I am NO expert - but we have started the process of spec'ing out potential options - I found AJMadison site valuable for a guy just trying to leave from a start of zero. Based on some config constraints - I ended up looking at things like a FiveStar Duel Fuel (we needed the 24in depth but wanted a 36 inch 6 burner, a Leibheer 36 inch fridge french door bottom freezer, Dacor MW drawer, Meile dishwasher (mid line in their line), a Futro hood and ended up pricing out some basic stuff for a snack station on the lower level for the kids off the rec room/ media room - and included there a basic beverage center by Frigidare, a GE Profile MW, and a Bosch dishwasher - this all approached a bit over $17K at the internet site prices - I then called them directly with the same choices and they offered a package price that was over $2000 less right out of the gate - and free shipping/no tx - they said they could have done more but apparently the fridge we inquired about is a tank and has high shipping costs. I know it is a hodgepodge and most likely now what we will end up with, but I was trying to get a rough order of magnitude and see what they would do with a single phone call to press on price.

Love what you have done. You've had a big change in your life and I am loving how you are diving right in there and having fun with it. I love your new kitchen, it looks absolutely lovely. Your granite is a bit similar to mine but mine is a little more ivory. It reminds me of Juperana Tier, also. I love it. Looks great with all your other choices. Love you little doggie too. So sweet! Good match : )

***CROSSPOST from Finished Kitchen: Circa 1840 Farmhouse*** Hi all, Well, we've finally got a (mostly) finished kitchen! This kitchen's been in the planning stages for 8 years and I've been in and out of this forum for just about that long-- wow, time flies! Whether I've posted or just lurked, the information I've gotten here has been INVALUABLE. I can unequivocally say that my kitchen would not look anything like what it does without this Forum, and for that I offer my profound gratitude-- there is, quite literally, no way I could have done it without all of you, past and present. So, here are the photos of the finished result: For the entire album with detailed photos, just click on the link below any of the photos above! Here are the details: Cabinetry: IKEA Lidingo White (with glass uppers) for the perimeter, Tidaholm Brown/Black for the island Island Knobs & Pulls: Anne at Home Farm Collection and Lewis Dolin Glass Cup Pulls (from Myknobs.com) Perimeter Knobs and Pulls: Anne at Home Horse Collection, generic polished chrome knobs, cup pulls, and bar pulls (from Myknobs.com) Wall Paint: BM Revere Pewter Trim, Hood, and Fireplace Paint: Valspar Bright White (from Lowes) Perimeter Counters: IKEA Butcher Block, stained Black with India Ink and sealed with Waterlox Island Counter: IKEA Butcher Block, sealed with Watco food safe butcher block sealer Main Sink: Whitehaus 36" farm sink (from Vintagetub.com) Island Sink: IKEA single Domsjo, undermounted instead of the usual overmount installation Faucets: IKEA Hjuvik Refrigerator: Because we grow a lot of what we eat (so we don't need to store much) and have a large fridge in an adjacent laundry room, we chose a generic small undercounter fridge (Home Depot, off the shelf) Wine chiller: Sunbeam (Home Depot, off the shelf) Dishwashers: Kenmore and Hotpoint, both existing and 5-7 years old Microwaves: 8 year old Kenmores Island Oven: IKEA Datid 30" Hood: ProLine 36" range hood (from eBay) Range: IKEA Praktfull Pro A50 Backsplash Behind Range: Handthrown Williamsburg brick (local brickyard, left over from another project) Flooring: Lumber Liquidators, Hand Scraped Teak Island and Sink Pendants: IKEA Ottava Cabinet lights: IKEA Grundtal single puck lights Chandelier over the Table: Progress lighting, black 5-light chandelier (Home Depot, off the shelf) Fireplace: Style Selections 36" Vent Free LP fireplace (LoweÂs, off the shelf) A few notes about the remodel, just to hit some discussion points I see come up a lot in this Forum: Our kitchen lives in a big old 1840 farmhouse, which has been part of a working farm since the day it was built. Originally it was soybeans, but now it's part of a gentleman's farm (horses, heritage gardens and poultry), so everything has to be hard wearing and practical. It needs to stand up to heavy traffic, mud, hay, tools, and the occasional chicken (though usually when they wander in, they don't go much further than the family room, because they like the television). That definitely informed our choices for surfaces-- they needed to be hard cleanable, and ultimately easily refinished or replaced down the line. Because the entire house already has strong architectural elements (huge moldings and built-ins), we worked within the style we already had-- all the kitchen moldings, mantels, panels and cabinets match (or are closely styled after) what already exists in the house. We definitely didn't do a period kitchen (we wanted a 2010 layout with all the conveniences), but we wanted the kitchen to look like it belonged in the house. The big thing for us was budget-- believe it or not, the entire kitchen was done for UNDER $20K. Four big things contributed to that: 1/ We DIY'ed the ENTIRE project, start to finish. The only thing we hired out was the gas line install for the fireplace and range, because state law requires it. Other than that, all planning, demo, sourcing, and construction was on us. Might be why it took us 8 years. . . 2/ We reused what we could, and scrounged a lot, especially construction materials (which could have been buckets of money, considering all the custom work we did in the space), and kept what appliances we could. It was also a great way to be environmentally responsible on a project that, let's face it, has a lot of non-necessities involved. 3/ IKEA, IKEA, IKEA. If you're anywhere reasonably close to an IKEA, and you're on anything approaching a budget, go check it out. The cabinet quality for the price can't be beat (except for a few pockets of custom cabinet makers), and there are a lot of great accessories, appliances, lighting and other things to be had for a terrific price. As always, you have to pick and choose your items for quality and value, but at least in our experience, it is definitely there to be had for the buyer with a good eye. 4/ We didn't go for major appliance upgrades. Our whole family LOVES to cook (and eat!), and we wanted a great looking, functional space to do it all in, but we just weren't convinced that we needed more than the basics right now. If we want to upgrade down the line, it's easy enough to do, but right now our Wolf budget is standing in our barn eating hay, and our LaCanche budget is steered towards this Show Hunter prospect I have my eye on . . . So there's our formula for a great kitchen that works for us considering the (kind of odd!) parameters we had. Hope you all can take at least something useful away from our experience. I've submitted the kitchen to the FKB, and I'll answer whatever questions you've got. . . Thanks again, everyone!

I found this inspirational thread while searching for stained glass backsplashes. The idea of cutting my own backsplash tile out of stained glass to look like this has been tickling at my mind for the past couple days: We've only completed phase I of our renovation, and will wait a few months to replace the rest of the old cabinets (I painted them turquoise to have some fun in the interim months). Our kitchen renovation will come in right around the $10k mark, we think, in the end. Who knows what crazy ideas I'll come up with between now and May, when we undertake Phase II, of course. ;-) Phase I, Done!: --All cabinets, solid plywood/dovetail construction, RTA from Cabinets to Go: $5176 We assembled and installed, and will install the rest. --Stainless Steel Thermador gas cooktop, double ovens, and hood, $700 off Craigslist. --Viking microwave, 200 from Craigslist. --We did demo, removed the soffit (the first part of it, anyway, and will do the rest in May), did drywall patching, repainted the entire room. Cost: nothing but time and sore muscles. Well, the paint and primer cost about $80. --Granite countertops from a local shop that specializes in getting entire shipping containers full of common colors and selling them at a great price. The 3cm granite for the perimeter cost $1272 (including installation), and the island in May will cost about the same. So all told, figure about $2600. I'm still toying with the idea of a prefab island piece and installing it myself, which would save another $600. Minus the cost of the cookies it would take the bribe all my friends to help lift that sucker. --31 pulls, from Lowes, at $2.49 each = $77.19 --Ikea drawer kits and pulls to make my five secret toekick drawers, $150. --We're keeping the existing tile floor. It's not what I would have chosen for myself, but really, it's fine and looks plenty current. We already had the SS dishwasher. Free for settling for what we have. --$120 for fabric for the new curtains. $26 for the new curtain rods on clearance at Lowes. Nothing for the leftover fabric to re-upholster the kitchen chairs and nothing for the stain that was sitting in our garage to refinish the kitchen table. --Sink from Amazon ($405, free shipping) --faucet from Overstock ($176, free shipping) --Professional plumber and electrician to bring gas to the kitchen and move the electrical bits, $800. Grand total $10,510.19. Ok, so I've gone a little over. Isn't that always the case? ;-) Maybe closer to 11k once I've figured in the backsplash and lighting. I've been lusting after a fixture like this for years: I plan to make my own for over the island. I'm a tiara designer by profession, and have access to all sorts of wholesale Swarovski crystals. That project should run about $130. Backsplash, as I mentioned at the beginning of the post, is still being mulled over. So let's revive this marvelous post! What's new with you resourceful, crafty, thrifty, DIY-er types?