Bluebird
Amethyst
Posts: 6,393 Likes: 22,207 
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Post by Bluebird on Apr 9, 2018 18:12:51 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 MH scratched the hell out of our stainless sink at our last house with a scrubby sponge and Comet since he thought that was the only way to clean a sink. 😡 |
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bazi
Opal
Posts: 8,731 Likes: 54,666
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Post by bazi on Apr 9, 2018 18:14:06 GMT -6
We did ours almost two years ago. It was a PITA but completely worth it. I love my house so much more and it has definitely improved our quality of life.
Things I love:
Soft close drawers
Range hood
Quartz countertops (we did a white with gray veins)
Cast iron sink (we have white, which does need to be cleaned more frequently but i love it)
Wine rack
Under cabinet lights
Big peninsula
Slide in gas stove
Pull out trash and recycling
Things I am meh:
We did some open shelving. I love the way it looks when it’s organized, but it gets cluttered easily. I blame that on having little kids and constantly needing to put things out of reach.
Plan on it taking a few weeks longer than scheduled. When you are picking finishes, be realistic about your life and how you use your kitchen. Good luck!
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bazi
Opal
Posts: 8,731 Likes: 54,666
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Post by bazi on Apr 9, 2018 18:16:11 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. One of my coworkers insisted on marble countertops, and two years later they’ve had to repair them twice. Not always conducive to kid life. Or red wine. |
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Post by benandjerrys on Apr 9, 2018 19:16:19 GMT -6
What about quartzite? My cousin put this in a very high end remodel. It's beautiful. Looks like marble but has the maintenance of granite (according to him, I know nothing about it.)
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aprilz81
Platinum
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Post by aprilz81 on Apr 9, 2018 20:09:56 GMT -6
What about quartzite? My cousin put this in a very high end remodel. It's beautiful. Looks like marble but has the maintenance of granite (according to him, I know nothing about it.) We just put quartzite in our bathroom remodel last year and so far I love it. Ours has marble like veining but more color (taupe, creamy white, gray and a little black). It is a naturally occurring stone and is as strong and durable as granite. We got the Mascavo...  |
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peaseblossom55
Platinum
Hope. It is the only thing stronger than fear.
Posts: 1,461 Likes: 3,090
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Post by peaseblossom55 on Apr 9, 2018 20:13:19 GMT -6
If you want something go for it. I wish I had put in a garbage disposal and didn't. I didn't think I would need it, now with a kid it would be so helpful.
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gussie
Amethyst
Posts: 6,331 Likes: 18,769
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Post by gussie on Apr 9, 2018 21:15:51 GMT -6
I like that our bottom cabinets have shelves that pull out, then nothing gets lost in the back. They also put in a lot of stacked drawers where cabinets would normally be, so it’s a nice mix.
Love the under cabinet lighting, soft close drawers/doors and hidden garbage and recycle bins.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2018 22:10:22 GMT -6
I didn't do our remodel, but the previous owner put in extremely high end finishes. For example, KWC faucets, Dacor oven and Miele dishwasher. Just so you know,IME people that service high end brands tend to charge way more than the average appliance repair people. And when parts need replaced, it's $$$. It's just something to keep in mind that more money upfront doesn't necessarily mean better investment in the long run.
And whoever said you eat out a lot, that is the truth. My mom did a major one growing up and it was 3 months of cold cereal or take out. I was so happy to get homecooked meals again when it finished!
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adelbert
Amethyst
Posts: 6,994 Likes: 40,180
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Post by adelbert on Apr 9, 2018 23:13:06 GMT -6
What about quartzite? My cousin put this in a very high end remodel. It's beautiful. Looks like marble but has the maintenance of granite (according to him, I know nothing about it.) That's what we got! We're super happy with it, and it is gorgeous and comes in lots of styles. For us it actually wasn't more expensive then the marble I had initially wanted- but I have no idea about prices in the States. This is a random website I found online that shows some of the beautiful varieties. www.msistone.com/quartzite-countertops/ |
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adelbert
Amethyst
Posts: 6,994 Likes: 40,180
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Post by adelbert on Apr 9, 2018 23:19:40 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 There are different types of stainless steel. We picked out a stainless steel sink from Blanco with a satin finish because we thought it looked super cool in the kitchen studio. Our kitchen designer warned us that it would be SUPER sensitive to scratching but we sort of scoffed him off. After day 1 it already had scratches! We can hide most of them by sort of polishing it but it is a bit ridiculous and not at all durable. But it looks so cool so we've accepted it- we knew what we were buying. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2018 6:04:41 GMT -6
We almost went with that one when we got our remodel done last fall! We went with the Buckingham instead. But i love the quartz, it has worked very well for us so far. The one thing I wish I could go back and change is the sink. I really wish I had picked a single, big sink rather than a divided one. The divided one came free with the countertops, so i didn't make a fuss but it would have been nicer to have a big one. I also wish we had added more overhead lighting and had them do the painting for us. We were sure we could easily paint everything ourselves, then we remembered how much we hate painting and here we are 6 months later with a beautiful kitchen that still needs to be painted and I havent found the time to get quotes for someone else to do it yet. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2018 6:15:26 GMT -6
I feel a little dumb here, but why is a wine rack in the kitchen so important. I’ve seen a couple of people mention it and now I am curious.
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joy
Global Moderator 
TTC, Pg, B&C
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Post by joy on Apr 10, 2018 6:22:01 GMT -6
I feel a little dumb here, but why is a wine rack in the kitchen so important. I’ve seen a couple of people mention it and now I am curious. Ha. Important? I don’t know about that. But for us it reduced clutter from standing wine racks on the floor. My husband wanted it so I said okay. I’m pretty “meh” on most of the “must haves” that people list around here for homes, though. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2018 6:25:00 GMT -6
I feel a little dumb here, but why is a wine rack in the kitchen so important. I’ve seen a couple of people mention it and now I am curious. Ha. Important? I don’t know about that. But for us it reduced clutter from standing wine racks on the floor. My husband wanted it so I said okay. I’m pretty “meh” on most of the “must haves” that people list around here for homes, though. Ah, thanks. I have wall mounted wine racks, so that never occurred to me. I don’t love the counter or floor sitting ones, though, so that makes sense. |
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Post by 4leafclover on Apr 10, 2018 6:58:16 GMT -6
We’re also gearing up to do a kitchen remodel. We are shuffling around appliances and extending our island so it’s a big job. We haven’t decided on any finishes yet, but the quartzite is intriguing me. We plan to do the pull out trash/recycling. Built in gas top range w hood. Microwave/oven stacked combo, maybe double oven. Tall cabinets with pull out for storage. We’re also seriously considering a built in fridge bc we rally hate how far our current one sticks out. They are so expensive, so we’re considering a scratch and dent.
I think we’re leaning toward white cabinets w a bit of distressing look, can anyone tell me pros and cons of white? Also, what’s with the under cabinet lights? Why is that such a necessity? I’ve never seen it before.
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aprilz81
Platinum
Posts: 1,760 Likes: 4,025
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Post by aprilz81 on Apr 10, 2018 7:48:03 GMT -6
We’re also gearing up to do a kitchen remodel. We are shuffling around appliances and extending our island so it’s a big job. We haven’t decided on any finishes yet, but the quartzite is intriguing me. We plan to do the pull out trash/recycling. Built in gas top range w hood. Microwave/oven stacked combo, maybe double oven. Tall cabinets with pull out for storage. We’re also seriously considering a built in fridge bc we rally hate how far our current one sticks out. They are so expensive, so we’re considering a scratch and dent. I think we’re leaning toward white cabinets w a bit of distressing look, can anyone tell me pros and cons of white? Also, what’s with the under cabinet lights? Why is that such a necessity? I’ve never seen it before. I've had white cabinets before, but they were cheap and "laminate" for lack of a better term. They were easy to clean though, I'm not sure how easy white wood cabinets would be to wipe down. This was pre-kids so I only had to wipe the doors down every few months, they would get a little dirty around the knobs and pulls. With kids you will need to wipe them down more often. It would make the space lighter and brighter, that is important if you don't have a lot of windows or light in general. The under cabinet lights can really help with task lighting (again, especially important if you don't have natural light) and can serve as a soft night light if you like to leave a light on in the kitchen for midnight trips to the fridge or for water. And they can just make everything pretty since the light will bounce off the back splash and counter tops. |
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piratecat
Diamond
Posts: 36,010 Likes: 143,844
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Post by piratecat on Apr 10, 2018 8:05:14 GMT -6
We’re also gearing up to do a kitchen remodel. We are shuffling around appliances and extending our island so it’s a big job. We haven’t decided on any finishes yet, but the quartzite is intriguing me. We plan to do the pull out trash/recycling. Built in gas top range w hood. Microwave/oven stacked combo, maybe double oven. Tall cabinets with pull out for storage. We’re also seriously considering a built in fridge bc we rally hate how far our current one sticks out. They are so expensive, so we’re considering a scratch and dent. I think we’re leaning toward white cabinets w a bit of distressing look, can anyone tell me pros and cons of white? Also, what’s with the under cabinet lights? Why is that such a necessity? I’ve never seen it before. Most mainstream appliance brands (Frigidaire, LG, etc.) have counter-depth refrigerators that are not prohibitively expensive. You won't get the built-in look but it's a good compromise if you currently have a standard-depth refrigerator. |
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Post by benandjerrys on Apr 10, 2018 8:06:01 GMT -6
We had white cabinets in our upgrade. I definitely recommend the glaze if you like that look because then any dark (seams between cabinets for example) don't stand out as much.
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Post by benandjerrys on Apr 10, 2018 8:09:41 GMT -6
Oh I remembered another thing I loved. I dedicated a drawer to a knife block. It was $$$$ to get it in the cabinet but I ordered it on Amazon as an aftermarket purchase. I'm team get everything off the counter. Bellemain 100% Pure Bamboo in Drawer Knife Block , Knife Organizer www.amazon.com/dp/B00LTWTPSG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_awmZAb51VVY27 |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2018 8:44:46 GMT -6
4leafclover, experience tip: if you do a microwave over oven combo, it is recommended to purchase two separate appliances and install them to look unified. If one breaks, you only have to replace the broken one, not the entire unit. Plus the selection of one piece ones is shit, and they are super expensive. We have the white laminate cabinets now- they’re 25 years old and builder grade. They clean up easily, but the laminate is starting to peel (common for my neighbors as well.) I haven’t gotten into looking at new cabinets yet.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2018 8:46:35 GMT -6
@nuts, Buckingham is beautiful! I love their quartz! We have a showroom with the big slabs in my area and I’ve been at least 4 times. It’s so hard to choose, everything is so nice. I know! It's amazing we were able to pull everything together with my inability to make decisions when faced with so many choices  |
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jbm
Platinum
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Post by jbm on Apr 10, 2018 9:09:29 GMT -6
When we replaced our old, busted Subzero fridge, we installed wine racks and I love them.  |
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cmb
Sapphire
Posts: 4,604
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Post by cmb on Apr 10, 2018 10:36:11 GMT -6
4leafclover, experience tip: if you do a microwave over oven combo, it is recommended to purchase two separate appliances and install them to look unified. If one breaks, you only have to replace the broken one, not the entire unit. Plus the selection of one piece ones is shit, and they are super expensive. We have the white laminate cabinets now- they’re 25 years old and builder grade. They clean up easily, but the laminate is starting to peel (common for my neighbors as well.) I haven’t gotten into looking at new cabinets yet. Definitely purchase and install them separately. I like that i don’t have to replace both if one fails. We’re doing builder grade cabinets now. I figure we’ll replace them (at least the doors) in 15ish years after my kids destroy them |
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