I can deal with not cleaning the brick during/right after construction, but DH is worried about general maintenance & durability of the finish as time goes on--cleaning the brick, spider web removal in the eaves, cleaning the soffits, garage doors, windows, etc. Having never lived in a brick home before (we've always had vinyl siding which we pressure washed every 2 years or so) we're not sure what proper protocol is with brick home maintenance. Are you ever supposed to pressure wash brick in general? And if you are, how often? Would you pressure wash the other exterior areas and if so, how to protect the brick? Is this going to be a major headache? If pressure washing is an issue, how does sand faced brick hold up to the elements (snow, rain, sleet, wind, etc) over time?

Any insight is appreciated. Thanks!

Anyway, here are the details:
Appliances: all KitchenAid, except for the Sharp MW drawer
in the island. Range is 36" dual fuel, with a
griddle.
Cabinets: Mid-Continent, maple painted white, with soft
close drawers and doors. We chose all wood
construction.
Perimeter counters: Honed Carerra marble
Island top: Dark walnut, with a mineral oil finish
Floors: 5" wide white oak, stained 75% jacobean, 24% dark
walnut.
Lighting: Pendants, Quiozel, I think. Breakfast chandy is
Overstock.com!

Things I love so far: 1. Soft close!! Love!! Although we have it on all the drawers in the house, we only did the doors on the kitchen and butler's pantry cabs. Wish we had done it everywhere.
2. KA dishwasher and range...both of these have been wonderful so far, DW is so quiet and cleans really well. Range and oven are very easy to use and have nice, consistant heat. Plus, I think very pretty! :)
3. MW drawer...so awesome, love it to pieces!
4. Under cab lights...never had these before, we have them on a dimmer, they are wonderful.
5. Walnut top...everyone who visits swoons over it...it is a wonderful, warm surface.

Things I DON'T love:
1. Fridge! Counter-depth french door is awful! We had to buy an auxiliary fridge for the garage, and I am contemplating adding a fridge drawer to the island.
2. The distance from the range wall to the island seems a scooch too big, I think it is 48". I could have moved the island a few inches closer to the range.

I will do a seperate post about my experience with honed vs. polished marble (I have polished in the master bath.) There are pros and cons to each, I have found.

Anyway, Nini's kitchen!

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/build/msg0708180218905.html - unique/favorite features in your build....

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/build/msg051803107471.html - Things you couldn't live without or wish you had added

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/build/msg012331272427.html - What things did you find needed adjusting or changed?

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/build/msg052337148911.html - is there anything you wish you had done

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/build/msg1011400927581.html - What about your new build makes your life easier; what doesn't ?

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/build/msg0913570232282.html - Brands/Products That I'd Use Again

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/build/msg0321442732113.html - Share your best sites for deals on supplies!

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/build/msg0818041222629.html - To help others - Things I would do different and things i love!

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/build/msg021705141306.html - Things I wish I'd specified on my plans

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/build/msg0120301431285.html - It's been two years...what I've learned, would change, etc...

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/build/msg0901543214301.html - Biggest Mistakes?

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/build/msg0521381417863.html - Help!!! Have I forgotten anything?

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/build/msg122305046544.html - designing electrical in house

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/build/msg0316075322256.html - doing whole house audio

My kitchen is very large (53 feet of cabinets including a 13 foot island) and includes a lot of fancy details (custom color match, three piece crown molding w/ rope around whole kitchen including breakfast nook, mirrored panels on the fridge and additional cabinet, all glass uppers, all deep drawers w/ full extension, soft close on every cabinet and drawer, pull out trash modified to work w/ foot pedal meant for frameless cabinets, tons of corbels and carvings and appliques, all custom inserts, multiple pull-out work surfaces, an island bumped up to accommodate hidden silverware drawers, furniture feet, pull out spice racks and more that I can't even remember).

I cannot begin to recommend Dutch Wood highly enough. They are doing cabinets in every single room of my house, from the pantry to the conservatory to the dog room to the closets. Every single thing they have done thus far as been exquisite, especially things that are difficult to do like blue stained and gray stained cabinets and achieving an even stain. They never said no to any request, just figured out a way to make things work. They were responsive, timely, got back to emails right away, and are doing all of the installation w/ me being 5 1/2 hrs. away without one single problem.

Feel free to email me off list if you would like and I will send you the detailed proposal that I received so you can see the exact breakdown in cost (it's about 3 pages long).

capecodder: Our cabinets are by Mark Miller of M.A. Miller, LLC. He is an amish cabinetmaker in Middlefield, OH. He is fantastic to work with and we could not love our cabinets more. They are beautifully made - very strong - and all of the inserts, specialties, etc are great. They were much more affordable then semi-custom lines that we checked out and so much nicer. He did our bathroom vanities as well as our family room built-ins and we will have him do more in the future (i.e. the pantry :) ) He does work all over the country - from DC to San Francisco - his contact info: Mark Miller 440-636-5697.

Bee: thanks so much - from your threads and your last space I know your kitchen is going to be absolutely gorgeous as well! We actually lucked out on our fridge - we weren't even considering it and our appliance store had it as a floor model! It was my dh's dream fridge but out of our budget until we discovered that deal. It sounds like you got a great deal as well!

boschboy: it is beadboard on the ceiling! That was a feature I knew I wanted from the start and I look at it and love it everyday! We used Azek composite 6"x18' beadboard planks and finished it with oil-based paint.

athomesewing: thanks so much! The fridge is wonderful - definitely exceeded my expectations on performance (and I was expecting a lot given the price msrp!) and I love the drawers. We are a family of 6 (three little ones and my sister lives with us) and there is more than enough space in the fridge and freezer for us. And yes - it's gorgeous to look at :) I think we get the most compliments on the fridge.

tea4all: our floors are stained Early American. I thought about going darker but I just didn't want the added upkeep and this was the perfect medium stain for us!

eugenie11: I was like your dh - very worried about keeping it looking neat... but I really haven't stressed about it and it always looks great - I think the overall affect outweighs any possible disarray.

taggie: the pullouts by the range are a favorite detail of mine! They are oversized drawers - one has dividers for trays, cutting boards, baking sheets, etc. In the other I have my crockpot and other oversized pots that I use often. I can post a pic if you like.

Hubby and I are in disagreement about how high to run the cabinets. I'd like them to go all the way to the ceiling. I think it looks a bit more finished. Especially if they are topped with molding, and don't just end into a soffit. He wants to stop around 8ft and do a soffit. We are both on the taller side (i'm 5ft 7 and he is 6ft 2) so reaching the highest cabs isnt really an issue, realizing that most of what will be stored up there would be rarely used items anyway. I thought about making those cabs glass front and storing some of our "bar" ware up there. Since the "back" wall will have no uppers, and the side wall will have the fridge, microwave (NOT OTR), and cook top (so few uppers there as well), I am certain will can find use to fill those cabs.

If you have 9 ft ceilings, could you share some pics? I'm curious what others have done.

Here is a link that might be useful: similar kitchen layout

We are almost done. Just a kitchen table, island stools, desk area chair and accessories to go. Our project started in June and was substantially complete a few days before Christmas.

Unfortunately, I don't have before photos handy and used my iphone to snap these shots. Sorry for the quality. Our old kitchen was L shaped as well, a galley style with eating area. We had white 80's cabinets (solid door) with soffits. Counters were white square tile. Our worst feature was the powder room in the kitchen space and window that faced into our neighbors house (current range wall.) We expanded our kitchen by pushing out the range wall. Other than that we had to work within the space. Our main goals were moving the powder room out of the kitchen, storage, fitting in an island and eating area and respecting the age of our home (1906).

I am happy to share any details if anyone is interested.

Thanks again to all esp. those who helped me through a mini-marble crisis.

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Here is a link that might be useful: Ventilation for the Pantry

Taggie--Thanks! yes, I did a few 4-drawer stacks. It's what I was used to with the few stacks I had in my old kitchen. I have a lot of utensils, etc that I felt would get lost in a deeper drawer. I'm having some difficulty with them in that the shallow ones aren't as deep as I calculated they would be. Consequently, some items don't fit where I thought they would. Right of the sink has 1. washclothes and bibs for DD 2. kitchen towels 3. BBQ tools 4. kids cups and thermoses in easy reach.

Right of the cooktop are 1. spices on the left and baking tools (measuring spoons and cups, etc.) on the right 2. larger and secondary baking tools like rolling pin and pastry cutters, stand mixer paddles, plus other small prep tools that need to be sorted and possibly moved to the island drawers 3. Teas, hot cocoa 4. Storage containers and lids.

(Please don't judge the organization as I still need to work on final homes for some of these things, final arrangement within the drawers, and find some organizer trays. AND...I NEED TO FIND MY DARN LABELER!!)

Left of cooktop has 1. hot mitts and pads on left and meat thermometers, tongs on the right 2. scale, corkscrew and wine corking system, binder clips, misc. tools 3. meat pounders, specialty microplanes, spider, gravy seperator, potato masher, misc. tools 4. pyrex dishes, mondo sized aluminum foil roll.

Capegirl--Hi! Thank you! There is nothing on the back wall of those cabs. It must be the water glass giving a shimmery look. What idea did I give you? To put something on the back wall of the cabs? I wish I could help!

Madeline--No specific tiles in the running yet. I've posted some of my ideas before....they're expensive. :( Walnut is holding up fine, for wood. I've gotten scratches and some dents from dropping things on it. I love the finish of the Osmo. The woodworker who made it was here the other day so he brought his sander and sanded it down really quickly and put another coat of osmo on. It took about 10 minutes and all the scratches were gone! Love the ability to do that!

Couldn't resist posting one of my fav new items. Knife block!!

Here is a link that might be useful: ewins

I bought my insinkerator instant hot from Faucetdirect.com They have a great return policy and also had a sale on insinkerator.

I bought my prep sink faucet and soap dispensers from a very good EBay seller.

I bought my main sink faucet from Costco.com.

So far, so good. I saved quite a bit of money by buying online.

Linda-Z

Our construction loan required an appraisal, which came in at only $370,000--a fair appraisal given the current housing market, I think. We qualified for the loan, since we were putting a high percentage down, but we still almost backed out at this point. Our builder offered one more incentive that helped convince us to continue--he offered to do all our upgrades and change orders at cost, which was a significant savings to us during the build. So that's another thing you could think about negotiating.

Since allowance amounts are really just budgets they shouldn't mean much but the wild cards are how the GC's mark-up will be adjusted on the final cost (try to get the increase eliminated) and what subs and suppliers can be used (try to add a provision for you to select a sub or for you to provide the material if you are not satisfied with the selection and/or prices from the GC's subs).

If you can get those contract provisions, the allowance amounts only help you budget/borrow for the project. If they are included in competitive bidding they will usually be so low they are useless. Try to set them high enough that they won't cause trouble for you later. If the GC doesn't want them to be raised that's a red flag IMHO.

Let's say bldrX quoted $504k total with xyz allowance pckg. Just say this..."can you do it for $447 total with abc allowance pckg? " Then you shut up and listen for an answer. You don't have to explain why. And DO NOT tell them you like them best and picked them over anyone. This could be verbal or email.

Chances are they will not come as low as you ask, but possibly close but you will see movement in your direction.

This negotiation method is very easy because you are not outright refusing the original price (.e.g. not saying I can only go with you if you don't give me lower). You are just asking for better and not showing all your cards.

Trust me, it works very well.

Before pics: we moved the kitchen into the family room, the dining room into the kitchen, and the breakfast area into the dining room. (The living room turned into the family room, and the office will soon turn into the living room ... more to do around here.)So these photos are not exactly classic before/afters. (And it's a snowy day, so bright outside, not the best for pics. Oh well.)

Old kitchen

Corresponding view

Old family room:

Corresponding view

Old dining room (both visible walls are now gone)

Corresponding view

I was previously opposed to knocking out both walls, but I am glad we did. For the way we live, it works much better. Entertaining is a cinch now. Because the kitchen is vaulted but the other ceilings are low, it doesn't feel like a huge empty space (that's what I was worried about). And I liked my "other" house, just not the kitchen. It was awful.

I'll post details here, and more specific photos in a subsequent post.

-Cabinets-
Aspen Leaf Kitchens in Denver/Berthoud, CO; proprietary Primer White, BM Taos Taupe on island and butler's pantry, and custom-stained antique pine on breakfast hutch

-Appliances-
SubZero BI-36U fridge, pro handle
Wolf 48 DF range with 4 burners and double griddle
Viking 54 in. hood liner with heat lamps
Thermador DWHD64EP dishwashers
KitchenAid KBCO24RSBX three-zone beverage center
SubZero 700BCI refrigerator/freezer drawers
Sharp 0.8 cu ft microwave

-Counters-
Minas soapstone on perimeter cabinets and hutch
Calacatta gold marble on island and butler's pantry

-Hardware-
Restoration Hardware Gilmore cup pulls, Aubrey knobs and handle pulls, Clear Glass knobs in antique brass, and Season knobs and Hanson pulls in ORB

-Sinks-
Main: soapstone farm sink crafted by Terra Bella/Denver CO
Prep: Ticor S3650

-Faucets-
Main sink: Kohler HiRise bridge with sidespray
Prep sink: Kohler HiRise bar faucet

-Lighting-
Wilmette Clark pendants in ORB (breakfast nook)
Wilmette LaSalle wall sconces in antique brass (later photos)
Visual Comfort Classic Ring chandelier in AB (dining room)
Visual Comfort Four-Light Siena pendant in AB (butler's)

-Island stools-
Ballard Designs Dorchester counter stools in rubbed black (all other furniture and rugs previously owned)

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!

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

Here are some pics and a few details:
Island:

Overview:

Refrigerator and pantry:

Message center:

Breakfast nook:

Our KD wanted an extremely large window area to bring in light, but made it fit into the old house by breaking it up and using leaded glass:

Sink w/glass filler, runnels, & built-in compost bin:

Built-in compost bin close-up:

Mug shelf:

Charging drawer. This entire cabinet is deeper than it appears because it is built into the interior wall behind it, gaining an extra 4" or so of storage space without creeping into the walkway in front of it:

Island cabinets:

Miele ovens installed as flush inset (I searched and never did find pictures of this, so hopefully these will help somebody else):

Cleaning closet in "invented space" from interior wall:

Extra depth for the vacuum was made by reducing the depth of the drawers under the pantry:

The placement of the outlet underneath the music player shelf allows the nasty cordness to be hidden from eye-level:

Toe-kick heater vent. The toe-kick face under the message center & island is covered with stained oak flooring. From eye-level, the toe-kick absorbs the correct amount of light and gives the appearance of freestanding cabinets.

The freestanding appearance is clearer here:

Drawers under nook seating area:

There is a powder room off the kitchen. This wasn't our first choice, but ended up being our only choice in this old house, and has been okay, especially considering its placement is directly next to the hallway and away from the primary cooking area:

Adjacent mudroom, which became part of the kitchen remodel. The door is to a laundry chute which we use mostly for kitchen towels & napkins.

Here is a link that might be useful: More pictures

Have you considered Quartzite? It's a natural stone and it's fairly bulletproof.

Here are some white examples:

Firsthouse_mp and I have White Princess:

Firsthouse_mp's island

My counters

Sochi's Luna di Luca

There are many others.

Here is a thread about marble look-alike countertops that has a few quartzite and then other materials.

White is great if you like the look. We love it and the counters make our kitchen.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pics of 99% finished Kitchen Reno

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

Allow for adequate movement for humans operating in the space.

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

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

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

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

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

A place to store and sort recyclables

Bins or baskets for potatoes, apples, bananas etc.

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

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

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

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

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

Here is a link that might be useful: Pantry

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

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

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

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

Buehl's Pantry Pictures

And here's a preview:

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

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

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

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

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

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

1) "If you HAD to build another custom home for some reason, would you automatically hire Builder X to build it or would you seek bids from other builders?" Rationale: Most homeowners are all too well aware of the potential for horrible problems with an unknown builder - no matter how well vetted. If a builder is really great, previous clients who find themselves needing to build again WILL choose the "great builder" with whom they already have an established relationship over an unknown builder, even if going with the latter might save them a few bucks.

2) For previous clients who say the builder is good, but who indicate that they would nevertheless get bids from other builders if they had to build again, ask: "Suppose Builder X and some other builder both bid your next project and the new builder came in a few thousand dollars less than Builder X; suppose further that the new builder, whom you don't personally know, has an EXCELLENT reputation in the community and a friend whom you do know and trust tells you he is both honest and a great builder. Which one would you hire, your original builder or the new guy?" Rationale: some people will want to get additional bids just to see if they could get a better deal. But, if they were REALLY happy with their initial builder, they'll remain loyal even if it costs them a few thousand dollars to do so. But, if they were only mildly satisfied with their original builder, they're much more likely to jump ship thinking that they MIGHT have fewer headaches another builder who an excellent reputation and, since they can save a few thousand, they might as well take a chance. You could even test the level of loyalty to the original builder by upping the dollar differential between the two builders to 5% to 10% of the overall cost of the build (enough to be significant but not enough to raise the spectre that the new builder might be low-balling the bid.

Ask previous clients just how much more (on a percentage basis) they wound up paying for their home than the builder's bid price. Follow that up by asking what THEY attribute the overages to. Did they actually upgrade any items from what they originally intended/envisioned? Or were there things that they had originally understood would be included in the price that the builder later insisted were upgrades or which turned out not to be included in the contract as the builder wrote it?

Ask if the build progressed in a reasonably timely manner.

Ask if the builder kept the site reasonably clean... without having to be hounded to do so.

Ask if they KNOW whether the builder made certain that materials (such as Tyvek, windows/doors, roofing shingles, etc.) were actually installed as recommended/required by the manufacturer to avoid waiving manufacturer's material's warranties. You'ld be surprised how often they are NOT and then, when there is a problem, the builder is long gone and the manufacturer disclaims any responsibility because the materials were not installed properly.

Ask how often the homeowner visited the build site during the course of the build. A homeowner who only shows up to ooh and aaah at the progress, pick paint colors, and do the final walk-thru doesn't really know diddly squat about how well or how poorly the house may have been built. They only know how pretty it looks... that is, until problems start cropping up 5 or 10 years after the closing.

You should also talk to each and every SUBCONTRACTOR that your builder will use on your house. Ask each one how many houses they have worked on for your builder. Ask whether your builder pays them on time. Ask whether he pays them by cash or check. (Subs that are paid in cash seldom have a clue which project they are being paid for. So if your builder winds up going belly up and the sub thinks he is still owed money, the sub may wind up picking your house, at random, as the one to file a lien against. To clear up such a lien, you may wind up having to pay a second time for work that you've already paid the builder for once!) If your builder pays subcontractors by check, with each and every check clearly indicating which project the sub is being paid for, there is less liklihood of that happening. Besides, builders who keep good financial records are less likely to go belly up anyway! Ask subs who are paid by check whether the builder has EVER given them an insufficient funds check - even if the builder later redeemed the check. Passing insufficient funds checks is a sign of a builder who is robbing Peter to pay Paul and likely to go under when there are no more Peters in line to rob.

BTW, Additionally, your contract should stipulate that your builder MAY NOT use any subcontractor to work on your house unless he has provided you with the name, phone number, and contact info of that sub at least 5 days IN ADVANCE. Further, it needs to stipulate that if your builder breeches this requirement at any time, he will fully indemnifies you against any and all lien claims by such subcontractors, including your attorney fees and court costs to clear such leins, regardless of whether or not he provides you with a lien release from such subcontractors. Then, when your builder asks for draws, check that the list of subs that he claims to have paid ONLY includes subs that you know about and from whom the builder has provided SIGNED, NOTARIZED, M&M lien release for all work done through the date of that draw request. Together these steps will help to protect you from, for example, paying your builder a draw for painting work in reliance on a lien release signed by Painter A only to later get hit with a lien from Painter B and discover that Painter A worked on some other house entirely and didn't pay any attention to the address on the lien release he was signing. Meanwhile, Painter B, who actually worked on your house but whom you had never heard of before, hasn't been paid and files a lien!

Insist that your potential builder give you with the names of all suppliers from whom he anticipates obtaining more than a few thousand dollars worth of materials. (concrete supplier, framing materials supplier, roofing materials supplier, siding/brick supplier, septic system supplier, plumbing materials supplier, electrical materials supplier, door and window package supplier, decking materials supplier, hardwood flooring supplier, tile supplier, etc.) Contact each of these suppliers and ask how long the builder has had a business account with them. Red flag if they've not done business with him before or if he only recently set up his business account with them even though he's been in the building business for years. If you find any of these, go back to builder and ask what supplier he used to get those supplies for previous houses.
A raft of new suppliers probably means builder is jumping from one supplier to another because of unpaid bills. Ask each supplier whether builder has paid his materials bills on a timely basis. Ask if the supplier has ever had to threaten builder that they will lien the property in order to get paid.

If you can possibly get it, you also need to get your potential builders to give you the names of their banker as a reference and agree to co-sign a letter to their banker asking for answers to a couple of questions. An honest builder should be willing to agree to allow their banker to answer the following questions:
1) How long has builder been banking with you?
2) Has builder written any "insufficient funds checks" on any of his accounts in the past year? If so, how often has he done so? (Once or twice might be understandable, more often that would be a huge red flag.)

No doubt some builders on this board will come back and tell you that I'm recommending you ask questions that are way too nosy. NONSENSE. You are going to be trusting your builder with YOUR money to pay other people for doing work on your home. If he is dishonest (or even just "robbing Peter to pay Paul" since apparently many builders don't consider that to be dishonest), he can soak you for thousands and thousands of dollars by pocketing your money or using it to pay off debts owed on previous builds rather than paying the people who are working on YOUR house. The slimey builders seem to think that, so long as they can get enough money out of the next job to pay off the workers on the last job, it doesn't matter if they're less than honest about where the dollars are flowing. You as the homeowner have little of no recourse if you wind up being the last Peter in line.

I, unfortunately, am speaking from very sad experience. The questions above are all things that I NOW wish I had thought to ask before we hired our builder. They might have saved me the nearly $60,000 he appears to have stolen from me by dint of phoney documents (lien releases from subs and suppliers who didn't supply anything to me house combined with liens I had to pay off from subs and suppliers who could prove that they did do work on my house and hadn't been paid!), the nearly $30,000 I've had to put into my build after firing him just to FIX some of the crappy work he did... and then covered over even after I pointed the mistakes out to him, and the nearly $20,000 worth of attorney bills I have now accumulated trying to get ex-builder to release his lien against my house. The court case is on-going and he refuses to release the lien in order to attempt to force me to drop my claims for fraud and breach of contract against him!

I called all my builder's references and they each and everyone said they were satisfied. I later learned that at least one of his references actually used providing a reference to me as leverage to get the builder to come back and finish the punch list items on his home...two YEARS after the closing. That homeowner now has a suit against builder for construction defects that became apparent only after I filed my suit against the builder!

Oh, and call you county land records office and find out whether they have records online where you can search them or if you have to go down to the courthouse. Either way, do a records search for M&M lien affidavits filed against your potential builder or against the address of any house that you know he built. The county clerk can tell you how to do the searches. If you find a plethora of liens from suppliers or subcontractors, RUN!

I know this is long but you cannot be too careful. I know there are wonderful builders out there and I sincerely hope you find one. I would not ever want anyone else to go thru the nightmare I have been living with for the past 18 months.

But here is a related vow I made to myself: To stop using the kitchen as a warehouse. DH and I cleaned out our garage and attached storeroom, and we have made space for storing those humungous quantities of household supplies that we can't resist at Costco. From now on, only ONE of each item will live in the kitchen; the remainder will live on shelves and in drawers in the garage and storeroom. So when it comes time to change the paper towel or waxed paper rolls or to replenish the sandwich bag supply, yes, we'll have to go downstairs and get another one. But our kitchen will no longer be a warehouse.

I was very keen on having a draw for my kitchen dish towels and I have loved having them so handy and having enough space for them that they aren't crammed in. I am also VERY happy with the space I designated for our saran wrap, foil, baggies, etc... This is a draw I access several times per day so I wanted it really handy and it certainly is making kitchen life easier!

I have a whole draw just for electrical gadgets such as my little one cup chopper, food processor, hand mixer, stick blender, etc... I like having all this stuff together and having it in a draw is working out pretty well. Originally the food processor was supposed to go in my "appliance garage" but I ended up putting my heinously ugly toaster oven in there instead. Having that out of view is GREAT! and taking the food processor out of the nice and roomy draw is not a hassle at all (in my old kitchen it was shoved in a tiny narrow cabinets with all sorts of stuff spilling out everytime I accessed it, which caused me not to access it as often as I would have otherwise).

but again, hats off to bethv for that great list... much more comprehensive than the one I came up with and a great help I am sure to many... it is a good process to go through when designing a kitchen.

Hot pads
tea
drinking glasses
coffee cups
food processor
silverware
rolling pins & baking gadgets
measuring cups & spoons
spatulas & wisks
spices
coffee pot
toaster bread box
espresso machine
coffee
plates
bowls
pasta bowls
mixing bowls -2 sets
serving bowls
salad spinner
graters
strainers
vases
wine glasses
pilners
margharita glasses
dog food
dog meds
recyling
wraps & ziplocs
pots & pans & lids
stock pots
bakeware pans
casseroles
broiling pans
fruit bowls
lasange pans
nuts
flavorings
rice
flours
sugars
cereal
cookbooks
vitamins
oils
vinegars
pasta
can goods
crakers
snacks
popcorn
pitchers
paper plates
paper plate holders
trash can
cleaners
dish rack
sink gear (veg brush, scrubbers, stoppers)
step stool
tupperware
trivets
cookie sheets
large platters
large bowls
cutting boards
trays
waffle iron
crock pot
mixer
beater
blender
coffee grinders
dishwasher tabs
dish soap
butter dish
lunch box
brooms
plastic bag collector
hot mitts

The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)/Articles pages contain helpful information about how to navigate this site as well as the world of kitchen renovations.

The Kitchen Forum Acronyms will help you understand some of the acronyms used frequently in posts.

The Finished Kitchens Blog has pictures and information about many GW members' finished kitchens. Not only can you see them alphabetically, but there is also a category list if you're looking for specific things like a kitchen w/a Beverage Center or a kitchen w/a mix of dark and light cabinets. Access the FKB Categories Page via a link in the navigation panel on the right of any FKB page. Additionally, there is also a link to "In-Progress Kitchens" for those members' kitchens that are not quite ready for the FKB. There is also a link to "Coming Soon Kitchens" for those kitchens that are ready for the FKB but have not yet been added. To access the "In-Progress Kitchens", the "Coming Soon Kitchens", and the "FKB Categories", see the links in the navigation panel that is on the right side of each main FKB page.

The Appliances Forum is very useful when you have questions specific to appliances.

To start off the kitchen remodel process...take the Sweeby Test. Then, move on to Beginning a Kitchen Plan.

Other topics such as layouts, planning for storage, and stone materials are discussed in later topics in this thread. Even more information can be found by doing a search on the forum.

Tips:

• Before posting a question, please search the forum. There's a very good chance someone has already asked the question.


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• In the Subject, the site changes the double quote used as the inches indicator (") to a single quote ('). We don't know why. To compensate, use two single quotes and it will appear as a double quote in the Subject. Luckily, the double quote works in the message box.


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How are the home page and the Forum organized? (based on the Kitchen Forum's FAQs entries)

• The Kitchens Forum home page lists 30 thread titles, starting with those that don't yet have a response. After the unanswered threads, threads are listed in order of most recent response. That first page displays the last 2 hours or so of activity. (If there is no response to a thread in an hour or two, the unanswered thread usually starts to drop.)
• Below the thread list are page numbers 1-67 for the total 67 pages of threads available -- capturing maybe 2 months or so of threads, less when the Forum is busy.
• Below that (and at the top of the thread list as well) is a space for you to switch to the Conversations or Gallery "sides" - these are set up similarly but are not nearly as active.
• Next down is a Search box -- very important! This is also the Search box you should use (not the one at the top of the page.)
• Always refresh the page two or three times b/f assuming a thread has disappeared right after starting it.
• As to searching...a thread will not be found doing a GW search for up to 24 hours after it has been started. This may seem too technical, but...searches are done against what are known as "indexes". Indexes use key fields/words to find things. iVillage only indexes threads once a day. So, that means that until your thread is "indexed", it won't show up in a search. If you start a thread just before the index is taken, you will be able to retrieve your thread by searching soon after creation. If, however, you start your thread right after the daily index, then you will have to wait almost 24 hours for the next index.
• Next is a place for you to start a new thread. And finally there are some instructions and links at the bottom.

Kitchen Forum "Sides"

Discussions: This is the "side" you are on. It is for on-topic discussions concerning kitchens...renovations, use of, etc.

Conversations: This is the "side" where you can post off topic threads such as regional get-togethers and non-kitchen subjects.

Gallery: This is the "side" where members often post pictures...especially if you're posting a lot or a finished kitchen. (Note: This is where StarPooh, our FKB person, wants you to post your finished kitchen prior to having it added to the FKB.)

Again, welcome and good luck! The journey is wild, sometimes bumpy, but fun and very rewarding in the end!

• Aisles widths...are determined by measuring counter edge-to-counter edge, not cabinet-to-cabinet (unless there's no counter, of course!)

  For appliances, measure from the part that sticks out the furthest (usually the handle...this info is contained in appliance specs).

• Seating overhang...for counter-height seating should be a minimum of 15" (I think you already have that, and more, but I thought I'd mention it just in case you don't...and for anyone just lurking and reading this thread to learn more!)

  BTW...if you put decorative doors on the back of the island, they will take away approx 1" from the overhang.

• Walkways....In a seating area, 36" of clearance from counter/table edge to wall/obstruction if no traffic passes behind seated diners. 65" of total clearance when this includes a walkway (i.e., traffic). [From the NKBA Kitchen Planning Guidelines With Access Standards]
• There are three primary work zones...Prep Zone (70% of kitchen work/time), Cooking Zone (10% of kitchen work/time), and Cleanup Zone (20% of kitchen work/time)

  Of these, the Prep & Cooking Zones work best when either next to each other or across from each other, but across no more than a 48" aisle.

  The Cleanup Zone usually works best if it's separated from the Prep & Cooking Zones. Sometimes that means different parts of the kitchen (usually with a prep sink in the Pep Zone), other times it means the only sink in the kitchen separates them...Prep & Cooking Zones on one side of the sink, Cleanup Zone with DW on the other side of the sink.

• Trash & recycle pullout...works best in the Prep Zone, near the Cooking Zone, and, if only one and possible, near the Cleanup Zone. Far more trash & recyclables are generated while prepping and cooking than while cleaning up. So, if you have to choose, put the trash & recycle in the Prep Zone instead of the Cleanup Zone. (That's the biggest mistake I made, I put it in the Cleanup Zone across a 6' aisle from the Prep Zone...it's my biggest regret by far in my kitchen.]
• Prep sinks...should be no smaller than 12" x 12"...and bigger is better - I recommend no less than 15" in each direction, 18" would be better, IMHO. Anything smaller is not very useful for prepping. Those smaller sinks are often called "bar sinks" b/c they're really only big enough for filling a glass with water or dumping a glass. They're not big enough to clean veggies/fruit or empty a colander.
• Zone protection...strive to protect the Cooking Zone from traffic - both through-traffic as well as in-kitchen traffic. While cooking, you are dealing with very hot pots/pans/food and you don't want to be tripping over or dodging traffic, open DW doors, etc. This usually means putting the Cooking Zone in the most "secluded" area...but not always, it depends on the workflow in your design.
• Work/Landing Space...Be sure you have adequate work and landing space near/around appliances and in zones. Sometimes skimping is required when it's a small kitchen, but your kitchen is not small.

  [The following items are from the NKBA Kitchen Planning Guidelines With Access Standards]

• Prep Zone...36" continuous countertop at least 16" deep for the preparation center, and be immediately adjacent to a water source.
• Cooking Zone...See Cooktop/Range
• Cleanup Zone...See "Sink (Only or Cleanup Sink)"
• Sink (Only or Cleanup Sink)...At least 24" of counter frontage to one side of the primary sink, and 18" on the other side (including corner sink applications) with the 24" counter frontage at the same counter height as the sink. The minimum allowable space from corner to the edge of the primary sink is 3".
• Sink (Prep)...At least 3" of countertop frontage on one side of secondary sinks, and 18" on the other side (including corner sink applications) with the 18" counter frontage at the same counter height as the sink.
• Refrigerator...At least 15" counter space on the latch side of the refrigerator or on either side of a side-by-side, or at least 15" of landing space no more than 48" across from the refrigerator. If an oven is next to refrigerator, refrigerator should be the one placed next to available countertop.
• Cooktop/Range...Open-ended kitchen: at least 9" of counter space on one side of the cooking surface and 15" on the other, at the same counter height as the appliance. Enclosed kitchen: at least 3" of clearance at an end wall protected by flame retardant material; 15" on the other side of the appliance, at the same counter height as the appliance. Countertop should extend a minimum of 9" behind the cooking surface, at the same counter height as the appliance, in any instance where there is not an abutting wall/backsplash.

  [Notes:

  • Experiences here have shown us this is actually too little for an island or peninsula setup or when the cooktop/range is at the end of a cabinet run. For safety reasons, you need at least 18" on each side and 18" behind if there is no seating behind the cooktop/range, 24" behind if there is seating.
  • For functionality, at least 24" on each side is better, regardless of location of cooktop/range. This space can be shared with the Prep Zone on one side.
  • In the case of a range/cooktop next to a door or wall, check your local Codes, they may dictate more space b/w the door or wall and cooktop/range.]

• Ovens (Wall)...At least 15" of landing space, at least 16" deep, next to or above oven if it opens into a primary traffic pattern. If it does not open into a traffic area, at least 15" x 16" of landing space needed [(i.e., it can be across or next to it)].
• MW...At least 15" of landing space, a minimum of 16" deep, above, below, or adjacent to a microwave oven
• Combined countertop for 2 adjacent locations...For two adjacent work centers, determine the longest of the two required counter lengths and add 12".

We often get requests to help with layouts. Many of us enjoy doing this but it would help if you can post a copy of your floorplan or layout, preferably to-scale.

• The best place to start is to draw up your kitchen (to scale, if possible) either without cabinets & appliances if you don't know where to start or with your proposed new layout if you have something to start with. Regardless, measure and label everything...walls, ceiling height, widths of doors/doorways & windows, distances between windows, walls, doors/doorways, etc.
• If you cannot move plumbing or gas, mark them on your drawing as well.
• Mark all doors/doorways & windows (with dimensions) and label them as to where they lead. If they're actual doors, mark how they swing.
• It also would be helpful to see the connecting rooms, even entire first floor layouts (or whatever floor your kitchen is on), so we see how they interact with the kitchen and/or extend the kitchen feel and flow.
• Make note of traffic flows in and out of the kitchen

Make a list of things like:

• What are your goals? E.g., more counter space, more storage, seating in the kitchen (island? peninsula? table?), etc.
• What is your family composition? Adults? Children? Age ranges of children? Current? Future?
• How many kitchen workers are there? Cook(s)? Cleanup? Helpers? Now? Future? (E.g., if you have young children, plan for them as teens for both "sizing" of seating as well as helping in the kitchen in general)
• Do you or anyone in your home cook? (No, this is not a facetious question. Some people do not cook and their kitchen is a show place only. If that's what works for you & your family, that's fine! We just need to know that.)

• How do you see your kitchen used? Just for cooking/cleaning up? Children doing homework while you cook? Party place?
• Do you entertain a lot? If so, formal? Informal?
• Do you want your kitchen to be a "hang out" place? Parties only? Everyday?
• Do you have a separate DR? Do you use it frequently? Infrequently? If infrequently, do you want to begin using it more frequently (e.g., for daily/nightly family meals)?
• Would you like to open up the kitchen to adjacent areas? Close it up?
• Do you plan to merge two rooms/areas (e.g., Nook and Kitchen into a Kitchen only)
• Where are you flexible?
  
  • Can windows or doorways change size?
    
  • Can they be moved or eliminated?
    
  • Can windows be raised/lowered?
    
  • Can any walls come down?
    
  • Does the sink have to be centered under a window?
    
  • Does it have to be under a window at all?
  
  Note: The more constraints you put on a space (e.g., sink centered under a window, not willing to move plumbing, electric, or gas lines), the fewer options there are. So, be sure any limitations/constraints you mention are true constraints. You could say you'd like something to not be moved/changed or placed in a certain location, but if it's not a must or truly impossible, then mention it's a preference but that you would consider something different.

BTW...don't assume something is "too expensive" to do...check around b/f assuming, you may be pleasantly surprised at how little it costs! (E.g., if you have a basement, moving water, etc. is generally relatively inexpensive.)

• If one can be fit...
  
  • Do you bake a lot and do you want a Baking Center?
    
  • Do you want a coffee/tea/beverage center?
    
  • Do you want a snack center?
• What appliances do you plan on having (helps to figure out work flow, work zones, and types of cabinets...upper/lower vs full height, etc.)
  
  • Range or Cooktop or Rangetop?
    
  • Single or Double or no Wall Oven?
    
  • Warming Drawer?
    
  • MW? (Advantium, MW Drawer, OTR MW/Hood, countertop, built-in, shelf?)
    
  • DW? Standard or drawers? If drawers, 1 or 2?
    
  • Refrigerator (Top/bottom freezer, SxS, or all-fridge/freezer? Counter-depth (CD), standard-depth, or built-in?)
    
  • Ventilation Hood?
    
  • Other?
• Sizes of desired appliances (e.g., 30" or 36" or 48" cooktop; 36" or 42" or 48" wide or other Refrigerator? etc.)
• Pantry: Walk-in or cabinets? In the Kitchen or outside the Kitchen (e.g., Mudroom or hall)?

***** Very Important *****

Is there anything you:

• Can't live without?
  
• Definitely don't want?
  
• Would like if you can find a way?

This information will be valuable to not only you, but also any Kitchen Designers you may hire or talk to. Additionally, if you've been haunting the site, you'll notice that we also help with almost all aspects of the remodel (including layout help).

If you do ask for help, then all of the above information will help us help you. Sometimes we stray from what you think you want to give you some ideas that you might not have thought of, but it's your kitchen and you can veto anything...we may argue for something (we're very good at that!), but in the end it's what you want. And remember, we are just giving you ideas and layout options, in the end when you finalize your design it's whatever you want and decide on! After all, this is your kitchen! [Keep this in mind if/when you use a Kitchen Designer or when dealing with a contractor--it's your kitchen, not his or hers...don't let them talk you into anything unless you're sure it's what you want!]

Here's a thread that has supplemental information: When planning a kitchen - words of wisdom

also kmgards utensil and spice drawers and rhome's dish drawer etc

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0911160119396.html?25

Here is a link that might be useful: buehl's drawers