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Post by librarylady on Jul 25, 2015 2:05:06 GMT
Our kitchen was last updated in 1992. At that time we got new appliances, new countertop and refinished the cabinets.
I want to redo it. I am envious of kitchens with the deep drawers for storage, rather than shelves on the space under the counters.
My husband wants a much larger oven--or double ovens.
I want lighting under the cabinets. I'd like a space where cookie sheets etc. are vertical and easy to slide out.
I think I want quartz or granite counter top (If I get it, it will immediately be out of style!)
My kitchen is a galley kitchen and it is impossible to change that design (sigh)....Well, I COULD tear the entire end of the house out, but that won't happen!
Cabinets: currently we have wood appearance. I wonder if washed white would be better. It will make the room look larger.
Any ideas for something you found very handy in your kitchen, or a feature you would not want to live without?
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Post by Basket1lady on Jul 25, 2015 2:08:59 GMT
Under cabinet lighting. We have a huge, gorgeous kitchen with granite countertops. But they didn't put in under cabinet lighting We got some LED strip lighting from IKEA and it works really well. And it's so pretty. But I'd rather that the cords didn't show.
We have a separate cupboard for the dog. It's nice to have the food and treats out of sight.
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breetheflea
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,008 
Location: PNW
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Post by breetheflea on Jul 25, 2015 2:13:39 GMT
I miss having a pantry or at least a floor to ceiling (no countertop) cabinet. I used to store my toaster and flour and sugar canisters and the cereal in the pantry in our old house to get them out of the teeny tiny kitchen with no counter space. Now I have more of counter space but don't have any storage for the toaster, flour or sugar (among other things) so they sit on the counter defeating the purpose of having extra space...
We are redoing some of our current kitchen and are going with one big sink instead of one divided into two parts. I'm hoping it will make it easier to wash cookie sheets and bigger stuff.
I kind of miss having a sprayer hose on my kitchen sink, even if it did make a huge mess and got water everywhere...
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akathy
What's For Dinner?
Still peaing from Podunk!
Posts: 4,546
Location: North Dakota
Jun 25, 2014 22:56:55 GMT
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Post by akathy on Jul 25, 2015 2:26:49 GMT
No advice really but a big yes to the cookie sheet cupboard, the pantry and under cabinet lighting, I love all those features in my kitchen. I also adore my Quartz counter tops!
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GiantsFan
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Jun 27, 2014 14:44:56 GMT
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Post by GiantsFan on Jul 25, 2015 2:34:47 GMT
In our old house we had a 1974 harvest gold galley kitchen! We did a complete rip-out and replace in 2003.
The things I loved were:
the cookie sheet / tray storage above the 'fridge,
the pullout for spices, oils and vinegars,
no slam hinges,
I loved, loved, loved my Jenn-Air double oven (my splurge item) and Jenn-Air cooktop.
Silestone (quartz) countertops (loved those too!),
under-cabinet lighting is must
And a microwave hood vent is a space saver.
And whatever you budget, prepare to spend $10K more.
As far as cabinet color, I prefer the wood stain as opposed to white washed. But that's purely based on me living with white cabinets my entire life.
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Post by scrappysurfer on Jul 25, 2015 2:42:29 GMT
I wish I had drawers instead of cabinets.
You can never have enough counter space.
A little pull down drawer under the sink for sponges
A pull out cutting board over a trash can
Upper cabinets to the ceiling. I'd love to add glass cabinets with lighting so i don't have to worry about what might have died up there.
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Post by utmr on Jul 25, 2015 2:59:31 GMT
We have some drawers, I wish the lower cabinets were all drawers. I love the double oven. Love the granite counters- a total splurge but I love them. DH wanted a hot water dispenser - I was skeptical but it gets used all the time.
I wish we'd put in a pretty tile backsplash and more outlets.
Agree with the PP who said to add $10K to whatever you think it will cost.
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Post by cherrie on Jul 25, 2015 3:29:32 GMT
Large drawers under the stove for pots & pans and a water filler right at stove so you don't have to carry pots of water from the sink.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Jul 25, 2015 4:08:36 GMT
Our old house was built in 1908. The kitchen was a decent size but the odd sized cabinets were painted white and we discovered when we tried to strip them that the doors were particle board underneath. So they got painted again with a fresh coat of white. It was impossible to keep them clean, especially around the door handles. I wouldn't ever do white cabinets again, especially with a DH and/or kid(s) that don't pay attention to what they're slopping around on the doors. Those cabinets also went all the way to the ceiling, and I'm short. I hated having to try to get stuff down from the top shelf. Having a great kitchen was one of my absolute must-haves when we were house hunting. Some of my favorite features of our current kitchen would be: -Double ovens. LOVE having them, and the fact that one is convection. -Vertical pan cabinet above the ovens, and another long flat drawer underneath. -LOTS of cabinets and storage in the kitchen itself (I know you're limited, but this really was a big point for us). Turnaround cabinets in the corners hold all of that oddball stuff like the toaster, blender, food processor, big Tupperware, etc. -Appliance garage for the stand mixer at counter level. -Pull outs in every cabinet, so things at the back can be easily reached. -Island with a breakfast bar. We don't have stools at ours currently but once DD gets older that might be something we do later. -Overhead lighting in three separate areas, so we can have a light on only over the sink, only over the island or only in the main kitchen area individually if we want. Or, we can turn them all on and light the place up like a Christmas tree!  Two things I wouldn't do if I was redoing my kitchen today would be these. One, NO white sink. We have one now and it always gets stained from DH dumping his coffee in there. It's an undermounted sink and it can't be changed without changing all of the countertops too. I hate trying to keep it looking nice and I would never have picked that (see white cabinets above, LOL!). Two, I wouldn't get whatever model of Bosch dishwasher we currently have. The racks hold nothing! I can't fit a larger pot, pan or Tupperware bowl in there on either rack to save my life, and it takes almost TWO HOURS to wash one load of dishes.  Total fail in my book. |
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Post by Peace Sign on Jul 25, 2015 12:58:19 GMT
Two things I live in my new kitchen are the one compartment deep sink and the open shelving. A few shelves right above my sink hold the dishes, glasses, and coffee cups. Everything else is behind cabinet doors. It's handy and it looks so pretty.
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peasquared
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,513
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Post by peasquared on Jul 25, 2015 15:39:23 GMT
We added on to our house a couple of years ago, so I ended up with a brand new kitchen. I was able to do large walk-in pantries on each end of the kitchen. One is for food, the other for small appliances. (If it's kitchen related and has an electrical cord, I want it!  ) My favorite thing though, is my drawer microwave in the island. Have fun planning and enjoying your new kitchen! |
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Post by lavawalker on Jul 25, 2015 15:43:05 GMT
I guess I'm the only person here who didn't want the drawers in the bottom cabinets. I opted for pullout shelves and love them. I also like the look of granite WAAAY better than quartz, but that is a personal opinion.
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Gennifer
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Posts: 5,035
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Post by Gennifer on Jul 25, 2015 16:35:34 GMT
We remodeled ours (we got to all-but-backsplash) last year, and are just getting ready to finish it up. It was a complete DIY, and we took out a coat closet and moved the fridge and stove. I would absolutely recommend Ikea cabinets if you are at all handy. Our total cost (including drywall, subfloors/tile floors, cabinets, counters, lighting, paneled dishwasher, and range hood) is about $8K.
I am so glad we did a bit of rearranging, because our very small kitchen is now very functional. I spent hours and hours researching things, and put together about 20 different layouts on the ikea planner before we bought. Some things I learned:
1: work in zones, don't go for the "work triangle." In other words, do a snack/microwave area, a baking area, etc.
2: the most valuable counterspace is between your sink and your stove.
3: line up your kitchen in ice-water-stone-fire order (fridge, sink, counter, stove) for efficiency.
I would definitely spend some time on the gardenweb kitchen forum, and let them take a look at your layout if you feel like your kitchen isn't functioning at it's best. It's amazing what they can figure out, and fresh eyes are always a good idea.
ETA: Ikea cabinets were ranked highest by JD Power for their customer satisfaction, and they were ranked very high in a comparison of 14 different cabinet companies by Consumer Reports... There were a couple of premium cabinets that scored higher (triple the price) but they outranked all of the midlevel and basic companies, and all but two of them cost considerably more.
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caangel
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Posts: 5,510
Location: So Cal
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Post by caangel on Jul 25, 2015 16:53:16 GMT
Check out the kitchen forums on Gardenweb. Wealth of info!
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paget
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,802
Jun 25, 2014 21:16:39 GMT
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Post by paget on Jul 25, 2015 16:59:36 GMT
Some of my favorite things we included:
Vertical cookie sheet/etc storage (love it!)
Lots of drawers- wish there were more!
Prep sink
Wolf range
Prep sink
Beverage fridge
2nd dishwasher (love this!)
Some cabinets with wire "mesh" to see some glasses and prettier glassware, etc
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Dani-Mani
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by Dani-Mani on Jul 25, 2015 17:03:24 GMT
Baseboard vacuum!
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tiffanytwisted
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Post by tiffanytwisted on Jul 25, 2015 21:34:11 GMT
Pretty much what everyone else said. I, too worried about not having lower cabinets - everything in drawers or pullout shelves, but I checked in here a few times and I don't think I found one person wishing they had gone w/cabinets instead of drawers/pullouts. And they were right. Drawers and/or pullouts are the way to go. Can't say enough about under the cabinet lighting. Love it. I cut corners wherever I could. This meant no bells & whistles w/cabinet organizational options, but I was pleased to find I could get a lot at home improvement stores, Amazon, Walmart, etc. that was cheaper & still effective. Put in as many outlets as you can. Better to have them sit unused, than not have enough. Take the cabinets to the ceiling if you can and then just buy a step stool. Worth every penny. Decorating style, color scheme, counter material, etc. is a personal choice, so I'm not going to give my opinion. What I like/works for me may not be the same for you. Go w/your gut, but don't go too trendy - you don't want to hate it in 5 years. Plan it the way you cook. If you find yourself wishing you had a bigger oven, then go for it in your remodel. In my case, I found most people prefer their garbage/recycling in a cabinet. I know my family & we're sloppy. I didn't want to be cleaning the inside of a cabinet and/or the pullout drawer, so my cans are out in plain sight. It's what works for me (plus, my kitchen is small and I didn't want to give up the real estate to garbage) and I'm not sorry I did it that way. Do what works for you & your family. Like utmr said, add $10K to your budget. Be prepared to be miserable and a shrew to your family during the process, but to be so glad you did it in the end!  |
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Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Jul 25, 2015 21:58:16 GMT
What I have that I love:
- double ovens
- a huge pantry
- lots of cabinets
What I wish I had:
- a gas stove
- a single sink with a really large bowl instead of double sinks
- better lighting
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Post by idahopea on Jul 25, 2015 23:34:57 GMT
I recently moved into a house that has lower cabinets with pullout shelves which I really like. They are height adjustable (cabinets have adjustable holes along the edges) so it is possible to change them based on what goes in them. You do need to open both cabinet doors in order to pull them out. I put the stuff we use the most at the front so those items are accessible when only opening one door.
We have double wall ovens for the first time ever and I LOVE them! One is convection which I also love because it cooks faster than a regular oven. Above the ovens is a big cabinet without any shelves and I bought some dividers to put in there for the cookie sheets, cooling racks, muffin tins, etc. Works great. I have a drawer below and I store all the lids for pots and pans in there. It is easy to grab the lid you need that way.
I have a huge turntable in a corner cabinet and that works great for the pots and pans. The turntable is a circular shape so it goes all the way around and there is just one cabinet door on the front. In our previous house the corner turntable had a 2 piece door that folded out and the turntable itself had a cutout part where the door folded back in. This type was a pain because you always had to have the cutout part back in the front in order to close the door and the folded back door was in the way when it was open making it hard to get to the stuff in there. If something fell off in the back it was difficult to get it out too. The full round turntable in our current house works much better if you can fit that style in.
I agree with someone above about no white sink. I think ours is porcelain and it is a pain to keep clean. Barkeepers friend is the only thing I have found that takes the stains and scratches off of it. A cookie sheet can leave grayish scratches on it. A contractor told me that it is possible to change it out even though it is an under mount type, but I haven't checked into that yet. Our old house had a stainless steel sink that was much easier to keep clean, but I have heard that you need to go with a high quality one or it is harder to polish up. I just used SOS pads and ours would shine.
This house came with a trash compactor which I also love. Never thought I would want one, but it really helps to squish the trash down to get more in the bag before it has to be taken out. I buy the bags for it at Costco. You do have to be careful of compacting glass bottles though as the glass can cut the bag. Unfortunately glass cannot be recycled here. I have a separate step on type stainless trash can for all the recycling that sits at the end of the counter in an out of the way place, but close by. We are lucky to have single stream recycling so only one container for that works.
I replaced the old dishwasher with a new top of the line Bosch one and it is the best dishwasher I have ever owned. It costs more than most, but I think it is worth it as it holds so much more. This one has the 3rd rack on top with the adjustable tray which can be lowered a little on the sides. On the top rack I can put small one cup pyrex bowls, measuring cups, plastic lids, stove burner handles, spatulas, all sharp knives, etc. Because the rack is so close to the top of the dishwasher the stuff doesn't fly around. The middle rack is height adjustable and has tines that go up and down making it easier to put different sized stuff in from load to load. It has flip down pieces to keep plastic items in place or to hold wine glasses. The bottom rack also has adjustable tines and a silverware basket that can be taken apart into 2 pieces. This saves a lot of room as we usually only need one rack for silverware. The silverware basket is also made to go in almost any spot on the bottom rack so it is possible to put a cookie sheet, baking pan, or serving bowl along the right side where the silverware basket would go and put the silverware basket along the row where plates can go. The basket is cut out at the bottom to allow the tines to fit under it. I was worried about Bosch not having a drying element, but it hasn't been a problem. Most stuff dries without it. I do sometimes have to put plastic containers on a towel on the counter to dry off for a few minutes, but I don't mind that. The advantage of not having a drying element is I can put plastic containers in the bottom rack and they never melt. This dishwasher also has a bottle holder that can quickly be put in or out and holds a water bottle, vase, etc. upright to be washed. My dishwasher also has a water softening unit in the bottom. You add salt to it occasionally (I order it on Amazon) and it helps with hard water. It does not have a food grinder which I was worried about, but it has a really easy to take out and rinse off filter in the bottom. I only do that once a month or so and there really isn't a lot on it. We scrape the dishes before loading them, but I only rinse off the plates if it is something really sticky like rice.
Good luck with your remodel!
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Total fail in my book.
) My favorite thing though, is my drawer microwave in the island. 
