Here's a better picture of the multiple ducks working together. It was a shame they had to go.

Wow. You are very talented!! And this is one of the few wood kitchens I have seen here that makes me reconsider my decision to do painted...

Bravo.

Now that I've studied your photos more I'm wondering if you would mind sharing the kitchen/dining floorplan? I am still in the layout phase and your space looks somewhat similar. I love that your island manages 5 stools too - I know you said it is a furniture piece. Could you share the dimensions if possible and also the spacing between your kitchen and dining table?

Oh my! What an amazing difference. You must feel fantastic! Good for you on going the DIY route. I'd be intimidated on some of the finer details to do on my own. I love your pot rack, it's such a fabulous idea (and beautiful design). Beautiful job and congrats!

Your kitchen had me dropping the f-bomb rather early in the morning! Love it! My keyboard is dying so I will keep this short. The walnut on the walls really makes it! And I usually am not a fan of corner ranges but this looks really really good. Enjoy!

Let's see if I can explain this. The space was divided into three small rooms. The living room ran the front of the house toward the view (we are up on the mountain and can see all the way to the great salt lake 30 miles away). The dining room and kitchen sit behind it. They were separated by a bank of cabinets into two tiny rooms.

Here is the bank of cabinets from the dining room side (they were that pink white-washed oak):

Here they are from the kitchen side:

We were in the house 1 day when we ripped those out to open the space between the living and dining room. (note- the oven was in that wall. I haven't had an oven for a year and a half. I am an expert toaster-over chef now. Even cooked thanksgiving dinner in it!). I knew I didn't want a formal dining room. I love this set up. We mostly have parents of our kid's friends over. So I seat grow ups at the table and kids at the island. I have gotten 11 stools around that island. I would use this same set up in a house I built. Here is a picture standing in the same place as the first picture:

The wall at DH's back is the wall between the kitchen and living room. That went two days after we moved in. We bought the house for the view and we wanted every room to have one.

My island is 38" by 88" and sits 42" from the table. My family of 5 uses the island for all our family meals.

I just had to say again, that you have really done such a beautiful job, and it must be even sweeter knowing that your creativity and hard work resulted in all of that! My tastes typically lean more contemporary for kitchens, but I still am drooling. If you were located closer, I would try to talk you into letting me hire you to be my project manager, kitchen designer, visionary extraodinaire.

So, I don't know if I have such vision to DIY it, despite that you say it is a piece of cake, but your kitchen did inspire me to call my cabinet guy to inquire about walnut. A 35% upcharge, but you save money on the staining process (they just do a clear finish)....seriously considering it as money that will be well spent.

Vsalz would you mind sharing the approx cost for your walnut cabs ? I just got a quote for a finished rta walnut bath vanity for $5k. I just chose solid wood walnut shaker doors. It seemed surprisingly high. Is it cause of the wood?

Vsalz just read thru the threads and iser you did post your doors cost! Thanks so much for sharing all the info! I will have to give cabinets now a call. Pricing sounds much better than the other place i got quoted for

On an off topic, can you apply a stain before you rub the tung oil? I assume the stain would have to be oil also?

It looks like you're on a different planet from where you started!

Beautiful job!! Amazing transformation. Question...what are your floors?

Mich- doors were less than $100 a door. Ikea cabinets less than $100 each. So you could do a vanity for WAY less than $5k. And yes, you could stain before oil. Just make sure you sand between each coat. I am now in the sanding reoiling process. As the cabinets absorb the oil, the grain rises a little so sanding between each application makes it super smooth. But personally, I dont think they need any stain. They are darker than my last cabinets, which were cherry with coffee stain.

Leigh- floors are engineered. Mohawk. Hand-scraped. We wanted dark but not too red. I don't remember the color, but they're NOT the darkest. DH wanted really dark. This sample was much lighter than the ebony color. Flooring guy said darker shows every single bit of dust and toe prints if you walk barefoot. So we went with the lighter color and are very happy. They read as dark as the ebony sample but hide dirt. And the handscraped are great. They got a little beat up in the reno, but we used a stain stick and can't even tell.

it is just awesome! the kitchen AND the view! oh, lucky you!

the wood is beautiful - and I love the finish on it.

I was going to ask how you like your corner cooktop - but you said you love it... It isn't something I'll be doing but I'm glad you posted it as it might be an option for a number of others.

'We covered the edges of the cabs with walnut veneer tape just in case there were spaces between the doors. That way you wouldn't see white in the crack- it would be wood. The veneer tape cuts with scissors and irons on. I oiled it and it looks exactly like the wood.'

I wondered about the box trim. Is that all you did - you didn't have to cut wood to put around it? (I don't want to be cutting wood)

I was thinking of just changing out my base cabs to drawers next yr or so. I planned to look on CL and at the restore for drawer bases. I really like the IKEA drawers but figured I'd never be able to put them together. You give me hope that I could. I think I'll get a drawer stack from them and give it a try (w/o the fronts tho). There's an IKEA store w/in about 30 miles of me. I just want slab drawer fronts so those should be easy enough to get from somewhere like Scherr's. I was more concerned about how to finish the box edges.

Wow!
We have the same cabinets as your originals and only 3 more weeks til they go away. Thanks for the inspiration!
Love it!

Oh, I just love it! Hubba hubba! Such a great inspiration for those of us who are just starting this journey. I adore your "cook nook" and I agree -- it's the perfect symmetrical solution. The windows, the quartzite. Splendid. When can I come over? LOL

Come on down!

Desertsteph- I cannot emphasize how easy it is to put ikea stuff together. All the holes are drilled, everything is marked, and all you do is screw it together. If you can replace a light-switch plate, I swear you can put together a cabinet, drawers and all. The absolute hardest part is making sure you have the pieces facing the correct direction. But if you mess that up, unscrew and flip it around.

As to the tape, is was so easy. Here are a couple of pictures of the edging with the oil applied. All you do is snip the ends and iron on. And I hate to iron.

As to the corner cook nook-- AWESOME. I want to send out an email to all the corner-range haters showing them how it can be amazingly functional. I really don't feel like I lost any space and yet we gained so much with the unobstructed view.

What a beautiful kitchen. Congratulations!

I am in the beginning stages of planning to remodel. Your cook top is in the corner, near the sink. That is what I have in mind too. Does it work well for you? Any input will be appreciated.

Your kitchen is beyond gorgeous! I have been researching the same quartzite you put in. Thanks for posting the pics as it is good to see it in something other than a little sample. If you haven't done so already you might want to look at the care info on the Cambria website so you don't accidentally damage it. From what I read it cannot be repaired and it would be expensive to have to replace.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cambria care and maintenance

Garden pixie- the cooktop in the corner is absolutely the best layout I have ever had. I know the web pages always say not to do it, but here's why it works for me:

1. Obviously because of my windows. I was forced to choose between corner range and downdraft or blocking the view. The corner allows my full-strength vent hood, and with the grill, we needed it.

2. I spend most of my cook time prepping. Having the range in the corner opened the long counter for full prep. It functions exactly like I thought. Food goes from fridge, to prep sink, prep counter, stove, off stove into cleanup sink, in that order. If the cooktop was centered, I would be prepping in the corner (again). I would rather cook in the corner and spend the majority of my time prepping on the long run (and looking out the window).

3. The width of my cooktop. It's 36", so dh and I can both fit there if need be. I think that helps.

4. Symmetry. I mentioned before it makes my head hurt not to have it. The corner layout gives me three pillars (fridge, cooktop, pantry) around my two windows. It just looks right to me.

5. Zoning. Cooktop in the corner gives me one dedicated run for prep and one for cleanup. In a house with 3 kids, this layout is perfect. It also helps having two sinks- one dedicated to each zone. Dh wasn't sure about it because kitchen is small, but it totally works because two zones don't cross. Our pots and dishes are stored in the drawers under the cooktop or next to it, so cleanup zone and prep zone both have access without crossing.

I love it!

Wow! What a Gorgeous transformation!!

vsalz - thx so much for the info on putting the IKEA cabs together and the edge trim! I'll go over your info a few times and save your post for when it's time for me to change my base cabs out. I missed your post until now! geeze, I'm slow... lol!
thx again! you sure make it sound easy enough. And in the past I always liked ironing!

I'll only need 5 drawer stacks and the under sink cab - can't be that much work - right? and no one here to rush me or give me a deadline for it - lol!

and as I've looked at the bases I have, only 2 really need replaced - the others just need the trim, drawers and drawer fronts. 2 have drawers already also - tho, I'd like to change from 3 drawers to 4 in those stacks.

Beautiful! And your creativity is amazing! Thanks for sharing.

Holy moly! I just saw this. Congratulations! I can't believe the transformation-- and that it's DIY and that you found so many ways to save money. I don't normally love dark wood cabinets, but the combination you came up with is lovely, rich-looking, and just perfect for the space.

You and your DH must be so proud!

Bravo!
Rich, warm, inviting kitchen. You and DH are so smart, and knowing how you pulled this off makes me admire the whole project even more. Walnut is my favorite wood, and I never could have imagined that it could be had for your price. Thanks for the tip on tung oil. I wish I had known about it a long time ago.
Renee

Love your kitchen. I think the most amazing thing to me is the layout. It is SO not traditional, but looking at it actually built (not just a schematic) I can visualize it working really, really well.

Wish I could do tung oil: it looks fun. But I have serious nut allergies and apparently it is a no-no for me.

Beautiful countertops! A stone we don't see much on GW. Note to mic111: vsalz has quartzite, which is a type of natural stone, like granite or marble. Cambria is a brand of "engineered quartz" which is also a great product but an entirely different beast and does not apply to her.

Desertsteph- piece of cake. You can easily change the stacks because the drawers are all purchased separately. The instructions say line up with hole x and y for three drawers, and x, z, u for four drawers. So simple.

What beautiful soap bottles you have in your fabulous kitchen!!!!

Do you mind sharing your source vsalz?

Just saw this. They are from target.

How did I miss this? Totally awesome.

What is the name of the quartzite counter? Is this Brown Fantasy? It looks amazing! Wow!

Yes-here in Utah they call it fantasy brown and it is considered a granite. We had to pull pieces off another job to get the kitchen done (which gave me one seam that isn't invisible, but I can live with). The slabs were literally being sold out from under me. I was driving to my fabricator to see the two slabs they had when the guys in the shop cut one of them for another kitchen. So the coordinator calls the slab yard to hold two more and in the time I drove from my fabricator to the slab yard, they had sold one of them. It was a really bad day!

Vsalz,

I can't see a way to email you privately. Your project inspired me to go the IKEA box with custom doors approach. I am crazy about one of the door styles from Cabinet Now. I have some questions about ordering from them that their customer service rep could not answer.

Which of their prebore options work with the IKEA hinges? Did you have any issues with the prebored doors not lining up with the correct locations on the cabinet boxes?

Thank you for your help and posting your project here. I have learned a lot from what you did!

Your kitchen is amazing! And it's so interesting that your old kitchen is exactly the same style as mine. I think I'll copy a lot from your new one when I remodel mine. I am wondering if you can help me with a few details.

1. What did you use for the cover panels? Walnet plywood board with tung oil? Where can I get it? I am not sure if I find it in HD or Lowes.

2. I love the frame hanging on top of the island. Can you share the source of it?

Thanks!

Just saw these. Sorry for the delay.

We drilled our own holes to match the Ikea drawers. everything was adjustable, so no worries on being perfect. Just did standard predrill on cabinet doors.

For the cover panels, we actually used pieces of walnut that were 3/4" by 4". We just set them side by side and nailed them to the cabinets to make a panel, then created a framework as trim out of the same material. Homedepot and lowes don't carry walnut. I had it cut at a lumber mill in my town. Usually used only by contractors, but very helpful. The iron pot rack was a piece of iron I got at kirklands and spray-painted black. The hooks are from ikea.

vsalz, I'm fairly new here, and didn't see your reveal first time around. I can't think of enough adjectives to do it justice, but stunning, fabulous, fantastic come immediately to mind!

How are you liking the tung oil finish, a year in? My son's Eagle Scout project involved tearing out the 80-yr-old pipe organ at our church (it could no longer be repaired), and refinishing the maple cabinet to house the sound system equipment. He used tung oil because he felt it was more in keeping with the age of the piece than polyurethane, and it certainly is user-friendly (very necessary, when teenage boys are doing most of the work). I think he put 4 coats on most of it; 6 coats on the horizontal parts. It is beautiful.

Thanks annkh. The tung oil is still beautiful a year later. We haven't had any dings, so I haven't had to sand and reoil. Still looks as beautiful as day I did it.

I am looking for this EXACT layout with a corner hood, but I think that's the Baumatic corner fan, correct? It appears to be discontinued? Do you have a vendor that can get me one, or at least let me know cost?

thanks!

Beautiful kitchen!

I like your corner range and the windows on either side.

And yes, it's an inviting kitchen!

You said it looked like a $40,000 kitchen. No, it doesn't. It looks like $100,000 kitchen!

Okay, I am stumped.... what is more gorgeous - the kitchen - the view - or the handsome guy standing there. Vsalz, you have it all!!!!

vsalz.... I don't know if you are still hanging around, but... I have been trying to find the company you used for the doors - I have searched for "cabinet now". The only one I found by that name was in Las Vegas and had horrendous reviews. Can you send me to the right place. TYIA.

Hope you are enjoying that super beautiful kitchen.

Lynn

Cabinetnow.com

Not cabinet now plus.
Not cabinetsnow.com.

I haven't read reviews, but mine were perfect in every single way. You can customize to the quarter inch. And I had them in about 3 days. I can't say enough good things about my experience. I did order one extra $40 shelf to qualify for free shipping,which saved me $300. And now they have all kinds of finishing pieces too.

This was definitely not the site I was at before, so I typed something in wrong! Nevertheless, I am now working on my 22 yr old daughter's state taxes at 2AM because she just informed me she wasn't aware they needed to be done today and she is working almost 10 hrs, so... being the good mommy that I am... but I can't wait to play with the site tomorrow. A sincere thank you to you. Lynn

Lynn- I look forward to seeing what you get!

I have ordered a few doors from Cabinetnow - one is the walnut one that you used - your kitchen is so rich and warm. My plans are to use the tung oil as you have as I can see why you are so pleased with the results.

But.. I am back to "stupidity". I "get" the bases. You buy the frame (and hinges too I guess from what I have seen) from Ikea and the doors from Cabinetnow. Makes sense to me.

But... If you have a frame for the lower base, how do you get the drawer boxes without drawer boxes fronts - since I will be also ordering these from Cabinetnow? I have been all over the site and I am just not seeing it. For those of you who have done this, please just point me in the right direction. TY

I purchased the drawer boxes from IKEA. They were blume hardware and faceless. Then you order the faces from cabinet now. I used the measurements off ikea faces as my guide to order. The drawer instructions tell you which holes to use in the box to put the drawer hardware in depending on if you are using a 2\3\4 stack. Our biggest fear was that we wouldn't line the faces up correctly when we attached them to the drawers, but it turns out the hardware that comes with the drawer boxes is fully adjustable.

I love this kitchen! Great job! Lots of great advice here.
thanks so much for sharing!

One thing I want to ask...are you concerned about the wood expanding at all? I have heard that this could be a problem is some parts of the country.

thanks again, awesome job!

Gabytx12-- just saw this. We have had no issues at all in the extreme Temps of Utah.

Of course, I have now moved to Texas. Another kitchen . . .

I sure hope that decorative thing in the cooktop corner hasn't caught fire yet.