Oh, and also the large freezer drawers are pieced as well.

We are finally finished with our kitchen remodel of our 1889 home. I have been a daily (truthfully, sometimes HOURLY) lurker and sporadic poster for almost two years. There is NO WAY I could have planned this remodel without the help of GW--We were living in China for over 5 years and I had to do all of my planning from there. This meant NO MAGAZINES, nor could I visit showrooms and see anything in person. Every time I had a question, I seemed to be able to find a thread about it. Not to mention all of the inspirational photos!!! I was so afraid of missing an important tidbit! (We were 13 hours ahead there, so I could easily miss a thread as it fell off onto pages two, three, four...)

Anyway, many thanks to all of the great TKO people who contribute to this forum.

Photos first! Details at the end. (o:

pass-thru detail

cabinetry--local custom painted in BM Bone White oil-based enamel
walls-- BM Ballet White
counters--Zodiaq quartz Mystic Black (kind of a charcoal color)
pulls--Amerock Revitalize in Burnished Bronze
sink--Ticor zero-radius SS508
faucet--Kohler Vinnata in Vibrant Polished Nickel
range-36" Bertazzoni Heritage Series in Anthracite
hood- Vent-A-Hood NPH9-136
backsplash- 3" hexagonal Calcatta marble
pendants--Hinckley Knickerbocker (these are on clearance all over for a song right now...)
windows--Marvin double-hung cottage style

We remodelled our kitchen a few years ago and I purged, purged, purged, then inventoried what was left an assigned everything to a place before ordering the cabinets.

That said, and because I attempt to play the grocery game while feeding a family of six, ie buying food stuff we eat when it's on super sale or free, there is a lot of non-perishable food in the basement.

Here are some of my favorite storage ideas:

Pull out pantry -narrow, lots of shelves so no wasted space, accessible from both sides, holds a TON

Spice drawer: everything is in bottles labelled on the top and stored alphabetically. Drives me crazy when the labels aren't lined up but that's me.

Custom built can storage:

Lots of base drawers for bulky items like pots, plastic storage containers etc,

Hanging storage for saucepans and frying pans

Vertical storage above the ovens for trays and platters:

Corner units for the black holes:

and finally, custom made by ME drawer inserts so that everything fits exactly and there is NO wasted space.

Now that I've read about labelling, I'm going to get started this weekend LOL although like btdt everything is stored where it's used so "put it back where you expect to find it" works almost all the time

After, view of kitchen from family room

Before, overview of kitchen; entrance to dining room is in between wall ovens and refrigerator

After, overview of kitchen; former entrance has been closed up (is now my baking corner) and new entrance to dining room is not in shot but is in between refrigerator and freezer

Before, view of eating area

After, view of eating area with new wainscoting

Before, view of pantry

After, view of pantry, broom closet pull-out and freezer

primary flatware drawer

knife drawer

easy dishwasher unloading

doors around oven and refrigerator open

broom closet pull-out

Many (many!) more pictures are in my finished kitchen album.

I joined GW the v. first day I "found" it online. I was doing research on soapstone and a link to this forum popped up and I read it. If I’d had any idea the amount of time I’d spend here and the relationships I’d come to have, I never, ever would have picked as pedestrian a handle as "rmkitchen." But I thought I’d just be here on GW that one time. Nearly fourteen months later and ha ha on me!

Well, it’s still not "done": we’re waiting for roman shades to be made and I need to wash those windows …. But I’m feeling silly having a finished kitchen and waiting for some roman shades! So it’s not magazine-worthy, that’s okay. I had a really hard time deciding whether to attempt the vanity shots or how we really live. Because seeing everyone’s pristine, to-die-for kitchens hurt my self-esteem, I decided to do a warts-and-all. You’ll see fingerprints on the cupboard doors, smudges on the polished nickel hardware and crumbs on the floor: even still, I think it looks pretty good. Also, since my photographic skills are poor it made the choice really easy!

With the risk of coming across as gauche I am going to include approximate prices for our items. I was terribly naïve when it came to determining our budget and found it immensely beneficial when others here would give prices. (in all fairness, it sometimes made me feel bad either that we weren’t as hoity-toity as others as well as making me feel ridiculous for spending so much when others achieved fabulous kitchens for a fraction of our budget) It gave me a real-world benchmark, and hopefully it will help someone else put their own project into some perspective. I wish more posters would share their budget – I think it’s that helpful. Let me preface this by saying I'm in Boulder, CO -- prices will vary continent-wide. We are less expensive than the San Francisco Bay Area and more than RTC, NC.

Caveat: I absolutely believe and know our kitchen could have (and I’d argue should have) been done for significantly less. Like our gorgeous countertops / backsplash were ridiculously expensive and I could have had a white marble for less than half. However, every time I look at the marbles from which I could have chosen I realize I would have been v. unhappy and any amount spent on them would have been too much. So it was "smart" to spend more to get what I really wanted and what I LOVE. ("smart" having a v. fluid definition depending on my mood!)

Same about our sink, well, similar. We searched and searched for a stainless apron front single bowl sink, and the one we liked the best was the Bates & Bates. My husband insisted on a low gauge (thick steel). Only after our kitchen was complete did I learn about the Lavello. While not as thick as ours (ours is 12 gauge, the Lavello 16 gauge), I think for the >$1,000 price difference we could’ve lived with it!

We (I) shopped around like crazy (love the internet!) for our appliances, hardware, etc., and feel I did a fabulous job getting the best prices for these items—everything was either on special or purchased on sale or using some sort of incentive. But at the end of the day, the appliances were still expensive—exactly what we want / need, though. At the end of the day, the hardware was still expensive—exactly what we want / need, though. At the end of the day, the cabinetry was still expensive. (Although I actually have mixed feelings about this—for the level of detail I wanted and all the bells & whistles we got I’m not sure it was expensive. The semi-custom lines at which we looked [i.e., Cuisines Laurier, DuraSupreme] were coming in significantly higher. If we'd gone with framed we could have come in for less, but not gotten the exact door / hood I wanted. If there were an IKEA nearby [the closest is in Utah], we probably could have used their boxes and had doors made up elsewhere. But we went neither of those routes.)

Our kitchen is approximately 13’w x 21'l (not completely true, as only one side is 21' long; the other wall is 11 1/2'). Our ceiling is 9’ high (the upper cabinets are 47 ½" high with crown moulding running from the top of the cabinets up to the ceiling).

cabinets, ~$55K
custom frameless painted (catalyzed lacquer) a custom white, island painted BM Onyx
all drawers and roll-outs full-extension with Blumotion glides and all doors with Blum soft-close hinges
one Rev-A-Shelf wood drawer divider
one Rev-A-Shelf plastic double tier flatware divider
custom wood drawer dividers (five drawers)
steel pegboard "broom closet" pull-out (thanks to dianalo for sharing inspiration pictures)
three chrome pull-out pantry units (Rev-A-Shelf)
four spice pull-outs (Rev-A-Shelf)
pegboard with wood "divider" dowels in (three) dish drawers
foot pedal four-canister trash / recycle unit (thanks to lowspark and alku05 for the foot pedal instructions), Rev-A-Shelf
magnetic chalkboards (two)
hood (design inspiration courtesy of mwardlb’s lovely hood)
maple butcher block island countertop with bow detail
tempered, safety glass-front doors and glass shelves
delivery and installation of these cabinets and attached custom crown moulding (but not including cost of custom crown which was ~$350)

appliances, ~$22K
refrigerator: Thermador 30" Fresh Food Freedom Column T30IR70
freezer: Thermador 30" Frozen Freedom Colum T30IF70
oven: Gaggenau 30" BX281610 convection double oven, (thanks to the supportive folks in the Appliance forum who talked me through this decision & held my hand as we waited five+ months for its delivery)
cooktop: Thermador Professional Series PCG366E 36" gas, six burners
vent: Broan 900 cfm external blower 332H
microwave: Sharp Over-The-Counter R-1214
refrigerator drawers: GE Monogram 24" ZIDI240PII
(delivery and installation of above appliances was ~$700)
instant hot / cold faucet and tank: Mountain Products Little Gourmet MT1401
under-sink water filter: Culligan
sink: Bates and Bates S2133.SS stainless apron front
faucet: Pegasus Professional Kitchen, from Expo (thanks to susanandmarkw)
soap dispenser: Danze Parma
dishwasher: KitchenAid KUDS03FTPA
air switch for above-sink light: Mountain Plumbing, stainless
disposal: Insinkerator Evolution Cover Control

hardware, ~$1,100
pulls: Restoration Hardware 4" Gilmore Pulls, polished nickel
knobs: Restoration Hardware 1.25" Cut Glass Knobs, polished nickel
fridge / freezer pulls: Hickory Hardware Studio 13" bright nickel
broom closet pull: Hickory Hardware Studio 5" bright nickel

lighting, ~$300
undercabinet lighting: Pegasus Associates Microfluorescent T4 fixtures
lighting inside cabinets: line voltage (120V) xenon pucks, American Lighting

countertop & backsplash, material, fabrication and installation ~$19K
Calacatta Xtra (seriously, that’s its name), honed, 3cm, with eased square edge – thanks to mnhockeymom for the inspiration!), runnels and a dishdrain
backsplash: Calacatta Xtra, 2cm
island butcherblock countertop provided by cabinetmaker

painting, ~$1K
walls: BM 871 Pearl River, Regal Matte Finish
ceiling: 50% BM 871, Regal Flat Finish
wainscoting: BM Impervo, custom to match cabinetry
toekicks: BM Onyx (which I painted myself with "help" from our puppy)

floors, price unknown as bundled in with installation of hardwood for entire first floor and staircase
red oak, "popped" with water then one heavy coat of Dura-Seal Ebony Stain (thanks to my husband for finding out how to get the dark finish I wanted from red oak), three coats of Bona Satin Water-Based Sealer

construction, ~$16K (I think, as it was bundled in with a nearly-whole house remodel)
removal of old cabinets, closing up old doorway to dining room, framing new entrance to dining room, moving almost all electrical plus some new, moving all plumbing plus much new, drywall (inc. smooth-coating existing orange-peel), fabricating / installing wainscoting in breakfast nook and sink wall facing family room and new casing around sliding door and window, crown moulding installation and painting

kitchen designer, $3K
(we contentiously parted ways v. early in the process, but not until she had suggested moving the doorway to the dining room down the wall, and we love this change)

Things we love
or, what we did right
-Sans doute moving the opening into the dining room down the wall so as to make a U-shape kitchen was the smartest thing we did. It has increased the function / made better the ergonomics tremendously!

-Large, single bowl, apron front sink. Having all that continuous room for washing large pots / pans / baking dishes is so incredible! I love how the apron front eliminates any lower back pain– not far to reach into the sink. We also have no splashing, as opposed to what we had with a shallower, drop-in sink.

-Raised dishwasher. It just makes sense! I know many love their dishdrawers but as we run a full or nearly-full dishwasher nightly, it would not have made sense for us to have dishdrawers.

-Side-opening wall oven. I was on the fence a long time on this one: that oven set (the Gaggenau 30" double wall ovens) was really expensive, but oh how we love the side-opening mechanism! It just makes so much sense.

-Foot pedal trash. Hands full of broccoli remnants + foot pedal trash = genius.

-Magnetic chalkboards – my children adore them! My older son (four years-old) loves drawing his robots and writing; my younger son (two years-old) loves standing and "coloring." We love being able to keep our timer and grocery list in a central and easy-to-locate spot.

-Full freezer and full refrigerator: we wonder how we lived before with combined units. It sounds insane, but for our vegetarian family with little children we are absolutely utilizing these separate units to their fullest.

-Polished nickel hardware: it’s beautiful. It’s just beautiful, and it takes a lot of work to get them looking icky / dirty; plus, I have to say they are a breeze to clean (when they do get icky)!

-Getting our puppy one month to the day after the remodel started (and three months before it ended). It was such hard work – miserably hard, puppy-training and living amidst chaos (as we were doing nearly the whole house). But man-oh-man am I glad we did it all at once! I am so grateful to have had all the ick and dreck at once. (She’s a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and we swear she’s part-cat: v. gentle, smart, affectionate. She’s never ever growled / been angry with our two little children, and our youngest is not the gentlest. He loves the puppy, but his love can be a bit rough. Cavaliers are also known for loving cats, and our youngest cat is the puppy’s best friend. They adore each other. But the puppy really really loves the children.)

-Not fighting. In our normal lives my husband I occasionally bicker – we’re married and we’re both strong, opinionated people. But for some strange (and miraculous) reason, we never had a fight during the entire remodel; we got along splendidly and truly were a team. Well, maybe not a team: I was definitely The Chief, but he was 100% on board and totally supportive. I wish I knew why that was because I’d like to bottle it!

Things we don’t love
or, things we’d do differently
(There are only two things we absolutely wish we’d done differently, things which we notice [and which irk us] on a daily basis. I’ll list those two first.)
#1 thing which drives us crazy
-Think about where countertop accoutrements (inc. countertop appliances) would live when planning light switches. I had one undercab light switch put, I thought, in an inconspicuous spot near the corner. I absolutely should have figured out where I’d be putting our toaster because, as it happens, the toaster now blocks the light switch. We’ve tried moving the toaster around but that’s just the spot where it makes sense. But yet it doesn’t make sense because it blocks the light switch. This is already frustrating and totally stupid on my part!

#2 thing which drives us crazy
-Pantry pull-outs. HATE them! Maybe hate is too strong a word (not really), but we realize now we would have been so much happier with standard shelves, not even roll-out shelves! (although those are divine) We have the pantry units from Rev-A-Shelf and find a) they are "adjustable" in name only, b) they don’t hold as much as you’d think, and c) a space-waster. If we’d had shelves we could have stacked cans or seen at one glance all our dry-goods. As it is, we have to pull out three separate units and honestly, we think it’s crap. Never again!

(These other things are things which we’d do differently in the future but which aren’t frustrating us daily.)
-24" deep lower cabinets. Too shallow! We didn’t realize until too late (as in, unpacking into this kitchen) that our penultimate kitchen had 32" deep lowers. What a difference! In all fairness to myself (as in, trying to make myself feel better), given the tight quarters of this kitchen we could not have afforded even 30" deep lowers; well, we could have, but then we would have lost our island which we are really enjoying. Next kitchen will be really different!

-Symmetry. I don’t know if it’s just for symmetry’s sake or for my husband’s, but flanking either side of the cooktop are spice pull-outs. Granted, he’s got them both filled to the gills with his goodies, but I could really use those 6" in my stack of baking supply drawers. Given the particulars of the layout of our kitchen the symmetry there would not have mattered.

-Having our microwave built-in. My husband was adamant he did NOT want a built-in microwave (the kind which have the trim-kits, I mean), so we found the Sharp over-the-counter microwave. Turns out there was some sort of "miscommunication" with the GC (so I guess I’m responsible). The "problem" is that the drywall behind the microwave wasn’t removed and reframed so as to accommodate the 1.5" the microwave juts out past its surrounding cabinetry. It’s already not bothering me so much, but when I do think about it I think "I wish we’d been clearer." Hopefully I’ll learn to live with it because I just don’t want to pay for the work!

-Double Ovens. We’ve always (well, in the US) had double ovens and I love to bake, so I never thought of a single oven. But so far, I’ve only been using one oven and as we’re the strictest of vegetarians it’s not as if we’ll ever have a turkey in one and pie in the other. I think how differently the space (& money) could have been utilized …. Who knows?

From the bottom of my heart I want to thank so many of you for your incredible kindness and support, both here in the forum and offline via e-mail. I’ve developed a genuine fondness for many here, and seeing your handles online always brightens my day. To a one, thank you. You are my community.

xo

"i have always loved the white subway with white grout look, but i donno, with the different shades, i might have to try something else, and that really worries me because i am detouring from what i originally like. "

Stick to what you like or you won't be happy. I almost went with gray grout. Perhaps it may look better or more appealing but it is not the look I'm going for. And since you've mentioned that you are worried about the shade of white you've chosen change it now before it's too late. I personally think it will look great but being that you are questioning it makes me think it is not really what you want and are hoping to be talked into liking it.

But if you stick with your tile I wouldn't go with a cream grout but rather one that matches the tile and blends nicely.
To answer your question
In my opinion the color of the grout makes a difference. Just look at kitchens with white subway with gray grout vs white grout and you'll see what I mean.
I don't think an off white grout will make it blend with the cabinets better, it could make it look soiled. White will make it look whiter but IMO cleaner. I say keep the backdrop (backsplash) simple. As someone mentioned above you will have things on the counter to break it up. I plan on putting more items on our counters and the gray grout for me would be too busy. Not to mention I'm not the tidiest-so I need everything else to be simple.

I sure hope I did't confuse you! Here are pics of our off white cabinet, BM moonlight white, though not quite as creamy as yours, with white subway tile and bright white grout. Below is a link to segbrowns kitchen. I think the pewter grout in this kitchen looks great because of all the other elements. But with such creamy cabinets as yours I'm not sure about gray/pewter grout.

Gray grout look (before grouted). My cabinets look quite stark here but are really creamier in person. Hopefully you can see a difference in the shade of the cabinets compared to the white subway-it is hard to capture in a pic!

Here is a link that might be useful: segbrowns kitchen

We have BM White Dove for cabs & all trim. We used BM Wickham Grey in the kitchen (the sliver over the sink window) and adjoining room. It's a light blue/grey that is very soothing and people always ask about. Hope this helps.

Katie

What we love: The layout (Many thanks to all the GW-ers that helped us!) , Sharp MW drawer, our granite, cookbook storage, the pantry, cutting board storage, Brookhaven cabinets and drawers

What we might do differently: Our dark floors look nice, but they need to be swept literally twice a day. A lighter color would be a lot easier to maintain.

Typhoon Bordeaux Granite

Cutting Board Storage

Full Extension Drawers (with Rev-a-Shelf spice drawer organizer)

Our (messy) Pantry

Stained Bamboo Floors (In the left corner of this photo, you can see how the kitchen is open to a great room that was way too messy to post.)

Details:

Cabinets- Brookhaven French Vanilla, Edgemont Recessed style ("Face" on small drawers)
Granite- Typhoon Bordeaux
Paint- SW Svelte Sage
Backsplash- Sonoma Star Butter Crackle
Fridge- CD Jenn Air Side by Side (Plenty of room, even though it’s CD)
Oven- GE Monogram (Love the sliding racks!)
Microwave- Sharp MW Drawer
Rangetop- 36" Electrolux Professional
DW- KitchenAid
Hood- Best by Broan
Faucets- Kohler Simplice
Sinks- Kohler
Floor- Engineered 6 inch Handscraped Bamboo with Pecan Stain
Barstools- Overstock.com
Pendants- Sea Gull Serenity

Thanks again for all the helpful information on this forum!

The big view...

My pantry cabinets...

Another view of the pantry wall that shows off the pterodactyl in my island...

My fabulous soapstone with runnels by Florida Joshua!

Before and after comparison...

Some details:
-Custom cherry Shaker cabinets in a natural finish
-whatever brushed nickel hardware my cabinet guy had
-Black Venata soapstone counters by the one and only Florida Joshua
-Kitchenaid counter-depth fridge
-Fisher & Paykel dish drawers
-AGA Legacy range
-Ventahood Excalibur hood
-Ticor sinks
-Kohler Vinnata faucets
-pendants from Rejuvenation
-tongue and groove pine ceiling
-Mediterranean walnut travertine floors

cabinets

So when my cousin and her husband told me they were thinking about doing it for their kitchen reno, I was in. They ordered 2 six footers, one five footer and one four footer of Barrocca from M. Tiexera. Just a note but when you order, let them know that you will need liftgate service. It costs an extra $75 if you arrange it with M. Tiexera, but if you arrange it with the delivery company they tried to charge 2x that. So the stone came in pallets all bundled up tight, and they actually sent 2 sixes and 2 fives for no extra charge.

We had three guys doing the install, none of us had worked with soapstone before but all have decent construction / home improvement experience. We set up in the garage and got the 4 slabs cut into 7 pieces, caulked and epoxied in place within 6 hours, even had time for a beer and some bratwurst for lunch. The kitchen is a U shaped and one of the pieces only needed to be rip cut to width so that saved some time. We did the cut for behind the farmhouse sink last and ended up with enough extra for them to do a long slab for their hearth (which I'm really excited to help with as well).

It's not oiled and the backsplash is also unfinished but here are some pics.

The whole point of this was to say that if you read the instructions from M. Tiexera, watch a few videos from them and other sites on the net, and have experience doing finish work with wood then soapstone is a very doable DIY countertop solution. Granted we had a backsplash to cover the back side so we didn't have to worry too much about being square and aligning the backs and they were willing to sand down joints that were uneven and it's not professional quality, they are still gorgeous and really reasonable in terms of price. So we are definitely doing it for our kitchen. Woot.

(I will try and post finished kitchen photos with details when I get them)

So details....
Cabinets: custom, antique white. Island is maple stained dark walnut with a dark glaze or something.
Hardware: Polished nickel pulls and knobs, through cab company
Island countertop: statuary marble, honed
Perimeter countertop: aqua grantique (a granitic gneiss, apparently) - brushed finish
Backsplash: statuary 12x12 cut down to subways, statuary herringbone, and cut statuary slab
Floors: Brazilian walnut
Walls: SW Silvermist
Chandeliers: Schonbek New Orleans mini
Appliances: 30" Gaggenau fridge/freezer columns, GE Monogram Advantium 240 oven, GE Monogram Convection single oven, Wolf 36" induction cooktop, Miele La Perla dishwasher, and GE Monogram microwave (in end of island)
Sinks: Rohl 30" and Kohler Irontones for prep
Faucets: Rohl Country in polished nickel (avoid the burgundy felt "protective" bags. They stain when wet - stain things like new white marble. Don't ask how I know. Bags. Are. Evil.)

Hood/cooktop wall:

Sink wall (well, part of it anyway):

Fridge/freezer wall:

Perspective on location of pantry/butler's pantry:

Breakfast room and Family room:

Breakfast room hutch:

Aqua Grantique Close-up:

Countertop and Backsplash:

Cooktop backsplash:

Built-in Pantry (across from butler's pantry cabinets/counter)

I am having trouble deciding between all white painted newel posts, banisters & spindles or just staining the banister a walnut color.
The floor & treads will be heart pine with a tung oil finish. Newel posts are chunky & boxy and spindles are pretty thick & square, much like the photo below.

Inspiration for all white:

Inspiration for stained banisters:

Large lantern hanging in stairway:

The floor color (no tung oil yet):

The trim will be Benjamin Moore White Dove and the paint color in the foyer/stairs will be Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Grey.

Please vote. I am totally going back & forth on this.

THANKS!!!!!
Katie

Just one thought, if you put it on wheels you can't run electric to it. We are all wired to put outlets in the island, just haven't gotten to it yet... thank you for reminding me, gotta get DH on that!

I owe the resourceful, knowlegeable, creative, and talented members of this forum my heartfelt thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge and inspirational kitchens.

In particular, thank you to Zolablue, rococogurl, sharb, jamesk, allison0704, bella_4, charlie 123, momto4kids deanna1949, and artteacher, AMONG MANY OTHERS...for sage advice and kitchens that helped shape my kitchen vision. We had a number of setbacks, one big one due to DH's job loss. But I have to say, everything's worked out for the best.

We kept the original footprint of the room but swapped a peninsula for the island. We were a bit apprehensive aobut this as the trend is to do the revers but this setup works really well for us, creates better zones and a better flow.

SO here's a before:

And After:

The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) 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.

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

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

Other topics such as planning for storage can be found by doing a search on the forum.

Tips:

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


• When using the "search" function, be sure to use the search box on the bottom of the page, not the top!


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


• When composing a new thread, you have a couple of options:


• Have replies emailed to you: check the box offerring this option. However, you must have "Allow other users to send you email via forms at our site." box checked in your profile for this to work (see the "Your Profile" link at the very top of the page)


• Insert a link: When you "preview" your message, you will be provided with two boxes for a link...one is for the link itself and the second is for the name or description of the link.


• When using the "Clip this post" option (far upper right corner of each post, small print), remember that only the current post is clipped, not the entire thread. Also, you are allowed a maximum of 50 clippings. Once you reach this max, you will no longer be able to clip or email posts.

How are the home page and the Forum organized? (from the FAQs)

The Kitchens Forum home page lists 30 thread titles, starting with those that don't yet have a response. Then 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 starts to drop.)

Below that 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) is a space for you to switch to the Conversations or Gallery "sides" - these are set up similarly but not nearly as active.

Next down is a Search button -- very important!

Next is a place for you to start a new thread. And finally are some instructions and links at the bottom.

Kitchen Forum "Sides"

Discussions: This is the "side" you are on. It's 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.

Posting a link

There are two ways to post a link:

Using the provided boxes below the "Message" box:

1. Insert the link in the Optional Link URL box


2. Type in the description or name of the item being linked int the Name of the Link box


3. If this is a new Post, then you won't see these two boxes until you "preview" your message.

To insert a link inside the "Message" box,

1. Copy the following into the "Message" box where you want it:
   <a href= http://www.XXX/>Description</a>
2. Next, replace the http://www.XXX/ with your link


3. Now, replace the Description with the description (words) you want displayed with your link.

With either method, you will see your link when you "preview" your message

Posting a picture from your photo hosting account (e.g., PhotoBucket)

First, where are your pictures? If on your computer only, you'll need to upload them somewhere on the web for the rest of us to see them. I upload pictures to PhotoBucket.

1. Open an account w/PhotoBucket or other photo hosting site.
2. Take a picture using a digital camera (or film camera but get them on disk when they're developed)
3. Resize your pics so they're approx 400x300 (resize keeping the same proportions so they don't get distorted...i.e., don't specify a specific size, use %-ages or similar)
4. Upload your pictures to your photo account
5. Find the label that contains the link to the picture
   

   (In PhotoBucket, it's the box labeled "HTML Code")

6. Copy that link and paste it into the "Message" box of a post.
7. When you "Preview" your message, you'll see the picture.

Posting a picture from somewhere other than your Photo hosting account

1. Copy the following into the "Message" box where you want the picture to be:
   <img src="http://www.XXX/image.jpg">
2. Next, replace the http://www.XXX/image.jpg with the address of the image.
3. When you "preview" the message, you should see the picture

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Layout Help

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 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 w/your proposed new layout if you have something to start with. Regardless, measure and label everything...walls, ceiling height, widths of doors & windows, distances between windows, walls, doorways, etc.
• If you cannot move plumbing or gas, mark them on your drawing as well.
• Mark all doorways & windows (w/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 layouts so you 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?


• 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)


• How do you see your kitchen used? Just for cooking/cleaning up? Children doing homework while you cook?


• Do you entertain a lot? 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?


• 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?
• 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?
• Do you bake? Do you want a coffee/tea/beverage 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?
• 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 CD or standard depth?
• Vent Hood?
• Other?


• Sizes of desired appliances (e.g., 30" or 36" or 48" cooktop; 36" or 42" or 48" wide or other Refrigerator? Counter depth or standard depth refrigerator, etc.)
• Pantry: Walk-in or cabinets?

***** 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 good at that!), but in the end it's what you want. And remember, we are just giving you ideas and possible layouts, 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--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!]

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When your kitchen is complete, please submit it to the Finished Kitchens Blog! This way your kitchen will join others in inspiring and helping newcomers!

Add your kitchen to the FKB!

Again, welcome and good luck! The journey is wild, sometimes bumpy, but fun!

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Links from above:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): http://kitchenforumfaq.com/
Kitchen Forum Acronyms: http://starpoohonline.com/wordpress/forum-acronyms/
Finished Kitchens Blog: http://finishedkitchens.blogspot.com/

Sweeby Test: http://starpoohonline.com/wordpress/2007/07/31/the-sweeby-test/#more-6
Beginning a Kitchen Plan: http://starpoohonline.com/wordpress/2007/08/03/beginning-a-kitchen-plan/#more-34/

Appliances Forum: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/appl/

FAQ: Adding Pictures and Links: http://starpoohonline.com/wordpress/how-to-use-the-kitchen-forum/adding-pictures-and-links/

Add your kitchen to the FKB!: http://finishedkitchens.blogspot.com/2005/10/faq.html#Adding

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)

She had an amazing kitchen transformation. Painted her dark cabs cream. Click on Kitchen redesign to check it out.

Sweeby, I'm glad you like the herringbone idea. I think I've seen the light and I'm going to keep in classic. Mixing those materials might not be the best thing. This is not our forever house either, so staying classic may be the way to go.

I'm so glad you love your tile. Dh thought the WZ seemed extra shiny, do you feel that way? What color grout did you use?

Here is a link that might be useful: Isabella and Max Rooms Blog

I was the "KD" and GC. Our 1976 kitchen was barely functioning - all drawers were broken as were the ovens and microwave.

The only major changes were relocating the fridge where the old desk was, putting the micro over the wall oven, and having the pantry opening changed and double doors installed (and Elfa shelving inside). It's amazing how much storage we gained by those relatively small changes.

The only regrets are that I didn't have the patience to have hardwoods finished on site and that the backsplash grout turned out way too light...and I should have bought the Kohler Vinnata faucet (but I do love our Moen faucet anyway)! Other than that, we're pleased.

A few details:
Came in right about $20K.
Original cabinets were refaced by local carpenter/craftsman who also repaired, reinforced and rehabbed the cabinet boxes.
Carpenter built custom island and hood, pull out shelving.
Black galaxy granite
Daltile 3x6 white subway tile (Lowe's)
Cabinets, moulding, and door paint: BM White Dove
Wall paint: BM Lancaster Whitewash
Floors: prefinished red oak.
16 recessed lights and undercabinet lights added.

Before:

Before (oven wall & previous built in desk):

Before:

After!

Island w/trash pullout (possibly my favorite feature)

New pull out drawers/shelves & fridge where old useless desk was:

What I would LOVE input on is

1. Window treatment ideas - for bay by table and over sink (kitchen faces west & we need sunlight control)

2. Where should I put my 15" flat screen TV?? On end of cabinet run nearest to table or in corner where red platter is by cooktop? We eat 90% of meals at the island anymore and barely use our kitchen table (other than for kids' homework), so TV visibility from table, while nice, isn't essential.

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

Do you have a picture of the floor color you want?
I too did samples of the various shades and recipes. I
thought I knew what I wanted and the floor guys stained
the floor. But it was ugly. I cried.
It took me two tries through my floor guys to get the color
right. When I say two tries they did the entire first floor
but I did not like the color at all. So they redid it until
I got the color I love. I wanted a dark almost ebony mixed
with English Chestnut. It took a while and they had to use
Mahogany mixed in the recipe.

Staining floors can be really hard to get the right color.
It helped that I had pictures and the floor guys worked
with me. It was hard because my floor guys are stubborn
and wood purists but once they knew what I wanted they
understood.

I have a mix of red and white oak.
Here are my floors...

This is more what my floor look like today.
They are dark but you can see the beauty of the grain
and the depth of color.

Cloud, I don't think I can modify the door. I love the glass in the door and to do anyting different would mean a new door.

If the charcoal doesn't work, I will look into the venting. (I do keep the door open quite often.)

SharB

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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!

Details... The cabinets are Amish made of quartersawn white oak with miniwax Red Oak stain. The floors are quartersawn red oak with no stain. The counters are Green Mountain Original soapstone.

This is our nook. The table, which we had custom made, comfortably seats our family of four for casual dinners. We have two more chairs and 2 leaves which we can add for a little bigger dinner. The secretary in the hutch folds down and provides a writing surface plus a place to stash mail and odds and ends.

The kitchen itself sits behind the nook. The formal dining room is through the door at the end of the kitchen. I wanted to wine fridge and "real" fridge as well as the pantry on the edges of the kitchen so they could be accessed by guests or the kids without getting in the way for the cooks.

We have additional seating for four at the island, which is handy when we are cooking for company or for breakfast or snacks for the boys.

The faucet is the Kohler Simplice and the sink is the ever popular single bowl Ticor. I'm very happy with them both. You can also see our giant cutting block in this picture. For a while we toyed around with the idea of making part of the island butcher block, but I'm happy with the compromise we struck. The fridge an Amana French door.

The range is a Blue Star 36", which is dream to cook on. The hood is by Futuro and the backsplash was custom made by Artistic Abode based on some line drawings I provided.

The Micro is an Advantium 120. It is a convection so it serves as our second oven and we are really enjoying the combination of that with the Blue Star range. Our reach in pantry has custom made cafe doors which match our cabinets and a pendant light which matches the pendants over our island and in the nook.

And here is the pantry itself. It is small but mighty!

Thank you again to everyone who patiently contributed to my threads. Building this kitchen was a pleasure. I wonder if I'll ever get to do it again...

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-Wood Mode
Perimeter Counters-Calacatta Crema-honed
Island top-Sapele Mahogany
Range-Wolf
Wall Oven-Miele
Refrigerator-Sub Zero
Dishwashers-Miele
Main Sink-Shaw's Original Farm Sink
Wet Bar Sink-Sink-A-Link Hammered Copper