Kitchen remodels

[badger]

I re-did my kitchen top to bottom last spring, and there were a couple of things that I really wanted but in retrospect ended up being pains in the butts and expensive.

First and foremost is the cook top. I REALLY wanted a flat cooktop and a built in oven. I had a big, old, ugly slide in and felt those cooktops and built in ovens looked oh-so-lovely. Okay, so they DO look lovely, but the ceramic is a b*tch to keep clean. I had to buy a scraper and a special cleaning solution and it's just a lot of work. The built in oven's nice, but because my kitchen's small I could only put it right below the cooktop, it's so low to the floor that I literally have to kneel down to do anything with it (put things in/out, look in on it). Next time, I hope I can have gas so I'll just get a slide-in gas stove (we're only allowed electric in the condo).

Another thing I'm not terribly keen, and I've been told, is the stainless appliances. That also looks nice out of the box, but not very practical (especially if you have kids. I don't and it's still hard to keep clean).

I went for the quartz countertop, and while I love it, I'm not sure if the colour was the best (I got a speckled white-ish/grey-ish pattern - it's Caesarstone's "Atlantic Salt"). It's beautiful, but I can't see any dirt on it. So, depending on your style of cleanliness, it's either good or bad. I'd hate to think how dirty the countertop really is, I just don't see it so I don't clean it nearly as often as I should.

One thing I regret not putting in is the floor heating. I did in the bathroom and it's probably the single thing I just absolutely love. The bathroom's the best place to be this time of year. So, in retrospect, I wish I had shelled out a bit of cash to heat the kitchen, too. Though my logic was I wear slippers so I wouldn't have needed it heated, but it lets off quite a bit of heat so it would've been cozy.

Another feature that I absolutely love and am so grateful that I did was my kitchen sink. I got it from Costco. It's a double sink, but the divider is only about half the regular height so I can put big pans without the handle sticking out. And I love the faucet where you take out the nozzle. I don't like that it drips water onto the countertop from my hands, but that's a small thing I can live with.

I went with Ikea cupboards and I love them. I got the high-gloss, and it's a great feature in that it's a total breeze to clean.

All in all I'm happy, but I still see a lot of flaws that the contractor didn't do very well (like laying the tiles not flush so you sometimes trip over the lip of the tile).

[Irulan]

- Granite. Love it. Costly, maybe bad for the environment, but super easy to deal with and looks fab.

I also hear that granite stains easily, and requires annual sealing to prevent staining and scratching.Anything that requires extra maintenance if there are other options is not on the hot list.
I'm not sure why one would say that granite bad for the environment...... I'm sure the glue used is full of VOCs but there's no shortage of granite; most of the planet it made of it. (fuel used in transport? I'm really not getting why you might say this)

I re-did my kitchen top to bottom last spring, and there were a couple of things that I really wanted but in retrospect ended up being pains in the butts and expensive.

First and foremost is the cook top. I REALLY wanted a flat cooktop and a built in oven. I had a big, old, ugly slide in and felt those cooktops and built in ovens looked oh-so-lovely. Okay, so they DO look lovely, but the ceramic is a b*tch to keep clean. I had to buy a scraper and a special cleaning solution and it's just a lot of work. The built in oven's nice, but because my kitchen's small I could only put it right below the cooktop, it's so low to the floor that I literally have to kneel down to do anything with it (put things in/out, look in on it). Next time, I hope I can have gas so I'll just get a slide-in gas stove (we're only allowed electric in the condo).

Another thing I'm not terribly keen, and I've been told, is the stainless appliances. That also looks nice out of the box, but not very practical (especially if you have kids. I don't and it's still hard to keep clean).

I've had a ceramic electric cooktop for about 12 years and I don't have any trouble keeping it clean. So that must vary on cooking and cleaning style. We had a gas line run during the addtion, so I will be getting gas and possibly a dual fuel stove.

I don't love stainless either, but anything I can find on "trends" says it's here to stay. That, or white, or matching your cabinet fronts. Black is out, colors are out. So I guess stainless it is.

[SheFly]

The one thing I HATE about my kitchen remodel - buying a sink with a built in soap dispenser. Small, yes, in the grand scheme, but that thing has been a pain in my butt since day 1. It clogs constantly, creates a big mess, and promotes MORE soap use than less. We've given up now, and it just sits there. Since there is a whole for it, I can't just take it out.

We built the counters in our kitchen ourselves (OK, DH did it all - I did nothing). We used 12x12 granite floor tiles that I fell in love with. They were on clearance. Seven years later, and I still like them. The only thing I don't like, necessarily, is the grout - it's starting to chip now, but I think we could just regrout. I have NEVER sealed the granite. It is dark, unstained and doesn't show the dirt.

Oh - and I LOVE my pantry. It's a small walk-in, and it is the most AWESOME. THING. EVER!

We have wood floors since the area is open to my living/dining room (another thing I love). They do mark if you drop something on them, and they are light, so show the dirt, but I wouldn't trade them either. The stainless appliances are a challenge, but you can get some that LOOK stainless, but really aren't (we had a Frigidaire fridge that was like that - loved it!). I have black appliances in my vacation home, and like those better - I don't care if they aren't the trend .

I also have a counter height peninsula. This gives me lots of space to spread out on the counter when I am cooking/baking. HAving the counter higher would have divided the space too awkwardly.

Lots of good suggestions here, but ultimately, go with what YOU love. As I said - seven years later, and I am still excited about my kitchen, even with its flaws .

SheFly

[ny biker]

I love the second sink we put in, and I love that they are recessed. You can just wipe stuff right into it. No fuss.

Yes, recessed sinks are wonderful.

[Crankin]

I noticed a lot of comments about tile grout. Did you seal it? Our tile guy was quite an artisan and told us that hardly anyone does this, and then they complain. DH sealed ours and it looks fine 7 years later. So does the tile in the 2 baths DH did himself.
I had a ceramic cooktop in my last house. It was a horrible pain to clean.

[Chile Pepper]

I also hear that granite stains easily, and requires annual sealing to prevent staining and scratching.

Marble stains. Granite is harder and does not stain. I've had mine for 11 years and haven't done a thing to it since it was installed--and it was only polished for installation.

[Trek-chick]

We are still in the process of re-doing the kitchen. We knew it would go slow...we decided to buy items and pay off as we go, before we get into a huge debt for the kitchen. We have done all the work ourself except install the granite counter tops.

We saved some money by painting the cabinets we had (White oil based paint__looks great!!) all we have left is, to put in the molding and get some pantry shelving for my new pantry. light for sink area and DH will make a kitchen Island for me.

I love it--old style had pink counters with blue back splash UGH!!! Now, all colors are neutral earth tones and I have colorful dinner ware and accents

[7rider]

I'm not sure why one would say that granite bad for the environment...... I'm sure the glue used is full of VOCs but there's no shortage of granite; most of the planet it made of it. (fuel used in transport? I'm really not getting why you might say this)
.

Honestly, I'm not sure why, either. DH and I were watching a show on the local home improvement channel recently ("Love it or List it" I think), where the whiny couple who just absolutely had to be green about everything absolutely did NOT want granite. You would think from the way the woman reacted, she was being poked with a cattle prod. Anyway, Yeah, the planet is mostly rock - but it is heavy to cut and ship around the globe. Maybe that was her gripe? I dunno.

We went with a dark granite and while it is VERY overdue for a re-sealing - particularly around the sink areas that see a lot of use - after 5 years it's been virtually indestructible. Perhaps my DH and I are not as hard on it as a family of 5 or so, but it's been great.

[ny biker]

Honestly, I'm not sure why, either. DH and I were watching a show on the local home improvement channel recently ("Love it or List it" I think), where the whiny couple who just absolutely had to be green about everything absolutely did NOT want granite. You would think from the way the woman reacted, she was being poked with a cattle prod. Anyway, Yeah, the planet is mostly rock - but it is heavy to cut and ship around the globe. Maybe that was her gripe? I dunno.

Production process (quarrying) as well as transportation, according to this article:

http://greenhomeguide.com/know-how/a...he-environment

I watched Love it or List it once and wanted to throw things at every person on the show. Never again.

[Thorn]

Interesting thread. My tastes run a little less than most here, but the one thing we did that we both absolutely love is a counter top that is 2" higher than standard. I'm taller and I wanted a slightly higher counter top in one section of the kitchen for food prep. DH is 5'6" and, now, the major chef in the house, and he thinks that counter is the best place for chopping and kneading bread. Were we to do the kitchen again, all the counters would be that height.

[snapdragen]

I miss my double ovens. Now we have a single, which most of the time is fine. But when I making a big dinner for all the family, I'd sure like to have that second oven. We have a corner cabinet with a turntable inside, it's great. (Don't spin it too fast!)

We have tile counters, which I hate, and crown molding above the cabinets, which I also hate. Oh, and the big assed light the contractor talked us into. It will be replaced soon.

[divingbiker]

Love my granite countertop, and wish I'd put it in years ago. I was told it doesn't need re-sealing for 10 years.

Love the quiet dishwasher.

Love the water/ice dispenser in the freezer door.

Love having a convection oven so I can roast two cookie sheets of veggies at the same time.

[missjean]

We did our kitchen many years ago so much would change if/when we remodel, but I will keep the big triple window over the sink. We sacrificed some cabinet space to put it in but it was worth it for all the light.


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[OakLeaf]

Oh, and if your budget is big, I totally covet a gas range/electric stove. Best of both worlds in terms of temperature control.

I don't think I can overstate the hardness of tile. Yeah, if I drop something glass or even Corning glass, I expect it to break no matter the surface. Plastic, granted the little shards aren't as dangerous as glass shards (and the other thing about tile is, the glass shards will scatter over a much larger area), but that spatula was not the first plastic thing I've shattered by dropping it on our kitchen or bathroom tile. (Yeah, I know I should just hold onto things tighter. )

[luvmyguys]

Production process (quarrying) as well as transportation, according to this article:

http://greenhomeguide.com/know-how/a...he-environment

I watched Love it or List it once and wanted to throw things at every person on the show. Never again.

We call it the "WHERE DO THEY FIND THESE PEOPLE?????" show.