My favorite part of my kitchen is a little off topic. I know the request was really for what design or layout improvement but my favorite part of my kitchen is that we did it OURSELVES. We are PROUD do it yourselfers!!!!!!!!! We have taken on countless real challenges with our over 100 year old house. We have done nearly everything ourselves. (Except the VERY steep roof).

I love that we did it ourselves from start to finish. Design, layout, installation, selecting finishes. All US. No KD. No contractor. Just me and my husband, and a few guys to help us haul in the really heavy single L shaped piece of soapstone for our corner cab since my husband insisted he not put a seam there. ;)

New pics of our floating hardwood kitchen shelves soon.... no uppers for us. Shelves going in as we speak. I'll update soon if anyone cares.

Ne

The people who eat in my kitchen and laugh at my humor.
~boxer

This is so true!!

Sometimes I stress over certain decisions re. the material parts of our remodel. It's good to step back and realize how blessed we really are. :-)

I would have to say 2 dishwashers, the giant island--4.5' x 9' & the full size single basin prep sink I put in it directly across from the range. Plenty of work space for me + homework space for the kids. The whole family can dine at it comfortably and there is oodles of storage space on all sides! We went back and forth on putting the sink in and I am sooooo glad we did--I use it all the time. I can't imagine schlepping pots and pans back & forth from the cleanup sink location that is so far away from the rangetop! Plus that big sink works great for cleaning the rangetop grates. We have a separate cleanup area with the 2 DWs and a double bowl 70/30 sink. No more filling up 1 DW and still having to handwash anything that didn't fit!

I can think of three things, but if I had to choose one it would be: moving the fridge across the room. Now I can open the door without it hitting the edge of a small utility table (now gone), and I can be cooking at the stove and take one step to reach across to open the fridge door. Plus for some reason I really can't explain, the fridge runs so much better and makes less noise! It's happy there.

Layout! THANK YOU BUEHL!

(We refer to this layout as "Buehl #2." The tricky part is that there is a window behind the range. For that, thank you, Marcolo.)

still early on in use of my kitchen. so far: the miele dishwasher! I had an original 1942 kitchen with no dishwasher - i love that dishwasher!!!!!

I love hearing about all the improvements and seeing the results! My little reno only addressed countertop (granite to replace formica), flooring (duraceramic to replace VSF), new sink/faucet, and WTs. The BIGGEST enjoyment I get is from seeing the PO's ugly, ivy wallpaper GONE and that someone did the removal for me for free! A very good friend!

The joy that I get every morning when I walk into it knowing that my day has been made so much easier as I prepare meals in it. The better layout, the more counters, the drawers, the little touches like the copper mosaic backsplash behind the range, the warmth of the maple hardwood floors and the dark-stained maple wood top on the peninsula. We've been back in our home now for 18 months and that sense of joy has not diminished.

Thankyou Splitrock for your kind words. We are also surrounded by trees and I would have a great garden if the deer and woodchucks would find a new restaurant.
I love the way your counters reflect the outside. It's wonderful.

Mine is a little different and probably not what you are looking for, but true nonetheless! I am also in process of reno (granite folks are on their way right now to install!) so maybe I will find something else to love as I start to use it. But for now, I will go with the fact that it is coming in ON BUDGET and is PAID FOR after careful saving for many years!

I first came to GW via a google search as a bright eyed and idealistic remodeler just doing a little bit of research. Countless hours later, I had some delusions of grandeur once I started poking around here and seeing all of the great things that are possible in a kitchen. But I was able to resist the urge (and trust me, they were there at times) to break the budget for things that I just realistically don't need (probably don't need a baking station since I have never actually baked a cake).

As time goes on and I actually get to use my kitchen instead of washing dishes in the bathtub, I am sure I will find lots of wonderful things. But I just hope that I don't lose sight of the fact that I will be able to afford to cook more than ramen noodles in it and enjoy it all the more!

Child-safe design of storage. Everything below the counter (except the oven) is safe for DD to explore and play with, if she must. No more fiddling with plastic child-proofing latches.

Longer term favorites: Good ventilation of the cooktop, and the layout improvements that opened up the kitchen and gave us a peninsula with seating.

My back door.
Found it on ebay. Makes me smile even if I burn the brussels sprouts.

That would make me smile even if you made me eat the brussel sprouts!

I would have to say my castle bay faucet. It looks stunning, and all my friends notice it and always ask me whet brand is it. I have granite countertop, but the faucet is really the focal point. Everyone notice the fuacet when they walk in my kitchen. The faucet is pretty, and functional.

Here is a link that might be useful: stainless steel sink

For me it's also a door....we put a single french door in a space that previously had the sink with a window above it.
It's a southern exposure and leads out to the patio.
It brings in so much more light and now we can get to the patio without going through the garage. Gonna love that!

I love our glass bar. It looks so much like the PNW. I just love sitting there having a cup of coffee in the morning.

kalapointer..beautiful glass!
Can you give us some info on your backsplash? Love, love, love everything about it.

Oh, the door is gorgeous sombreuil. I used to have a terrible addiction to old doors and windows. Still have a pair of oak French doors with beveled glass out in the garage I just keep hanging onto - someday they might fit somewhere.

I love so much about my new kitchen, but especially all the drawers and the 12 foot long island....not to mention the view of Mt. Rainier. When it is not covered by clouds!

Truly the things that delights me the most about the new kitchen....
Girls are now asking my 15 year old son if they can come over and hang out with him
while he bakes cookies for them in our new kitchen.

Friday nights the kitchen is now filled with giggling and "oh-my-goding"
girls watching my son and his boy friends baking cookies, individual pizzas, and panini for the whole group.
Of course the dork mom is banished from the kitchen while the teens take over.
But last night, listening from the second floor, I overheard my son somewhat professorially explaining to one girl the advantages of 00 Italian flour for making pizza dough.

The future looks bright for this next generation!
Thanks, gorgeous new kitchen.

Two things I love: The wide curved soapstone peninsula, both for baking projects and for casual visitors to sit at while I cook. (Especially love it now that Florida Joshua finished it as it should be).

Sombreuil: LOVE that door!

The Motawi tiles.

Casey, you have such a beautiful kitchen, I had to smile that your favorite part is your back door! But, I have to agree, it is beautiful.

The hood. I moved the stove to the opposite side of the kitchen to accommodate a vented hood. It's only 390cfm, but so much better than the recirculating hood that coated the adjacent upper cabinets in gunk.

Tonight my daughters made venison with roasted root vegetables. As the pans were placed on top of the stove, it was such a pleasure to watch the columns of steam being sucked out of the kitchen and out of my life forever. :)

the layout with two sinks

Francoise, reading your post about your son made me laugh -- that's the best!

Sombreiul that back door is gorgeous.

I love my kitchen for the abundant natural light that it has all day. Even on the grayest of days, I don't need to turn on the lights.

Space, glorious, space (well laid out) that contains all the wonderful drawers and separate fridge and freezer. Bigger is better in this case ;)

Love that our cabinets are the original 1927 gum wood, but made so much better by my DH. He did the whole kitchen for me (except for the tile) by himself. It is so much lighter and more functional now and every morning it is like walking into his Valentine for me. One of the best things he did was actually outside-- he made full glass wood framed storm windows that let in so much more light than the old metal triple tracks that were on the house. They were so ugly and they rattled and let in the cold. He has now made these new old fashioned wood frame storm windows for all the windows all over the house.

Finally had time to sit down with a cup of tea and read this whole thread. Love reading all your stories, and can't wait to have some things to love about my new kitchen! (Starting demo next week!)

Opening up the kitchen to the main living area!

Last kitchen remodel and this one involved opening up the space and what a difference. A neighbor with a similiar floor plan (semi-custom homes) didn't recognize the kitchen when she first saw it. No longer were the rooms segragated. Though in each of the kitchen it was already paritally open, completely open is like another world.

Though of course there were other aspects that we enjoyed, they all paled in comparison.

Our reno has been in fits and starts and is currently in one of it's active phases... (New counters and new stove in the past 2 weeks.)

My favorite things is probably the integrated stainless sinks with the stainless countertops. My family (and me) are slobs... so it's very easy to wipe crumbs, spills, and bits of stuff from prepping food- straigt into the sink... It replaced 1964 original formica with a top-mounted sink. I love that there is nothing to smoosh the crumbs into when I'm wiping down the counters.

(Excuse the mess in the picture - but as mentioned - we're definitely mid reno, DYIing it, and still using the kitchen while reno'ing. Unfortunately much of my countertop is full of power tools.)

As of right now, I cannot for sure say what one thing will make it wonderfull.
But, I'm leaning towards "Finished". :)

I would have to say my favorite part of my kitchen...and my house, is that it is all paid off. We paid off the mortgage in December. I ran around in the house shouting "you are all mine". Now we are putting in granite and a backsplash. I love all the ideas and advice I get fom GW. Thanks!

Gigi - your ranges is fab, but I love the Chagall best ... :) Wonderful kitchen.

For me, my walnut cabinets.

My BIG, SINGLE, PRETTY SHAPE SINK. I love the easy-to-swipe-messes-into undermount. Love the pull-out garbage right to the left of it (where I always to prep). Love the pull-down faucet with spray option. Love the grid. Love the air switch disposal. And did I mention I love the pretty shape?

Krabbypatty - what is your backsplash? Your granite is similar in color to my new countertop(when it is installed)
Thanks!

Demolition started last week! Plumber comes tomorrow and electrician next week.
Can't wait to get rid of the soffits during the remodel and also having the under mount sink!!!!

Hmmm, one thing, that's tough. I think I would have to say my induction range. I knew that everything else I would love, and I do. The range was something that I never knew I always wanted until I had it!

ME!!!!

LOL

Like others have said it is hard to name one just one thing that makes my kitchen wonderful. I could say its the layout, the island, or my gorgeous curved cabinets. But I am going to declare my cook top including the range hood as the one wonderful thing.
My Dacor five burner cooktop is fabulous. It has burners that go from high power to perfect simmer temperatures. None of my previous stoves could actually simmer. Youcan't see any flame when the burners are on simmer so it's great that the cooktop knobs have a blue light that glows when the burner is on. This has proved useful many times. The dual blower vent hood above the cooktop does a great job exhausting, steam, smoke and smells. It also provides fantastic lighting for the cooktop.
Here it is:

So beautiful!

Schoolhouse...
I'll take care of those doors for you...
I have lots of room for them.
I am very into doors and windows..!

Christine

My 30" wolf range is heaven.... dessert in progress:

Baked apples ready to eat! With close up of marble, the next contender of my favorite thing...

a2gemini:

Our granite is juparana oro. The backsplash tile you see there is an inexpensive 4x4 porcelain tile. Sorry I don't remember the name but we got it at Lowes a few months ago, it is made in Italy and was $0.33/tile. It was on the shelves by all the tumbled marbled stuff that I think it's supposed to mimic. We mixed it with a tumbled marble noce pencil tile throughout:

And with a few handmade tiles behind the range:

The floor. It was the image I had from which all the rest of it evolved. A big thank you to those of you here who suggested Miracle 511 Seal and Enhance for it--it looks fabulous.

Second runner-up is the lighting.

Hi sixty..

For us..it is the footprint that changed..from small and cramped to spacious..well, spacious to US!

KA:)

Thanks Krabbypatty - I will go back to Lowe's and look.
Also looking at tile stores - so frustrating as the light is terrible! I grabbed a few tiles and took them home and yuck!!!!!!!

Over a year now in our kitchen.

1.Open-ended galley style. No one is trapped.

2. Drawers! Drawers!

3. The ECO countertop by cosentino. so clean and bright!!

Sorry. Couldn't narrow it down.

Right now?

The fact that our kitchen went from dark can-lights pre-ceiling flood (from a 20 y/o water heater in the attic above the right light and its cracked pan):

{{!gwi}}

...to lots of light from new pendants and a pretty blue ceiling (just need some crown moulding in there now) to brighten things up a LOT just before my big 40th birthday party this weekend (excuse the clutter on the back counter, we are still cleaning up from the weekend):

{{!gwi}}

That my DH built it and I designed it, and it is the perfect space for us to cook and drink our vino together!

polly929, the family that wines together, stays together :)