rip out! our kitchen adventure begins (pics)

14 years ago

Well, there is no turning back now. After months of planning, we started demolition. This is in a townhouse in a really nice neighborhood. The townhouse is 16 years old and the kitchen was functional but dorky, with upper cabinets hanging down and blocking off the kitchen from the living room. Actually, it should be one big room, and that is what it will be after we are done. So it is a complete tear-out and rebuild, but we aren't moving any walls.

One of the sticky problems was that the hanging cabinets have drainage plumbing from upstairs running in them. This was a big issue in the design (done by a excellent kitchen designer.)

Our contractor says the plumbing can be tightened up to the ceiling, but will need 12 inches. This is a 10-foot ceiling. Our designer came up with a coffered ceiling design that will define the kitchen area. And she completely turned around the design, so that upper cabinets run only along the outside walls of the room.

The cabinets will be medium dark cherry, the oak floors will be repaired, sanded in something like provincial brown. The countertop will be Typhoon Bordeaux and we will use glass tiles along the one wall with a backsplash.

Of course, I will post more details in coming days. But this should either entice you or send you running in fear:

Before pic 1: taken looking into the living room through the kitchen.

{{!gwi}}

Before pic 2: looking into the kitchen from the breakfast area.

{{!gwi}}

After demolition, looking from the living room into the kitchen, which is now entirely torn out (the stove still works for now)

{{!gwi}}

After demolition, looking into the living room, similar view from the first Before pic. The new kitchen will have no upper cabinets except along the outside walls.

{{!gwi}}

The base plan, hard to read, I know. The second after picture was taken from the top right corner of the drawing:

{{!gwi}}

Comments (11)

User
14 years ago
Hey Hey! Let the fun begin! How exciting. Be prepared to live and breath kitchen for the next xxx months. Keep the vision of the finished product in the front of your mind, don't trust anyone, check it all yourself AND don't compromise just because the contractor says you should. Be true to your vision and try to enjoy the process. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!
mamalynn
14 years ago
And so, the adventure begins! Yea!!!!! Off the subject, but how on earth is the rest of your house so clean!? Good Luck! Keep posting pictures!
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susanlynn2012
14 years ago
dvdr, I am excited for you and for all of us to see your kitchen in progress and when it is finished. I love medium dark cherry cabinets so I can't wait to see your kitchen when it is done. I also live in a townhouse in a really nice neighborhood with many of the other owners already redoing their kitchen cabinets, floors, appliances and counters. Some of the owners removed the soffit (not sure of the spelling but it looked like you removed yours also) also.

Those owners have two incomes while I have one income with a high mortgage so I am doing a little bit at a time. I did replace all my appliances with beautiful stainless steel and I just recently used mini-wax on the cabinets. I am not sure if I want to add hardware or save for nicer cabinets. I know I will be changing my counters and floors after my busy season ends.

Please post pics when your kitchen is done and even during the work-in progress. Do you have any pics of the cabinets you chose?
jejvtr
14 years ago
Dv
Congrats on your remodel how exciting!

While you have ceiling & plumbing open I would recommend putting a sound proof type insulation in ceiling & wrapping PVC pipes it will help keep plumbing noise down & noise from above down as well.

Link below to Roxul insulation - what I used in our ceilings

Here is a link that might be useful: roxul
annie.zz
14 years ago
How exciting! The dust will drive you nuts so try and get to it every day to keep up with it!

It sounds like your kitchen will be beautiful!
Can't wait to see the finished product. :-)
jakabedy
14 years ago
How exciting! Your plan looks good, and i think you're going to have a great result. As mentioned, the dust will make you crazy. And you will never again want to eat another grocery store rotisserie chicken (our staple meal during the reno process).
jmc2009
14 years ago
Oh, how exciting! Can't wait to see your progress. I'm looking forward to hearing about your experience (we start in March). Good luck!
rj56
14 years ago
Best wishes on your remodel. What is the paint color used in your living area?
Christine Clemens
14 years ago
Congratulations to you! That poor little range looks kind of lonely in that photo! Your new kitchen is going to be amazing. Hope all goes well.
jsweenc
14 years ago
How exciting! It looks better already. We can walk through this together; we're ordering windows Friday and then the contractors will start moving walls and doors and windows. Here's hoping it won't be xxx months for either of us! (But good to be prepared for it!)
dvdre
Original Author
14 years ago
Answering some questions:

1) How is the house so clean? The entire ripout happened in one day. The contractor -- who is a very good friend (hope that lasts) -- put plastic around the kicthen area and around all the stuff in the living room. Apparently they made a gigantic mess, like one full big truck full, but cleaned it all up by 5:30 p.m. Since then, of course, dust is settling everywhere.

2) What do the cherry cabinets look like? Here's a pic that shows the scaled-down cabinet door, the glass tile backsplash and the sort-of Typhoon Bordeaux granite (same lot, but not this piece):

{{!gwi}}

3) Sound-proof insulation in the ceiling? Yes, we already had that and it will be replaced. Well, it was standard insulation. It does help tone down the plumbing sounds from above and the TV sounds from going upstairs.

4) Grocery store rotisserie chicken? Hey, good idea? We will get one Sunday when they are on sale!

5) Paint color, right now we are considering Benjamin Moore Wilmington Tan for all the downstairs rooms except the dining room. That will be Storm Cloud Gray.

{{!gwi}}{{!gwi}}

6) What has happened since the rip out? The contractor drew out the coffered ceiling on the floor and today the plumber came and raised all the hanging plumbing to allow the 12-inch soffit.

rip out! our kitchen adventure begins (pics)

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rip out! our kitchen adventure begins (pics)

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