The renovation started 2 days after Christmas and lasted approximately 5 months. In addition to the kitchen, we gutted 3 bathrooms, including dormering out the master bathroom to get a few more feet across the back of the house. It was an almost perfect project from start to finish (barring the things that were revealed during the demolition that didn't meet current code and needed to be fixed). Amazing contractor, amazing crew, amazing husband and kids to live in the mess that we had for so long. Well, living in a 55 degree house for most of the winter wasn't ideal, but I got used to wearing my down jacket inside all day long. Thank goodness for Trader Joe's and a good microwave! And a big THANK YOU to all of the wonderful ideas I got in this forum. I tend to research things to death and this site was my addiction for the past year.

I have a 1960s cape cod house in New England -- boxy rooms and bad flow. We took down the wall between the family room (which is the room you enter the house through) and the kitchen; also the wall between the kitchen and the dining room, but we added cabinetry there to give the feeling of separation while still allowing light to flow between the front of the house (DR) and the back (kitchen). There was an open front porch in front of the family room that we enclosed to make a mudroom. (Hallelujah for mudrooms and boys!!)

Here are some "oldies" of our original 1960s cape cod kitchen:

Range wall -- behind this wall was the laundry room, which we moved to the basement so we could incorporate the space into the kitchen ;

Wall between kitchen and dining room:

Original double oven, at the end of the wall between the kitchen and dining room

I don't miss this cooktop!

We replaced this small window to get more light:

Dining room with door to kitchen. This wall was removed.

Looking from the kitchen to the family room.

The original laundry room, now part of the kitchen:

And the finished product!

Taken from the family room:

Taken looking into the family room (still unfurnished!)

Looking from the kitchen window into the dining room:

The island is 10 feet long.

New Ticor sink -- thanks garden webbers!!

Kenmore elite induction range:

4-drawer recycling -- a must in a town with no trash collection (we haul our own to the dump) -- I guess I could have at least emptied the trash before taking a picture!

We wanted these to look like furniture, with feet and a matching cherry top:

Still have to dig up the crystal and other things to put in here:

Do you think I need new dining room chairs??

New slider to mudroom, which used to be an open front porch:

New mantle -- still trying to decide what to cover the old brick with:

Just for fun: old powder room:

New powder room:

Some details:

Cabinetry: Plain & Fancy shaker style (I don't think that's the actual model name...) with Heirloom finish
Counters: Cambrian Black granite with antique leather finish
Sink: Ticor from garden web -- the 32" long with zero radius corners
Appliances: all Kenmore elite (I know, many people don't like the "all one brand appliance" thing, but it just worked out that way). I LOVE my new induction range!! I've always been a gas girl, but that was not a great option in this house, and I have been really happy with induction.
Faucet: Kohler simplice
Backsplash: Grazia "Rixi" in a color that I'm drawing a blank on and am too lazy to run to the garage to check the box... if anyone is interested you can check another posting of mine where I sing its praises
Pendants in kitchen and dining room: pottery barn

If anyone wants more specific details, let me know and I'll supply.

It looks darker in person than in the picture.

Trust your instincts, but to be safe, sleep a night or two on major decisions. (And do NOT let this project drive you nuts!)

It may or may not be of interest to you to check out Caesarstone Raven in either polished (what I have) or honed - much more subdued, although I believe others have said it may be more maintenance. There are a lot of threads about it on GW.

I mention this product bc I started out wanting Pietra Cardosa, then moved to soapstone (and like you didn't want the green of it, but found the blacker variety reminded me of my high school science lab...), then tried to like AB granite in a variety of finishes and then fell hard for the Raven. I still love it after living with it for almost a year (more than the granite on my island, which is etched to heck and back!).

Here's a pic of my kitchen if it's helpful.

and a closeup of the Raven

Best wishes to you for a low-stress project and an end result you love!

FYI if you want - go to the bathroom site and you'll see my new thread- called Master bath pics-- feel free to give me your feedback...

Thanks!!!
suz

Hope I'm not putting too many pictures!

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

Happy kitchen designing to all! Thank you again!

Cabinets- custom built, inset. Color- SW8180, almond white
Counters- Antiqued Nordic Black

BTW Zelmar thanks for posting I never tire of seeing pics of your lovely kit!

Skeet

Some pics

During install - 3yrs ago

For some reason I love this one! Thanksgiving 2 yrs ago

Cab maker is Kennebec in Bath Maine - Link below - incredible woods species & hand rubbed stains

Good luck

Here is a link that might be useful: kennebec cabinetry

rotisserie pineapple:
peel the pineapple leaving it whole.
mix butter, dark rum, brown sugar 1:1:1, or adjust based on your preferences, in a saucepan until warm and melted together, add a pinch of cinnamon (to your preferences).
place pineapple in a dish, pour warm mix over and let sit, turning every few minutes, for about 2o minutes or so.

drain off excess, or reheat and pour over ice cream if you want. skewer pineapple on the rotis shaft, set oven to 350 convection broil (in the gaggenau) and cook until tender, about 30 minutes.

those who dont have a rotis, remove the green top without cutting the husk, cut the pineapple in half lengthwise, cut or scoop out the pineapple without poking the husk too much (i know, not easy). you can make a foil bowl around the outside if you like, it helps. pour pineapple chunks and rum mix into the halves, and bake or bbq at 350 for 30 minutes, or until warm all through.

this helps cut the acid on a not yet ripe pineapple, and makes a great dessert.

Paint - Ellen Kennon Gustavian Grey
Vanity - Medallion in Knotty Alder wood, Walnut stain
Sink & Toilet - Toto Baldwin/Clayton
Faucets - Husdon Reed
Field Tile - Emser Classica in cream
Accent Tile - Walker Zanger Mizu
Floor - Walker Zanger 'White Cloud' marble, honed.
Countertop - Walker Zanger 'White Cloud' marble, polished.
Wall Sconces - Can't remember!
Fixtures - Kohler Bancroft

Here's my side of the bathroom:

Mongo

First and Foremost, thank-you so much to GW and all that I've learned from so many of you. What an invaluable resource and support this community has been to me over the last year.
Some Details:
DH and I did all the demo including taking up ceramic tile piece by piece,taking down wall to open kitchen up.
I did all design work, painted and finish work on all wood trim and accent pieces to match cabinets.
The rest of kitchen we worked with our friends to install plumbing, cabs, window and floors. (Most are in the trades)
We had the granite and electrical installed professionally.

Cabinets: Knight Kitchens, Cherry Fireside stain/black glazed
Flooring: Brazilian Chestnut from International Hardwood
Granite: Yellow River
Appliances: Jenn-air
Sink: Ticor from Galazy Tools
Faucet: Brizo Floriano
Backsplash: WILL BE combination of earthtone glass mosaic and noche travertine brick tiles
Bay window: Marvin, stained and glazed to match cabs
Hardware: Tuscan drop pulls by Top Knobs
In & uc lights: zenon feston by seagull
Recessed: 4 inch halo
Pendants:Portifolio from Lowes (for now)
All lighting in zones and on dimmers

Here is a link that might be useful: Photobucket Album

http://s203.photobucket.com/albums/aa22/fothia/?start=0

I just had this installed in my not-yet-complete kitchen and I LOVE IT!!! From the beginning of the renovation, I knew that I wanted a non-glossy black countertop. I originally wanted soapstone, but my husband wanted something that wouldn't show any wear, so we looked at black granites with different finishes. I liked the look of the absolute black honed, but the sample I brought home showed too many fingerprints for my taste (or my 2 boys' grubby hands!). The antique leather finish is gorgeous and is so easy to clean. We have only been eating at the island for a few days now, but I have just been wiping it with a damp cloth and it's perfect. The granite installer said that I should use windex on it, but I haven't tried that yet.

My piece has small flecks of copper and silver, which are really beautiful and catch the sunlight.

Here is a link that might be useful: cambrian black granite with antique leather finish

I am also posting the "details" within this post so they will be searchable

CABINETRY - custom built by LMS Woodcraft, Akron, Pa. All maple with BM Linen White and stain

COUNTERS - perimeter, Antiqued Cambrian Black - Island, Kashmir White

HARDWARE - All Top Knobs except bin pulls are from Restoration Hardware

WALL AND TRIM - BM Tamarind with BM Linen White trim

FLOORS - prefinished 5inch plank wire brushed solid oak, Mullican, Tuscan Brown

TILE - Kitchen backsplash, Ann Sachs butter cream, Mudroom floor and laundry backspash, Lunada Bay Marioka glass, Butler’s Pantry backsplash, Lunada Bay, Ohara Natural Glass Sumi

PENDANTS - Uttermost

FIXTURE - Restoration Hardware

APPLIANCES - Viking Double Oven, Wolf range, Kitchenaid microwave, Kitchenaid Fridge, Marvel Wine Fridge, Dacor Warming Drawer, Whirlpool Duet Washer and Dryer, Insinkerator Instant Hot

FAUCETS - Grohe Ladylux Pro (regular size and bar size in island)

Beadboard is the staple of cottage country and I think
you can pull it off just fine. I am not sure if the
antique combination with your current cabs will work
but I say go for it. You can always see how it looks
as you go.

I do not think you should paint the kitchen the
same color as the island. That will look too much for
the cottage kitchen. Keep in mind though too many colors
and you loose your flow effect.

I found some neat beadboard mixes in kitchens.
Maybe they can help you. Visual ideas always help
me with my own kitchen reno.
Best of luck.

We have a 48" GE Monogram but did not use panels. We have the 8" area above the grille as storage. Our grille is 11" high.

Here is a picture:

Mythreesonsnc: We considered locating pendants on the trusses, but decided not to for a couple of reasons. We wanted the eye to be drawn up when entering the room. We were worried that pendants would detract from this as a focal point, and preferred the simplicity and unobstructed view of nothing hanging down. I love the pendants you picked out, by the way. We probably would have ended up with something very similar to the one you chose if we had decided to use pendants.

Pickle2 and Scootermom: Since my husband's business is building timber frame barns, he knows a lot of men in the trades. One of our friends, Jeff, is an top-notch carpenter and craftsman. He and my husband designed the storage benches, and then Jeff built them in place for us. He also did all of our wainscotting and trim work. There will be a table in front of the banquette along with a bench for extra seating. We just haven't found one we like yet.

Lisa A: Something I knew right from the get-go was that I wanted a gas cooktop with an electric oven. When we started this whole thing, I don't think they had ranges with this combination (if they did, I was not aware of them). So, we ended up with the oven underneath the cooktop simply because that was the best location for the oven in our layout. I don't mind it, though it is a bit low - lots of bending over.
PS. I so wanted a double oven, but alas, it was not to be. :(

After:

Before Kitchen

This kitchen didn't start out as a budget remodel, but since we were/are doing a whole house remodel, by the end of the kitchen we had spent much more than planned and so the Kitchen budget was cut to 20K.

Some of the details...

Range, Dishwasher & Micro: GE Cafe
Fridge: Counter Depth Bosch
Floor: Ceramic Tile 13"x13" with 4" black marble insets.
Ceiling Lights: Restoration Hardware
Cabinets: Custom by local cabinet maker
Cabinet Paint: Benjamin Moore Aura Paint in White Dove (DIY)
Cabinet Hardware: Restoration Hardware
Sink: Elkay stainless zero radius sink from Home Depot (it can under-mount or top-mount)... we had a sad story involving a beautiful stainless farm sink received with shipping damage that lead to this sink. In the end I'm totally happy with this sink, so it all worked out :)
Counters - Wilsonart Oiled Soapstone Laminate in 3cm thickness to simulate soapstone. I couldn't decide between Soapstone or Marble, so we decided to go laminate for the time being... I'm actually so happy with it, I think it will stay for quite a while.
Breakfast Bar: Walnut top done by cabinet maker

Before:

New:

Sorry things are a bit messy. Today I'm going to try to get some more detailed photos and will try to share those later. Any advice on how to transmit smaller pictures will be appreciated...thanks.

I chose one corner cabinet in glass for dishes and glassware.

Here is a link to a cabinetmaker that I looked at a lot when designing my own kitchen. If you scroll through the different galleries you'll see various kitchens using glass and some without. HTH.

Kat :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Cook & Cook Cabinetry

href="http://s246.photobucket.com/albums/gg92/mhamesny/finished%20kitchen%200908/?action=view¤t=DSC_0008.jpg" target="_blank">

Kitchen Information:
Cabinets Crystal Cabinets
Perimeter - Frosty White with Van Dyke Brown Glaze
Island & Butler's Pantry - Cherry with Black Highlights
Country Classic Door Style

Appliances:
Fridge: Subzero 642 - 42" side by side with cabinetry panels
Dishwasher: Miele G2180SCVI with panel
Rangetop: Wolf SRT366 36" Sealed Rangetop
Ovens: Thermador POD302 Double Electric Ovens (Top is convection)
Hood Liner: Vent a Hood 600 CFM Liner BH234SLDSS
Microwave: Sharp Microwave Drawer 24" KB6024MS
Sink: Ticor (learned about on this forum) SS508 30 5/8 x 18 1/8
Faucet: Steamvalveoriginal.com

Hardware: Top Knobs Satin Nickel. Pulls M808-96, Knobs M326, Fridge Handles M808-12

Lighting:
Hudson Valley Pelham Pendants in Aged Brass from Croft and Little.com
Ceiling High Hats are LR6 LED lights from Lightingonthenet.com. We're very happy with the lighting from these. Indistinguishable from incandescent and still dimmable.

Countertops: honed Absolute Black granite on perimeter and honed Imperial Danby on island. Perimeter is eased edge and island is ogee.

Floor - wood to match rest of house. Varied plank with pegs. Stain is a mix of Minwax Provincial with Jacobean.

Backsplash - Sonoma Tile Makers. Field tile is Otter color shiny with crackle glaze.

Paint - Benjamin Moore HC81 Manchester Tan. Trim is Linen White

Butler's Pantry: Same cabinetry as kitchen. Counters also honed Imperial Danby. Sink is Ticor bar sink, smallest they had, don't remember number.

Faucet is Blanco 157-106-ST Terra Single Lever Bar Faucet in Satin Nickel from Faucet Depot

Filtered Instant Hot/Cold is InSinkErator F-HC2215SN Country Series Satin Nickel from Faucet Depot

Wine Fridge is Marvel - bought as a sample from appliance store

Undercounter Beverege(sp) Fridge from ULine with Crystal IceMaker, CLRC02175B00 - with cabinetry panel. Don't like this at all. The back keeps freezing up and then melting (have had service call) and the ice maker is incredibly noisy.

Lighting: Chandelier is Corbett Venetian 1 Light Ceiling Pendant 78-41 from Capitol Lighting. I love the Capitol Lighting website (1800lighting.com) I ordered quite a few lights from them throughout the house and was very happy with their pricing and customer service.

Mudroom: Cabinets custom built and painted in semi-gloss BM Shadow (eggplant color). Washer and Dryer are Maytag Epic. Very happy with these. Floor is Charcoal Gray Slate from boxes of slate I picked up at Expo. Also very happy with this. The cubbies were custom built by my contractor.

Still have to get switch/outlet covers and window treatments and wall art. Otherwise so happy to be done!