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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2018 13:22:47 GMT -6
Kitchen remodel is next on my list. We also have down draft ventilation and we looked into moving it when we moved it, and it was basically impossible. When we do the remodel, we plan to convert the cooktop to gas, and possibly to enlarge it. I’m also going to do a custom pantry when I over haul the kitchen- we have a lot of wasted space.
I have my heart set on quartz countertops and opening up a wall to the living room.
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joy
Global Moderator
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Post by joy on Apr 9, 2018 14:00:54 GMT -6
Lessons learned... it’s like I’m at work!
Plan for it to take longer than discussed. Something will go wrong - maybe it’ll be cabinets lost in Chicago or the tile guy decides to just not show up one day. Who knows? But plan for an extra week, week and a half beyond the contractor’s timeline. Your sanity will thank you.
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pobre
Ruby
Posts: 22,375 Likes: 203,340
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Post by pobre on Apr 9, 2018 14:05:34 GMT -6
Pull out trash cans, preferably next to the sink
Drawers >>> cabinets
Dividers in one cabinet for sheet pans, cutting boards, etc.
Under cabinet lighting
Tons of outlets
I wanted an appliance garage for my stand mixer but couldn't work it in
Built in wine rack
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Sundae
Builder
Graphics Guru
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Post by Sundae on Apr 9, 2018 14:06:30 GMT -6
Pull out trash cans, preferably next to the sink Drawers >>> cabinets Dividers in one cabinet for sheet pans, cutting boards, etc. Under cabinet lighting Tons of outlets I wanted an appliance garage for my stand mixer but couldn't work it in Built in wine rack All of this.
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shadows
Sapphire
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Post by shadows on Apr 9, 2018 14:16:02 GMT -6
Kitchen remodel is next on my list. We also have down draft ventilation and we looked into moving it when we moved it, and it was basically impossible. When we do the remodel, we plan to convert the cooktop to gas, and possibly to enlarge it. I’m also going to do a custom pantry when I over haul the kitchen- we have a lot of wasted space. I have my heart set on quartz countertops and opening up a wall to the living room. This is also our situation. We haven’t remodeled yet, but will have to keep the down draft. I like our down draft, but it limits options. I also want to open up two walls because our kitchen is in the middle of the house.
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joy
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Post by joy on Apr 9, 2018 14:30:09 GMT -6
We put quartz in our remodel. I loved it - grayish white with flecks of sparkle!
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jrun2013
Sapphire
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Post by jrun2013 on Apr 9, 2018 14:32:21 GMT -6
We're thinking of remodeling the kitchen in the next year or so. We have a galley style kitchen with so little counter space. I want to extend the one counter to an L shape facing out on the living room. We need a full remodel. New floors, cabinets and countertops. I want my cabinets to have slide out drawers and more functionality than they currently do. I also want marble or quartz countertops and under cabinet lightening.
Serious question: how long did everyone's remodel take?
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emma
Ruby
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Post by emma on Apr 9, 2018 14:41:14 GMT -6
things I wish i'd done or would consider doing: - listened to myself on cabinet design and got the colour i wanted, not what i thought would appeal to the mass public for resale. - counter depth fridge in our current very small kitchen - consider a better storage or organization solution for under the sink trash, recycling, and glass - full height upper cabinets - under cabinet lights - built in oven and flat cook top for our small kitchen - undermount sink
We're about to remodel the kitchen, this will be my 3th kitchen reno. My last one, we spent so much on and i was never happy with it
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2018 14:41:53 GMT -6
Utilize your corners. There are corner cabinet options that are a great use of space. I love the ones we put in. I hate the ones in the house we just bought.
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aprilz81
Platinum
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Post by aprilz81 on Apr 9, 2018 14:42:37 GMT -6
1) If your budget doesn't allow for all of your wants, put your money towards things that can't easily be swapped out in the future when you have money. Smaller items like door hardware, sink faucets and light fixtures are easy ways to cut spending if you need to.
2) It will always take longer than the contractor estimates, plan for longer.
3) It will always cost more (well, almost always) than the contractor estimates, plan for a contingency fund in case there are unexpected issues (faulty electric, plumbing, structural issues, etc.)
4) I love our under cabinet lighting and touch faucet. When we remodeled our kitchen we also vented our mounted microwave to the outside, it really helped cut down on smells instead of just recirculating it back into the room.
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aprilz81
Platinum
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Post by aprilz81 on Apr 9, 2018 14:44:27 GMT -6
We're thinking of remodeling the kitchen in the next year or so. We have a galley style kitchen with so little counter space. I want to extend the one counter to an L shape facing out on the living room. We need a full remodel. New floors, cabinets and countertops. I want my cabinets to have slide out drawers and more functionality than they currently do. I also want marble or quartz countertops and under cabinet lightening. Serious question: how long did everyone's remodel take? Ours took almost 8 weeks from start to finish, but our contractor was the only person working so it took longer than "normal". Our was a total gut, down to the drywall and included moving appliances around. Same guy did our bathroom, total gut that included moving our shower and installing an upstairs laundry closet. That took 14 weeks. I about killed him and we won't be using him again for future projects.
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Cher
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Post by Cher on Apr 9, 2018 14:49:17 GMT -6
Make all your decisions ahead of time. These projects always go over anyway. At least if you have your decisions done, it might eliminate some waiting.
Prepare to eat out for most meals. But, if you can, set up some dry goods, toaster, mini fridge (we used our wine fridge), paper plates in another room. It was nice to have snacks available and be able to prepare some meals.
Try to make plans to be out of the house a lot during construction. Being there will make it go so much longer. Or at least feel that way.
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quinn
Amethyst
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Post by quinn on Apr 9, 2018 14:52:55 GMT -6
What I'm happy we did -under cabinet lighting -pull out drawer for trash and recycling -soft close -cabinets with pull out drawers and a pantry with pull out drawers
What I wish we would've done -wine rack -better quality countertops (I should've done quartz but I was being frugal, blah) -i hate the fake drawer below the sink
It also took much longer than expected. Good luck and I hope you post pics when it's done!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2018 14:55:52 GMT -6
Our kitchen reno took 10+ weeks. I've tried to block out the time. We had so many variables that we didn't know about until we started work since we were taking down a shoddy sunroom and it just threw everything off. (Like... the cement under the sunroom was sloped towards our house and needed to be torn out and replaced... hello extra $10k at 1.5 weeks we didn't budget for)
We moved our fridge into our dining room and set up a temporary mini kitchen in there so we could do the basics like breakfast (toast, yogurt, cereal type stuff). We had planned on grilling out a lot and using the BBQ burner to cook on, but determined that any type of cooking that got close to "real" cooking made real dishes, which were not cool or sanitary to try to manage in a bathroom sink. I did all of our bottle and pump accessory washing (was still pumping for DD) at work since I couldn't stomach doing them in a bathroom, even with steam bags.
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Post by Sweetjane on Apr 9, 2018 14:56:14 GMT -6
Kitchen remodel is next on my list. We also have down draft ventilation and we looked into moving it when we moved it, and it was basically impossible. When we do the remodel, we plan to convert the cooktop to gas, and possibly to enlarge it. I’m also going to do a custom pantry when I over haul the kitchen- we have a lot of wasted space. I have my heart set on quartz countertops and opening up a wall to the living room. [ We thought about keeping the downdraft and getting a larger cooktop, but our cabinets will only accommodate a 30 inch cooktop vs 36. We only have 4 burners now with the 5th being the draft, and it’s just not enough. Jenn-Air makes a really nice 36 inch downdraft cooktop if you can fit it in your kitchen. My MIL had a 25 year old Jenn-Air that was still going strong when they moved. Yes well a Jenn Air range made 30 years ago will last longer than a Jenn Air made this decade. I hated mine. Electrical panels are usually the first thing to go. We have an all gas range which cost slightly less money than dual fuel. We got a 36" range and it has 6 burners, it's Thermador which I love. Regardless of the brand, 36" is exponentially more expensive than 32". Not sure I would do that again. We had already ordered countertops so I was locked into 36" range by the time I got sticker shock.
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adelbert
Amethyst
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Post by adelbert on Apr 9, 2018 15:40:25 GMT -6
We're thinking of remodeling the kitchen in the next year or so. We have a galley style kitchen with so little counter space. I want to extend the one counter to an L shape facing out on the living room. We need a full remodel. New floors, cabinets and countertops. I want my cabinets to have slide out drawers and more functionality than they currently do. I also want marble or quartz countertops and under cabinet lightening. Serious question: how long did everyone's remodel take? In the end our kitchen renovation will probably take about 2 months but it will be functional for about 1/2 that time.(The cabinetry and appliances are installed but certain things are being custom built by our carpenter and couldn't be started until other things were finished, some things were delivered wrong and will have to be switched out but are functional, part of the backsplash has to be completed later, etc).We also switched out our flooring and did a full remodel. Just FYI our stonemason recommended against marble unless you don't cook often or are super conscientious in the kitchen because something acidic like a lemon can stain it permanently and quickly if it is left unattended. We throw a lot of parties and with the boys that was too stressful for me. I ended up finding a different stone (quartzite) that still had some of that veining that I like so much in marble.
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jrun2013
Sapphire
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Post by jrun2013 on Apr 9, 2018 15:43:32 GMT -6
adelbert good to know about the marble, thank you! I am not as diligent as it sounds like is necessary so I will cross that off my list.
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pobre
Ruby
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Post by pobre on Apr 9, 2018 15:52:23 GMT -6
If you do a pull down faucet sprayer, make sure the mechanism is a magnet not a spring.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2018 15:58:05 GMT -6
I also found Houzz was a great resource for inspiration and also for knowing what is out there and what the styles are and everything. We used a designer to help us with our master, so she she came in and we told her what we liked and didn’t like and what are budget was, and she helped us with the floor plan and basic design. I haven’t figured out yet if I will use someone to pick finishes or not.
My mom is changing her tile floors to hardwood and is using a designer just to help her pick a floor color that integrates with everything she has now. I know it’s an extra expense, but our logic was that we would rather spend a little more upfront and be happy with the outcome than have to live with an expensive regret.
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fancy
Silver
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Post by fancy on Apr 9, 2018 16:20:24 GMT -6
1) If your budget doesn't allow for all of your wants, put your money towards things that can't easily be swapped out in the future when you have money. Smaller items like door hardware, sink faucets and light fixtures are easy ways to cut spending if you need to. 2) It will always take longer than the contractor estimates, plan for longer. 3) It will always cost more (well, almost always) than the contractor estimates, plan for a contingency fund in case there are unexpected issues (faulty electric, plumbing, structural issues, etc.) 4) I love our under cabinet lighting and touch faucet. When we remodeled our kitchen we also vented our mounted microwave to the outside, it really helped cut down on smells instead of just recirculating it back into the room. I was shocked at how expensive some of the sinks and faucets are. I also have zero knowledge in this area! I expected countertops to be expensive, but damn the sink too? Lol. Do you have a delta faucet? That was one I found that had the ‘touch’ not sensor feature. We currently have a granite sink. It’s 20 years old and there are no scratches or dents. But it’s black and looks terrible. So many water spots. I’m looking at doing something else, I guess stainless steel, but I love how sturdy the granite is and doesn’t make a lot of noise. My mom has had a composite sink in her last 2 houses. When she got the first one, I thought it was so weird/ugly. But now, she has a white farmhouse style one (white quartz countertop) and it’s amazing. Blends beautifully, things don’t rattle or clank, and no stains or scratches. I would have loved to get one in our new house and have schemed ways to make it happen.
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aprilz81
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Post by aprilz81 on Apr 9, 2018 16:27:50 GMT -6
1) If your budget doesn't allow for all of your wants, put your money towards things that can't easily be swapped out in the future when you have money. Smaller items like door hardware, sink faucets and light fixtures are easy ways to cut spending if you need to. 2) It will always take longer than the contractor estimates, plan for longer. 3) It will always cost more (well, almost always) than the contractor estimates, plan for a contingency fund in case there are unexpected issues (faulty electric, plumbing, structural issues, etc.) 4) I love our under cabinet lighting and touch faucet. When we remodeled our kitchen we also vented our mounted microwave to the outside, it really helped cut down on smells instead of just recirculating it back into the room. I was shocked at how expensive some of the sinks and faucets are. I also have zero knowledge in this area! I expected countertops to be expensive, but damn the sink too? Lol. Do you have a delta faucet? That was one I found that had the ‘touch’ not sensor feature. We currently have a granite sink. It’s 20 years old and there are no scratches or dents. But it’s black and looks terrible. So many water spots. I’m looking at doing something else, I guess stainless steel, but I love how sturdy the granite is and doesn’t make a lot of noise. I think ours is Delta, we bought it at Home Depot for about $250-300 I think. That is "cheap" compared to some faucets. We did granite countertops and upgraded for a granite composite sink. I don't regret the sink upgrade for a minute. Ours is a tan/beige color that blends in with the granite. I wouldn't do stainless steel because of the denting and scratching that takes place. These are the things I was talking about good places to spend your money. An undermount sink is a lot harder to change out than the sink faucet itself so if something has to go, cheap out on the faucet and upgrade it later. I think our sink was about $300 more and we bought it from the counter guys.
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kitchen
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Post by kitchen on Apr 9, 2018 16:42:46 GMT -6
Ours took 8 weeks. I was cranky during the last week (could have been something about being 37 weeks pregnant with two toddlers, though). It infuriated me to no end how long it sat demoed before things started to happen, but our town is really excited about permits so we had to have permits and inspections for all kinds of things. They literally had someone come out and count the drywall screws after they drywalled (that was after they had inspected the wiring the week before). In a forever kitchen I would get custom cabinets instead of working with prefab sizes. For sure to picking everything out in advance so that you never have to wait and can order stuff. If the stove you want is going to take 10 weeks to arrive you want to know that before they've ripped up your existing stove.
I loved the stainless steel under-mount sink we put in in our old house, the scratches didn't bother me. Quartz FTW also.
More drawers, always more drawers. When we do our current kitchen there will be oh so many drawers. And a cabinet for the broom and vacuum.
I made the cabinet guy convince me that my roomba would be able to go under the cabinets.
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Post by shan-ah-doo on Apr 9, 2018 16:46:02 GMT -6
1) If your budget doesn't allow for all of your wants, put your money towards things that can't easily be swapped out in the future when you have money. Smaller items like door hardware, sink faucets and light fixtures are easy ways to cut spending if you need to. 2) It will always take longer than the contractor estimates, plan for longer. 3) It will always cost more (well, almost always) than the contractor estimates, plan for a contingency fund in case there are unexpected issues (faulty electric, plumbing, structural issues, etc.) 4) I love our under cabinet lighting and touch faucet. When we remodeled our kitchen we also vented our mounted microwave to the outside, it really helped cut down on smells instead of just recirculating it back into the room. I was shocked at how expensive some of the sinks and faucets are. I also have zero knowledge in this area! I expected countertops to be expensive, but damn the sink too? Lol. Do you have a delta faucet? That was one I found that had the ‘touch’ not sensor feature. We currently have a granite sink. It’s 20 years old and there are no scratches or dents. But it’s black and looks terrible. So many water spots. I’m looking at doing something else, I guess stainless steel, but I love how sturdy the granite is and doesn’t make a lot of noise. H (plumber) strongly recommends Moen, Delta, Kohler, Grohe. Grohe is more expensive tbh. But is #1 is Moen.
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cmb
Sapphire
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Post by cmb on Apr 9, 2018 17:19:42 GMT -6
My realtor said quartz is the new granite. We decided on granite due to my H’s habit of not using something under hot food.
Lazy Susan in corner cabinets.
Soft close cabinets and drawers
Built in microwave. I hate how much counter space they take
If you have an open floor plan, I personally like islands to separate the kitchen from dining room
Another vote for cabinet lighting
36” upper cabinets if your ceilings allow it
Plywood cabinets around the sink and dishwasher over particle board (my H’s contribution)
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klondike
Sapphire
OHIO
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Post by klondike on Apr 9, 2018 17:22:41 GMT -6
darker grout for anything tiled large drawers near the dishwasher for plate & bowl storage storage ledge built into wall behind cooktop electrical outlet inside pantry vacuum system/vacpan built-in mini fridge for drinks
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Post by peppapig on Apr 9, 2018 17:57:49 GMT -6
Fun!! As someone said, utilize corner space. Our home came with a corner cabinet with a two tiered lazy Susan inside I freaking love it.
If you have the space, maybe cabinet space for your toaster and/or microwave. That way your counter tops are free.
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emma
Ruby
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Post by emma on Apr 9, 2018 17:58:32 GMT -6
NHIE scratched a stainless steel sink. I didn't know that was a common problem. I did scratch my black composite sink on day 1 though
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Post by benandjerrys on Apr 9, 2018 18:04:35 GMT -6
We did ours a few summers ago. It took 10 weeks but there were a lot of wall changes and removals, etc.
I had it set up so the pullout trash was directly below my main food prep area. So I would do all my chopping then just open the drawer and dump the trash in rather than carry it across the kitchen dripping in the process.
In terms of food, we set up the George forman grill and I got those big veggie trays each week. So we did a protein on the grill and raw veggies with dip every night all summer long. Was actually pretty healthy.
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jftb
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Post by jftb on Apr 9, 2018 18:10:18 GMT -6
We are finishing up a total gut job on a house we bought in December. My uncle is my contractor, knows I'm 34 weeks pregnant, knows I need to be in the house before the baby is born, and things are still behind. He knows the time constraints that I'm under, but there are also things we couldn't control for. I don't put my delay on him at all. It's just what happens when you take on big projects. Thank god we're finally moving in on Friday. Even then, there's still a bunch of little things that need to get done after we're in there.
Having said that, here are the things we are putting in our new kitchen that I'm loving:
The built in roll out drawer with trash bins. Lighting under the top cabinets. Had it once, currently don't have it, insisted on having it again when we moved. It does make a difference. Big lazy Susan in the corner cabinet. Pantry doors with pull out shelves. Drawers, not cabinets. I miss having drawers in my current place and really wanted them when we remodeled this kitchen. Wine fridge. Quartz countertops. 36 inch sink. Lots of outlets. Powerful hood. We have the under-the-microwave vent now and food smells just linger.
On my wish list that I didn't get: Double oven. Pot filler faucet thing over the stove. Second smaller sink in the island. Decided I didn't NEED it.
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jftb
Gold
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Post by jftb on Apr 9, 2018 18:11:57 GMT -6
Also, my SIL has marble countertops and they completely stress her out. They were already in the house when she bought it and she didn't realize how easily they can stain. She doesn't let you put anything on them.
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