Author Topic: Kitchen reno  (Read 13275 times)

10dollarsatatime

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Kitchen reno
« on: August 27, 2017, 06:11:58 PM »
Well... I'm finally doing it.  I've been procrastinating for a couple of years.  The kitchen in my house is a disaster.  There's little counter space.  The PO replaced the hinges on the doors and they don't close properly.  The stove is off by itself next to a chimney that hasn't been useful since they stopped cooking on a wood-burning stove.  The fridge is in the laundry room.  Basically, everything is terrible and no two things are good.

So.  Here are some before pictures.  First one from when I moved in, so it's all relatively clean.  The next couple were after I removed the doors (because we were starting on the chimney and needed boards to put across the joists in the attic so we had a place to stand.)

As you can see, it's stupid.  And I hate it.


Bracken_Joy

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #1 on: August 27, 2017, 06:15:03 PM »
Posting to follow. I love seeing kitchen renos! Will you have to open up a wall to accommodate the fridge?

Miss Piggy

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #2 on: August 27, 2017, 06:19:29 PM »
PTF.

Will you be doing more of an L-shape (working around that big window)? Can't wait to see the progress and final product!

We did our kitchen a year ago after wanting to remodel it for 12 years. Worth every painstaking minute of work and every penny! We did the work ourselves with the exception of the tile floor, counter/backsplash (same material), and some of the trim. It took us a solid 6 months because we had our day jobs, but we grew accustomed to washing dishes in the bathtub upstairs. :)

10dollarsatatime

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #3 on: August 27, 2017, 06:32:52 PM »
We did start on the chimney.  It's much less work than I was worried it would be.  The bit in the attic could have just been pushed over, the mortar was so brittle.  Pounding on the plaster in the kitchen was all it took to loosen the bricks and plaster.  The chimney is down to around 3 feet above the floor, but the bottom bit is full of soot, so that's going to be fun to clean out.  The hole in the wall was capped with a paint can half full of concrete.  I can't go any further until I empty some of my 5 gallon buckets that are full of mortar and plaster.

This week I'll pull the bricks that are still around the hole in the wall.  I could probably leave them, but I figure the hole in the living room wall will be easier to patch if it's rectangular.  I'll also finish removing the chimney and patch the holes in the ceiling and floor.

Even with half the chimney still there, the kitchen looks so much bigger!

10dollarsatatime

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #4 on: August 27, 2017, 06:38:18 PM »
I need to check some measurements, but as soon as I do, I'll upload a picture of my floorplan.  I'm putting in a corner sink. (Not the kind I really want, but apparently you can only get them in Europe.)  The stove will stay where it is, but there will actually be cupboards around it!  The fridge will end up in the corner next to the living room doorway.  I'm planning on taking the counters around both the outside wall.  No lower cupboards at the window, obviously.  It will be a place to stick a stool, or possibly a kitchen cart. 

Walsh1122

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #5 on: August 27, 2017, 06:45:55 PM »
Posting to follow!  Good Luck!

10dollarsatatime

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #6 on: August 27, 2017, 06:46:53 PM »
One last post, and one that doesn't have anything to do with the kitchen.  Still, it's a thing in the house I'm fixing.  The joists under my office are dry-rotted and have a 'dad-fix'.  The PO stuck concrete chunks under each joist and then wedged random lumber in there to hold them up.  And, hey, as my inspector pointed out, the floor isn't at all squishy.  My brother is helping me sister some new joists in there.  We're halfway done, and it's really satisfying to see them properly repaired.

10dollarsatatime

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #7 on: August 27, 2017, 07:50:39 PM »
Oops... wrong sub.  Can a mod move this to DIY?

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #8 on: August 27, 2017, 07:52:42 PM »
Oops... wrong sub.  Can a mod move this to DIY?

If you hit 'report post' and ask them to move it, it'll guarantee they see the request.

10dollarsatatime

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #9 on: August 27, 2017, 07:53:39 PM »
Oops... wrong sub.  Can a mod move this to DIY?

If you hit 'report post' and ask them to move it, it'll guarantee they see the request.

Thanks. :)

meerkat

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #10 on: August 28, 2017, 11:32:59 AM »
Posting to follow.

scantee

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #11 on: August 28, 2017, 11:46:52 AM »
Very interested to see how your renovation turns out. The kitchen in my last house had this exact same layout. I completely understand why you want to renovate! I did too, but I moved instead.


KarefulKactus15

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #12 on: August 28, 2017, 04:46:51 PM »
I'm sure you know.   But check out "kitchen work triangle".

Good job!

LostGirl

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #13 on: August 28, 2017, 05:22:53 PM »
Good luck~! Posting to follow :)

10dollarsatatime

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #14 on: August 29, 2017, 09:17:55 AM »
Floor joists are fixed!  We sistered in 6 new 12' joists, added in a new sil plate and joists ends, and were able to knock out the gitchy fix that the last owner did. :)

I expect we'll finish the chimney on Thursday.  At that point, I need to learn some pex plumbing.  PO redid all the plumbing as well, but there are no shutoffs under the kitchen sink, so I'll need to cap those lines for now. 

I also need to fix the weirdness going on with the bathroom plumbing.  It currently comes up under the tub, then snakes out into the pantry cupboard before going back through the wall to meet the toilet/sink.  It's dumb.  And also in my way.  For now, I'm just going to knock a hole next to the tub and run the pex right behind the toilet.  It won't be pretty, but the bathroom will be my next big project, so I don't care at the moment.  (True story... I was researching 1940s houses for work and came upon some bathroom fixture ads... and found my bathtub!  It's apparently the original.)

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #15 on: August 29, 2017, 09:26:22 AM »
Floor joists are fixed!  We sistered in 6 new 12' joists, added in a new sil plate and joists ends, and were able to knock out the gitchy fix that the last owner did. :)

I expect we'll finish the chimney on Thursday.  At that point, I need to learn some pex plumbing.  PO redid all the plumbing as well, but there are no shutoffs under the kitchen sink, so I'll need to cap those lines for now. 

I also need to fix the weirdness going on with the bathroom plumbing.  It currently comes up under the tub, then snakes out into the pantry cupboard before going back through the wall to meet the toilet/sink.  It's dumb.  And also in my way.  For now, I'm just going to knock a hole next to the tub and run the pex right behind the toilet.  It won't be pretty, but the bathroom will be my next big project, so I don't care at the moment.  (True story... I was researching 1940s houses for work and came upon some bathroom fixture ads... and found my bathtub!  It's apparently the original.)

If you don't keep the tub, see if you can sell it. Originals often can recoup cost decently. (Assuming it isn't so massive and heavy there's no way to get it out sans destruction- careful there though, we had a DIY poster at one point talk about getting his leg slashed open that way... anyone remember that post?!)

10dollarsatatime

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #16 on: August 30, 2017, 10:21:04 PM »
Floor joists are fixed!  We sistered in 6 new 12' joists, added in a new sil plate and joists ends, and were able to knock out the gitchy fix that the last owner did. :)

I expect we'll finish the chimney on Thursday.  At that point, I need to learn some pex plumbing.  PO redid all the plumbing as well, but there are no shutoffs under the kitchen sink, so I'll need to cap those lines for now. 

I also need to fix the weirdness going on with the bathroom plumbing.  It currently comes up under the tub, then snakes out into the pantry cupboard before going back through the wall to meet the toilet/sink.  It's dumb.  And also in my way.  For now, I'm just going to knock a hole next to the tub and run the pex right behind the toilet.  It won't be pretty, but the bathroom will be my next big project, so I don't care at the moment.  (True story... I was researching 1940s houses for work and came upon some bathroom fixture ads... and found my bathtub!  It's apparently the original.)

If you don't keep the tub, see if you can sell it. Originals often can recoup cost decently. (Assuming it isn't so massive and heavy there's no way to get it out sans destruction- careful there though, we had a DIY poster at one point talk about getting his leg slashed open that way... anyone remember that post?!)

I'm not sure I can get the dang thing out without breaking it up.  This bathroom is TINY. :)

10dollarsatatime

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #17 on: August 30, 2017, 10:47:34 PM »
And... no more chimney!

It was easy enough to take out.  Lots of hitting it with sledgehammers.  Kind of fun, really.

I sent all of the bricks off with my brother to one of his friends houses.  Now I'm just having to dispose of the buckets of dirt/mortar.  They're going a few at a time in my trash bins.

There's a block of concrete underneath, but luckily it's level with the subfloor so I can leave it there.  The piping up the side is the old vent pipe from when the furnace was in the crawlspace.  Now there's a gas line running up through it to the furnace in the attic.  I'll have to have the line run up in the wall.

I can see the layers of floor now.  I'm very pleased to see a layer of hardwood down there.  :)  I'm still putting LVT in the kitchen, but now there's a good chance I can use the hardwood from the kitchen to patch up the flooring in the rest of the house.  Not that I know what that flooring looks like... It's all hidden under cheap clicklock and ugly carpet.  But I have high hopes.

10dollarsatatime

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #18 on: September 03, 2017, 06:17:08 PM »
I'm sure you know.   But check out "kitchen work triangle".

Good job!

I did not know, but it looks like my kitchen will follow most of the rules anyway.  Not much I can do about major traffic flow... except I'm the only person who lives here, so I'm the only traffic. :)

10dollarsatatime

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #19 on: September 03, 2017, 06:45:51 PM »
So... here's the layout.  I haven't updated measurements, and I picked these cabinets when I thought I was going with the cheapest home depot unfinished crap, which is why there are a couple of gaps that would have needed filler.

Updates I'll be making... I think I'm going to not put cupboards above the windows.  I can barely reach the ones that are up there as it is, and I'm putting in more cabinets, so I should still have plenty of room without them.  (It will also be easier to install lights without the cupboards there.)  I may do the cupboards on either side of the stove as 15" instead of 12", though I need to see what that does to my hall width.  The unlabeled triangles by the stove will be corner cabinets.  I decided to replace my fridge with a smaller one, which means I can enlarge the cabinets to either side of the dishwasher.  I'm thinking about going with a 6" cupboard on the sink side of the dishwasher with a pullout rack for cleaning supplies and such, and an 18" on the other side.  And I think I mentioned it, but where that large window is, I'll have counter going across and stick a stool or a kitchen cart under it.

I'm leaning toward maple, but will be testing oak as well.

Stain color: [url:http://www.minwax.com/wood-products/stains-color-guide/]Island Blue or Deep Ocean[/url]  I'll need to test them both once I get wood samples to see which I like better.  It's a good thing there are only two to choose from.

Sink:  What I really wanted was one of [url:http://www.scenecult.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Corner-Kitchen-Sink.jpg]THESE[/url], but I cannot find anything like it in the US, so I've settled on [url:https://www.efaucets.com/detail-v4.asp?product_id=khu122-23]THIS ONE[/url].  I intend to install it backwards so the angles are to the front edge of the counter.  I've found an example of someone doing this, and like the look, so it'll do.


Playing with Fire UK

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #20 on: September 04, 2017, 02:41:43 AM »
For the sink that doesn't have shut offs. Have you seen those products that freeze the pipes temporarily so that you can install a shut off or cap without draining down the whole system?

gooki

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #21 on: September 04, 2017, 05:03:42 AM »
Good idea getting rid of the cabinets above the window. High cabinets in small spaces really close in a room.

My 2cents, under bench drawers are way better than cabinets. Use them wherever you can.

10dollarsatatime

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #22 on: September 04, 2017, 11:01:42 AM »
For the sink that doesn't have shut offs. Have you seen those products that freeze the pipes temporarily so that you can install a shut off or cap without draining down the whole system?

Turns out, there are shut offs!  I'm not sure exactly why, but they are beneath floor level.  I found them yesterday while I was poking around to see what I would need.  This is a thing I will remedy when I put in the new sink.

Good idea getting rid of the cabinets above the window. High cabinets in small spaces really close in a room.

My 2cents, under bench drawers are way better than cabinets. Use them wherever you can.

I am definitely putting more drawers in than the drawing suggests; next to the stove (at least one side), by the sink and the other side of the dishwasher.  I'm undecided on the only large base cabinet.  I was thinking about using that one for appliances.  The instant pot, waffle maker, blender, toaster, and all that crap need somewhere to live when I'm not using them.  Though, those could go above the fridge I suppose.  Since I'm getting rid of my monster fridge, I think I could easily put a larger cabinet above it.



*****

I ordered my sink today.  I've been putting it off for a while.  Didn't realize it was discontinued, and so when I realized this morning that it was gone from the three stores I knew I could order it from, it became urgent.  Luckily, I found a place that still has some in stock and were selling at the cheaper price I had found at the other places.  Bonus... there was a 5% labor day coupon, free shipping, and I didn't get charged tax like I would have anywhere else I was looking.  So I saved a little bit of cash. :)

10dollarsatatime

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #23 on: September 06, 2017, 09:02:08 PM »
Got an email today that my sink order couldn't be fulfilled.  Unfortunate. So I hit the internet, found someone else who claimed to have it in stock and bought it.  Expecting the same thing to happen, I kept browsing and wonder of wonders!  I found a local place with my sink!  It's an open box, so I got it for really cheap!  I have to call the other place in the morning and cancel the order, but I doubt they have it to fulfill anyway.

I updated my measurements yesterday, redrew the kitchen a bit and took it in to be futzed with by the lady at Lowe's who does kitchen cabinets.  I have a meeting with her on Saturday to see what she's come up with.  I'm leaning toward maple for the cabinets.  I like the grain... soft and not too pronounced.  I need to get a wood sample to try out my stain and make sure it's doing what I want.

I keep having to remind myself that I've been saving for this remodel for years... every time I spend a bit, I have a hit of anxiety.  Kitchens aren't cheap, yo.  Honestly, up until the sink, I'd spent more on feeding the various brothers who came to help with things, but the scales are now tipping.  I'm stuck at work for the rest of the weekend, but plan on stalking the classifieds for my new to me refrigerator.  I'm betting I can sell the one I have for enough to pay for the new one... possibly with $$ left over.  Seriously... I have a really nice fridge.  It's just freaking gigantic.

oneday

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #24 on: September 06, 2017, 10:06:49 PM »
Following!  Looking good so far; I love demo time ;)  What a score on that sink!

Good luck on the fridge exchange.  I did this earlier this year & boffed it, so ended up with two fridges for a couple months. Bleah.

dilinger

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #25 on: September 06, 2017, 11:55:09 PM »
I managed to sell my fridge for $350 on craigslist.  It was huge (and "nice", I guess...), with a terrible french door layout that wasted tons of space.

I got a new Haier 15cu ft fridge for $800.  Everything that was in my 23 cu ft old fridge fit just fine in the 15 cu ft one, thanks to a more efficient fridge/freezer layout. The freezer (with drawers) is on the bottom, fridge on the top.  I now have an extra 6-8" of space on each side of the fridge, which allows more walking clearance in my narrow kitchen.
« Last Edit: September 07, 2017, 12:01:44 AM by dilinger »

meerkat

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #26 on: September 07, 2017, 05:47:36 AM »
I keep having to remind myself that I've been saving for this remodel for years... every time I spend a bit, I have a hit of anxiety.  Kitchens aren't cheap, yo. 

I hear you. I think this is going to be our biggest issue when we finally get around to redoing our own kitchen.

Miss Piggy

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #27 on: September 08, 2017, 10:50:00 AM »
I keep having to remind myself that I've been saving for this remodel for years... every time I spend a bit, I have a hit of anxiety.  Kitchens aren't cheap, yo. 

I hear you. I think this is going to be our biggest issue when we finally get around to redoing our own kitchen.

We waited 12 years to remodel our kitchen. We ended up WAYYYYYYY over the amount we had originally thought it would cost, but we were pretty uninformed when we came up with our original "budget."  (Plus we ended up doing the hallway and bathroom as part of the kitchen project.) We just had to let go of the anxiety and do what we wanted and had waited for all those years. It cost a lot, but I don't regret one penny of it.

NoVa

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #28 on: September 08, 2017, 01:30:30 PM »

I updated my measurements yesterday, redrew the kitchen a bit and took it in to be futzed with by the lady at Lowe's who does kitchen cabinets.  I have a meeting with her on Saturday to see what she's come up with.  I'm leaning toward maple for the cabinets.  I like the grain... soft and not too pronounced.  I need to get a wood sample to try out my stain and make sure it's doing what I want.


We redid our kitchen with Maple, no stain, 10+ years ago. Still love it. Went with a slightly lower grade of maple because the real high end one had grain so perfect it looked like plastic. :)

Wimsey1923

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #29 on: September 09, 2017, 11:18:23 PM »
Posting to follow.



10dollarsatatime

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #30 on: September 10, 2017, 11:33:13 AM »
Updates... got my new (to me) fridge!  Someone needed a bigger one, so I got the perfect, only a couple years old, has an icemaker, no flaws 28" wide fridge for $115.  I paid about $10 to rent a ramp so we could load it easily in a friend's truck.  I had been planning on around $250, so I feel like I got a screaming deal.  Now I need to clean out the giant french door fridge in my laundry room and sell that beast.  I'll miss the cold water in the door, but I'm putting in a filter system under my sink, and got that icemaker I wanted, so I think I'll survive.

I had my meeting with the Lowe's kitchen designer yesterday.  Turns out, only their most expensive brand offers unfinished anything.  She had built it all in one of the cheaper brands and so we had to spend some time redoing. And then the total came out to... $8000 (after 20% off!).  I know cabinets are going to cost me dearly, but that seems a bit nuts.  (It's nearly 3 times the cost of doing oak pre-assembled from home depot).  So I'm still looking for my cabinet supplier.  I checked Barker cabinets online... that comes out to around the same price, although they customize sizes, so I would fit the space a bit better.  And I won't have to disassemble to stain, since they're RTA.

Anyone have thoughts on the boxes being made from particle board vs. plywood?  The particle board was why I decided not to go with the home depot stuff in the first place.  I'm not sure how much doing ply instead of particle increased the quote on the other cabinets, but I could see it adding a fair amount...

I did come out of that meeting with a few renderings of the cabinet layout.  It's exciting to see at least that part coming together.








Looking at this... I see a few options to save money and still have my dreamy kitchen:

I have 3 triple drawer bases.  Drawers are expensive.  I can change those all to single top drawer/single door bases.  Might be more useful next to the stove anyway for the pots/pans.

I can take or leave the knee drawer under the window. (It would be level with the other cabinets.  The rendering program just couldn't understand that someone would want to have cabinets in front of the window.)

I did decide to leave a tiny bit more room for a fridge, so the 15" by the fridge will be a 12".  This should give sufficient room for the fridge door to open to more than a 90 degree angle.  And possible eventual room for myself or an eventual owner to have options when replacing the fridge.

The pantry area is currently made up of 3 cabinets.  This is a layout I came up with using the cheap home depot stuff with no real size wiggle room.  I could do this with two equal size double door cabinets instead, which would save a little.  I'm also not feeling the corner thing right there.  They don't have the sizes to make it work all the way up and I was going to stick a couple of shelves in the middle to fill in that middle gap.

OR.  I could leave it they way it is and just have some new doors made. 



Maybe not quite leave it.  There's an 18" hole to the left where things get pushed back and lost.  I would open it up on that side to match the other.  Probably would open it up at the top a bit as well to make the top shelf easier to access.  Axing the pantry cabinets would drop around $2000 from the price, so that's really tempting.

As always, I welcome any thoughts!  Who knows someone that sells unfinished cabinets? :)

(And if anyone wants to tell me how to resize images smaller, that's a thing I tried and failed to do.)

zolotiyeruki

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #31 on: September 10, 2017, 12:21:01 PM »
Ooh, this looks exciting!  May I offer a couple suggestions?

Most of our kitchen cabinets are single-drawer, single-door, and I hate it.  Our stovetop is separate from the oven, so it has drawers underneath it, and I LOVE it.  We keep all the pots and pans in those drawers.  Wide drawers should be used wherever you have a double-width cabinet.

When my parents designed their house 30 years ago, they did a lot of little things just right.  They put the stove under the window, and most of their bottom cabinets are all drawers.  The few exceptions are 1) under the sink, 2) two base cabinets that are shallower than the standard 24"(ish) depth, and 3) a tall, narrow base cabinet where they've kept their cookie sheets.  Their microwave is still above the counter, but away from the stove.

Our current home has the traditional microwave-over-stove layout, and I wish there was a window over the stove instead.  You probably have good reasons for laying out the kitchen the way you have, but if it were my kitchen, I'd put the sink and the range each by a window, and put the (full-size) fridge where you currently plan to put the range.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #32 on: September 10, 2017, 04:56:30 PM »
I can't see any of the photos from the most recent post, but I will +1 what zolo is saying about the double width drawers. We have those most places for the lower part of the kitchen and they are WONDERFUL. Really enjoy those vs the cabinets, so much more functional for most things. Nothing gets "lost", you don't have to crawl into the back of cabinets, etc.

MayDay

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #33 on: September 10, 2017, 07:41:20 PM »
I can't see any of your photos, but ALL DRAWERS ALL THE WAY.

I would pay any amount of money to replace all lower cabinets with drawers. Any. Amount.

They are that Amazing. You put your pans on drawers and YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THEM HALLELUJAH!

Seriously bottom cabinets should never be built except under a sink.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #34 on: September 10, 2017, 07:43:17 PM »
I can't see any of your photos, but ALL DRAWERS ALL THE WAY.

I would pay any amount of money to replace all lower cabinets with drawers. Any. Amount.

They are that Amazing. You put your pans on drawers and YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THEM HALLELUJAH!

Seriously bottom cabinets should never be built except under a sink.

We have two- one under the sink, and one that is an all open double cabinet with a roll out tray. I love it- keep my instant pot, soda stream, kombucha ferment, and a crockpot on there, and it's easy to get to them. Thumbs up to that idea.

Whoever designed our kitchen was a clever, practical human, and I love them for it. (It was a custom built home- definitely shows on stuff like this!)

MayDay

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #35 on: September 10, 2017, 07:45:17 PM »
Also! (I have strong opinions about kitchens):

Particle board will fall apart.  Our house has original plywood cabinets from the 50's. Great shape, someone painted them white along the way, 100% functioning and no cosmetic damage or wear and tear.

We looked at similar vintages of houses in the same neighborhood that had new shitty cabinets put in within the last decade. They looked awful- tons of wear and tear damage, and one particle board gets banged up you are screwed.

As a single person maybe you are careful and it doesn't matter.

10dollarsatatime

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #36 on: September 10, 2017, 09:23:25 PM »
Sorry about the pics.  They show up on my screen, but those are the mysteries of bbcode I guess.  I'll attach them a different way to this post.

You've convinced me to stick with drawers.  I'll have two 9" cabinets on either side of the sink; one for cookie sheets and cutting boards, one with a pullout for cleaning supplies since most places don't do drawers in a cabinet that small.  I'm going to change the one by the dishwasher to a trash can pullout so the dogs can't make messes of it anymore (unless I can find a 9" trash can pullout, in which case, I'll keep the other one as drawers as well).  I'll have the one larger cabinet by the laundry room that I'm still thinking pullout over drawers so there's room for basically all the same things bracken_joy has in hers, down to the kombucha brews.

Also.  Thanks for confirming my no particle board decision.  The cabinets in my kitchen now are the original 40s cabinets, I think.  3/4 ply, and solid as a rock.  Just dumb.

I've been poking around the internet today and found some possibilities for unfinished RTAs.  Hoping I can cut some $$ off that $8000 number.  Otherwise, I'll seriously look at just doing new doors for the existing pantry.


Ooh, this looks exciting!  May I offer a couple suggestions?

Our current home has the traditional microwave-over-stove layout, and I wish there was a window over the stove instead.  You probably have good reasons for laying out the kitchen the way you have, but if it were my kitchen, I'd put the sink and the range each by a window, and put the (full-size) fridge where you currently plan to put the range.

I think if there weren't a large window on the one wall, I'd seriously consider this.  Designing around that window was the most difficult part, but I'm really happy with the design I have right now.  We'll see how much it needs to be tweaked as I poke around cabinet sources.

gooki

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #37 on: September 11, 2017, 01:20:11 AM »
Not sure if your looking for feedback, but I'd ditch the high cabinet by the door, as it closes in the space as you enter/exit the kitchen and blocks the light coming in from the window.

And think about removing the high cabinet in the corner, as it closes in the space around the prep area and also blocks light from the windows.

I know you'll get less storage space, but you'll gain some of it back if you can do the pantry as you planned.

I'd also have the cabinet above the fridge built in properly, rather than just floating above it.
« Last Edit: September 11, 2017, 01:22:02 AM by gooki »

gooki

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #38 on: September 11, 2017, 01:30:42 AM »
PS, do you really need three doors into the kitchen?

Can you get rid of one to gain more counter/storage space? Or knock down a wall and have a kitchen island?

chasingthegoodlife

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #39 on: September 11, 2017, 02:55:10 PM »
Your plan looks great so far.

I agree with gooki that removing some of the upper cabs would open things up visually and maybe shave a bit off your price - do you have a firm plan of what you will store in them?

I'm in the middle of a DIY kitchen reno right now too - we just got a working kitchen sink back in last week (glorious!)  but still so much more to do.

We ended up buying a second hand kitchen on eBay. It too a bit of searching to find a nice modern one in great condition with lots of drawer cabinets (stick with the drawers, you won't regret it!) but we got one eventually. Our plan is to get a corner pantry custom built in the same finish to join it all together so it fits exactly in our space. Whether that will work or not remains to be seen!!

Good luck, I will be following your progress.

gooki

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #40 on: September 11, 2017, 04:07:52 PM »
The upper cabinets are also items that can easily be added later on if you do find you are desperate for more storage.

honeyfill

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #41 on: September 23, 2017, 08:09:19 PM »
Any updates?  Everything looks great so far.  We are especially interested because the kitchen renovation is the last thing we are doing before we fire.

10dollarsatatime

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #42 on: September 23, 2017, 11:17:28 PM »
Any updates?  Everything looks great so far.  We are especially interested because the kitchen renovation is the last thing we are doing before we fire.

Not really.  I've been busy at work so haven't had time to do much. 

I'm still stuck on cabinets.  However, a friend pointed out to me that the local university has a cabinetry program.  I'm going to contact them in the coming week and see if their seniors ever need a project. :)  I did buy a scraper for the linoleum.  Seems like it will come up pretty easy with that.

The upper cabinets are also items that can easily be added later on if you do find you are desperate for more storage.

I did consider nixing the upper cabinets.  However.  Without them I will have the same (or less) storage than I do now.  And there's definitely not enough storage.  There's an existing pantry, so I'm not actually gaining any room with those pantry cabinets, just changing it up.  Adding later isn't a great option since i'm staining them a silly color.  Because of possible color variations between cans, you're supposed to dump them all in one big container and mix it around.  Because of this, there's a good chance that by adding cabs later, I won't be able to match them exactly.

I'm hoping to combat the smallness of the kitchen by keeping all the other colors light.  Light gray countertops (laminate or poured concrete.  Haven't decided.)  White backsplash.  Light gray walls.  White trim.  White/gray floor.  Light curtains.  I'm really happy with the colors/design I've chosen.  Now I just need to figure out where the cabinets are coming from...

honeyfill

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #43 on: September 26, 2017, 11:02:50 AM »
Sounds like you are doing great. I notice you are doing most of the work your self. Did you have any professional help with the design or reno work? We are hiring a remodeler to do the actual work.  The idea is to postpone retirement for 3-4 months to pay for it.  We don't know much about kitchen design so we are also thinking about hiring a design specialist. There goes another month!!

KarefulKactus15

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #44 on: September 26, 2017, 12:15:13 PM »
Kitchen remodel gobbles up so much money....

I think it was already mentioned but recently I was looking at cabinets and rta cabinet store online seemed like a good value.         I only ordered a sample from them though.      I found a very nice used cabinet set on Craigslist.       "Old" in a 950k house is brand new in a 150k house lol.

10dollarsatatime

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #45 on: October 17, 2017, 11:33:46 AM »
Welcome back to my very slow kitchen reno.  Last week a friend came over and we pulled out the linoleum flooring.  I then had to wait a week for trash day.  Once my cans were empty again, I went at the particle board with a couple of crow bars.  It was an impulse one morning... beat up the floor or go running.  Once the particle board was up, I spent a couple of hours pulling staples out of the newly exposed hardwood flooring.  Sat there in my pajamas, drinking tea, and using a cool set of pliers with a rocker on the side.  It was nice, actually.

I'm thinking the hardwood is oak.  Looks too grainy for maple, but I need to have my dad verify.  It's in bad shape, which doesn't bode well for the rooms I want to keep it in, but I suppose I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.  I still like it better than the linoleum that was in there.

I've about reached the point where I need to get a permit before I can continue.  I can still remove the pantry cupboard, and there's a bit of carpet in the hall that needs to come out.  After that... it's time for gas, electrical, and plumbing; gas line moved into the wall, electrical box moved and some outlets added/moved, and sink plumbing capped off and ready to be moved.

I've been researching the possibility of using porcelain tile instead of luxury vinyl tile.  My dad doesn't think I can get the floor stiff enough in my old construction house for the tile to not crack, unless I was tiling with something small, or it ended up higher than the surrounding floors.  I wouldn't mind smaller tile, but I can't find anything really budget friendly that isn't also 12x12.  I think that if I stripped the subfloor all the way to the joists, I could replace with stiffer flooring... but again... not sure it's worth it.  I think the floor would look almost the same either way.

Oh.  Have I mentioned I haven't figured out cabinets yet?  I really don't want to spend $8000 on them, especially considering I can get nice, finished, rta for around $4000.  I'm contemplating buying some natural maple rtas, stripping them, and then staining and resealing.  It feels silly to have to do that, but I am rather stuck on those stained blue cabinets.

Sounds like you are doing great. I notice you are doing most of the work your self. Did you have any professional help with the design or reno work? We are hiring a remodeler to do the actual work.  The idea is to postpone retirement for 3-4 months to pay for it.  We don't know much about kitchen design so we are also thinking about hiring a design specialist. There goes another month!!

I'm basically only going to use professionals for the gas and electrical.  Plumbing is pretty straightforward.  Minor electrical is as well, but moving the box is not minor, so I'd rather pay someone to get that done.  And moving the gas line feels like a thing I should have a pro do.  Everything else, I'm comfortable with, or can drag a relation over to help.  They work cheap.  :) (Brother who helped with the floor joists wouldn't even let me replace the nails he brought over, and still hasn't let me take him to lunch.)

Kitchen remodel gobbles up so much money....

I think it was already mentioned but recently I was looking at cabinets and rta cabinet store online seemed like a good value.         I only ordered a sample from them though.      I found a very nice used cabinet set on Craigslist.       "Old" in a 950k house is brand new in a 150k house lol.

RTA seems like a fantastic value!  But no unfinished.  The couple of unfinished rta cabinet suppliers I've found cost as much as the box store unfinished.  Frustrating, to say the least.  This is why I'm leaning toward stripping and refinishing some brand new rtas...

zolotiyeruki

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #46 on: October 17, 2017, 12:23:28 PM »
Installing tile on a potentially-somewhat-unstable floor is an old problem, and there are lots of products out there to help you do that.  I have a sister who did several hundred square feet using Ditra underlayment, and there are also more flexible grouts on the market.

10dollarsatatime

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #47 on: October 17, 2017, 01:32:03 PM »
Installing tile on a potentially-somewhat-unstable floor is an old problem, and there are lots of products out there to help you do that.  I have a sister who did several hundred square feet using Ditra underlayment, and there are also more flexible grouts on the market.

This looks promising!  Thank you!

KarefulKactus15

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #48 on: October 18, 2017, 07:51:48 AM »
Depending on how bouncy the floor is, I might still consider adding some bracing to the joist under high load areas like the fridge and stove if you do go for tile.

Only you can make that call.    Tile manufactures have maximum specifications for deflection, if you want to really get into it....

BudgetSlasher

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Re: Kitchen reno
« Reply #49 on: October 18, 2017, 03:10:16 PM »
We are still designing and building our new kitchen as well.

This site has been a good resource for design rules, some of which we would have never thought about, but make sense when we do.

http://starcraftcustombuilders.com/kitchen.design.rules.htm

We are trying to adhere to as many as possible. Even if we don't see the value for us, for many rules we see possible value for resale or the next owner who may want more people in the kitchen or have more traffic in and out of the kitchen. That being said, violating some of the rules just makes good sense for us and so we will, leaving following the rules to where it is no harm to us.

 

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