Wow, it looks great! I like that you have the before's and after's taken from the same spot so you can really see the differences.

This is a good example of a kitchen done on a reasonable budget that looks as good (or better) then many kitchens that cost twice as much.

What a wonderful transformation. And on a budget too. Really great work. I know you'll enjoy it every time you walk through the door (not to mention actually cooking in it!!). Congratulations.

Congratulations on such a remarkable transformation. It looks so much better. Your new island is such an improvement over the structure that was there before. I like the black cabinet in the corner, it looks great with the stools. Great use of your budget!

Wow! And only $20K? You really know how to stretch a budget. Great job!

BEAUTIFUL. Congrats. Love the island.

I love the transformation especially the gorgeous granite, your beautiful floors that look very real, the free space now over the new pretty kitchen cabinets with the stylish updated hardware, the pendants, the colorful spice arrangement, and the other very nice changes. It is amazing you were able to stay under budge. Thanks for sharing.

Nice job - I love your choices. It must be great to be done!

Great job, it looks FABULOUS!!!! Now you can enjoy it.

Thanks for the compliments! It helped that I had two appliances I did not have to replace & did not do any structural changes.

I interviewed 5 GC's & they were all over budget, but close. I wanted them to do it for $15K (w/out appliances). #6 came in & said no way, but wanted to do a design for me anyway. I called him back a few days later & said there really was no point if he couldn't meet my budget. His partner called me back & said they wanted to come back & "re-evaluate" & suddenly they could give me everything for 15K. I guess in this economy, something is better than nothing. They checked out with the BBB & Attorney General's Office, so they were hired. Included - cabinets, countertops, sink, backsplash, electrical, plumbing, cans, floor & all labor.

I spent $2000 on appliances, $400 on my faucet (my biggest splurge IMO) & $200 on the black cabinet (ebay) & another $1000 on pendants, chairs, cabinet hardware, misc decor & new dishes (couldn't bring my old dishes back into that nice new kitchen lol).

Love the rich color of your countertops and love the beautiful wood of the island to contrast the cabinets! Definitely moved the kitchen from the 80's to today!

You did a great job - wonderful. I'm sure you're really enjoying it. Love the look of your range. You island looks great and very functional. Congratulations on a great job.

Wow! What a beautiful and warm kitchen you created! And for such a great price too! I love how the granite ties in the two cabinet colors, and your pretty floors keep the space light and bright! Enjoy!

This is lovely! I love the white with rich brown accents.

I find it interesting that you have shrunk the footprint of the stove/rangetop area and evened out the multi-height surfaces. Many posters go the other way. This is a modest, consolidated, and probably very efficient design for a working kitchen of this size. (Downright classic, perhaps.) The space is pleasant and inviting. Traffic control is good. Good work!

Your story of working with the contractor is a cautionary tale for all of us, again reminding us about good sense and financial responsibility. Your collaboration produced a good thing.

Am curious as to what that unit on the ceiling was.

LOVE IT!! Great job and congratulations!!

Great job! I love the paint color- happy cooking!

I actually thought your old kitchen looked pretty nice considering its age but your new kitchen is outstanding! I really like the table peninsula area with the barstools. What a great place to sit and be part of the kitchen. It's all very lovely.

How do you like your Frigidaire appliances? We have a new Frigidaire Gallery wall oven and micro and considered the "Professional" line that you have. Not sure I love the oven, but it's an improvement over my broken 1976 one.

Anyway - great job on a budget kitchen that certainly doesn't look budget. Enjoy!

The difference is stunning!! Congratulations. What a lovely kitchen.

Wow! What a lovely transformation :)

Congratulations on a great job! I hope you enjoy it for many years to come. Your "old" bar stools are what I grew up with in the 60's,only ours were stained and varnished.

Wow!!! I just saw 2 really nice $20K renovations! You did a great job. Looks like a very nice comfortable kitchen. Congratulations...

Looks beautiful! Great job!

Looks terrific. Can I have your old red bar chairs? ;)

Your new kitchen is lovely! Happy cooking!

Beautiful! Great job! It is so inviting now... makes me want to come visit and sit at the island :)

Florantha - thank you for the comments. Like you said, trading in double ovens & a 7 burner cooktop for a 30" range seems to be backwards, but since we moved in 6 years ago, neither oven worked properly & only 1 of the big burners & 2 of the small burners on the cooktop worked, so I actually feel like this is a major upgrade. I thought about replacing the appliances with something similar, but the thought of having extra counter space was more appealing to me.

The structure hanging from the ceiling... originally there was another row of cabinets hanging from it. It totally broke up the room, so my DH removed them when we first moved in. But we didn't want to deal with repairing the ceiling, so we left the soffit - strange I know, but better than it was before with cabinets there.

Three Daisies - I haven't had a chance to use the oven yet lol! It just got hooked up, so I plan on cooking a ton this weekend - can't wait! I also have an upright Frigidaire freezer in my pantry that I've had for a few years - always had good luck with Frigidaire, so it was an easy decision for me, plus the price was great for all the features & pro look.

jilljohn - that's funny that you had the same stools in the 60s!! I think these have been painted over several times.

sabjimata - well I was going to say you could have the stools, but according to jilljohn they are antiques, so you'll have to pay a premium lol!!

Wow! Talk about getting the most bang for your buck :-) It look so nice and open now. Great job! (love that bevel edge on your beautiful granite)

LOVELY!!!!

Bang for your buck is right. You must love having granite and functional appliances :-). It's very nice.

Wow, what a transformation! I love the warmth of your new place - that granite is amazing. That was a very funky island/eating area you had going on in the old kitchen and the new setup looks so much more streamlined and efficient. Great job!

Boy this was a fun day! I'm exhausted, but I had to make sure that every function of my new range worked ;) - 6 casseroles, brownies, muffins & a batch of pesto for some chicken about to go in the oven.

Really - its for my awesome neighbors that generously brought us meals while we were without a real kitchen

Now I feel at home in my new kitchen :)

Hi keptoz -
Would it be ok if I add your kitchen in the Finished Kitchens Blog? Archiving a kitchen in the FKB allows forum members access to your kitchen details and photos long after this thread has scrolled off the forum.
Please either indicate your permission in this thread or send me an email (starpooh@gmail.com).
Then, in the next few weeks, submit the FKB Category Checklist so I can easiy categorize the details of your kitchen.
Thank you!!!

Here is a link that might be useful: FKB Category Checklist

It looks very lovely...The granite is beautiful...great job!

Very nice, although, if it worked, I would have kept the old, and very cool looking, retro range hood!

This is just beautiful. I especially love the wall color with the granite color--nice and complementary. The four stools at right angles are also conducive to great conversations....congratulations!

Starpooh - yes - I would love it if you included my kitchen in the finished blog. I will forward the checklist to you.

wa8b - - the hood most definitely was cool, but did not work at all. I tried to sell it on craigslist, but did not get any bites (I did manage to sell the nonworking Thermador double ovens though!) It was not the style I was going for, but certainly would have been great in the right kitchen. MY GC wound up taking it - probably to sell for scrap.