Kitchen Rehab Photos and Progress

[Unpopular Poet]

Good Morning everyone -- As previously discussed in the Kitchen Photos Forum, I am going to start a forum on the progress of my Kitchen Rehab -- Old photos of my kitchen can be found here:  http://forums.egullet.org/topic/148589-kitchen-photos/?p=1971912 - That kitchen, as you can see below, is gone.   This process has been challenging to say the least -- Working in our living room with just a microwave and induction burner has been fun -- kind of like camping since we don't have heat right now either and it is starting to get cold at night!  We are hoping to be done by around Thanksgiving, but I am not planning on cooking this year.  Some highlights of the future kitchen will be soapstone countertops, a butcher block island, a wolf steam oven and bluestar salamander (both of which have been sitting in my garage for better than a year).  We are hoping this is our last remodel for a very, very long time!

[Porthos]

Keep us posted.

[Smithy]

Right down to the bare walls! You're brave. How much of the work are you doing yourself/yourselves, and how much by contractors? Have you picked out everything by now - colors, flooring, and so on - or are you still making choices? I drove my darling nuts with repeated trips to pick up and return samples that continually cluttered our space while we worked out an acceptable design scheme.

Do please keep us posted. Entertaining stories about design dilemmas will also be welcome.

[Unpopular Poet]

Smithy - we are doing gray cabinets with soapstone countertops, with large (4X11) white subway tiles.  I am not doing any of the work this time around -- I was the laboring oar on my last 3 kitchens and this time the professionals are coming in -- too many variables on this one.  Flooring will be oak flooring that spans all the way into the family room -- one big room, kitchen & family room.  The only choice we have left to make are the 2 kitchen faucets...which IMHO are a huge deal...

[rotuts]

looks very interesting

 

hope it works out well for you.

 

make sure you consider adding more circuits than you think you need if you can afford it.

 

imposible to have too many circuits.

 

BTW, No Kitchen ? No Problem:

 

The InstaPot  ( + extension cord if needed ) to the rescue

 

just saying.

[TicTac]

One thing I learned from our recent kitchen reno is next time, no wood floors - most likely heated slate of some sort.

 

Not only does wood wear over time, it is not nearly as good for your feet or back when standing for long periods, unlike something firmer (and with texture), like stone.

 

We have been very pleased with our Wolf range, make sure you get a killer exhaust for that beast

[Okanagancook]

Are you using a designer for colour and other detail assistance?  We have acid etched concrete flours and I wore the stain off the areas in front of the sink and the prep/stove area inside of two years!   I'm using gel pads in those areas now.  A pain in the you know what.  I may take them up.  I think routs' recommendation for more circuits is a good one.  We have a ton of plugs and when people come they plug in their laptops and sit at the kitchen bench working while I cook!

[Unpopular Poet]

We have a ton of outlets, which is good -- we are definitely set on the hardwood -- no way around it since there is no transition between the floors in the kitchen and the family room.  I have been happy with my hardwood and never had problems in the past -- We are not using a designer other than ourselves - it wasn't too big of a space and we already knew what we wanted and didn't want.  As far as a hood, we are mounting a 60" Wolf hood above the 48" bluestar and salamander -- offsetting by 6 inches on each side to accommodate more capture area there will be an external 1500 CFM blower.  Should be much better than my previous one which couldn't accomplish anything but noise interruption.

[rotuts]

""  ton of outlets ""

 

excellent   make sure they are on different 20 amp circuits.  you would be surprised

 

I have 6 outlets in my kitchen.

 

it was redone in lets say mid '70's

 

The bozo electrician put them all on one 20 amp circuit.

 

Dumb and dumber homeowners back then.

 

and I have not gotten around to adding 3 more circuits.

[weinoo]

We have a ton of outlets, which is good -- we are definitely set on the hardwood -- 

I would love hardwood floors.

[MetsFan5]

I went down to the studs in areas of our kitchen. In February living in northern NJ. It's tough. My floors throughout the house are all oak so I had some sanded down and restrained, mainly in the kitchen. My puppy has done a number in our living room so we are waiting to negate those scratches.

Best of luck! Kitchen renos are a bitch!

[Smithy]

The only choice we have left to make are the 2 kitchen faucets...which IMHO are a huge deal...

I hear you. My other half couldn't see what the fuss was about, and if he'd had his way we'd have grabbed the cheapest thing and gotten out in the shortest checkout line. (It's a good thing we both drive, so we didn't quite drive each other around the bend.) What are your faucet criteria?

[Mjx]

. . . .  The only choice we have left to make are the 2 kitchen faucets...which IMHO are a huge deal...

 

I hear you. My other half couldn't see what the fuss was about, and if he'd had his way we'd have grabbed the cheapest thing and gotten out in the shortest checkout line. (It's a good thing we both drive, so we didn't quite drive each other around the bend.) What are your faucet criteria?

 

!00% agree. Whichever faucets you get, check first that are sized to release the water into the middle of the basin when you open the tap, instead of closer to the front or back wall, and if you get the kind that has the tap incorporated into it, make sure that simply turning on the water doesn't release a tidal wave. The faucet we have in our new kitchen looks great, and is solidly made, but the arc is too small for the basin, so when I wash up, I end up having to hold out my arms at nearly full length, which plays hell with my neck and shoulders, and the tap opens too hard, so even though we have a deep basin, they water splashes about a foot around, unless the tap is opened very carefully.

[Unpopular Poet]

Not much to add this week..they are finalizing HVAC, electrical and plumbing.  I think the cabinets are getting delivered soon, hopefully not too soon, because we really don't need them for a bit and I have absolutely nowhere to put them!  The fridge and hood are ordered, the steam oven and salamander are in the garage....once the drywall starts I will post more pics -- that should be next week!

[dcarch]

"1500 CFM blower"

Whether your local Code requires it or not, make sure you have correct make up air, or you may drawing in poisonous CO from your heaters into your living area. 

 

Outlets

a 220VAC outlet will let you buy a real powerful portable induction cooker.

 

Wood floor

Not in my kitchen.

 

Pipes

I will not put pipes in a Chicago exterior wall, even with good insulation.

 

dcarch

 

Kitchen joke:

Why the French would not have Linoleum kitchen floor : Because if there is a gas leak, you could be dealing with Linoleum Blownapart. :-)

Edited September 29, 2015 by dcarch (log)

[Unpopular Poet]

You can't put pipes on an outside wall, that would be folly. The pipes that connect to my sink come through the floor and cabinet - plenty of space from the pipes to the outdoors! Our HVAC guy is handling makeup air. The 220 would be nice but I already have one going in for the steam oven, so that would eat up 40 of 200 amps on 2 appliances....I love wood floors and don't care who knows it

Edited September 29, 2015 by Unpopular Poet (log)

[Chocolot]

Have you considered Grohe faucets? I have them and love them. Lifetime warranty. Mine has been 13 years and no problems. Also, I've had wood floor in my kitchen for 30 years and wouldn't have anything else. 

[blue_dolphin]

This sounds like it will be a fabulous cook's kitchen!

 

I can't quite get my bearings in the photos.  At some point, could you provide some orientation to the photos vs the "before" photos in the kitchen photos thread?  A sketch of a before and after floor plan would be great but I don't want to make work for you.  A photo from the same vantage point would do the trick as well.

 

 

Thank you for taking us through this process.

[Unpopular Poet]

Technically, there is no ability to take a photo from the same vantage point, since the old vantage point no longer exists in some aspect.  This rendering is "kind of accurate" but not really since there will be a pot rack (which comes from my Grandfather's restaurant) and a few other thing, but you get the point....The salamander is missing and what not, but otherwise, this is the rough layout.  Today's dilemma was HVAC..tomorrow it will be something else.  My contractor is awesome though -- zero complaints when it comes to both his work and attentiveness -- 1st class all the way.

[Unpopular Poet]

We are almost through the drywall phase. I added some low voltage lighting for under the cabinets and a coat closet where the fridge was originally going to be pushed all the way back. We needed some spec for the HVAC cold air returns so everyone won! Hardwood starts next week, then cabinets, then measuring for countertops and so on. Looking forward to a nice celebratory meal in about 1.5 months....

[Deryn]

Glad it is all going so well for you. I am looking forward to seeing the finished version. You must be very excited.

You have such good taste to be putting in soapstone. Very smart move - it is worth every penny. And wood floors are my favorite too - you are not alone there either.

[Unpopular Poet]

We are making progress! The floors are in and the cabinets have been put in place. On Friday, they set the sink and measured for the rest of the countertops. We have about 2 weeks of other stuff before the countertops go in, and then tile and appliances....looking forward to Thanksgiving (hopefully!!)

[Deryn]

Love that sink!

[Porthos]

A bit jealous of that sink. When I brought up a farm sink my DW said no in a most definitive way. Enjoy yours.

[Unpopular Poet]

My contractor promised a working kitchen by Thanksgiving and he delivered! There are still a ton of things to do, but I cooked in the new kitchen for the first time last night and it treated us well! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!