I think it's doable, but you have to find ways of integrating the new and old finishes. An example is having the cabinet around the sink match the cabs on the other side of the kitchen. If you look at photos of unfitted kitchens and others with two or more finishes, pay attention to how the different features integrate. I once lived and cooked aboard a sail boat for a year. Your kitchen doesn't sound so small. ;)

I also think it's doable. Have you looked through the FKB? I will link it below. It's comprised mostly of GW kitchens. You can look at them by name and categories can be singled out on the far right upper side.

Here is a link that might be useful: FKB

Here is another great website for inspiration. It was also started by a GW member.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kitchens We Love

Your dimensions are nearly identical to ours, except ours wasn't open on the ends. We opened up part of a wall, and added cabinets in our remodel.

Are you leaving everything that is already there in place, and just adding additional cabinetry? How is it laid out now?

kitchendetective, I like the idea of changing one of the existing cabs to match the new ones, to tie the two walls together. LOL, this kitchen doesn't seem small to me either, my previous one was 8' x 8' for 13 years. My SO referred to it as a "one butt" kitchen.

Allison, I have looked at the FKB before but didn't think to look this time. Duh. Thanks for th eother link too, I hadn't seen it before.

Revans, I hope to leave as much in place as possible. The budget simply isn't there for a gut job (I am in the process of an essential one on the bathroom and that's been quite enough of an adventure!)

"Before" pictures are at the link below (this is the beginnings of a before-and-after site I've just started)

Layout: on the existing N wall, West to East
30" base cab with upper above
30" range with short upper above and place for a hood fan
30" base with upper above
36" sink base with standard SS double sink, window above
24" dishwasher with upper above
36" base with upper above

E wall is all open to the dining room, there's a pantry round the corner in the DR

S wall is currently, East to West
24" freezer
6'6" table
30" fridge
18" clear wall space (planning to set a 12" deep x 30" wide tall cabinet against the side of the fridge so it faces W)
36" doorway to back hall
about 10" to W wall

W wall has a window which comes down to just above counter height, nothing else

There's no place to expand or knock out walls: N is the driveway, already non-conforming on my narrow lot, and S is 2 sets of stairs, down and up.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pics of current kitchen

Is this about right for where you are now?

{{!gwi}}

Yep, that's it

Well, I'll offer this as the opinion of an untalented guy who has done exactly one kitchen remodel in his life. If I were you, I think I'd avoid upper cabinets on the South wall altogether, unless you just really have to have the storage space. As I said, our space is almost exactly this size, and we went with very few uppers. Really made a big difference in how open and roomy it seemed. Best decision we made, probably.

FWIW, I'm giving you a link to our photos. They're not very well organized, but it is a kitchen that is very similar to yours in size.

Are you wanting to keep the freezer in the kitchen? Could it go in the pantry, maybe? Also (or alternatively), do you have room on the South wall, amongst the stairway, to recess one or both? That has been done here with great results.

Here is a link that might be useful: photos

Kevin,

personally i think it might be a little busy to do more than one cabinet finish. I think if you went with one it would be more cohesive and would allow you to do more with your other finishes such as flooring, tile, paint, appliances, etc.

One question/idea... could the doorway to the back hall move 18" East? this would allow for that West wall to house base cabinets and other things that might optimize your space ... perhaps you could enlarge the window on that wall, have a whole wall of windows ... it would make for a nice prep area. just a thought.

my kitchen is not that big either and we toyed with the idea of having a different colored island than the rest, but in the end, I thought the overall look would be diminished by doing so due to the smallish size I have.

good luck.

Revans, thanks for the photos. Nice job! The fridge is currently recessed stud depth into the wall, but any further would have it hanging out over the basement stairs. The pantry is over the stairs, too, and has a sloped floor.

The freezer is a small one, and will fit under a counter, so I'm OK with keeping it on that wall - I grow a big garden and cook ahead a lot, so I use all that freezer space plus the one over the fridge.

mamadadapaige, I think if I had all one cabinet type/finish one one side of the room, and something different on the other side, it would looked "tacked on", but I like the idea of having one cabinet on the existing side changed to match the new ones. And really, it only needs to be the doors. It would be hard to match new to old without replacing all the old doors.

The edge of the doorway is bang up against the top of the basement stairs, so can't move in that direction. I am thinking of having a shallow work surface on that W window wall (more of a wide shelf, really) with the recycling bins under it, shallow enough not to get in the way. I might have to sacrifice the very W-most drawer and base cab on the N wall to do that. OTOH, I also use that space for a plant-starting light stand in the spring, so I may just leave it empty.

I'm waiting too, to find out how the kitchen works for 2 people long term instead of just me, when my SO moves in in a few weeks

Thanks to all for suggestions. This is a future project, so I'm not in any great hurry, just mulling ideas.

Kevin

Instead of uppers, how do you feel about open shelves and/or a plate rack? You could do them on one side instead of cabinets or even mix it up. Even glass doors for glasses/dishes would make one side not as "heavy."

allison, that's a good thought. At the moment I have all open shelves by default as I took all the doors off the uppers, they were so ugly!