Our New Kitchen (Finally!)

[CaliPoutine]

I moved into this house in Dec 02. I never liked this kitchen, but I made the best of it because we werent sure what we were going to do. We made the decision to stay in the house and renovate the kitchen instead of moving. We also added a large 24 x 24 room( will be our bedroom) and a deck.

I'm going to post a few pics of the kitchen and then add a link to the album on facebook. I have way too many pics to post. We're still not finished as we ordered our backsplash last week. It should be in next week and then whenever the install can take place.

The house is 100yrs old and I believe the kitchen was added some years after the house. The floors were linoleum and the counters were formica( I think). It was extremely unfunctional. The stove broke about a month before the teardown of the kitchen. We had to replace the element in the oven because I couldnt go that long without it.

We hired a Kitchen Designer and about 2 months after that, I found Garden Web ( thanks to Jennifer Garner's Kitchen reno posted on Eg). I probably would have been able to do without the KD had I found GW first.

Here we go, get ready for the pics. The color is blinding.......

BEFORE.

This was right before the tear-down.

[CaliPoutine]

And here is the teardown...... OMG, this was a mess. The kitchen was lath and plaster and everything was torn down and then drywalled.

The teardown started on Oct 9th. We set up a temporary kitchen in our living room, but we couldnt use the stove. We had a microwave, fridge and toaster oven. Thankfully, we were only without a functional kitchen for a bit over 2 weeks.

Edited November 25, 2007 by CaliPoutine (log)

[nakji]

I can't wait to see it! It reminds me of my parents' old kitchen before they redid it.

[CaliPoutine]

here is a shot of the former pantry area. The walls were ripped down to make way for floor to ceiling pantry cabinets.

[FabulousFoodBabe]

Yow! That's a lot of orange!

I can't wait to see the finished room, Randi.

[CaliPoutine]

The floor was laid on Oct 17th. I left for the day and when I came home, I saw this.....

All the construction workers( they were working on the addition) thought it looked great. Of course the flooring person did a wonderful job laying the floor, but.

HE INSTALLED THE WRONG FLOOR!!!!!!

This wasnt the floor I ordered.

[CaliPoutine]

After a sleepless night, I ran uptown to the flooring store and yes, they confirmed they installed the wrong floor. There were two installations for people with my last name and I got the other person's floor.

The installer came over a little later to install the right floor, but my cabinet installer was here and he couldnt reschedule. So, I had to live with the floor for a week until the CORRECT floor could go down( around the cabinets).

I'm still really irritated about the whole thing!!

Edited November 25, 2007 by CaliPoutine (log)

[jgarner53]

Oh wow, how stressful that must have been to come home to discover the wrong floor! Every little detail of a kitchen is so stressful - I totally know how you feel!

It's looking great - but wow, the before pic? Who would paint the walls and cupboards all the same blinding shade of cantaloupe?? Yow. Dig the wallpaper in the pantry, too.

[CaliPoutine]

Here is a teaser pic and then I'll direct you to my album on facebook.

We went with all GE Profile appliances( except the Whirlpool dishwasher). We're both very happy with the dishwasher, it has a stainless interior and its very quiet. We never use the heated dry and the dishes still come out with minimal water. Prior to the remodel, we didnt have a dishwasher,well unless you count Robin. Needless to say, she's more than happy.

The stove is dual fuel convection. The stove now sits where the sink used to sit. The microwave is Panosonic and its vented to the outside. The kitchen is only 12x 20 so I didnt really have the room for an island or a big range hood.

Edited November 26, 2007 by CaliPoutine (log)

[CaliPoutine]

Hereis the link to the rest of the pics.

We're still waiting for the backsplash installation.

[tino27]

I can attest to the "orangeness" of the old kitchen. And having to try and bake bread in the old oven was a guessing game, and a bad one at that.

The new kitchen looks GORGEOUS -- I can't wait to see the totally completed project (and I'm sure you can't wait either, Randi).

[gfron1]

I was looking at your drawer handles and trying to decide, functionally, if I would like them. I installed a kitchen once where they didn't include handles on no profile drawers. I often times will have food on my hands when I try to open the drawers. I think I could open those with the my knuckles and I think they would be easy to clean versus detailed bar handles. So I think they would be good options for my needs. Do you like them? Were you interested in fashion or function when you picked them out?

[CaliPoutine]

I was looking at your drawer handles and trying to decide, functionally, if I would like them.  I installed a kitchen once where they didn't include handles on no profile drawers.  I often times will have food on my hands when I try to open the drawers.  I think I could open those with the my knuckles and I think they would be easy to clean versus detailed bar handles.  So I think they would be good options for my needs.  Do you like them?  Were you interested in fashion or function when you picked them out?

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I guess I was going more for fashion. Since we went with a Kitchen Designer(who sold us the cabinets) the draw hardware was included. There was a lot to choose from, but I kept going back to the cup pulls. I'm a bit obessive about cleaning the kitchen( I'm sure that will wear off once the newness is gone) at the monent. Every night I wipe them down with a papertowel and a spritz of glass plus. I've been using glass plus to clean the granite and it works great. Its an approved cleaner since it has no ammonia.

Btw, I think my favorite part of the kitchen( besides the new subdued colors) is the granite. Its called Labrador Antique and it has these shiny flecks of blue running thru it. The backsplash is going to be a blue glass to pick up those flecks.

[CaliPoutine]

Ok, I lied.

I actually love my new floor to ceiling pantry too. This area is where the old pantry( with the hideous) wallpaper was.

[CaliPoutine]

I also love my new extra large single sink. I went back and forth( I even started a topic on it) about whether to go with a single or double sink. I'm so glad I chose the single.

Since these pics were taken, we've replaced the outlet covers with brushed nickel decorative ones.

I had the electrician add a cable outlet in case I wanted a tv in the kitchen.

Is this a good idea? Do you have a TV in your kitchen?

[Smithy]

The kitchen is beautiful! Congratulations!

I would watch TV in the kitchen more if I had a small TV and a place to put it - and yes, sometimes I roll the spare TV and VCR on their cart into the kitchen. The set are too large and intrusive to leave in the kitchen, and too cumbersome to roll back and forth for only an evening, so most of my late-night cleanup relies instead on a portable DVD player or music.

Will you be sacrificing vital counter space if you put a TV in? Are you considering an under-the-counter model?

[Marlene]

Our kitchen has a TV in it. It was the only thing my husband requested in the renovation.

[CaliPoutine]

The kitchen is beautiful!  Congratulations!

I would watch TV in the kitchen more if I had a small TV and a place to put it - and yes, sometimes I roll the spare TV and VCR on their cart into the kitchen.  The set are too large and intrusive to leave in the kitchen, and too cumbersome to roll back and forth for only an evening, so most of my late-night cleanup relies instead on a portable DVD player or music.

Will you be sacrificing vital counter space if you put a TV in?  Are you considering an under-the-counter model?

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The tv would go where the coffee maker is. Obviously, I'd get a small lcd tv or flat screen.

[Nina C.]

What a great change! It seems like you added so much function along with the style. Don't show this kitchen to any more Brooklynites: many of us would kill in cold blood for that much storage and counter space.

[eskay]

I am totally in love with your countertop.

[CaliPoutine]

I am totally in love with your countertop.

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Thanks!! I love it too, when it was first installed, I told everyone I wanted to have sex with it( not on it, but with it because I loved it so much)

[feedmec00kies]

I'm jealous!

Don't show this kitchen to any more Brooklynites: many of us would kill in cold blood for that much storage and counter space.

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Include little ol' me in the East Village too. ::sigh:: Counterspace? Maybe.... 3 square feet?

[Bree20]

CaliPoutine - love the floor and was wondering what type you used - we are planing to redo our kitchen and I have back problems and I am told that certain floors are better for you than others also I am always bare foot ( that will never change) yet I want a nice floor and something that will increase the value of our home.

Even though money is always a concern - I am willing to spend a little more than I should since I live in my kitchen - I was also wondering how much help your installer gave you and if there are ant tips you can past on to me.

You kitchen looks great - I know you will enjoy it so much.

Bree

[CaliPoutine]

CaliPoutine - love the floor and was wondering what type you used - we are planing to redo our kitchen and I have back problems and I am told that certain floors are better for you than others also I am always bare foot ( that will never change) yet I want a nice floor and something that will increase the value of our home.

Even though money is always a concern - I am willing to spend a little more than I should since I live in my kitchen - I was also wondering how much help your installer gave you and if there are ant tips you can past on to me.

You kitchen looks great - I know you will enjoy it so much.

Bree

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We used a high quality( made my stainmaster) vinyl flooring. It costs 5.50 square foot. We could have used laminate and it would have been half the cost, but I had concerns about water in the kitchen. I ruled out ceramic tile because I have a tendency to drop things. The vinyl flooring looks great, it actually looks like big ceramic tiles.

The KD designed the space and that was the extent of the help. He did actually suggest an edge for the granite, but I didnt like his suggestion. He also wanted to sell me a sink and faucet, but I did my research on GardenWeb and found a great company that does stainless sinks. I also found my faucet thru GW. The KD also tried to talk me into a double sink. The one thing I'm upset about is my fridge. The KD never told me to order a counter depth fridge, so my fridge sticks out a good 11". The sides are black too so I feel like it looks ridiculous. I'm sure most ppl don't notice it, but I hate it!!! If I would have found GW before everything was ordered, I would have avoided that. I probably wouldnt have went with a KD either.

[Anna N]

. . .

The tv would go where the coffee maker is.  Obviously, I'd get a small lcd tv or flat screen.

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Have you considered a ceiling-mounted platform for a TV? I have mine mounted high on the wall on a swivel platform so I can watch it from the kitchen or from our living room - we have an open concept layout. It saves on counter space!