tomatofreak, I use my laptop on my island all the time. Easy to unplug and move it when needed. It also keeps me right in the middle of what is happening.

room for a kegerator

There is nothing more I can do in the space in this house. But, if I hit it big, I would have a pantry, a dog feeding station, a freezer in the kitchen and the invisible chef and cleaning up person. I don't want to see them, just have them magically cook and clean.

In our kitchen refresh I am getting most of what I really wanted: a new awesome range, steam oven, single bowl deep sink, and pull outs retrofitted to some cabinets.

What I am not getting, is a longer single run of counter top space, new cabinets, or a mudroom addition. I decided to embrace our vintage cabinets which actually do have a lot of charm.

A 36" range. I had the chance and space to do it and just didn't think about doing it. Woulda, coulda, shoulda.

I just redid my kitchen, but we kept the existing footprint. If I could have changed it I would have had a big island with nothing on it- no sink or cooktop, just counter space. I also would have loved a window over the sink.
And one small thing I didn't get was a drawer for utensils under the cooktop- the installer had to remove the drawer because the cooktop came down too low and interfered with the drawer operation. Going to get a rev-a shelf pull out drawer for the cabinet, but not the same.

I wish I had a pile of cash sitting in my kitchen to allow me to get rid of my soffits & reroute plumbing!

I love my new kitchen, but with the constraints of space I could not put in a wall oven. I would have LOVED a range top and a wall oven. Bending over is difficult. D...N. No room, no way for a wall oven.

But, hey, that's the only thing--except to bring the sink window down to countertop level. That shoulda been a no brainer and I didn't think of it.

A ginormous window, preferably down to the counter with the granite running out on it.

Sliding backsplash with hidden storage (I looked very hard at this, just no place it would be feasible).

Pull out trash and recyclables with foot release or servo.

Slide in range (would have happened if Old Sparky hadn't started tripping the circuit breaker so much, had to replace months before the reno)

Book shelves

Tapmaster

Toe kick drawers

But I'm very happy with what I DO have, it is so much better than what I started with! This house is just not worth the time and expense to make it another level of awesome, it's already got quite an edge on the rest of the houses here with this floor plan.

I wish I had a team of chefs in my kitchen. And of course the team would be led by Curtis Stone.

Oh, Bee! CEFreeman likes her "eye candy" http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg022010486051.html but I'm partial to pictures of "stone"!
I have an interior kitchen with 12ft ceilings, I'd be thrilled with a sunlight.

I don't know if he can cook.

I never understood a TV in the kitchen but now that my reno is done and it is baseball season, I can see a reason for it. The evening games are often played while I am cooking so it would be nice to keep glancing at the computer to see the game while I am cooking...

I'm surprised to read so many of you don't like to cook?
This is the kitchen forum isn't it?

This is the kitchen forum and most of us are fortunate to have kitchens because it's where food is prepared, cooked and often eaten.

I've been cooking for over 60 years and I'm tired of it. You fix a meal and, damn, in a few hours you're hungry all over again and have to fix something else. I love good food and I would be thrilled to bits if someone else came into my kitchen and cooked for me. It wouldn't matter if s/he looked like the backside of a bus if the food was good.

Right now I have a hankering for Middle Eastern fare please.

LOL linelle! I've been cooking for not quite 60 years, and love to cook, but I can relate... although, my wife does make a pretty good tuna sandwich ;)
Maybe I should drop in the cooking forum for some encouragement...

Linelle- you are my kind of gal.
I would take dear Johnny standing in my kitchen 24/7 if I could.

I will say I LOVE to cook, which is why I became the defacto host for all family gatherings when I was in my 20s.

But I sure could use a handy clean up guy, especially if he looked like Johnny. I can't really complain though. My hubby is great.

Every time we host a family gathering/party (about 12-15 times a year) he immediately goes into the kitchen to start cleaning up.

He may not do it on a daily basis but hey, he is the one working 40-50 hour weeks outside the house so I really can't complain!

Two more feet. And I don't mean the kind that come at the ends of legs. I want two more feet of kitchen in both directions.

Coming back to reality... I want proper ventilation over a cook top that isn't in my small island.

Omigosh, I had no idea there are so many comedians here! I'd take Curtis Stone in a NY minute if he cooked and J Depp if he just stood there!

Things you've reminded me of:

Windows!! Because we stole space for the kitchen from a humongous garage, the sink faces a wall. However.... one wall is 16' high and I do have a really big skylight and a French door. I usually only need the lights on when it's dark.

A 36" range. I packed up my vintage gas O'Keefe and Merritt range when I thought we were moving (can't tell you how many time I've thought that, ugh) in favor of a modern 30" stove. The O'K & M is hands down better than the newer models. I'm still hoping to move and use it again.

I'd never heard of toe kick drawers or tapmasters before joining this forum. The drawers sound like a great idea and I still don't know what a tapmaster is!

I want Curtis Stone to do my grocery shopping for me and then I'd always have nicely ripened fruits and vegetables and matching wines.

I've said it more than once: It would be really nice to have a sink in the same room with the range and refrigerator. I don't feel that should be too much to ask.

In most kitchens, this goes without saying. Sadly, not in mine.

Two things:

#1. A Silgranit sink to replace my stainless steel sink. I am tired of the water spots and scratches, and my friend has the large super single silgranit which she has told me (um, too many times if you ask me) is care-free and looks like it was installed yesterday.

#2. A fully-integrated Subzero or Miele fridge with the awesome cool hinges. I have a run-of-the-mill Kitchenaid fridge which works fine--yawn--but, I admit it, I am SHALLOW AND WANT THE FRIDGE BLING of a Miele or Subzero. There, I said it.

ctycdm, do you mean me? Oh, I love to cook, don't get me wrong. But I'd love my kitchen even more if someone else cooked (and looking like that doesn't hurt) and then I could just enjoy the view while sipping my wine and watching. And of course Curtis would also bring a team of dishwashers to clean up the kitchen.

Ooh, I have another one! I wish I had an easy-reach corner cab insead of the diagonal one I have now. Practically empty because it is practically useless.

I have a cute cook and dishwasher (lucky me) and another cook/dishwasher just moved in!

According to me, I wish we had a prep sink. Just not justifiable in our smallish kitchen.

My husband (cook #1) now wishes for a cooktop and oven/micro stack instead of a range after he became addicted to The Great British Bakeoff. We would have had to sacrifice the pantry to get it (smallish kitchen) or put the cooktop on the peninsula.

Last wish, I now see we could have extended our peninsula counter and made a seat at the end. It would be a quick/cheap fix ($200 of butcher block, $100 labour) but husband is so not ready to go there so soon after the reno. As is inevitably someone drags a stool around to the end. This would also give a little extra elbow room to the three stools in the current six feet of counter. 24" per head is a minimum but we would have been more comfortable with 30" to 36".

I find with peninsula/island seating it seems like there's never enough!

Greenhaven,
I recently posted my angled corner wall cabs which have super susans in them.
If you didn't see it, it might give you some ideas. I LOVE mine! Super use of space.

My second entry in that thread is to an older post which tells how we retrofitted the susans into the corner wall cabs.

Apologies to Tomatofreak for hijacking this thread, but it might be helpful to Greenhaven in her "wish-I'had" corner.

Now if someone can please tell me how to retrofit a counter-length window over my sink as a DIY project!

Here is a link that might be useful: Super susans in angled corner wall cabs

This post was edited by Bellsmom on Mon, Aug 11, 14 at 9:43

Well if wishes were horses, I have an enormous horse ranch! LOL

In my current kitchen, in my current home, I have everything I want. I have a small house, small kitchen, small budget.

BUT, my dream kitchen, that's another story! I'd like a huge wall of windows, a big island, open into a family room with a fireplace and a tv and my kids. And, you know, the eye candy wouldn't hurt. ;)

I wish I had a spot for one stool in my little kitchen. When cooking, I usually have others sitting across from me at the stools on the raised bar. Having one on my side while I'm tending the meal would be nice.

For those wondering (it was new for me too...gotta love GW)...

Here is a link that might be useful: Tapmaster

"I've been cooking for over 60 years and I'm tired of it. You fix a meal and, damn, in a few hours you're hungry all over again and have to fix something else. "

I know. that's a real bummer, isn't it? Same with grocery shopping. I do it and then 4 or 5 days later I'm getting down to eating stuff I really don't want to eat and I'm out of something important (means I really want it).

reading '60 yrs of cooking' I thought 'YIKES'. Then I realized I've been doing it for over 50... gee, how time flies...I don't do much anymore. Unless you call scrambling eggs, a grilled cheese etc 'cooking'. I guess it is... I just don't do much more than that anymore. My BIL cooks tho and I go there sometimes for a decent cooked meal! I need to add him to my prayer list...

I'd be happy to have a gc and a cook/housekeeper in my kitchen.

A husband that could read and follow recipes. Not fair that he's retired while I still work and have to come home and prepare dinner every night. That ain't going to happen anytime soon so I'd take better water pressure in my sink.

I'm getting most of what I want in the new kitchen, but it's still not perfect. I'd like another foot in ceiling height, a longer run of counter next to the sink, a bigger freezer (will supplement with a basement freezer) and a pantry.

Space.

I will be getting a kitchen that can not be added on to any more than it is due to set backs (not a problem in 1895 when all the land is yours) I will have a kitchen that is less than 8 feet wide, but 18 feet long, only it is the most used entry to the house that splits it in half. Oh and the wall I would love to open up is a major load bearing wall and my budget does all allow to change that either.

Second thing....the budget to match my wishes.

Oh well, some day when I post my reveal it will probably include references to craigslist :)

I live in a decent sized apartment that is horribly laid out. I have a galley kitchen and a huge bathroom. The tenants below me have it reversed with a huge kitchen and a galley bathroom. I've asked them to switch apartments but they won't lol.

What I would love in my kitchen is more cabinet and counter space. I have pots, pans, baking dishes, and small appliances overflowing everywhere. Last weekend I moved some less frequently used appliances and pans to a closet in the dining room. My portable dishwasher is breaking down and I would love a built in but that's not possible. I think my kitchen just needs a stick of dynamite!

another 2" of counter depth

"I think my kitchen just needs a stick of dynamite!"

Well, mike1975, now that you mention it! I've kept the comments to the kitchen, but my house is like your apartment - horribly laid out. I have a huge space on the other side of one of the galley walls that I could move the entire kitchen into; however, I don't want to stay in this house. :(

nhbaskets, I can relate to this: "A husband that could read and follow recipes." I'd just like one who's willing to come into the kitchen and prep for me. Or clean up and put away. He's lived here the same amount of time I have and has not the foggiest idea where *anything*goes.

bigger kitchen overall
eat-in kitchen (we eat in dining room)
walk in pantry
freezer column - we have a freezer downstairs but it would be nice not run up and down so much... BJ's stuff takes up so much room
TV in kitchen (baseball, football games)
designated place for laptop

i really shouldn't complain b/c i do love my kitchen but if we are dreaming......Mario Bartoli, Jose Garces, michael symon, bobby flay....i do love to cook, but it would be soooo nice to just sit down to a fab meal...it always tastes better when u don't cook it!!!!

A house elf, to do my dishes!

We are in the middle of a "refresh", and I have to admit that I'm finding myself wishing that we had just basically gutted and started from scratch with a kitchen designer leading the way on all of it. Mostly because for what it's costing in the end, doing it that way probably wouldn't have been that much more expensive (isn't that how it always works out). Specifically, so that I could have had higher quality cabinetry with big lower drawers instead of cabinets. BUT, I'm quite certain that I'll be thrilled when we're done. It's more that we're at the 'starting to see it, but still a ways to go" phase.

No ants.

I'll have to go with the tapmaster.

I don't mind cooking but if I had a sous chef to do the prep, that would be good, LOL

How about what I have that I don't want: our W/D are in the kitchen.

I shot myself in the foot on this one: I have a peninsula that I deliberately did not want to use with stools--to force us to use the dining room. Didn't help--people still want to sit at the peninsula and I don't have any overhang at the end--should have just bit the bullet and done it. Yes, and ants.....I have an Armenian friend who keeps saying, in a strong Armenian accent, "It's their time to go through...."

I'd rather they went around!

2 dishwashers.

With 4 kids, entertaining a LOT, people here all the time in the summer, cooking from scratch, dirty pots, roasting pans, giant mixing bowls, etc, etc. Really could use another dishwasher. By the time the quickest cycle is finished, the sink and counter are piled high with stuff to go in the next cycle.

Sorry I couldn't resist. I think Giada would be my first choice, but any prep-chef would be fantastic.

Okay, since we are going this way, I'd have this chef. Instead we're naming our french blue Lacanche range 'Jacque'

Storage, more storage, a refrigerator that is not in the corner so that I can open the door all the way, a range that works, a hood with outside venting, a high arch faucet, and under cabinet lighting. Can you tell we are pre-reno?! LOL.

To get the kitchen I would really like, we need a different house or a bigger budget. Reality check--won't move--house is paid off, we are retired, and too much work. :) Have to figure out my absolute no compromise items and learn how to s-t-r-e-t-c-h the dollar.

tea4all, I think we are in the same boat. Need a different house, actually bought another house, decided it was not the right house and after spending god-knows-how-much-money on a reno to sell it, I doubt I'll have two nickels to put into the kitchen I have now. So I guess what I really don't have in my kitchen that I wish I had is another house around it!

Tomatofreak, I understand. All we can do is make the best decisions with the information we have at the time. Hopefully after we do this kitchen DH will not decide he is ready to put the rest of the work in to move--and it will be to a lovely first floor living but a not so functional kitchen. Ooy!

Good luck to you! I hope you can do some things in your kitchen to make it more functïonal for you.