area that stores a lot more stuff. I use one section for paper plates and plastic utensils. I use another for candles, centerpieces, and such. I use the last one section for placemats, cloth napkins, and table cloths.

Whew! I think that's everything!

As buehl mentioned, in the "Read Me" thread she has a great post about storage and zones. It's the second post in the thread.

One: Go through what you have now and give away or throw out the stuff you never use. How many coffee mugs do you have that you never use? How many cheapo spatulas that you'd only use if pigs flew? How many freebie koozies in the back of the drawer? How many mismatched plastic cups and plates you'd never use? How much lidless Tupperware? How many grody pots & pans leftover from your college days or Hubby's bachelor pad? Get that junk out of your soon-to-be-beautiful space! Use the 'Would I buy it at a garage sale?" test if you're not sure.

Two: Once you've thrown out the junk, inventory the stuff you have, and classify it by function and frequency of use. For example:
- One 36" drawer of daily use pots & pans,
- One 36" drawer of weekly/monthly use cookware,
- Two 24" shelves of every day china dishes,
- One 24" shelf of every day glassware,
- Two 36" shelves of fancy (Holiday) china and glassware.

Having this inventory is invaluable for planning your new space. Without it, you just won't know how much of what type of space you need, and you could end up with too little storage, or else sacrificing something you'd really like for storage space you didn't need. The security of knowing that 40% of your storage could actually go into a back room pantry (turkey roaster, lobster pot, espresso maker...) with hardly any loss of functionality gives you a huge amount of design flexibility.

Three: Prioritize lifestyle choices and preferences. Things like:
- One seat near the prep area so I can help Sonny with his homework while I cook dinner,
- Buffet zone for casual entertaining,
- Cozy seating area for two for morning coffee with Hubby,
- Open sight lines to the TV-watching area or PC so I can supervise the kids,
- Closed sight lines to the dining area so I don't have to see the mess while I eat!

This may sound crazy, but make a list of how your ideal kitchen will function, then rate the items on that list for how important they are to you. Which are deal-killers and which are 'nice to haves'? Also include what activities are daily and what are annual. There's an old adage in real estate: "Don't build the church for Easter Sunday." Apply that to your kitchen plan; plan for your maximum regular use, not for your maximum ever use.

You may not be able to get everything on your list (who can?), but at least you'll be able to choose wisely. By having my inventory and lifestyle choices, I was able to confidently choose the design that met 95% of my lifestyle wants and all of my storage needs over a design that offered much more storage and counter-top space but only 80% of my lifestyle list. Knowing that I didn't need more storage space got me a much better kitchen!

to this:

Details:
Cabinets: locally made--white Shaker style, brushed nickel pulls. The cabinet guys also did the custom woodwork to match our existing woodwork in our older home.
Granite: Bianco Antico (so happy to join this club!! I'm in love. I see new colors and patterns each day)
Paint colors: BM Lenape Trail (It looks really pumpkiny on the photos, but is actually a russet/terra cotta). Cabinets are a custom white-white to match BM Simply White, but the fellows at BM actually said to our painter, "This is the whitest white we've ever matched."
Flooring: cork, Montado Platinum series, "safron"
Sinks: Pro Flo 30" and a smaller prep sink I got on Ebay
Faucets: P/P, "Hanover" and "Marielle"
Appliances: LG refrigerator, DW
Maytag Gemini range (This is working great so far! Five burners and two ovens...and gas is baking evenly, which I worried about after I bought them. I am the queen of buyer's remorse....but all is well) GE Profile MW/Convection oven (again, I wanted a third baking space. It works beautifully. We didn't have room to do a separate set of double ovens, hood and MW drawer)
Lights: Pendants, over-the-sink and TV area lights are all the "schoolhouse" collection from DVI of Canada, purchased locally and shipped. Breakfast nook light: Rejuvenation Hardware
Extras: appliance lift, Blumotion hinges, full-extension sliding drawers, built-in pantry behind fridge, "Butler's pantry" area next to mixer lift, sliding rollout shelves under main sink and over fridge, Never MT, tip-out under main sink, tray slot and separate cutting board slot on island, trash pullout.

Again, thanks so much to everyone for inspiration and wise counsel. This website was a Godsend, and I am so grateful! Happy holidays, everyone.

Here is a link that might be useful: Donna's white-with-warm tones kitchen

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

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

That will still leave the cabinet toe kicks, cabinet crown molding, refrigerator cabinet and sides and two other cabinets, open shelves over garden sink . . . and I think that's it!!

Even though we have come such a looooonnnnngggg way, we aren't done yet so I haven't posted truly finished pics. Oh and by the way, I can't get those wrought iron stools that I love until spring. I bought a couple of inexpensive stools for in the mean time (which I also love, but they just aren't very comfy).

I'd prefer to wait a few more weeks until we are DONE before posting full view pics. What view were you hoping for? Maybe I can take some tight shots for you. Have you seen these newer tight shots that I've posted?

We undertook a remodel of our kitchen, dining room, laundry room this summer. I have been inspired by the "Big Enough" house movement, and was determined to keep our 2000 sq. ft 1936 house true to itself while meeting the needs of our family of five. After 6 years in our house we decided that we really just needed a slightly larger dining room, and that all of our other needs could be met within the original foot print. The kitchen remains 16x9. The main structural changes we made were to bump the dining room out four feet, move the wall next to the refrigerator back 18 inches to create more space for the island and install larger, more energy efficient doors and windows.

Here are best before pics I have.

And here are some after pictures. (The laundry room paint looks day glo in these pics for some reason, but it is the same as all of the other rooms.)

There are more pics in my photobucket album linked below.

Details:
Contractor: Baerenk Construction (fabulous!)
Cabinets: Custom from Western Idaho Cabinets
Counters: Emerald Pearl Granite
Backsplash: Anchor Bay Tile- Soho in Bisque, and black liner from Home Depot. (Thanks to Jgarner53 for inspiration)
Windows: Marvin wood interior, aluminum exterior
Lighting: Schoolhouse electric
Wall Color: BM Windham Cream
Appliances: Existing and too many brand names to mention.
Sink: Sterling McCallister 33x9 single bowl
Faucet: Hanover by?

Favorite things: Emerald Pearl granite: it is stunning and bullet proof, deep single bowl sink, new single level island, dish drawer in island, new pantry.

Thank you again, see the link below for more pics.

Heather

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

Of course, being the die-hard restorationist that I am, either way I would advise against replacing everything with new overlay cabs. :-)

But suppose you are staying there a while. Not everything has to be done right now. I've been working on my kitchen for almost 3 years now. Yes--it can be hard to not have a "finished kitchen." Very hard at times. But I would much, much rather get what I really want in the end. You say, for example, that you would love soaptone, and would prefer to take money from the "cabinet fund" and put it toward that. I also wanted soapstone, but couldn't afford it at the same time we were having some reproduction cabinets done. So for 2 years--yes 2 years!--I had a plywood counter, with plastic (and later marmoleum scraps) stapled to it. And after a while, I kinda forgot about it! A nicer option might be an Ikea butcherblock. But even Ikea butcherblock is more expensive than the cost of plywood and a dropcloth. And now, 2.5 years later, I have my soapstone!

We used a local guy for our cabs, and, uh, we got ripped off. They weren't super expensive, all things considered, but they were more than they are worth, quality wise. So I recommend going local, I also recommend researching whoever is going to do them.

Our original cabs are quite shallow. My main upper run is only about 13" deep! Here it is:

That counter is pretty useless for prep, because it is very shallow, and the space between it and the cabinet is only about 14 inches. But I've been able to make the cabinet space work for me by getting rid of the nonessentials, and really paring down the way I do things in the kitchen. I wish I could come to your house and get you excited about your little space!! I'm just convinced I could make it work on a small budget (spread out over time).

Although this forum has been so absolutely wonderful for me during the past few years (has given me so many ideas, and MOST importantly, has picked me up off the floor when I've been sobbing in a puddle of tears because of the MANY mistakes that have occurred, and the meanie "workers" who have taken advantage of my wimpiness), there have been 2 bad things for me: most of these kitchens are BIG, and have left me wondering how I can ever function well in a small, dysfunctional space. And it often seems like most of these kitchen owners have more "resources" than I will ever have, and I find myself trying to "keep up." For example, after a few years reading this forum, I decided I had to have a Shaw's farm sink. They are very common here, and I decided it was reasonable (based on how common they are here) for my kitchen to have one. But my husband is forever trying to make me understand that just because I see lots of something on this forum doesn't mean that it isn't a high end luxury item that is outside my reach. So he thinks my constant reading of this forum has made me covet things that I can't have. My compromise has been to wait several years for the things I really want. But I have always been the type who would rather have one lovely strand of pearls, than a whole jewelry box full of cheaper stuff. So I am patient...

So I guess what I am trying to say is that it is easy for me to look at the kitchens here, or on the finished kitchen blog, and feel like giving up. Or like going into debt! My husband won't allow the latter, so I've sometimes been left with feeling really deprived and depressed!

But I always pull myself out of that, because I'm so committed to my "original kitchen." The BEST thing about a tiny kitchen is that it is cheaper to fix up! (Btw: I haven't given you any concrete costs, because I don't really know them. But I would speculate our kitchen falls into the under 25k category. Hard to say since so many things, like floors and ventillation piggyback on other whole house items.)

Ok, I'm starting ramble here. Let me throw out a few things I would probably do, if it were my kitchen (realizing that my priorities won't be the same as yours):

1. Keep the dysfunctional window because, despite being a "space hog" it lets in an abundance of light, and is too costly to replace/rebuild. Work around it.

2. Do the necessary heating work to remove radiator, and lay grounds for a hood someday over the stove (put off hood expenses for a few years, and open the window when you cook. This is exactly what I'm currently doing in my own kitchen because the hood I want is friggin 2K!).

3. Put in a vintage, or vintage-looking stove. To me, an important aspect on vintage looking is a no-glass oven door. But new ones are pricey!!!!! What I really like about a vintage stove is that you get excellent cooking performance for a much lower price. AND, if you get a fold down top, you get crucial counter space! Mine was $800, which was double what my miserly husband thought a stove should cost, but far far less than a high-end vintage looking stove. Check craigslist EVERY day. That's how I found mine. Search for Wedgewood, and Okeefe and Merrit. I'm not sure if I would get a Chambers (more available on your Craigslist). Maybe... The stove could stay in present location.

4. Cabinets. I can't see them up close, examine how they are put together, how they could be separated, etc. But from your photo, I'd keep the "hutch like" one on the end. Remove the next 2, and the other lowers on the adjoining wall. I would have a local cabinet maker reproduce lowers to EXACTLY copy the style of the hutch unit. I had this amt. of cabinetry done (paint grade birch), and it was a few thousand dollars. I would probably keep the other upper for now, to save money, with the idea that in another year, I'd have the option of removing it and doing uppers to follow the new lowers along both walls. Does that make sense? From my thinking, that would give you a very nice L-shaped counter work area. The counter area on the hutch is decorative/storage.

5. But what about a dishwasher? I can't live without a dishwasher! Where could I fit in an 18" unit? Personally, I wouldn't be willing to sacrifice the hutch, so I would have to work around that. Would a dishwasher fit on the wall perpendicular to the sink? It looks like it would have to go there. Unless maybe you did a corner sink? Then it could go next to the sink, on either wall.

6. What about the fridge? It looks like there is a corner spot for it? If this is the only location, and, like the stove it has to sit there alone, then I would want it to be as gorgeous as possible! So I would hold out for a retro fridge for 4K! If I had to wait a few years, I would. A retro fridge looks awesome sitting by itself. It is a decorative piece as much as functional. (We don't even have room for a fridge in our kitchen, so it is in the garage!! Again, this is a compromise I made. We might squeeze in a drawer unit someday, but spending thousands for 5 cubic feet of storage makes me choke!)

7. Refinish the pine floors. I would hire this out.

8. Cheap counters; save up for soapstone. Or just stay with butcher block long term. I kind of wish I would have gone with butcher block. I would look for an old piece of wood for the hutch (that's what i waned to do on mine, but husband talked me out of it. I still regret it).

A few other thoughts re: shaker overlay doors. I did these in my former kitchen (that kitchen wasn't original, and I didn't have the knowledge or money to do inset). It looked fine. Lots of folks do these, and they can look lovely. However, when I look at vintage kitchens with inset doors, my knees feel weak, and I know that is my true love. What do your knees tell you? But--you do have that hutch to consider. I wouldn't keep the hutch, and mix in overlay doors. And I'm committed to that hutch! So that removes the option of overlay. Please view the folling kitchens, and see if they make you weak in the knees:

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=5562017f33e593ff&sid=0Has2bFsxca

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimberly4/987754430/in/set-72157601170944612/

http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y281/klb_2000/Kitchen%20Remodel%202006/

Ok, I'll stop for now. I hope this is helpful! Don't give up on your vision!

:-)

francy

And now...the range went in yesterday with the help of 5 burly guys and suddenly we are 98% done. Only some touch-up painting and installation of the DW panel, spice cab door and glass for the glass-front cabinet left to go.

When we are at 100% I'll post a gallery including "before" (yuk) and in-progress. I'll also include the new laundry area, at the extreme far end of these photos. For now, see below for shots of the kitchen. We made a few concessions to modernity, e.g., sacrificing the butler's pantry for 5 more feet of galley length and opening up the arch in the foreground--it used to be a narrow mahogany swinging door. Yet we wanted a kitchen worthy of our grand old Spanish Colonial Revival home. We think she is happy! Details at the very bottom.

Range - CornuFe in basic black.

Frig - Liebherr 60" built-in.

DW - Miele Optima with panel front. Panel is still at the paint shop.

Cabinets - locally made face-frame of birch with inset panel & bead detail on doors, melamine interiors, Blumotion hinges and all the internal bells & whistles.

Countertops - Brazilian Black soapstone, not oiled yet, with radiused corners and eased edge. Runnels by the sink. Mahogany top on the beadboard hutch.

Sinks - Rohl Shaws original 30" apron and 15" undermount prep with ISE Evolution disposers.

Faucets - Kohler Vinnata (K-690, K-691)in brushed nickel.

Cab hardware - "Duluth" 6" pulls and 1.25" knobs in brushed nickel from Restoration Hardware.

Appliance pulls - Top Knobs 12" pulls in BN. The DW will have one mounted horizontally--also serves as towel rack!

Floors - Original 1930 tongue-in-groove fir, sanded, repaired and refinished after removing 2 layers of linoleum.

Windows - Custom arched 3-lite pull casement, based on a ~1930 design I saw in the neighborhood.

Lighting - Schoolhouse Electric, all fluorescent GU24 except the pendants (too small for GU24 bulbs). Different ceiling mounts in kitchen, pantry and laundry.

Hood - Best PIK 45 with custom arched drywall enclosure and remote switch.

Tile Mural - our little secret! (JK, it's from Tierra y Fuego in San Diego.)

Backsplash - custom 2.5 x 5" Chardonnay color handmade subway by Ken Mason.

Paint - all BM, Country Lane green accent, Ivory White wall base color, Lemon Chiffon on cabs and trim.

Our CKD is Dana Jones, "The Kitchen Consultant," in Long Beach, CA. Our vision + Dana's creativity and attention to detail (this is Version 7 of the plan!) + our GC Bob Kaplan's superb and flexible execution = a nice result. We are well over time but pretty darn close to budget. We learned a LOT here. Hope you like it!

Just finished playground, dog walk, supper, tubbies, bedtime and logged on and got all excited again because of your enthusiastic support!

I'll try to answer questions:

Soapstone meets the window behind the sink (thanks GW). Carpenter now needs to trim the window.

Cabinets are inset, single bead in BM White Dove.

Marble is honed calacatta, 5 cm

Soapstone is "grey soapstone" according to the slab info, but based on its origin (they said Vermont or Brazil) & its appearance, my guess is Green Mountain Original.

Both slabs came from Marble & Granite in Westwood, MA. I went for my first visit way back in December & picked both within minutes. Then waited 8 months!

We don't live there yet, new construction-but I'll be making visits to caress those counters...

Can't wait to have more progress pics to share.

Thanks all,
Katie

Hope I'm not putting too many pictures!

Quick description (feel free to contact me if you have questions)
-Soapstone: Julia
-Cabinets: Custom, inset/flush shaker style with single bead (waiting to see if we get some issues resolved before I recommend the cabinet maker)
-Bookcase and desk tops: walnut
-Sharp microwave oven drawer (love it!)
-GE fridge
-Shaw 30 inch apron sink
-Wolf range top
-Thermador double ovens
-Vent-a-hood hood
-Dal tile
-potfiller: Newport Brass
-hot/cold faucet Newport Brass
-Main faucet: Mico
-Door to garage: one panel painted with chalkboard paint...fun! The kids love this and it's fun to put messages to guests, each other, holiday wishes, etc.
-Pull out baskets (love these...I keep bread in one and potatoes, onions, etc. in the other)
-Wine shelf--love it!
-Bar stools from Sturbridge Yankee Workshop (love these and they were so reasonable!)
-What would I do differently? More than 12 inch overhang on seating area of island (maybe 14-16 inch). And I might skip the bead board in the backs of the bookshelfs and glass cabs.

Happy kitchen designing to all! Thank you again!

I do think that the 40" of space in between our island and the collumn (and imaginary line extending from that), plus the hallway space before our couch is gigantic. I do think a few more inches on my island would have been fine because there is so much space. But, it's also become this standing/hanging out place during parties, so having the open room is nice. I'm 5'5" and find that I go all the way to the other side to clean the island anyway. But I'm pregnant, so big belly is starting to get in the way. blah, blah, blah...long way of saying you could get away with the extra 6".

On the back side of our angled peninsula, we have a large decorative panel that looks like the cabinet doors. Rather than just nailing or screwing the panel to the back of the peninsula cabinet, I attached it with accuride cabinet slides so that it can slide to the side exposing the triangular gap between the cabinets along the wall and the peninsula cabinet, which can be used as additional "secret" storage.

Also because there was no room for a broom closet in the new kitchen, I made one just around the corner from the kitchen in the living room.
However having a normal door there would have looked really out of place. So this is the solution I came up with:

Details:
DW, Fridge, microwave/convection oven (Kitchen Aid)
6 burner dual-fuel 36" range (Thermador)
Thermador Traditional Silent 42" Hood w/remote blower
Perimeter countertop Black Minas Soapstone from Dorado Soapstone
Island Countertop Honed Statuario Marble
Perimeter Cabinets custom built with BM Simply White paint
Island Custom Built Alder
Floor Owens PlankFloor 6" Walnut with Satin Water Based Polyurethane
Delta Allura Faucet and soap dispenser
Danze Pot Filler
Cabinet hardware from Restoration Hardware

Cabinets: Crown Point - Paper and Black Walnut Polished Nickel Hardware
Counters - Calacatta Marble
Island - Black Walnut from Grothouse Lumber with a durata finish (satin)
Pendants - Hudson Valley 8" Polished Nickel
Backsplash- Ann Sacks 2x2 onyx and 3X6 crackle subway tile
Range - Lancanche Cluny
Original leaded glass butler's pantry
Floor - QS white oak
wall color - SW Repose
Butler's Pantry color - BM Edgecomb gray
Sinks - Shaw farmhouse and round prep sink
Main Faucet - Newport Brass in Polished Nickel
Soap Dispenser- rohl polished nickel

Trisha

That's a pretty big dog & cat (don't know if that's big...is it?) I hope they get along! But, all your DF's cat has to do is give your dog a swipe on the nose & your dog will know who's boss! :-)

Our Pet Center is really just a place to store all the misc things associated with our dogs...we have 2 standard poodles (40 lbs & 50 lbs). We store dog food in a 6-1/2 gallon can that originally held popcorn from The Popcorn Factory (great popcorn, btw!) We store treats in a 3-gallon can from them as well.

We have a 27" wide cabinet right next to where we feed our dogs that holds food, treats, and miscellaneous other things (leashes, etc.)

It's a "big" deal only b/c of what we did to do it and where it's located. Our dogs' "home base" is in the Foyer. They're fed there and, since it's a Foyer, there's really no place for their food & things.

Our kitchen has a doorway directly to the Foyer. There's a little "alcove" right against the kitchen wall on the Foyer side and that's where we put the dogs' dishes.

Our kitchen is a modified "U" with the long base against the wall shared w/the Foyer. The two short legs of the "U" are both open...one to the DR and the other right next to the Foyer doorway.

We have a corner prep sink on the DR leg. Originally, I was going to put in a super susan in the opposite corner where I had intended to store all my small appliances. But, one day I casually mentioned to my DH that I wondered how a "Pet Center" there instead would work...he was hooked! I immediately lost my super susan!!!

What we did was take a standard 27" wide base cabinet and turn it 90^o. This way, the doors/drawer open facing out...in our case facing the Foyer doorway. We got a regular base w/the shallow drawer on top and two roll-out trays in the bottom (full-extension...very important!). [We made it 27" so it would act as the needed filler on the kitchen side so drawers on both sides would clear each others handles: 24" + 3".]

I put the bottom shelf as low as I could and lined it with inexpensive cushion-y shelf liner. I put the 6-1/2-gallon & 3-gallon cans on it. (The shelf liner helps keep the roll-out tray clean.)

We put the top roll-out tray as far up as we could and put things like their leashes, extra collars, pet medicines, etc. in it.

The top drawer holds our flashlights & batteries...also handy in that location if we want to walk the dogs at night (we have an electric fence around our entire 3-acre yard, so we rarely walk them). It's also a good location if the power goes out...easy to get to & no obstacles.

What would I do differently? A couple of things:

(1) It turned out we we needed almost 6" b/c we put the warming drawer next to the leg & with its handle it sticks out almost 6". If I had realized that, I would have made the Pet cabinet 30" wide instead of 27". We now have about 2-1/2" of real filler on the leg. Oh well.

(2) We got standard base cabinets with 2 doors. Both doors have to be opened before we can pull out the shelf w/the dog food (and the roll-out tray has to be all the way in b/f I can close the doors...and we have soft-close drawers/roll-out trays). What I should have done is gotten 1 door the full width and then attached the bottom roll-out tray to it...then I could just pull it open with one action. The top roll-out tray could still be where it is. This would have been like a trash pullout.

Now, what you need to know if you turn a cabinet around for whatever reason...

* The cabinet that you turn around will have to have a toe kick built into the back of it since the back wall of cabinet is generally flush to the floor w/the back of the cabinet carcass.

* Either the cabinet(s) next to it on the leg will also have to have toe kicks built into them to match the cabinet turned around.
...Or, have the turned around cabinet built w/o a toe kick on the front.

* The back of the cabinet turned around will also need to be finished to match the fronts.

* The toe kick & finishing on the back of the cabinet turned around need to be done b/c the 3" (or more) that will "show" on the inside of the "U" will need to match the cabinets inside the "U"...finish & toe kick.

Oh, and you will need filler b/w the back of that cabinet & the first cabinet in the base of the "U" to allow the drawers to clear the handles of the cabinets on the leg.

And, of course, the obligatory pictures!

BTW...we put the top shelf back in (this pic says we took it out)

I needed depth for our toaster oven but didn't have the space to make the garage deeper due to the proximity to a window. We are very happy with this recessed solution. There is a BR closet on the other side of the wall - the space between the sheetrock made the difference for us!

The interior is a hair under 17" and we had an outlet installed inside, of course.

View with door closed

The marble is Danby VT marble (claims to be denser than most granites and is sold as being suitable for use in kitchens) and it is 1.25" thick.

It is slightly polished, not a full mirror polish. I asked the fabricator to try to match the sheen of my perimeter counters which are Caesarstone Raven "polished". (You may or may not know that polished Caesarstone, silestone, zodiac, etc does not have nearly as high a reflective sheen as polished marble and granite).

How is the marble holding up? Well, as you can see in the pictures, it is beautiful looking when not looked at too closely. However, there is etching all over the place, which basically looks like "water stains" or glass rings or splotches that need wiping up, but can't be wiped up, etc. We're planning to have it honed in the near future so that future, unavoidable etching won't show as much. Meanwhile, it didn't take long to learn to stop noticing every new etch mark since there was no way to prevent it except by not using the counters!

The first was a list of everything I had in my old kitchen plus everything that should have been stored in the kitchen but wasn't.

The second document was a "map" of my kitchen. First, I took a picture of my kitchen design and, in MS PowerPoint, labeled each cabinet & shelf/drawer. There were two pictures, one for each side of the kitchen. Then, I saved them as "jpg" images. I then inserted them into an MS Word document, each on its own page. I then created a table with one row for each shelf/drawer.

My last step was to map the items from the first document to the cabinets & shelves/drawers in the second document.

That document is now in our new kitchen and is used by everyone to remember where everything goes.

This process worked great!

Now, here's my map/list (sorry the pics are so big, but when I made them smaller they were illegible!):

HTH!

Once you've finalized your basic design, it's time to analyze your storage needs in each zone. The results of that analysis will drive the size/configuration of your cabinets and drawers. (The following is a general write-up I've come up with...)

1. First, make a list of everything you plan to store in your new kitchen, regardless of where it's stored now...kitchen, basement, dining room, etc.


2. Next, take the list and group the items according to function. Will they be used during prep? cooking? baking? cleanup? Some items, like pot holders, may belong in two different zones (in this case, cooking & baking). You can either find storage between the two zones or have duplicates and store one in each zone.


3. Now, determine where each of your zones will be (prep, cleanup, cooking, baking, storage, etc.)

The next step depends on the stage you are in the design/order process...
4. If you've already ordered your cabinets, then you will have to work with what you have. So...


• Identify the storage potential in each zone and list them on a piece of paper with a section for each cabinet (base & upper) and one line per drawer or shelf in that cabinet. This includes your pantry for your "storage" zone.


• Take the two lists and, while imagining yourself working in each zone, put the dishes, tools, etc. that you will be using in cabinets in that zone. Fill in the lines in the cabinet list with these items.

If you are still in the design phase, you will have the opportunity to plan your storage to meet your needs in each zone.
• Take your list and imagine yourself working in each zone.


• Go through the motions to determine the best locations for each item that will be used and stored in that zone (don't forget that you will probably have both upper and lower cabinets).


• Now that you know where to put the items, determine what the best way is to store those items (drawer, shelf, etc.) and what size (e.g., pots & pans work best in 30" or 36" drawers)


• Lastly, transfer what you've done to your design & tweak as necessary.

You should now have a well-thought out and highly functional kitchen!

This not only helps you to "see" how things will fit, but it also will help when you move back into the kitchen...you won't have to think about it, you'll be able to just put things away. It will also be a handy "map" for everyone to help find things the first few weeks w/o having to open every drawer or door!

Oh, and don't forget the Junk Drawer! Most people end up with one, so you may as well plan for it so you at least have control over where it's located!

Common Zones, Appliances In That Zone, and Suggestions For What To Store There:

• Storage--pantry & refrigerator--tupperware, food, wraps & plastic bags


• Preparation--sink & trash--utensils, measuring cups/spoons, mixing bowls, colander, jello molds, cutting boards, knives, cook books, paper towels


• Cooking--cooktop/range & MW--utensils, pot holders, trivets, pots & pans, serving dishes (platters, bowls, etc.), paper towels


• Baking--ovens/range--utensils, pot holders, trivets, pots & pans, casserole dishes, roasting rack, cooling racks, cookie sheets, foils, rolling pin, cookie cutters, pizza stone, muffin tins, paper towels


• Cleanup--sink & DW & trash--detergents, linens, dishes & glasses, flatware


• Eating--island/peninsula/table/nook/DR--table linens, placemats, napkins, dishes & glasses, flatware


• Utility--broom, dustpan, swifter, mop, cleaning supplies, cloths, flashlights, batteries, extension cords


• Message Center--phones, charging station, directories/phone books, calendar, desk supplies, dry erase board or chalkboard

Less Common Zones:

• Tea/Coffee Bar--coffeemaker--mugs, teas/coffees, sugar, teapot


• Pet Zone--feeding area--food, snacks

Commonly Used Items: pots & pans, utensils, small appliances, linens, pot holders, trivets, dish detergents, "Tupperware", knives, pitchers, water bottles, vases, picnic supplies, cook books, etc.

Foods: Spices, Breads, Flours/Sugars, Teas/Coffees, Potatoes, Onions, Canned Goods, Dry Goods (rice, pasta, etc.), Cereals, Snacks

Small Appliances: Toaster, Stand and/or Hand Mixer, Blender, Breadmaker, Toaster Oven, Food Processor, Crockpot, Waffle Iron, Electric Skillet, Coffeemaker, Coffee Grinder, Ricer, Steamer

NOTE: If your ceiling or one or more of your walls is coming down, consider wiring for speakers, TV, Computer, etc.

Here's a pic showing my pull-out trash/recycling, my warming drawer (much prefer it here rather than under my wall oven!) and other storage drawers. Note the tall, narrow door which I had made deeper than it looks so it can store all my cutting boards, including the one we use to carve a turkey! It's next to the garbage pull-out. There is a small shelf on top for small cutting boards, and the larger ones fit on the bottom. The bottom section is about 5 inches deeper than it appears to be. You can sort of see what I'm talking about in the next picture showing the inside of the cabinets where the stools go.

Here's a pic showing storage space for rarely used items in cabinets behind stool area.

Okay, here we go. These questions come from the thread on the discussions side where I solicited questions from everyone for this thread. These are in the order they were asked:

Q) What are the different types of tiles you can use in a bathroom and what are the advantages/disadvantages of each?

A) There are several types of tile available. They fall into two general groups: ceramic and natural stone. I'll take these one at a time:

Ceramic tile-- For purposes of this discussion, there's glazed conventional, unglazed porcelain, and glazed porcelain. All three are good tiles for bathroom use, but the porcelain is a better choice only because of its density and lack of water absorbsion, which makes upkeep and cleaning easier. Also, with reference to steam showers, you DO NOT want to use natural stone, being that the steam would tend to permeate into the stone even more readily than liquid water, and could end up giving you algae problems, as well as mold and mildew problems, unless you don't mind being tied down to your bathroom.

Natural Stone-- There are several types of stone that are used in bathrooms. It doesn't necessarily mean that they're all GOOD IDEAS for bathrooms, expecially the softer (and more absorbant) stones, such as slate or limestone. Now, I know I'm going to get a world of flack about this from epople who have bathrooms finished in these materials. I know they CAN be used.... so long as you're aware of the extra upkeep involved. But if you're someone who doesn't like to keep after things, you may want to pick an easier material to maintain. Generally speaking, the softer the stone, the more the upkeep. Limestone being the softer of the stones, and that would include travertine, next would be many slates (although some would actually be harder than even most marbles, such as brazilian and british slates), then marbles, with quartzite and granite rounding off the list as the harder and more dense stones that you could use.

Q) What should I be sure to look for when choosing tile for a bathroom?

A) Short answer-- something that you like! The bathroom is the one place that just about anything the showroom has can be used. The only limitations are basically the upkeep you want to put in, and slip resistance on the floors of your bathroom and shower. Now, although ceramic tile is basically maintenence free, you don't want to use something with a texture to it that will catch all kinds of junk in the shower, making it more difficult to keep clean. At the same time, you don't want to use a polished stone or bright glazed ceramic tile for the shower floor, either. These both CAN be used, but again, it comes down to upkeep for textured wall tile, and doing something to rectify the slippery floor.

Q) Where should I use tile and where not?

A) Tile can be used on every single surface in the bathroom, if that's what you like. This is all a matter of taste... for the most part. About the only place where there's a requirement is any place there's a showerhead involved. If tile is to be used either in a shower or a tub/ shower combo, The tile MUST go up to a minimum of 72" off the floor. Past that, it's up to the disgression of the owner.

Q) What size tile and what layout patterns to use in various areas?

A) Again, this is a subjective question that can really only be answered by the owner. The ONLY place where there's a recommendation for mechaincal reasons is on a shower floor. TCNA recommends that mothing bigger than 6" be used on shower floors due to the cone shape of the floor's pitch. In addition, most installers will request no bigger than 4", and prefer a 2x2 tile to work with on the shower floor. This is also advantageous to the homeowner who'll be showering in there, because the added grout joints will add more traction to the floor.

Now, I've heard many times that you shouldn't use large format tiles in a small area like a powder room floor, and if you have a wide open bathroom, you don't want to use real small tiles. My response to both is the same-- HORSEHOCKEY. I've done bathrooms both ways-- 24x24 diagonal in a 3' wide powder room, and 1" hex ceramic mosaics in an open 100 sq. ft. bathroom floor. The rule of thumb is if you like it, it's right!

Q) How do I find/choose someone to install the tile?

A) Many people will tell you to get names from the showroom you get your tile from. This is no good, unless the showroom is willing to take responsibility for the installer by either having them on payrool, or as a subcontract. Then they have something to lose if they give you a bad installer. Many people will also tell you to get references and to actually check them out. This ALSO doesn't work. I've been in this work for just under 30 years now, and I've yet to find a single installer who ever gave the name of someone they had a problem with. They say even a blind squirrel will find a nut once in a while. The same can be said for "fly-by-nights" and good work.

So if you can't trust recommendations, and checking references is a lost cause, what do you do? REVERSE THE PROCESS!! Instead of finding an installer and getting references, get references, and thru them, find your installer!! No matter where you live, if you drive around, you'll find constructions sites and developements. Stop and ask who the GC uses. Get a name and phone number. Sooner or later, after asking around enough, you're going to find that the same names will begin to show up time and time again. THESE are the guys you want to use. But don't expect a bargain price, and be prepared to wait, because these guys will be in high demand, even in the worst of times, and they may demand a bit higher price, but they'll be worth every penny, if for no other reason, just because of the peace of mind they'll give you in knowing you're getting a good quality installation. Ask anyone who's gone through this experience, good or bad-- that alone is worth its weight in gold.

Q) What are the proper underlayments for tile?

A) There are several, and I'll take them one at a time:

CBU (cementitious Backer Units)-- This is the term that generally covers all cement boards (such as Wonderboard or Durock) or cement fiber boards (such as Hardibacker). This is the most common used tile underlayment. Generally speaking, it comes in two thicknesses-- 1/2" and 1/4"-- and each has its use. !/2" must be used for wall installations, due to the fact that the 1/4" is way too flimsy with nothing to back it up, and would flex too much to last. Besides, the 1/2" CBU will usually match up nicely to most sheetrocks. The 1/4" is used for floor installations, unless the added height of the 1/2" is needed to match up to other floorings. Being that neither has very much structural strength, so long as the subfloor is 3/4" or more, the 1/4" CBU is all that's needed. Keep in mind that even though it's basically fiberglass reinforced concrete, the only thing it adds to the floor is a stable bonding surface, so the 1/4" will do just fine. One place where alot of contractors will try and shortcut is by using greenboard instead of CBU for shower walls. This is expressly forbidden in the IRC (International Residential Code) by the following code:

IRC Greenboard Code:
The 2006 International Residential Code (IRC) states in
Section R702.4.2 that "Cement, fiber-cement or glass mat
gypsum backers in compliance with ASTM C1288, C1325
or C1178 and installed in accordance with manufacturers’
recommendations shall be used as backers for wall tile in
tub and shower areas and wall panels in shower areas."

The 2006 IRC also states in Section R702.3.8.1 that
"Water-resistant gypsum backing board [Greenboard] shall
not be used where there will be direct exposure to water."

Membranes-- There are several around that work well over many different surfaces. Most of them are what's called "Crack Isolation Membranes". Just about every manufacturer has one, from trowel ons or roll ons, such as Hydroment's Ultraset or Laticrete's 9235 or Hydroban, to sheet membranes such as Noble's CIS membrane. All will give the tile a little more protection against movement than just going over CBU. However, there's another class of membranes called "uncoupling membranes" of which the most popular by far is Schluter's Ditra, that are made from bonding two layers together, usually a fabric fleece backing and a plastic sheeting with dovetailed waffling to "lock" the thinset in place ( as opposed to accepting a thinset BOND). These membranes will, as their name implies, uncouple their two layers in case of movement, to save the floor, and for thinset floors, it's the most protection you can give your tile floor.

Plywood-- This is one where I get the most flack. I'm one of a dying breed that still believes in tiling directly over plywood. However, I can very well understand the reluctance of the industry to embrace this installation method, even though the TCNA DOES approve of its use for interior installations (Those with a handbook can check Method F-149). The reason I say that is it's a very "tempermental installation method. You need to be very familiar with what you're doing, or you risk failure. There are even many pros I wouldn't trust to tile using this method. Everything you do is important, from the species of plywood used, to the direction the grain is laid with relation to the joists, to how it's gapped, and a host of other specs, as well-- many of which won't be found in the handbook, and if you miss just one of them, you're flirtin with disaster. All in all, when people ask me about it, I tell them that with the membranes available, there's no need to go directly over plywood. There are other methods that will give you just as long lasting a floor, and aren't NEARLY as sensitive.

Mudset-- This is the oldest, and still, after THOUSANDS of years of use, the strongest installation method available. In a mudset installation, a minimum of 1 1/4" of mortar called "drypack" (mixed to the consistancy of damp sand) is either bonded to a concrete slab, or laid down over tarpaper or 6 mil poly with wire reinforcement, packed, and then screaded off to flat level (or pitched) subfloor. This is what most people see when tiling a shower pan. Initially, the mud will be a somewhat soft subfloor. But over time, if mixed properly, it'll be stronger than concrete.

Q) What are the proper tile setting compounds?

A) This is one where I could write a book. It all depends on what kind fo tile you're installing, and what the underlayment is that you're going over. I'll give a generalized list:

Polymer/ latex modified thinset: For all intents and purposes, this is the "cure-all". For almost any installation the modified thinset, which is basically portland cement, silica sand, and chemical polymers added for strength, will work. There are some that are specialized, such as the lightweight non-sag thinsets (such as Laticrete's 255 or Mapei's Ultralite), or the high latex content thinsets (like Latictrete's 254 Platinum or Hydroment's Reflex), but with the exception of going over some membranes, there's a modified thinset for every installation.

Unmodified thinset: This is the same as above, but with no polymers added. It's usually used in conjunction with a liquid latex additive, but will also be used mixed with water for going over some membranes. It's also used as a bedding for all CBU's.

Medium Bed Mortars-- This is a relatively new class of setting mortars, used mainly for large format tiles, where the normal notched trowels just don't put down enough material, and with thinset, it would be too much, causing too much shrinkage as it dries, causing voids under, and poor bond to, the tile, but at the same time, there's not enoough room for a mudset installation. This mortar is usually used with either a 1/2x1/2" or 1/2x3/4" notched trowel.

Mastics and Premixed Thinsets: THESE HAVE VERY LIMITED USES!! Let me say that again-- THESE HAVE VERY LIMITED USES!! They work well for vertical installations, where the tile used is 8x8 or less, and it's not a wet area. ALL THREE of those conditions must be met!! I know just about every pail of type 1 mastic says it can be used in showers except for the floor. DON'T BELIEVE IT!! Also, both mastic and premixed thinset (which is just mastic with a fine sand mixed in to give it bulk) claim they can be used for floor installations. Unfortunately, for the amount of material needed under virtually all floor tiles to bond to the subfloor, neither of these will fully harden. I had a personal experience where I helped a sister in law across country, telling her husband exactly how to do his main floor, what to use, and how to use it. Unfortunately, he went to the big box store to get his tile and materials, and they talked him into using premixed thinset. I didn't hear about it until SIX MONTHS LATER when his tile and grout joints started showing cracks all over the floor. When he called me I asked him what he used for thinset, and sure enough, this is when he told me. I told him to pull one of the tiles, and SIX MONTHS LATER, IT WAS STILL SOFT!!! DOn't let them talk you into it!! Use the proper thinset, and don't try and shortcut your installation. You're spending alot of money for it to be "just practice"!!

Q) How do you deal with different thicknesses of tile?

A) Whatever it takes. I've used membranes, built up the amount of thinset being used, I've even doubled up tiles when it worked out that way. Whatever it takes to get the two tiles to be flush toeach other.

Q) What are the typical tools required to lay tile?

A) Generally speaking, this is a list for just about all installations. Some may require specialized tools, but this would be for all:

Proper sized notched trowel
measuring tape
chalk line
margin trowel
nippers
high amp low speed drill and mixing paddle (best would be 6 amp or better and less than 400 rpm)
several buckets
score and snap cutter for straight ceramic cuts
4 1/2" grinder with a continuous rim dry diamond blade for ceramic, anything other than straight cuts
wet saw (can be used for ALL cuts, ceramic or stone)
grout float
hydra grout sponges (2-- once for grouting, one for cleaning)
24" and 48" levels (for vertical work)
heavy duty extension cords
KINEE PADS!! :-)
screwgun or nailgun (where CBU will be used)

Q) What about tile spacing and tpes of grout?

A) According to Dave Gobis from the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation in Pendleton, South Carolina, there will finally be a new standard for ceramic tile next year. The tolerances are shrinking. There will also be a standard for rectified tile. Along with that, there will be a revision to the installation standards that will specifically recommend a grout joint no less than 3 times the variation of the tile. For rectified tile the minimum grout joint width will be .075 or just over a 1/16".

As for grout, there's only one thing that determines whether you use sanded or unsanded grout, and that's the size of the grout joint. Anything less than 1/8" you use unsanded grout. 1/8" or larger, you need to use sanded grout. The reason is that the main ingredient in grout is porland cement, which tends to shrink as it dries. In joints 1/8" or larger, the grout will shrink way too much and end up cracking ans shrinking into the joint. The sand give the grout bulk, and the sanded grout won't shrink nearly as much and therefore, can be used in the larger joints.

Details:

Cabinets Medallion Santa Cruz inset with Divinity finish
Countertop Green Mountain Original P.A. Soapstone
Butcherblock Custome made Endgrain in cherry with walnut trim
Backsplash Subway Ceramics subway tile in glossy white. Outlet covers came from them as well.
Hardware Oil Rub Bronze
Latches-Rejuvination.com
Cup pulls- Deltana Elongated Cup Pulls from www.cabinetpull.com
Knobs Restoration Hardware
Range Wolf 30" Duel Fuel
Refrigerator Liebherr 30" counter depth
Microwave Sharp 24" Drawer Microwave
Dishwasher Miele Optima
Disposal Insinkerator Evolutoin Compact
Vent Sirius 30in
Sink 30" Rohl Shaws Farm Sink
Prep sink Rohl Allia prep sink
Faucets Perrin and Rowe
Under Cabinet Lighting Kichler Xenon
Pendants Don't know! Came with house. Similar pendants at www.rejuvination.com
Paint Walls- Sherwin Williams Rice Grain in eggshell, Trim- Sherwin Williams Alabaster in gloss
Ceiling Height 9 feet
Space Roughly 11 x 15

Here is a link that might be useful: Creamy White and Soapstone Kitchen

As promised over on kit forum -

Here's pics of master bath done last yr.

Rittenhouse subways and "no name" 1" hex w/a matte glaze - I searched everywhere for those! I think AMerican Olean does carry them - I found them at a local tile place for hmm I think 5$ sq ft

Mapei silver for grout

I would steer clear of any white grout - just a beast to keep clean over time

I had nearly enough room to fit a 5'6" tub but went for the niche instead - storage is an issue esp w/console sink

this was a chest of drawers I re-did & put glass knobs & carrara top on

Bill V was a HUGE help!

So much so - that he encouraged me to do my 1st tile job w/leftover tile

Good Luck!