My kitchen cabinets from UltraCraft are semi-custom. LOVE them. They are Frameless cabinets that allow size modifications in 1/16" increments to height, width, and depth (or all 3) at no additional cost. So, go ahead and make your uppers 13" or 14" deep for those extra large mixing/salad bowls and charger plates, and maximize your storage space for example storing glasses 4 deep instead of 3 deep. Have deeper base cabinets. Make your toekick slightly shorter so you have an extra inch or two for more drawers height. Cut down on the fillers you need by making your cabinets the exact width you need them, instead of being forced to choose from 3" increments. I like that all my uppers are flat across the bottom (no frame/dividers between cabinets), so I could install one long plugmold and one long under cabinet light, then hide it all with lightrail at the front. Also, standard is Blum full extension soft close drawer glides, soft close doors, no charge for finished sides (like end of cabinet run), all dovetail drawers with fully captured bottoms, and bunches of other stuff is standard. 100 year warranty.
http://www.ultracraft.com/ Yep, I LOVE them !!!

Cabinet Decisions - I emailed this part to a friend recently, so am copying here ...
1. One of the first things to decide is what cabinet door overlay you want. Inset doors or overlay doors ? Inset doors sit inside of the cabinet box frame rather than attached to the front of the cabinet box. Overlay is further broken down into traditional overlay, partial / modified overlay, and full overlay and determines how much of the cabinet box/frame behind the door you want to show. The hinges can be exposed or concealed for all overlay styles except full overlay which only allows for concealed hinges. The overlay you choose will automatically knock out some cabinet options and cabinet mfgs who may not make that type of cabinet. (My cabinets are full overlay)
See ... http://www.hansoncustombuilders.com/questions3.html
And ...http://www.kraftmaid.com/learn/choose-right-cabinetry/door-overlays/

2. Then you want to decide on the cabinet boxes ... framed or frameless ? Some mfgs only make one or the other, but not both, so this will knock out other mfgs. Framed cabinets have a frame on the face of the cabinet box that the doors attach to and allows for inset doors as well as all 3 overlay styles (traditional, partial, and full overlay). On frameless, the doors attach directly to the cabinet box sides instead of a face frame. Frameless are typically full overlay, but inset is also possible. I think a small partial overlay is possible on frameless if you are using semi-custom or custom cabinets - you would order slightly smaller doors so a little of the cabinet box would show. Traditional overlay is not possible on frameless because the cabinet box sides are not wide enough to show the traditional 1"-2" of the face frame. (My cabinets are frameless)
See ... http://www.cabinets.com/FORM/THE BOX - construction.asp

The disadvantage of framed is you give up useable space in drawers/pullouts and ease of access on cabinets with doors. This is because the drawer or pullout has to clear the face frame that goes around the opening, so they are narrower from side to side and also shallower from top to bottom. In a small kitchen, the extra useable space from frameless could make a big difference. Estimates say frameless gives 10-15% more space, so 100 inches of framed would be 110 inches in frameless. To me, an extra 10 inches of drawer space is huge, especially when you don't have much to begin with !! Frameless cabinets with doors also offer easier access - there is no face frame creating a 1-2" obstruction on the left, right, and top inside the cabinet doors, also there is typically no center stile between double doors in frameless.

For full overlay doors, there is very little difference in the looks of framed vs frameless. From an exterior appearance standpoint, these cabinets will basically look alike. Because the doors are full overlay, you don't see much or any of the frame and would have to open the door or drawer to see if the cabinet was framed or frameless. For inset doors, the framed cabinets would have a wider frame around the door than the frameless cabinet would.

In the below two pics, the cabinet on the left is framed, and the one on the right is frameless. Looking only at the size of the opening, see how the drawer for frameless is wider from left to right and also has more open space from top to bottom. The useable drawer space is a couple inches more in each direction in the frameless. If they both had the same size full overlay exterior drawer face on them, they would look alike from the exterior. You would not be able to see the useable interior space until you opened the drawer. If they both had inset doors, the framed cabinets would have a much wider "frame" around the door and drawer.

3. The third thing to consider is the cosmetics ... the door style you like, the drawer style (slab/flat/plain drawer front or drawer front that matches your door style), as well as wood species (cherry, oak, maple, etc), and stain or paint colors, glazing, distressing, finish/sheen, etc. (My cabinets are slab drawer, raised panel door, cherry with a chestnut stain, no additional finishes or glazes)
This website shows just a few of the different door styles available ... http://www.cabinets.com/FORM/THE DOOR - style.asp

4. The fourth thing to consider is stock cabinets vs semi-custom vs custom cabinet mfgs. Stock cabinets are available in 3" width increments (cabinets have to be width of 12", 15", 18", etc), filler strips fill in gaps between cabinets and wall or appliances, you have to choose from the heights and depths they offer, and there are very few options available, which can be pretty pricey to add on. Semi-custom cabinets vary by manufacturer in what customizations and options they offer, but they offer many more options than stock and allow sizing modifications. With custom cabinets, there should be no limitations including drawings for non-standard items, custom molding profiles, door styles, alternate wood species, custom stains & finishes, construction, accessories and options. (My cabinets are semi-custom)

5. Finally, you want to consider the cabinet construction. Not that this is the least important ! It is one of the most important things. Pretty much all the other stuff is just the "pretty" stuff, LOL. This has to do with how well the cabinets are made - are the drawers stapled, dowelled, glued, dovetail ? What materials are the cabinets made of ? etc, etc.

Drawer depths
My bases are 24" deep bases and are all 20" useable interior from front to back. I'm pretty sure I could have (and definitely should have!) requested the drawers be an extra 1-2 inches deep to fill up the inside of the cabinet. I *think* the full extension glides would not have pulled out that extra inch or so, but I could have lived with that !! I could have fit my 8qt stock pots 2 deep front to back in the drawer instead of having to offset them slightly in the drawer if I had even an extra 1/2".

Some people choose to have their base cabinets deeper from front to back for a number of different reasons, for example to make the front of the cabinet even with the front of the refrigerator so the standard fridge looks like a built in/counter depth. Or they may want a larger countertop work surface. This can be accomplished by using deeper base cabinets or by using standard 24" deep bases and installing them a couple inches out from the wall then covering the full space with the countertop material. If you want to do this and order deeper bases, be sure to specify the drawers are deeper from front to back as well ! Some mfgs will still only install the standard depth drawer even though the cabinet box is larger.
(in pics below, my two standard $500 ea fridges look counter depth by recessing the wall behind the fridges only)

Drawer Heights
You can get a number of different drawer combinations ... for example two drawer could be 6-24 or 15-15, three drawer could be 6-12-12 or 6-9-15, four drawer could be 6-6-6-12 or 6-6-9-9, five drawer could be 6-6-6-6-6. These are just examples of size combinations ! I have even seen linens in 8 shallow pullouts behind doors in one base cabinet.

The height of my drawer fronts do not line up all the way around the 4 sides of my kitchen, but do line up when you are looking at any one section at a time. I have 2 stacks together that are 6-12-12 separated by a stove. On the opposite corner of the kitchen are 2 stacks that are 6-6-9-9. What helps is that my stacks are caddy-cornered across the kitchen with appliances and base cabinets with doors separating them ... it would be very hard to look in any direction where you could see the "mis-matches" at one time. Some people have drawer stacks right next to each other where the drawer heights do not 'line up' and others have all the drawer bases in their entire kitchen with the exact same horizontal lines all the way around.

My one advice ... find out the interior useable height of your drawers ahead of time. My Ultracraft cabinets are frameless so have more than framed would. They have undermount glides. On the 6-12-12 stacks, the useable interior drawer height is 4, 10.5, 9.5 (top to bottom on stack). Where this becomes an issue ... I wanted to store all of my pans, pots, etc vertical on their edges in the drawers so they wouldn't have to be stacked. The middle 10.5" drawers are tall enough for all of the casserole/baking dishes and pie tins, the roasting pan, and almost all of the pans, pots, and lids to stand on edge (the 9.5" drawers are not tall enough for a couple of those items to stand on edge). Both height drawers are definitely tall enough for all of the big pots (even the 8qt stockpot) that I own, except for the huge "canning" pot which is on the top shelf of one of my 15" deep uppers.

Obviously, neither drawer is tall enough for my 12" pans/skillets to stand on edge (arrggh!). I have really been struggling with how to store these. Right now I have them flat in the bottom of the 9.5" height bottom drawer. Big waste of real estate !! I wish I had a shallower drawer I could put the big skillets in, like 6-6-6-12 so the frying pans were flat in drawers 2 & 3 and the pots were in the bottom drawer. Or even better(?!) if I had made my drawer heights 6-9-15 that would have given me 4, 7.5, 12.5 useable. My tallest 8qt pots are 7" tall, so all of them could have gone in the middle drawer and everything on edge could have gone in the bottom drawer (including the 12" skillets!). Google for images of drawers with pans on edge.

On the other side of the kitchen with the 6-6-9-9 stacks, the useable interior drawer height is 4, 4.75, 6.75, 7 (top to bottom). I use the top 6" drawers all around the kitchen for silverware, spatulas and all the other kitchen gadgets, in-drawer knife block, foil wax paper cling wrap and plastic baggies, potholders, dish towels, etc. All of those things fit with no problem in these drawers including the ladle and the box grater. The 3rd drawer holds all of the tupperware and is the perfect height for this - 6 would have been too shallow and 12 would have been too deep. The bottom drawer is where we currently keep the paper and plastic grocery bags until we carry them for recycling.

(note: the interior drawer heights listed above vary slightly for the bottom two 12" drawers, the top two 6" drawers, and for the bottom two 9" drawers because of an interior cross support and space to clear the granite without scraping at the top)

ALSO: the drawer face to interior useable space ratio will be DIFFERENT depending on if your drawer face is inset, partial overlay, or full overlay, and depending on if you have undermount glides or sidemount glides as catbuilder says above. For example on my 6-6-9-9 four drawer stack ... 1.5" counter + 6 + 6 + 9 + 9 + 4.5" toekick = 36" finished height. My useable heights are 4, 4.75, 6.75, 7 = 22.5" total useable height. I lose 1.25-2.25" useable height for each drawer.
Compare to quiltgirl above inset drawers ... 1.5" counter + 5.5 + 5.5 + 6.25 + 6.25 + 4.5 toekick (assumed) = 29.5". Are her cabinets shorter than mine ? No ! Add in between each of her drawers approx 1.25" face frame. She has undermount glides as well so her useable heights are 4, 4, 4.75, 4.75 = 17.5" total useable height. She only loses 1.5" useable height for each drawer face showing so it sounds like she is losing less, but she is also losing useable height in the face frame between each drawer which is why her total useable space is less.
This is FINE !! Nothing at all against her cabinets. They will be beautiful. And she knew she was going to lose space with the inset when she chose them, but chose to do it because inset is the look she loves.

Drawer widths
The maximum cabinet width my manufacturer will do for drawer bases is 36" wide. I have 4 drawer bases at 21", 32", 17", and 36" wide. The interior useable width of these drawer bases are 18, 29, 14, 33 wide, so 3" less than the exterior width in each.

Going around my kitchen ... first I have a 6" wide pullout broom closet. Next are two 30" wide fridge/top freezers. There are full depth cabinets above the fridges with an adjustable shelf. Then a 24" full height cabinet with pantry space at the top, MW, a single oven, and 6" high drawer under oven (4.5" useable height).

The 21" 3 drawer 6-12-12 is to the left of my stove. Top drawer holds knife block, sharpener, scissors, trivets, potholders. 2nd drawer holds baking dishes on their edge. Bottom drawer is basically empty - it has one 8qt stockpot. If my drawer heights had been 6-9-15 instead (did I say grrrr?), I would have used the middle drawer as a bread drawer and stored the bakeware on edge in the bottom drawer.

Next is the stove (Whirlpool GGE388LXS Electric Range w/Dbl ovens).

The 32" 3 drawer 6-12-12 is to the right of the stove. Top drawer holds spatulas, spoons, ladles, wood spoons, basting brushes, meat thermometer, etc - things that are used at the stove. 2nd drawer holds frying pans, the smaller pots (1qt 2qt 3qt), and lids all on their edges. Bottom drawer holds 8qt pots. Also, the 12" skillets with lids, splatter screens, and griddle are all stacked in one stack flat in bottom of drawer, Grrrrrrr. If they were in the drawer with the other frying pans instead of taking up real estate here, that lone 8qt pot in my other cabinet would have been here with the other pots.

Turn the corner and next is the first dishwasher and then a 36" sink base with Ticor S405D sink (70/30 double bowl). LOVE !!! <3
Turn the corner and next is a 36" wide all door base cabinet (no upper drawer) with full depth adjustable shelves. I use this base cabinet for all my small appliances - blender, beaters, toaster, George Foreman, elec can opener, etc. Next to this base cabinet is the second dishwasher, followed by an 18" prep sink base with a Ticor S815 14x15x8 sink, and an empty space for an ice maker which is where the trash can currently resides.

The 17" 4 drawer stack 6-6-9-9 sits between the trash area/future ice maker and the peninsula and is on the opposite corner of the kitchen from the other drawer bases. The top drawer holds foil, wax paper, cling wrap, plastic baggies, chip clips, and restaurant menus. The 2nd drawer is our "junk" drawer and has some of everything including screwdrivers, clothespins, matches, flashlights, sewing kit, lint brush, etc. The 3rd drawer holds medicine, bandaids, alcohol, peroxide, as well as dish towels and plastic utensils from takeout restaurants in a tub. The bottom drawer is for "tupperware without partners" - bowls and lids with no matches (haha!).

The 36" 4 drawer stack 6-6-9-9 forms the peninsula. The top drawer holds all eating utensils (silverware and kid utensils), serving utensils, chopsticks, handheld can opener, wine opener in a strategically easy-to-access location : ), etc. The 2nd drawer holds all the other kitchen gadgets that aren't to the left and right of the stove like shrimp deveiners, graters, whisks, rolling pin, pizza rolling cutter-thingy, mashers, salad tongs, etc, etc. The 3rd drawer holds tupperware with their matching lids. The bottom drawer holds paper and plastic grocery bags until we carry them for recycling.

I don't like lazy susans or corner cabinets, so in the blind corner is a 26" all door base cabinet that opens out the backside to where the barstools sit.

Handles
We went with the same size handle for all of our drawers and also only one handle in the center for all of the drawers, no matter what the width of the drawer. They are 4" wide. We maybe would have used different widths, but the ones we liked in the finish we wanted did not come in a bunch of widths. The cabinet guy said they would look fine and they do. We have slab drawer fronts and the pulls are centered top to bottom and side to side on each drawer. We used round knobs on all doors.

Drawer Organizers
We ordered the drawer divider channels from Lee Valley so we could completely customize the interior of our drawers. They often have free shipping on orders over $40.
www.leevalley.com/us/hardware/page.aspx?p=40168
Google for images - lots of gardenweb members have used these.
http://www.google.com/search?q=lee+valley+dividers+site:gardenweb.com& tbm=isch
Take inventory of the things you will be storing in the drawers & doors. Measure it all and plan ahead where things will go. From the FAQs that Buehl put together ... http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg010523449014.html

These are not my cabinets ... examples of pans stored vertically ...

This is my kitchen ...

A note on our kitchen ... this home is a vacation rental oceanfront beach house with 8 bedrooms, 6 baths, that sleeps 26. Hence the 2 fridges, 3 ovens, 2 dishwashers. We had a large portion of our family here at Thanksgiving (32 people) and had like 7 or 8 women working to prepare the feast all at one time. Thank you Gardenweb for helping design a kitchen that WORKS !!!

This post was edited by angela12345 on Sun, Feb 3, 13 at 14:36

KitchenAid Architect Series II Monochromatic Stainless Steel Bottom-Freezer Refrigerator - KFCS22EVMS
Abt Model: KFCS22EVMS 2740.00
or

KitchenAid Pro Line Series Counter Depth Stainless Steel Bottom Freezer Refrigerator - KFCP22EXMP
Abt Model: KFCP22EXMP 2992.00

Also...We are going to price either samsung or LG refrigerators as long as they are 70 and above in height!

Electrolux 30" Stainless Steel Built-In Electric Oven - EW30EW55GS 1999.00 I believe this is what everyone is calling the wavetouch...as it has wavetouch panel. I would get two of these if I go with rangetop??? one if we get a free standing range -then by the drawer microwave. Will consider what others are doing with the combining the Wavetouch with a GE Advantium...if someone has a pic of what they look like together???

Electrolux ICON 36" Pro-Style Stainless Steel Gas Range - E36GF76JPS 5199.00

BlueStar 36" RCS Series Pro-Style Free Standing Stainless Steel Gas Range - RCS366V1
Abt Model: RCS366V1 haven't gotten quote - thinking it's around 5500.00????

BlueStar 36" Pro-Style Stainless Steel Gas Cooktop - RGTNB364GV1 this I don't know yet what to expect? I'm guessing $3000.00????

GE Monogram 36" Professional Gas Stainless Steel Cooktop - ZGU364NDPSS
Abt Model: ZGU364NDPSS

Electrolux ICON Professional E36GC76GPS.
36" Pro-Style Gas Rangetop with 6 Sealed Burners Including 2 Min-2-Max Burners, Continuous Grates, Electronic Ignition/Re-Ignition and Included Accessories $2699.00

KitchenAid 36" Stainless Steel Gas Cooktop - KGCU463VSS
Abt Model: KGCU463VSS $2821.00

Bertazzoni CB36600X $1999.00 should I consider a different model?

Sharp 30" Stainless Steel Microwave Drawer - KB-6525PS
Abt Model: KB6525SS $819.00

Bosch 24" Evolution Series Stainless Steel Undercounter Dishwasher - SGE63E15UC
Abt Model: SGE63E15SS $900.00

Need Hood...want something that 42" and fan is in attic if possible. We will have closed cell installation so we need to check with someone if that is ok??

I see a lot of people are buying... elctrolux wavetouch as I am thinking but they are using GE Advantium above it...does anyone have a pic of this combo together?? how does it look?

plus under counter beverage center: Marvel beverage center...1200.00

I'm a geologist so perusing the slab yard is always fun. Rarely do you get to see so many fascinating rocks all in one place.

So today when I picked up my backsplash tile and put down a deposit for some small slabs (a separate story), I had a great time visiting various slabs with one of the fabricators. We talked about the minerals and textures that make some rocks winners in the kitchen, and others not so good.

I asked to see some Super White, knowing there is a lack of clarity about what this rock really is. He gave me a piece to bring home and I did some diagnostics. Maybe this is common knowledge to you all, but here's the lowdown.

The rock is dolomitic marble. It's not quartzite - it's not even close to quartzite in terms or hardness or resistance to acid.

Dolomitic marble is a sibling to regular marble. Regular marble is made of calcite. Dolomite is made of calcite plus magnesium. Calcite is CaCO3 and dolomite is CaMgCO3. So this rock started out as the sedimentary rock called dolomite then was metamorphosed (heat + pressure) to cause the grains to recrystallize into dolomitic marble.

My hunch is that this marble would be slightly more resistant to etching than regular calcite marble. But it is still just as soft as marble and has all the other requirements of caring for marble. It sure is a beautiful rock. But no way will it wear like granite or quartzite.

The decorative stone industry has a whole different way of naming and classifying rocks than geologists do. (The first time someone showed me a back granite I protested loudly. There is no such thing as black granite!) But I am coming around to understand how the rocks are classified from the countertop point of view. So yes, the terms are contradictory and confusing, perhaps even deliberately so in some cases. But at least in this case I am certain of what the actual rock type is.

I hope that's helpful or illuminating. And if you have questions about the real identity or geologic history of your countertop, I may be able to shed some light!

Karin

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

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

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

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

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

Before:

Family room:

After:

I know it sounds trite, but I REALLY want to thank all of you for your help. Buehl was particularly helpful in tweaking the design. Rhome410, steph2000, breezygirl, and many others were there for me during my backsplash angst. I had already chosen my windows before I saw PPS7's kitchen, but seeing hers helped me feel comfortable with the decision. Her kitchen also inspired my island design. I can't name everyone that inspired me, but know that I appreciate your input.

I was going for a calm kitchen with easy-care contertops. My husband was going for "happy." When I told him about the sweeby test, he responded by writing this:

MY KITCHEN MISSION STATEMENT

"I want my kitchen to be tranquil, soothing, calm and happy. It should be cozy and bright, too.

"The perfect backsplash for my kitchen will not add an element of romance or whimsy but it might have a fish tile in it. Even a bear tile would be nice, as long as it's not within striking distance of the fish.

My perfect countertop will be level and divert attention from the mess my kids have made in the living room. When friends see it they will remark, 'Have you lost weight?' and 'You're looking quite dashing today!'

But most of all, my ideal kitchen will make my wife happy. Every time she sees it she'll smile at both the design and with fond memories of the process she used to create it. My ideal kitchen will perfectly match my wife's kitchen mission statement, even if it doesn't quite match mine."

Isn't he cute? I'm not sure if I have fond memories of the process - it's more of a fog. I was trying to make a million decisions about the entire house, so some details fell through the cracks. I don't know who picked out the crown moulding, but it wasn't me. I told the KD I wanted something simple, and sometime later this was installed. At least it's 10 feet off the ground! But I still smile when I see the backsplash, and I feel like the space is happy. Oh, and it works great as a kitchen. I just tested out the lunch-making, breakfast-eating, homework-finishing morning rush for the last week and it came through for me!

On to the details:

Cabinets: Locally-made Amish painted white (it's their standard white)

Countertops: Leathered Kodiak Brown granite

Backsplash: Sunflower mosaic in ming green marble from Saltillo Imports (purchased from Caledonia Tile in Indianapolis) and AKDO 3/4" x 3/4" mosaic in ming green light (it's supposed to be all light, but there seems to be dark in there)

Floors: White oak stained with Minwax Provincial and finished with satin polyurethane

Walls: Sherwin Williams Comfort Gray

Knobs and pulls: Restoration Hardware Lugarno knob in satin nickel and Restoration Hardware Asbury pull in satin nickel

Faucets: Brizo Solna (loved the hidden pullout spray) standard and bar-size

Sinks: Silgranit precis super single bowl and large bowl

Stools: West Elm rustic counter stool (thanks PPS7!)

Pendants: Kichler 2665OZ in olde bronze

Refrigerator: Samsung RF266 in platinum

Dishwashwer: Bosch SHX68R55UC in stainless

Range: GE Cafe Electric

Hood: Zephyr Breeze with baffle filters

Lighting: All-Pro 5" LED recessed lights, LED under-cabinet lights, and LED puck lights.

And here are the pictures (finally!)

The previous kitchen had been remodeled within the last 10 years, but it was separated from the rest of the home and lacked sufficient counter space for a family of four. We decided to tear down the wall that separated the kitchen and laundry room and expand into the dining room to give us more counter space. The windows in the corner were too low to run counters and that proved to be a design challenge. Instead of raising the windows which would have altered the architecture of the exterior of the home, we decided to make the area a banquette. We also moved the old doorway off the foyer and created two larger arches which open up the kitchen to the living and dining room.

The space was too small for an island, so we had our counter top fabricator make us a work table that is movable -- it has wheels and we can roll it out of the way if we want to open up the kitchen.

Details:
Cabinets - custom by Los Angeles cabinetmaker - maple shaker style (bar area is espresso finish)
Countertops - Madre Perla quartzite
Backsplash - White onyx staggered tile
Faucet - KWC Eve
Sink - Franke
All KitchenAid appliances, except for GE profile microwave Vent-a-hood
Lighting - onxy pendants purchased at Lighting Emporium
Pulls - Great Indoors
Floors - White Oak hardwoods to match the rest of the home
Paint- Martha Stewart "Fossil"

Before:

During:

After:

and, of course, a photo of Pip himself, enjoying his new kitchen...

I've been looking for some advice from people who have actually used one for some time, not just recently purchased one. Fingers are crossed that there are people here who can give a thumbs up or down.

Thanks.

Placement/ layout
1. Cans should be > 24 to 30 inches from the wall (on center). Most countertop spaces have upper cabinets (typically ~ 12" deep) + crown molding. The edge of the can may be spaced ~ 12" away from the edge of the crown molding (if present or cabinet if there is no crown molding) making the average distance between 26 to 30 inches.

2. Assuming the need for a fairly uniformly lit space @ 35 lumens per sq ft, the cans may have to be spaced closer together - between 3 - 4 ft apart (if all general lighting is provided by recessed lights). A fairly regular pattern is preferable to a random layout.

3. The actual layout of cans will be impacted by the location of ceiling joists, HVAC ducting, electrical wiring, plumbing, ceiling height, fire suppression sprinklers and other obstructions above the ceiling.

Dimming
The Cree LR6 series lamps do not dim as well as the later models (CR6, ...). ELV dimmers probably work better with LR6 than incandescent dimmers since the total load of the lights may not meet the minimum load requirement for the incandescent dimmer.

Dimmers such as the Lutron Diva CL dimmers work well. The max output is 95%.

Some Choices (in order of preference) and notes
Cree CR6 or ECO-575 (Home Depot branded CR6)
ECO4-575 (Home Depot branded Cree CR4 4" recessed light)
The above are only available in 2700k light color.

Cree LR6 series - including the LE6.

The Cree CR6 and LR6 lamps will not fit into 5" housings.

The standard LR6 behaves more like a surface mount than a recessed light as the LED emitters are close to the surface and the recess is shallow. Some may not like the amount of light spillage (standard LR6).

There is a higher output version of the LR6 that has a much deeper recess.

To prevent the Cree lamps from falling out, the 3 prongs have to be fully extended and a slight clockwise twist made when push installing. The slight clockwise twist will ensure that the prongs are fully extended.

The Cree lamps are currently the best available today (2012).

Sylvania RT-6, RT-4. The lights could be easier to install than Cree lamps as they utilize the torsion spring mechanism. However, the lights do not look as pleasant as the Cree lamps.

The Cree and Sylvania lamps do outperform 26W CFLs (and incandescents) in a standard recessed can in terms of light spread and output as the standard bulb in a can solution traps a significant amount of light. The Cree and Sylvania recessed lamp solutions referenced above have all the LED elements facing outwards so that the effective light output is higher.

The CRI (Color Rendition Index) of Cree and Sylvania recessed lamps > 80.

There is no warm up time required for Cree recessed lamps, unlike CFL light bulbs.

Most recessed lighting is used with flat ceilings. Sloped ceilings would require special solutions such as the LE6 or some other form of lighting (i.e. -non recessed lighting).

Some common objections to recessed can lights stem from
1. looks and performance of traditional can lights (standard bulb in a can)
2. swiss cheese effect from too many holes.

I have been reading A LOT of opinions on insulation levels - such as 60-40-20 and sealing, but I am trying to get some solid information reference points that I can use to discuss with my builder.

The house will be built with 2x6. The front will be brick and the sides/back will be Hardi plank. We were planning to insulate the attic trusses to help keep the HVAC piping in more of a climate controlled environment. We are looking at spray foam to help with air infiltration, but are not sure if we should use in everywhere (attic, exterior walls, between basement ceiling and 1st floor). We were also going to use 1" foam planks behind the Hardi plank (can/should we put it behind the brick, too?). My build has said that we should be careful to let the house "breathe". I am also trying to find info on why that isn't (or is) a good idea so I can have an educated conversation with my builder.

I am sure there are a lot of things that I am missing, so lots of info would be welcomed! Thank you in advance for any pointers/advice that you may have.

David

Here is a link that might be useful: Molding

The only one that seems to have a lot of mixed good/bad reviews is homeclick - seems to have the best prices, but a lot of unhappy customers as well.

Here's the list:
Faucetdirect
Homeandstone
Efaucets
Homeclick
Irawoods
Faucetdepot
Designerplumbing
Galaxytoolsupply
Needplumbingsupplies
Biyplumbing.net
Overstock
Ebay
Homeannex
Amazon
IKEA
Moeappliances
Chicagofaucets
Fausink
Lowcostplumbing

--Nancy

You can search competetive brands that will gain you more bang for your buck. American Standard, Duravit, Toto, Nameeks, Barclay, Danze, Hansgrohe, Jason Hydrotherapy, etc... just a few I am familiar with.

Shop some more and see what you come up with.

Here is the superwhite quartzite:

Luce di luna:

White river granite:

Mother of pearl quartzite:

Wall dividing kitchen and dining room:

Inside tiny kitchen (notice the soffits, I HATE soffits):

Lack of storage, using the top of the fridge:

Classy hanging drawer front:

Twilight zone, no real work space or storage:

The ol' workhorse...probably the only thing we kept:

House is a cozy colonial situated in central NY built in the 1980s that came with a magnificent piece of property. The inside, however, needed (and still needs) much update. We ripped out all the (irregular) flooring on the first floor and had them replaced. Structural changes took place in the mudroom/garage-entry area as well as the wall between kitchen and dining room (widened).

Prior to renovations, I had ZERO experience with reno of any sort, let alone in design. I stumbled upon GW and my world changed! You have all been fantastic and an invaluable source of information and support. I direct all my renovating friends here now! Your finished kitchens have all been sources of inspiration for me and I have most definitely borrowed some of your ideas (built-in paper towel holder, motion detector light switch in pantry, stone window sill...).

Lastly, this is my dream kitchen in the home we hope to raise our family in. White kitchens are fairly uncommon around these parts and so far, that is one main feature people are taken by when they first walk into our kitchen. I hope you all enjoy the photos!

Details
Cabinets: Custom-made by Concepts in Wood (Syracuse, NY), Shaker-style doors, painted BM Chantilly Lace
Counters: Super white quartzite and titanium soapstone
Main Sink: Shaws Original Sink by Rohl - 30"
Main Faucet: Single Side Lever Country Kitchen Faucet with extended spout and sidespray by Rohl
Bar sink: inexpensive stainless sink from Ebay
Bar Faucet: EcoPure filter faucet (runs water from an RO system)
Range: 36" Bluestar with griddle
Hood: Vent-a-hood
Dishwasher: Kitchenaid
Refrigerator: old Kitchenaid that came with house (plan to replace in a year or 2)
Island pendants: Restored vintage hologen industrial pendants with original Heisey glass
Hardware: Highland Ridge by Amerock in 4" and 6"
Backsplash: Bellevue 3x6 ceramic tiles in Glacier by Best Tile

Before:

Before (view into dining room):

Before (view into garage entry):

Before (pantry with crazy-deep shelving):

Before (view into family room):

After:

Coffee/Wine bar:

Titanium Soapstone:

View from Mudroom:

Pantry:

Microwave will sit on counter atop drawers:

Mudroom (closet on opposite wall):

I have to include this photo of our backsplash in the midst of being grouted, taken while my GC was at lunch. Amazing what a difference grout makes!

Lastly, a fun shot of my girls having fun with bubble wrap and packing paper one evening when I was trying to move all my junk back in: