Kitchen photos

[lindag]

On 3/30/2022 at 8:34 AM, weinoo said:

 

Agree - paint, grease, heat, water - not a great long-term idea.  In addition to running the backsplash all the way (up to the ceiling in this case), we went with an add-on to the range, which does a great job keeping the area clean.  It's also why I decided to (and pissed off my contractor) tile that area just to the right of the sink. Had to order extra tiles just for that. I make a mess cooking and cleaning up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I see you have a nice range hood (as well as a beautiful range). Is it direct-vented?

Or do you vent up through the building?

Because my previous kitchen didn't have kitchen venting (and it was impossible to add it due to the layout) a rang hood was a must-have in my current house.  I can't tell you how much it has improved my life.  I no longer have to live with the lingering odors that can hang around for days.

Edited April 6, 2022 by lindag (log)

[blue_dolphin]

4 hours ago, weinoo said:

The real problem these days is finding a fridge/freezer combo without one.

 

Yeah, my fridge is getting on in years.  I think it was purchased in 1990.  I periodically check what's on the market that will fit the space.  It pretty much has to be a cabinet-depth side-by side and there are fewer and fewer models available without ice makers.  

The current fridge has one.  When I first moved in, I found it luxurious to make up big old ice baths to quick cool things.  The ice maker broke year or two ago.  I've always used square trays to make "nice" cubes for cocktails so it hasn't been an issue to just make more.   

[lindag]

18 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

 

Yeah, my fridge is getting on in years.  I think it was purchased in 1990.  I periodically check what's on the market that will fit the space.  It pretty much has to be a cabinet-depth side-by side and there are fewer and fewer models available without ice makers.  

The current fridge has one.  When I first moved in, I found it luxurious to make up big old ice baths to quick cool things.  The ice maker broke year or two ago.  I've always used square trays to make "nice" cubes for cocktails so it hasn't been an issue to just make more.   

Major advancements have been made in the last 10 years or so.  Icemakers are built so much better these days.  I wouldn't hesitate in accepting one now.

 

[weinoo]

2 hours ago, lindag said:

I see you have a nice range hood (as well as a beautiful range). Is it direct-vented?

Or do you vent up through the building?

Because my previous kitchen didn't have kitchen venting (and it was impossible to add it due to the layout) a rang hood was a must-have in my current house.  I can't tell you how much it has improved my life.  I no longer have to live with the lingering odors that can hang around for days.

 

The hood you see is not vented to the outside, nor is it vented up through the building. To vent to the outside is a nightmare, as you can't go through the walls and have to use an existing window, wherever that window might be. We (my contractor and I) discussed it, and had actually drawn up plans for ductwork to route out the window, but as I did more research it became apparent that with so much ductwork in a quite small run, the hood would basically be useless.

 

So instead, it's recirculating, with 3 excellent filters.  2 of them pop into the dishwasher (and get surprisingly gunky) weekly, and the 3rd is a thick charcoal filter, replaced after x number of hours of use. I'm surprised at how efficient the filters are; this being NYC, we also have HEPA air purifiers in the living area and bedroom.

[ElsieD]

21 hours ago, FauxPas said:

Some real progress already! This is the main kitchen, the other two floor to ceiling pantries are to the left and they are still looking pretty rough, but the main boxes there are in place. 

 

I'll have room for a 36" wide fridge and taller than my last one (thankfully). A couple of people are trying to sell me on a counter-depth fridge. I like the idea, but the reality is that they just don't seem to have much capacity. I've only started looking for a replacement fridge (and we don't have to rush). @weinoo had a nice solution in his kitchen to accommodate a deeper fridge and make it look good, but I don't feel I can do the same thing here. In our last house, the fridge was situated in a corner next to a partial wall and I was able to get a 33" wide but extra-deep fridge (with 26 cu ft capacity, I think!) that looked good there, but here it's different. I am going to shop counter-depth for a bit, but not sure I want to go that way. I can't afford super-expensive, so I need something solid and with decent capacity. I don't know that I want a 36" wide fridge that only has 20 cu ft space in it. Is that the best I can expect? Or maybe it works better, because fewer items are hidden behind other ones? Maybe a 20 cu ft counter depth FEELS larger? Looking for experience and suggestions! 

 

 

Our current fridge is an LG standard depth door-in-door fridge.  The fridge has a storage capacity of 16.7 cubic feet, the freezer 7.8 cubic feet.  It is 35 3/4" W x 30 7/8 " D x 70 1/4" high.  Those specs are from the manual.  This is, by far, the best fridge we have had.  Previous fridges were Maytag, Kitchen-Aid (particularly crappy) and GE.  The icemaker is small so doesn't take up much space.  If I need a lot of ice, I just empty the thing into a bag and repeat.  I also really like the door-in-door feature.  We keep condiments and other small items we use a lot in there.  The back panel is sealed off from the rest of the fridge so there is no cool air loss as would happen when you open the whole door.  Highly recommended.

[kayb]

On 4/6/2022 at 9:44 AM, weinoo said:

Exactly how I keep them. And they don't pick up any weird odors by hanging out in the freezer for weeks.

 

In my house, ice cubes would never hang around for weeks. I use too much ice. I'll rarely empty the icemaker -- except periodically to get "fresh" ice -- but I'll rarely have it full, either.

 

I gew up with ice trays, the metal kinds with levers. Hated them like sin. When Mama and Daddy got a new refrigerator with an icemaker, she wrapped up those damn trays and gave them to me for Christmas, and laughed about my reaction for ages.

 

I usually have enough stuff in the freezer it's not convenient to put ice trays in. Plus, others leaving a tray with fewer than half the cubes in it very nearly led to divorce -- or murder -- more than a few times.

 

I'll take my icemaker, thanks. Preferabky with an ice and water dispenser in the door.

 

 

[weinoo]

46 minutes ago, kayb said:

When Mama and Daddy got a new refrigerator with an icemaker, she wrapped up those damn trays and gave them to me for Christmas, and laughed about my reaction for ages.

 

Sounds as if they had good senses of humor.

[ElsieD]

1 hour ago, kayb said:

 

In my house, ice cubes would never hang around for weeks. I use too much ice. I'll rarely empty the icemaker -- except periodically to get "fresh" ice -- but I'll rarely have it full, either.

 

I gew up with ice trays, the metal kinds with levers. Hated them like sin. When Mama and Daddy got a new refrigerator with an icemaker, she wrapped up those damn trays and gave them to me for Christmas, and laughed about my reaction for ages.

 

I usually have enough stuff in the freezer it's not convenient to put ice trays in. Plus, others leaving a tray with fewer than half the cubes in it very nearly led to divorce -- or murder -- more than a few times.

 

I'll take my icemaker, thanks. Preferabky with an ice and water dispenser in the door.

 

 

 

I see you inherited your mother's sense of humor.

[lindag]

21 hours ago, weinoo said:

 

The hood you see is not vented to the outside, nor is it vented up through the building. To vent to the outside is a nightmare, as you can't go through the walls and have to use an existing window, wherever that window might be. We (my contractor and I) discussed it, and had actually drawn up plans for ductwork to route out the window, but as I did more research it became apparent that with so much ductwork in a quite small run, the hood would basically be useless.

 

So instead, it's recirculating, with 3 excellent filters.  2 of them pop into the dishwasher (and get surprisingly gunky) weekly, and the 3rd is a thick charcoal filter, replaced after x number of hours of use. I'm surprised at how efficient the filters are; this being NYC, we also have HEPA air purifiers in the living area and bedroom.

I had no idea there was such a thing as the vent system you have, it sure would have been something I'd have been interested in.

 

[FauxPas]

On 4/5/2022 at 7:11 PM, gfweb said:

Re counter depth fridge...if that means fitting under a counter then you have to bend over to get in to it? That would be a big pain. 

 

I think i missed this comment. Sorry, @gfwebNo, counter-depth means the fridge is about the same depth as the counters and so doesn't obtrude into the room the same way as a deeper fridge. It's still full-height and probably 36" wide, but not quite as deep as other fridges. 

 

We got our countertops installed and sink reconnected early last week, it was a happy dance for us! No more washing dishes in the tub or a tiny bathroom sink! Our quartz people were simply amazing, they could not have been more accommodating or careful. They really worked with me to make the best use of the two slabs. I didn't want to pay for a third one, but wanted to max out the ones I paid for and they were super helpful, redoing the fabrication layout a few times. 

 

We are having new flooring installed all throughout the house this week so we didn't bother reconnecting the dishwasher and the water line to the fridge, as they would just have to be disconnected again anyway. Our house has been painted a lovely soft grey with white trim (Platinum Grey and Chantilly White, I love it) though painter will have to come back to do baseboard trim and some touch-ups. We still have a few missing pieces to our IKEA kitchen but most of it is in place. Electrician needs to do a few things. 

 

Our cabinet installation did not go as smoothly this time, but I think I will be pretty happy once everything is done. The big pantries in the dining area still need some work. Our cabinet guy made a mistake that was rectified but it was a hassle. Last time, the same guys did a bang-up job and everything was so smooth. Oh well, it will work out. 

 

 

 

 

 

[gfweb]

looks fabulous, @FauxPas

[Smithy]

So glad to see it all coming together, and quickly by my standards!

[blue_dolphin]

Yes, I'm sure this is due to all the planning work you did up front but it really does seem to be moving quickly....of course I wasn't the one washing dishes in the bathroom 🤣

Looks really great!

[JoNorvelleWalker]

@FauxPas your kitchen is beautiful.  You are so fortunate to have your own home.  I live in an apartment.  Some years ago my apartment's original kitchen cabinets were starting to fall down.  Rather than just rehang the two cabinets that needed it, the rental agent said he would replace the cabinets and the counter tops for me.

 

He did.  Some of the replacement cabinets were new.  Most had been previously well loved by other tenants (gag me with a spoon).  Some were sticky.  Don't ask for details, beyond that stuck on rotten onion.  I was left with less cabinet space than I had previously.

 

True, the counter tops were new.  But the cardboard was not up to the quality of the original.  There was nothing wrong with the original countertops.  They were attractive.  I rather liked them.  Not surprisingly the new countertops were not installed properly.  When I needed a new dishwasher it didn't fit.

 

What did surprise me is that the rental agent replaced the kitchen floor, for which I am ever grateful.  The original flooring had warped and was disgusting.

 

[FauxPas]

@JoNorvelleWalker, I need to reply properly but can't do that tonight. Tomorrow! 🙂

[Shelby]

Gorgeous @FauxPas simply gorgeous!

[rotuts]

@FauxPas 

 

very nice kitchen.

 

Bright .

 

always nice to have a window over the sink .

[Nancy in Pátzcuaro]

It's my understanding that México requires that there must be a window over the kitchen sink. Don't know if that's really true, but every kitchen I've seen has had a window over the sink. Even if it's not the law, it makes sense that if you're going to be washing dishes it would be nice to see something other than a wall.

[kayb]

Absolutely beautiful, @FauxPas!

[FauxPas]

11 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

@FauxPas your kitchen is beautiful.  You are so fortunate to have your own home.  I live in an apartment.  Some years ago my apartment's original kitchen cabinets were starting to fall down.  Rather than just rehang the two cabinets that needed it, the rental agent said he would replace the cabinets and the counter tops for me.

 

Jo, I do feel fortunate. I've been a tenant and it's not always easy. It's really too bad that your agent didn't just do things properly. It would have taken pretty much the same amount of time/energy and only cost a bit more in materials and would have lasted longer. It's great that you at least got decent flooring though!  How old is the building you live in? 

 

It really is nice to be able to make one's own choices in these things. However, after working through all the various expenses of this house, I had to scale back some of my original kitchen ideas. But I'll still be happy because I'll have better storage and nicer surfaces and colours I like. And the appliances that I want. 

 

I would hate for someone else to be making those decisions for me and stick me with things I disliked or that didn't function properly or were just really poor quality. Do you have the same rental agent now? Is there any chance that they might actually redo the cabinets and countertops and do them properly? 

 

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

2 hours ago, FauxPas said:

 

Jo, I do feel fortunate. I've been a tenant and it's not always easy. It's really too bad that your agent didn't just do things properly. It would have taken pretty much the same amount of time/energy and only cost a bit more in materials and would have lasted longer. It's great that you at least got decent flooring though!  How old is the building you live in? 

 

It really is nice to be able to make one's own choices in these things. However, after working through all the various expenses of this house, I had to scale back some of my original kitchen ideas. But I'll still be happy because I'll have better storage and nicer surfaces and colours I like. And the appliances that I want. 

 

I would hate for someone else to be making those decisions for me and stick me with things I disliked or that didn't function properly or were just really poor quality. Do you have the same rental agent now? Is there any chance that they might actually redo the cabinets and countertops and do them properly? 

 

 

 

The building is 42 years old.  There is now a different rental agent, but I'm not sure the cabinet problem was the rental agent's fault.  He may have just told the maintenance staff to change out the cabinets.  When something breaks they avoid using new appliances at all costs.  Or at least that used to be the case.  Things may have gotten better.  The last time my stove and dishwasher broke, I was given brand new units.

 

[lindag]

14 hours ago, FauxPas said:

@JoNorvelleWalker, I need to reply properly but can't do that tonight. Tomorrow! 🙂

Your new kitchen is just lovely!  I love the bright white.

I know it will be thrilling when it's all ready for you to cook.

[ElsieD]

@FauxPas  Your kitchen is lovely.  It is nice having that window over your sink.  When we re-did the kitchen in our house, we also moved the sink from where it was, against a wall, to under the window.  I enjoyed that.  What did you do about the fridge?

[FauxPas]

15 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

What did you do about the fridge?

 

Thanks, Elsie! I'm still thinking about the fridge. If I can find the right cabinet-depth one (ie one with enough storage capacity), I might go for that, as it would probably look nicer without a fridge sticking out. But I'm holding off on a decision until the floors are all done and I have a chance to sit back and ponder things, ha.  🙂

 

[Smithy]

I'm still impressed at how quickly it's coming together! It's also looking beautiful - no surprise there, I'd expect nothing less of you - but the speed is amazing. 

 

When we redid our kitchen 10 years ago or so, the contractor estimated it would take about 3 weeks. In fact it took more nearly 3 months. A lot of that had to do with his juggling projects and being unpredictable with his schedule, rather than any snags in the work. I finally withheld the last $600 payment until he came back with the remaining electrical outlet cover. He'd ordered the wrong configuration, and then when he finally got it he kept "forgetting" to come back with it. Withholding that last payment did the trick.