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quietlife3

Haven't started yet people - Check in here; How's it going

quietlife3
16 years ago

I felt left out. Anyone with me? I am planning a summer remodel. We homeschool, so I wanted to wait til then so it wouldn't disrupt our studies. Plus, I can use my grill in the summer and the water hose, if I need it.

I'm currently in the how-about-this-layout-it's-number-1,000,000 phase. When I get a little closer to D-Day, I'll post here for help. I've posted before, but we have made some changes that will affect the plan so I'm going to ask again. I'm also trying to research appliances and figure out how the budget (tight!) will play out.

I also have been thinking about the aesthetics and am having some trouble there, too. We have a log home, which somewhat dictates what we should do - and dh loves hickory cabinets (we have hickory floors), whereas I'd prefer something like an "English" kitchen or farmhouse country. On the other hand, I'd also like a kitchen with good cabinetry, a non-ugly floor, drawers, no ants, and a layout that makes even a tiny bit of sense. So I'm picking my battles.

That's my book. I'd love to hear from anyone else still in the planning stage!

Comments (50)

  • caview
    16 years ago

    Quietlife,

    First of all, as a home school mome, you are my hero!

    Secondly, I am so glad that you started planning in advance!

    In our experience (in the process of remodeling the third house), be so greatful if you cannot start the first time you think you are ready -- you are not!

    We've been in the conceptual planning for about 2 years, and now are very comfortanble with the overall design.

    We have already put together a very detailed plan for all the products/materials to buy as well as did the design in the solfware package.

    Still need a couple more things to pull it together, for instance decide on the granite...

    Best regards, Tanya

  • tina999
    16 years ago

    I am with you. Ordered cabinets, but nothing else.
    The work will be done in April. Need to rush with things, i know, but unfortunately i managed to fall down the stirs and break a vertebrae. So - we took a break from the kitchen designing. :)

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  • olga_d
    16 years ago

    We are also planning. When we started talking about it DH thought we'd be done by Christmas (that would be the one that just passed) - yeah right!

    We've already ordered the appliances so we put them in the kitchen. Kinda feels like cheating but I'm really enjoying having a fridge that doesn't leak onto the floor and a dishwasher that actually cleans dishes (what a concept!).

    DH and I never agree on anything, so this is sure to be an "interesting" experience. ;) He wants raised panel cabinets while I'm more of a shaker gal. Oh, and did I mention he's partially colour-blind? And the fun is just beginning. LOL

    QuietLife3, we're planning hickory floors because they are supposed to be harder (we have 2 dogs). Can you tell me how you like yours and how they're holding up? I'd love a photo too if you have one. :)

  • quietlife3
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    caview - thank you for your kind words. Sometimes I feel like I'm overthinking this and I should just give it a rest for awhile (dh would love that!) It's good to hear from others who've been there that extended planning and waiting to pull the trigger should be beneficial for us.

    olga - we love our floors. We've only had them in since November, so I can't give you any advice on how they hold up long term, but so far so good. We also have two dogs, a bunch of cats, and three kids. It's kinda hard to get a great picture of them because our house doesn't get a lot of natural light, but I'm posting the one that seems to be the best. Hope you can at least get an idea. Our floors are unstained, with two coats of poly.

  • plllog
    16 years ago

    I've shopped for appliances and spoken very very briefly to the tile guy and the cabinet maker. I also called a couple of showrooms about countertops, but mostly to see if they carried things I've seen on the web. :) I've been through a couple months of layouts and posted a few here. Two passed muster, and I really like one of them.

    Mostly, I've read these forums and learned a lot and bookmarked a lot, and Googled a lot and bookmarked a lot, and studied pdf owner's manuals and swatches and learned a lot and bookmarked...

  • Jean Popowitz
    16 years ago

    We're waiting for the permits & the contractor wants to start next week. Naturally, I'm still tweaking the plan, but I'm going to order the cabinets tomorrow so then I'll be locked in. Cabinets are promised in 7-8 weeks; that's the part that makes me nervous. I had to buy (and am using) my refrigerator and DW already, range arrives last week in March and I still have to figure out the hood thing. I bought my sink on Monday, sight-unseen from Lavello, and got an email that it's on it's way here. Now I'm studying up on reveals and faucets, choosing a prep sink, thinking about the air switch, and all the other goodies mentioned here. DH & I will go pick out our soapstone this weekend but I need to find a place (in Northern NJ) to choose the marble for the island. Then pendants, bar stools..... sigh. oh yeah, my tile will extend from my front door all the way back through the kitchen. I need to pick that out. I can't even begin to ponder the backsplash.

    What would we do without the GW?

  • megaul
    16 years ago

    I am in this category,too!

    We have the cabinets, sort of. We are currently waiting on corrections for our cabinet snafu. We purchased an upgrade for plywood ends so the finish would match and this is what arrived! YIKES!!! How many colors and grains are there????
    Isn't that scary!

    I "think" I have decided on a tile for the floor. We've picked out our granite and sink. The dishwasher is in the spare bedroom. Cabinets, right and wrong, are housed in the living room for now. It's already a mess and we haven't even taken down the first face plate or a shred of wallpaper yet!

    One of the hardest things for me to pick out is the faucet. Our kitchen is, and will continue to be small. So many of the faucets are huge to me and I haven't found one that calls my name yet.

    It's definitely a plan in motion, but so far, I'm afraid to do anything until the cabinets are right.

  • reneeharris1
    16 years ago

    I have started, but because our project is DIY it's going so slow that I FEEL like it hasn't started. We demolished the kitchen in October and my husband has been doing the wiring himself. He's had so much going on with his work that it's been hard for him to take vacation days to finish. We homeschool too, and my days are full of school and kids. Once the wiring is done things will begin to move faster. The appliances arrived the last week of December and my cabinets will arrive in six weeks - so we've got to get hopping! My DH is off today and tomorrow, so the next four days are nothing but wiring and then I hope to feel like we are out of the starting gate!! I've been without a stove for over three months and probably have three more to go! It's been easier on me since I have a really nice scullery kitchen/bread making room that was part of the new construction to the house when we built an apartment for my parents. So I do have a sink and dishwasher with some countertop space. It's made it easier. I have my wheat, grain mill and breadmaker in there along with a microwave, hot plate and all the other kitchen appliances that help you cook with no stove! Good luck to you, your log cabin sounds like my husbands dream! I look forward to seeing pictures when you are done!

  • ajpl
    16 years ago

    I haven't started yet. Our's in a bew house so we have a lot of flexibility. It's a timberframe and we're at that stage of putting up interior finish walls. We will be moving in in March and the kitchen will NOT be done if even started. We'll be using a range my parents replaced this summer and a sink with plywood counters. Once we're in the house with all the things needed to live we'll start the cabinets. The whole house is DIY except the rough plumbing and the air ventilation. We're planning a joint anniversary party and house warming for July so I'm hoping we'll be done by then!

  • amy2202
    16 years ago

    queitlife, I know how you feel about waiting for summer. It sure is a mess. We have ordered all the appliances but are nearing the final layout. ( We hope, thanks buehl and rhome ). I have been spending much timne on this forum and paying for tickets to home shows. We should start demo this weekend.

  • houseful
    16 years ago

    Still planning too. I've lost track of how many years it's been now -- maybe 4. I did finalize my layout just this week. I'll start pricing things and deciding on appliances soon. We are so ready for this. We don't have a dishwasher right now and I think 1/2 our day is spent washing, putting away, washing, putting away...

    We homeschool as well, so we'll do most of the work in the summer (hopefully, THIS summer!). Our kitchen location will move 7 feet toward the backyard so I'll be able to do quite a bit of demo and still have a working kitchen. We have a drop acoustic ceiling like they put in basements. We'll be able to remove all that and work on wiring and plumbing without too much disruption. I need a new frig now, so we'll probably buy that within the next few weeks. Once we start, I think I might actually miss all the planning.

    MEGAUL, that sure is some snafu! What were they thinking?

    QL, gorgeous floors!

  • zeebee
    16 years ago

    Still planning. Of course the architect threw an intriguing wrench into the works when he came over with concept designs for our remodel and proposed swapping the current locations of the dining room and kitchen. Our house is an 1890 brick rowhouse with the traditional ground-floor layout of formal dining room in front and kitchen in back. Swapping locations would mean the kitchen would go from a 17.5' x 14.5' rectangle to a long 12' x 21' room. Everything would be re-oriented: southern instead of northern light, one long uninterrupted work wall instead of three sides of the rectangle (minus doorways) as the kitchen space, windows on a short end instead of a long end of the space....

    Husband and I are weighing the positives and negatives of the swap. It's given me a whole new kitchen design to obsess over!

  • davewg
    16 years ago

    We're a bit farther down the road, but still not officially started.

    Our layout is finalized (all with help from here and our excellent KD). We've finalized our cabinet selection and stain color (bead board with matching drawer front in Caramel).

    We've given a deposit for construction and cabinets.

    Permit applications are turned in - it takes about a month here to get permits, and all construction permits need to clear zoning first (which takes about 10 working days).

    Sinks have been picked, but not ordered.

    Still researching appliances (other than the microwave - we've decided on that).

    Still need to pick flooring.

    New windows have been ordered. I still need to order doors.

    Hopefully some demo will be done soon (they don't need permits for that) and construction will start before the end of March.

    Whew - I'm tired already.

  • amanda_t
    16 years ago

    Hi planners! We're still planning, too. We've gotten as far as meeting with the cabinet guy (I stopped calling him a KD after I saw the layout he gave us) and getting an estimate. I'm reworking the layout myself to get a second estimate. Still need to find the right contractor. My list of kitchen wants are pretty much the same as Quietlife's: functioning, non-ugly cabinets in a layout that makes sense for our family, new cooking appliances that work and adequate lighting. (Non-ugly is the major buzzword here!!) And two new windows. And repairing whatever hidden horrors we're sure to find along the way ! HA! (sob) We'll be replacing the 1981 kitchen horror show in our 1905 home, starting this spring (hopefully!).

  • ci_lantro
    16 years ago

    I'm in the planning/ hunting down appliances phase. Working on a layout--getting close to having one to post for critque. Will be a 90% or so DIY. I'm planning to build the cabinets so I'm also shopping for some addt'l tools. New range hood (eBay showroom demo unit) is in transit & the new/ used ovens found on Craigslist are sitting in what is now the formal living area on bare floors. We ripped the carpet out just before Christmas. New range hood is in transit. I'm stymied on the rangetop/ cooktop issue. What I 'want' & what I'm willing to pay for are two entirely different things, i.e., desperately seeking bargain of the decade. :-)

    The remodel will involve an area slightly over 500 sq feet with the current kitchen, dining & formal living areas becoming a Great Room.

    Fortunately, most of the old kitchen will remain in service thru the gritty of the expansion with the current sink area being one of the very last items to fall to the reno axe and that after the new kitchen is in service. What is current formal living will not change much. We replaced the windows in that room two years ago so it will only get the wallpaper stripped & fresh paint & either new baseboards or the old ones will be refinished. That area will serve as workshop for constructing the cabinets.

    Right now, the couple of feet of snow out there & the 4' snowpiles along the drive & paths to the woodshop is keeping me from doing much either constructive or destructive and forcing me to actually work on A Plan.

  • quietlife3
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    houseful - thank you!

    amanda - here's to new, non-ugly, functional kitchens!!

    ci lantro - sounds like you've got your work cut out for you. We briefly (and I do mean briefly) discussed trying to learn how and then make our own cabinets. My dh is handy - but I just don't think he has the time to figure it out and get it done...without it taking forever.

    It's nice to meet all of you in the same boat - albeit at different stages. I'll enjoy keeping up with all of your progress on the forum. Especially the DIY'ers. We will be doing quite a bit of the work ourselves as well.

    I do love GW! A thank you shout out to my sister who got me addicted to this place.

  • sdionnemoore
    16 years ago

    We've started building and are now under roof and waiting for our exterior doors to come in and brick to be put up. Inside, my dh is working on electrical with HVAC and plumbing to follow! That means time is ticking toward KITCHEN TIME!!

    We're going to shop this weekend for appliances. My KD wants to know exact dimensions so I need to get serious. I'm still torn between that new KA 42" Built-in FD and a 48", but I've never seen the inside of a 48" refrigerator before--hopefully this weekend I will.

    I'm also kind of hoping to get refrigerator drawers for a section that is part of the kitchen, but reallly not part of the kitchen. Clear as mud, huh? It's going to be like a fancy china cabinet-niche type piece with drawers in the base. Since it's not part of the flow of the kitchen, I think it's a good spot.

    I'm pretty sure I'm going with hickory cabs--stained dark reddish, with some accent pieces painted off-white, but can't decide on the flooring color (hardwood). DH wants dark brazilian cherry. I don't know how that would look with the reddish undertones of the cabs though.

  • originalrecipe
    16 years ago

    Newbie here in Central Texas. Just discovered this forum and I've spent the last few days reading so much my left-eye developed a twitch. But what a great board! I'm so grateful to see others going through the same experience!

    Let's see. Been hating our very ugly and worse, non-efficient kitchen for several years now. When we first moved in, the kitchen was the first room slated for demo yet other more pressing things demanded attention. So it goes. And here we are...but in hindsight, the extra time has given us a chance to really define what we really want and need. Currently in estimate/contractor selection stage. Have a basic plan that needs final tweaking (and revising I'm sure). Still narrowing down appliances and cabinetry. Next meeting is with a cabinet maker. Would like to start early Summer so we can grill and spend time outdoors as I'm sure we (hubs and myself) will need the extra running room to try and kill each other over having started this whole process.

    Looking forward to getting to know everyone and watching forward progress on all projects.

  • mls99
    16 years ago

    I've a basement full of flat-pack cabinets from IKEA; under the stairs is an oven, cooktop, hood, and disposal; and my filing cabinet has a signed contract with our GC. Work starts mid-March and he projects 4-6 weeks. My biggest angst right now is what to do with our 1.5 year old and 3.5 year old. We have a nanny who comes to the house each day, but they can't park themselves at the library all day every day for 6 weeks. So we're trying to work that out...

    Oh, and it seems like either a hinge falls off the existing cabinetry or an appliance dies every day right now.

  • snowyshasta
    16 years ago

    We are also in the not started phase, I'm glad I found this forum beforehand, though, it's helped so much!

    We are doing a major remodel - adding a bedroom, a combined bedroom/billiard room, 2 bathrooms, and swapping the kitchen and family room locations. We have a company that is all in-one, with architect, designers, contractors, KD, etc. all on staff, and it has worked well for us.

    We started meeting with them end of November. At this point we have the room locations and most everything structural finalized, and they are working on getting permits, making sure we have enough HVAC, etc. I am still finalizing the kitchen layout, and we have to pick all the details of appliances, fixtures, paint colors, etc. We meet with their interior designer (also a certified KD) for the first time tomorow. The plan is that we spend the next month finalizing everything and then start demo the first week or so of March - it seems so far away and at the same time so close, we have so much to decide!

  • lisapico
    16 years ago

    We were slated to begin in November and due to delays we're looking at May. I have two children too and it's actually a better time from a weather standpoing (we live in the Pacific Northwest). We're redoing our kitchen, DR, LR and MBR. We willl move downstairs and I plan to use our outdoor grill, a crockpot and microwave to keep us satiated.

    After looking at this great website and spending many hours on the appliance forum, we've decided on the 36" Wolf DF or AG, Thermador Freedom 36" refrigerator and because we want drawers on the DW a Fisher/Paykel.

    If budget allows, we'll go with inset cabinetry throughout the home. We're redoing all of our trim so that it "flows" and are adding several windows.

    I am very worried about the stress involved with a 12-week remodel!! Maybe we ought to go to Maui for a month :) Good luck!

  • sholt576
    16 years ago

    We're still in the planning stages. Actually, its just me who's in the planning stage. Dh is in the 'are you really going to obsess about this for 3 years' stage.

    Yeah, our time frame for beginning the project is in about 3 years. We traded in an earlier start date for a new minivan as our previous vehicle would not hold our growing family.

    I've picked out soapstone for counter tops

    We can't wait to bust down the soffits.

    We want:
    Either wood stained cabinets or painted white ones

    Either an island or a peninsula.

    Either the same layout or busting through a wall and making a new layout.

    Either wood floors or something else (cork? Tile?)

    Either frameless, inset, or full overlay cabs

  • deedee-2008
    16 years ago

    Hi...Just discovered this wonderful site with wonderful people a few days ago. For the past half-year, we have been deciding if we should move a load-bearing wall between kitchen and dining room. Due to the front-back layout of the rooms and many costly estimates, it would not be cost-effective for us. Currently, we (actually I, since my DH works 12hr days, and I only put in 7hr days), are deciding which contractor/kitchen planner to go with. Now narrowed to two. A very big hold-up for me is picking which mid-range appliances to choose. I went on the web, and found a disappointing (and frightful!) avalanche of negative reviews on almost any and all appliances out there. I can't imagine spending a load of money on a new kitchen, only to have your new fridge or DW leak and ruin your new wood floor. So right now, I have appliance-paralysis :) The best thing about my appliance search on the web was that it brought me to THIS site! Now I'm even more excited about my kitchen since I've caught all the good feelings from other kitchen-lovers.

  • bbtondo
    16 years ago

    I also just started. So far I'm 90% finished with my layout. Posted it a while ago and seemed to be OK'd by you guys! Joining my kitchen and DR together to make one room that's divided by a peninsula with 2 pendant lights. I know I want creamy white cabinets, tan/gold/cream granite, laminate floor (sorry wood lovers!), some kind of pretty tiled backsplash, keeping my appliances which are only 5 years old, hope to splurge on a beverage refrig and custom wood range hood. I've been looking at stainless sinks, faucets and cabinet handles (boy can they be expensive!). Waiting for a quote on custom cabinets from my GC. Wish me luck! I've read here that local custom cabinet makers are usually cheaper than "brand named" cabinets. I'll let you know!

    Nice to read other people in the same boat as me! I've learned so much from this site.

    Barb

  • donna214
    16 years ago

    We have been in the planning stage since last August, but we are getting close to being ready to start. We are going with a design/build firm and we are doing a major remodel of the 1st floor of our 100 year old craftsman style colonial. Our current kitchen will become our dining room and our current dining room will be the eat in portion of our new kitchen which will be an addition out the back of the house.

    I have picked out mostly everything, cabinets, appliances, flooring and such. We are working on refining our kitchen design and hope to get started sometime this spring.

    It wil be great to share progress with you all when the time comes.

  • seedsilly
    16 years ago

    Just dreaming stage. My reno will require removing load bearing walls in an old house. Requires two new bathooms, and a few more bucks than I have right now.

  • maydl
    16 years ago

    I started planning our remodel over a year ago, working on the principle that "if you dream it, it will happen." And last June, DH gave the remodel to me as a birthday present!

    The remodel will involve removing a load-bearing wall between the original kitchen (1979) and a sunroom that we added about 15 years ago. Other than that major change, our layout will stay substantially the same because we like it, except that our cooktop--now on the island--will move to a perimeter wall so that it can be vented well to the outside. Also, we will be putting a prep sink at one end of the island and adding a breakfast bar and seating at the opposite end, features we've never had.

    We start demo on April 28. We've signed with the builder and ordered our cabinets, and we will be ordering all the appliances in a day or two. We've picked out our floor tile, backsplash tile, and countertop granite and marble but haven't ordered yet. Today, the builder came by with the glass company rep and the door company rep and measured for windows and a new door. We haven't yet dealt with picking sinks, faucets, wall/ceiling/rafter paint colors, and lighting (we live in California and so must contend with very restrictive Title 24 energy-saving requirements--translate: ugly fluorescent fixtures).

    We never would have gotten this far without the wonderful information gleaned from this forum. I can't thank everyone here enough for their generous sharing of experiences and advice, which has been so helpful in shaping our thoughts and bringing our final plans to fruition. I will try to reciprocate as time goes by.

    I printed out Kitchen Forum threads on setting up a temporary kitchen, so your advice will follow us as we set up housekeeping in a downstairs bedroom and at the garage sink!

  • huango
    16 years ago

    deedee: "picking which mid-range appliances to choose": what do you consider to be mid-range? For the last kitchen, I got a great 5-burner Kenmore Elite range that had 1 power burner of 15K btu. The oven was great, and so was the warming drawer.

    maydl: "removing a load-bearing wall between the original kitchen (1979) and a sunroom that we added about 15 years ago": could you share your layout. The quote/and other stuff sound a bit like my situation and I'd love to learn about how you're managing the kitchen reno.

  • sail_away
    16 years ago

    I think we're just at the acquisition of information stage, with a little planning mixed in.

    I have a question for the other non-starters, though. Is anyone else concerned about continuing right now, given the state of the economy? Both my husband's and my jobs seem secure at this time, and we have savings to cover what we want to do. But I'm concerned about dipping into savings that might come in handy in the near future (either for ourselves or to help family members/friends).

    I certainly don't want to put a damper on anyone's plans. I'm just wondering if I'm the only one having second thoughts right now and considering postponing things for a while.

  • iambpt
    16 years ago

    Hi everyone... its interesting to know where you guys are in the "planning" stages. We are probably still a year out from beginning, but that doesn't stop me from being TKO. Mostly what we've done is DREAM though... I have 2 plans drawn up by design students at the university where I teach. I'm sure there will be changes to them. I plan to post them on gardenweb to get feedback. We've also been to the kraftmaid outlet in ohio where we hope to get our cabinets at a greatly reduced price. I'm excited about the possibilities and hope we get to start within the next year!

  • deedee-2008
    16 years ago

    huango: By "mid-range", I was considering a french-door bottom freezer from Samsung/LG/Kenmore (approx 2K-2.5K), and a stove that was approx 1.5K. Unfortunately, we do not have gas service in this part of town, so my stove must be electric. (The oddity of the situation is we live 500ft away from the buried Algonquin gas transmission pipeline.) For the dishwasher, we were considering the Bosch mid-line.

  • huango
    16 years ago

    deedee: We don't have gas in this house; I intend to get propane. Currently have electric range: NO MORE. (My family was in the Chinese restaurant business; it's in my genes to NEED lots of BTU).

    Again, in previous house reno, we got the LG bottom freezer french door in TITANIUM. It barely showed ANY fingerprints, and it did NOT clash w/ the other stainless range/dishwasher. I loved it. I don't know why so many people do not like LG. We broke one of the little wheels attached to the pull-out trays and LG sent a replacement just like that. We got ours w/out the water (on door or inside) for ?$1600 (back in Nov 2006).

  • Jean Popowitz
    16 years ago

    Sail-away: certainly the way the bottom fell out of the real estate market last summer has changed the way we would approach this reno. We had planned a year ago, a no-holds-barred reno in our last home in the Chicago area. Then DH decided to take a job in NJ (fine with me, coming back to family & friends). Still, we decided to buy cautiously, by seriously downsizing and purchasing a tired house with good bones, and do a modest reno by staying within the existing walls. The big splurges going into this kitchen will be the range & refrigerator which we will take with if, heaven forbid, we have to move again.

    That said, we decided to go ahead with the reno at this time because the kitchen is barely functional and because we feel we'd get our money back if we had to sell. Right now, I would be sure to know what your market value is & what is the potential price you could fetch for your house post-reno, and try not to put too much money in over that price.

    Judy

  • caligirl_cottage
    16 years ago

    We're doing a whole house addition and remodel which has gotten hugely out of hand in the budget department, so we're trying to scale back things that we can, without ending up with a hideous mess. Hence my time spent here, finding what works and what doesn't, what we really need and what we can live without. We'll be starting to really design the kitchen next week so cross fingers that we don't have to sell our kids to afford something we can live with!

    Frankly, I don't think the kids would fetch more than a countertop upgrade anyway.

  • greenandgold
    16 years ago

    We're in the "almost there, pre demo phase."

    1. Layout is complete (mostly by virtue of the fact that our small kitchen dictates pretty much the same format as our current layout.)
    2. Cabinets chosen but not ordered: Durasupreme white painted maple
    3. Countertop chosen: Ceasarstone rosemary
    4. Appliances purchased: Existing fridge, range and dishwasher will be delivered tomorrow. Range to be swapped out immediately, DW to sit in garage until after demo, etc.) I found GW after appliances were purchased, so I absolutely refuse to go over to the appliance forum and see what is said about mine because it's too late to take 'em back, and I don't want to hear that they are awful :-)

    Still to do and still stressing me out:
    1. Choose flooring: likely some sort of vinyl tile, but pattern TBD
    2. Choose sink & faucet
    3. Choose contractor or individual tradespeople. First estimates from two GCs scared the heck out of my pocketbook, so I interviewed #3 yesterday. Really liked him, but of course, need to see the numbers! Will likely also get estimates from some individual plumbers, electricians, etc. next week so I really have some good comparisions.

    All in all, the best development has been finding this forum. I am learning tons, and even though it was too late for my appliance purchases, better late than never. My kitchen planning has been going on for over a year, and the time has really been worth it to make more informed choices.

    Looking to start in late March!

  • maydl
    16 years ago

    huango: I'd love to share my layout if I can figure out how. The main layout is on a piece of paper 36 inches x 24 inches. I've got to figure out how to reduce the size in order to scan it, and then I've got to figure out how to embed it in a post. Stay tuned this week, maybe all this will happen! This thread may disappear into the wilds behind page 3, so wait a week or so and if you're still interested, search on "maydl" and this thread should show up again.

    sail-away: We live in an upper middle-class neighborhood on the Monterey (CA) Peninsula, and we feel we've got to renovate our 1979 kitchen in order to maintain our house's value in an area of increasingly upscale remodels and rebuilds. That said, I'm really doing it becuz I gotta do it! I'm 61, and I've finally figured out that what I love to do most in the world is build. This TKO person has come out of the closet! Thankfully, DH is gainfully employed in what looks like a very secure position. Being retired, I have the time and the desire to act as my own KD and general gofer, doing everything that needs to be done before demolition starts.

  • snowyshasta
    16 years ago

    maydl, if you can't scan your layout, and have a digital camera, you may just be able to take a digital photo of it instead. The FAQ has nicely detailed instructions about uploading a .jpg file to PhotoBucket and sharing it. Would love to see your layout if you get it uploaded.

  • plllog
    16 years ago

    Huango, if you want lots of power have you looked at induction? I know you're going for the big range, but Gizmonike, for one, has that and the induction wok burner :) Something to consider?

  • User
    16 years ago

    I'm still waiting for my public adjuster and insurance company to hash out my flood claim. I have a contracter, KD and things picked out, just waiting for a budget.

    And yes, the state of the economy has made a large impact on how we are proceeding. We are hoping not to have to upgrade much beyond the settlement amount.

    We'll see.

  • bbtondo
    16 years ago

    Sail-Away, funny you should ask. My DH and I have discussed the current economy and real estate market and should we do a kitchen reno now. We both have very secure jobs and have the $$ in the bank to do it while still maintaining an emergency fund and retirement savings, and will be without a mortgage at the end of this year. Yeah! We don't have any kiddies to send to college, so.. we're going for it! Although, we hope to keep within our budget and not overspend for our neighborhood.

    I went to HD today and found some cabinet pulls I like. I still don't have an estimate from my GC yet, but hey, what the heck, I can still pick out pulls! I know everyone here can relate.

    Anxiously awaiting my estimate from my GC! I expect it to be much higher than our budget, so hopefully I'll be surprised when it isn't. I'll let you know how I make out.

    Barb

  • plants4
    16 years ago

    Anxiously awaiting bid too. Very anxious for all the obvious reasons.

  • huango
    16 years ago

    plllog: oh yes, I drooled over Gizmonike's kitchen, drooled. But you've seen my layoutS, I don't know where I can fit in the Induction burner. And of course, per my budget, it's definitely a luxury item.
    According to Igloochic, I should splurge on getting the integrated stainless steel sink for my stainless steel counters. Where am I supposed to SKIMP w/ all my splurges?!?
    At this rate with all these splurges, I will definitely blow my budget. It's just a matter of by HOW MUCH!!!
    sigh.

  • plllog
    16 years ago

    Well I can't speak to integrated sinks (I've only used one in a food service kitchen) though if you're getting a stainless sink it's a good idea, but if you're used to preparing restaurant style wok hai you need power!

    On the other hand, I'm pretty sure the portable Cooktek units have just as much power as the built-ins. If you put adequate electricity by the range now while you're tearing things up, later you could put a griddle or something over some central burners and have the hood for the portable unit. And you could put off buying that until your pocketbook recovers from the remodel :)

  • boxiebabe
    16 years ago

    Newbie here!
    Cabinets should be here in about 2 weeks. Construction will start first week of March. Now just trying to make some decisions on flooring, granite, sink, etc. Met with my "crew" hehe tonight. My KD, my contractor, and project coordinator. What a GREAT bunch they are! (so far!)
    ---Boxie

  • borngrace
    16 years ago

    We met with 2 of the 3 architects again this morning to look at another set of plans. Still trying to fit all the big pieces together. Current kitchen and laundry are being reconfigured into mudroom, closets, laundry and we are doing a kitchen addition.

    We are not at the locking down layout stage -- which is hard for me. We are still figuring out entry in, closets, size of mudroom, what we want to fit in the space.

    The kitchen layout is in the drawings but I am not sure how parts of it make sense. Architect wants me to go look at appliances so that we know what I want to fit when we start doing elevations.

    I feel like I need to start making reservations for Thanksgiving and Christmas because there is no way I'm going to have a kitchen this year (and we were supposed to do this addition last year)

  • sally123
    16 years ago

    We bought our house almost seven years ago planning to remodel. There was always some reason or another to postpone it and, since we knew we were going to remodel, we didn't do a lot of maintenance. Now my house is falling down around me and we either have to FIX everything or remodel. So, even with the sagging economy, we are remodeling. One benefit to remodeling now is that there is far less building going on so GCs and subs are much more available. We got a very good quote--well, a huge amount of money, but less huge than we expected--because there is less competition for work.

    Now, after planning and designing for 9 months we're moving out on March 1st and demolition is supposed to start on March 3rd. I'm about to be out of the club for haven't started yet people. YIKES!

  • JohnnieB
    16 years ago

    My partner are in the final planning stages for a new kitchen, as part of a much larger home renovation project (big enough that we are moving into our basement, which is finished as an apartment). The house was built in 1927 and we've owned it since 2000; the kitchen was remodeled in the 1980's, all white and all cheap, and is currently a narrow one-wall galley kitchen with very little counter or storage space.

    The kitchen (but not the rest of the house) will be a complete gut job and we are taking out part of the wall between the kitchen and dining room. Construction is supposed to start the first week in March, but we are still waiting for one last (but very critical) permit from the city--and we applied for our permits last June! When we first started planning this renovation, well over a year ago, we thought it would be long-done by early 2008! Don't even ask me about going over budget...

  • snowyshasta
    16 years ago

    Another thought on the economy question, one way to look at it is that we are doing our part to help the economy - if everyone decided to spend no money on anything that's not good for the economy, either. Obviously it's not good to be foolish with your money, but in our situation with stable income and savings we feel good about going ahead. You can't ever know the future for sure, but you have to do what feels right. This is hopefully our forever house, so we're doing things not so much for resale value or appreciation but for making the house perfect for our family.

  • terible
    16 years ago

    This is where I am at, DH seeÂs us remodeling kitchen in three or more years and I see us remodeling our kitchen in the next year or earlier. So, Right now I am more in the process of elimination as far as cabinet brands go. Many earlier brands have been eliminated due to size issues as in I want and need deeper and taller wall cabinets and prefer little to no fillers. Also, cost has been a big factor. I have a basic idea of layout but need help in changing the nook area and windows. Some appliances will be reused but we will replace refrigerator with the kichenaid 42" built-in French door paneled and replace the microwave with the adventium. I have the countertop narrowed down to three or four and know exactly what I want for the backsplash, still unsure of wall splash behind stove though. The kitchen sink has been narrowed down to two choices and cab hardware to three. I know what I want for lighting but havenÂt found exactly the right one, I will know it when I see it. Still tossing around the idea of wood range hood verses stainless. The doors of my dreams are simple $$$applied moulding but with most likely end up with nice raised panel for style of home.
    Husband thinks I spend way too much time thinking of and planning for the kitchen.

  • redroze
    16 years ago

    Great idea for a thread!!

    We're planning for a spring reno. Our kitchen designer has completed the design, except for the island which we will tackle next. Our cabinetry maker is working on the measurements (we're going custom) so we need to meet with him when he's done the first draft. We are ordering appliances tomorrow since our designer advised us to order them ahead of time due to delivery delays which can kill the momentum of a reno, also because my sister-in-law's new home is closing soon and she needs to buy her applicances - hoping we can get a discount of some sort due to the bulk buying!!

    I've been off work for a few weeks as I start a new job next week. So I've been shopping around for all the fixins. I like to look for the "perfect" everything, so I've been looking at tiles, kitchen table, light fixtures, etc. We chose our granite colour (Bianco Antico) but will not reserve a slab until maybe a few weeks from now.

    All this time, we are saving up a storm. We're about halfway to our budget mark and expect more money to come in soon due to a loan to a family member plus some side work my husband did. I am so excited and can't wait for it all to begin!!

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