No issues here either - had some initial issues with the oven - took 2 replacements via Lowes vs. repair to get one with no issues but other than that, absolutely no problems. Ok, one, we have a cheap ikea faucet that I may or may not replace - don't care now and one day the faucet part came apart from the base so I was holding it in my hand and it was really really funny and in between laughing I turned the water off and my husband reattached it with no problems. We think moving it back and forth just made it loose - we were going to replace it and I turned the water off to have no damage so it wasn't a big deal but it was funny as it was unexpected.

I sometimes wonder about the same thing. We did our kitchen in 2005 and had been living with a small dark 70's kitchen for 15 years too. The new kitchen has held up well. The only real problem we've had was with the ISE hot water dispenser which bit the dust after warranty period - ISE provided replacement at cost. The only other thing that has fallen short of my expectations is my Miele dishwasher. I'd expected stellar performance for my top dollar and instead I've gotten etched glassware and only use one of the many cycles since anything hotter supposedly will etch things even worse. So I don't use it for anything but my cheapest glassware when I thought it would be useful for china and crystal as it is described to be.

Aside from those things the new kitchen is just a joy. One of the nicest things is that it has more space. Everything is no longer crammed into a small U shaped, dead end galley space since we expanded the kitchen to include the previous informal dining area - and added an island with seating on three sides. I think the island is the biggest functional improvement. It is in use all the time both for us and and guests always gravitate there too.

Functionally I'm sure I could have been just as satisfied with less expensive appliances, cabinets, etc. But esthetically I'm not so sure. I still just love walking into the "new" kitchen and taking it all in - or sitting at the island in the now pleasing surroundings - that includes both what's inside the kitchen and the view outside as well. It's kind of like The Not So Big House concept - if you've ever read that. Where you invest more of your money in pleasing, interesting architectural detail and less $ to have a bigger house. I really enjoy the esthetically pleasing details though the $ spent do not make the kitchen any more functional. I too feel very, very fortunate that I was able to do this - something I never thought I'd be able to do.

gibby3000, could you be using too much dish detergent in you dishwasher? That's supposedly one reason for etched glassware these days. Also, I'm told we're not supposed to rinse our dishes before putting them in(scrape off any large chunks) since the enzymes in the detergent need something to attack. If they find no food, they go after the glassware.

Our kitchen was pretty much done June of 2005 and it's been holding up very well. We had a warranty repair of the F&P dishdrawer dw (the water sensor alarm went off indicating a leak but none was found) and there's a small leak in the drain of our main sink. I see the leaking around a gasket. We've held off calling the plumber because we keep expecting to call him to hook up our upstairs bathroom, but it's at a standstill (like the last 5% of our kitchen.)

Like others, I really enjoy the new kitchen. It's the only place in our house that's pulled together. So wonderful to have places to put everything, floors and counters that are easy to clean, and no more traffic jams at the sink and range.

zelmar - trust me - I've tried everything recommended by Miele and people here over the last 2.5 years. Something about my situation (whole house softener) just doesn't work optimally with my Miele machine.

We remodeled our entire house in 1989/90 and updated the kitchen and baths in 2003 (new counters, faucets, some new appliances).

- Hated the Moen faucet, so-so on the Grohe Ladylux Plus.

- Kohler cast iron Exec Chef sink was a workhorse but we hated the double. Vastly prefer the super-single Swanstone.

- We installed a huge wall of picture windows (24' long and 14' high) which is wonderful for natural daylight - but it also bleached the sheet vinyl flooring and wood cabinet moldings, and killed the refrig in 8 yrs. Had to coat the windows, but am glad we put in laminate cabs (the most UV resistant) even if the resale would be better with wood cabs.

- Adore the frameless cabs: storage, storage, storage! Have had no trouble with the high-density particleboard boxes. Even a small leak in the Moen faucet for 6 months did no visible damage to the sink cab. The shelves are sturdy, the hardware has operated without a flaw, the laminate is a miracle of easy cleaning. I just wish they still made this line of cabs: Kraftmaid stopped selling it in the late '90's. I'd take them with me when I leave, if I could manage it.

- GE makes horrible DWs, especially from the '80's and early '90's period. So why our Kenmore/GE DW refuses to die is a complete puzzle to me! One of these days I'll get a better-cleaning DW in here, though - this one is slowly rusting out. But of course, the rust never gets on the dishes nor impedes its operation, LOL.

- Although I'd love to replace my range and refrig just to have those gorgeous new pro-style appliances that are now available, I've really no excuse for doing so. Mine work beautifully and are suitable for our starter home neighborhood. But I still might do it anyway just for my own fun, hehehe.

- The layout, which I did myself, has a few minor flaws but no biggies. It's the most efficient use of space (U-shaped) and miles above what most cooks have to deal with. After almost 20 yrs, people who see it still find it visually pleasing and it works well for 1 cook or 4 (my whole family likes to cook).

All these years and I still smile every time I walk into my kitchen. I love working in it, and that's what counts in the end, I guess.

gibby3000,That is interesting your referencing to the Not So Big House concept; our kitchen is somewhat along those principals. It is not huge, but plenty roomy for us; highly functional for lots of cooking and easy cleaning; materials beautiful, so pleasing to look at (but first functional). We were able to get some very nice appliances for much less by using floor models, etc.
I had been looking at the finished kitchen blog this morning, and just got to wondering about some of the very beautiful "earlier" kitchens from several years ago or so and how they worked out day to day.

We completed our complete kitchen remodel in Nov 2004. We had to repair the oven once, had to replace the insinkerator hot water dispenser tank, and have had some trouble with the KA refrigerator's ice maker. All of this I consider to be relatively minor and not totally shocking or unexpected. I mean, you buy a ton of new stuff all at once, ya gotta hit some bumps.

After the KA ice maker konked out on us a couple of times, we got the extended warrantee, something I almost never buy, but I'm glad I did. It's just not the best ice maker but I actually love the fridge otherwise.

There are a couple of minor details that are easy to see that I should have done differently, now that I'm using the kitchen every day but that weren't so easy to figure out at the time. MInor being the key word here.

In spite of those things, I'm still thrilled. After close to four years, my kitchen is still "new" to me. I love my step-in pantry, my large bay window, my granite countertops, my appliance garage, my brookhaven frameless cabinets, and my travertine floor tile. Some of the things I agonized over like my pulls & knobs, and the black trim in my crown molding, turned out perfectly.

I designed the layout myself and I'm glad I did because it works perfectly for me. I still love my "grapes/wine" theme and my colors. AND I still get compliments on my kitchen regularly.

Yeah, I can honestly say that after 4 years, my kitchen is holding up well and I'm very happy.

We've done some additional things to the house since then, all relatively minor compared to the kitchen, but my big plan is to remodel the hall bath, convert a small bedroom into a master bath, and remodel the master bedroom including demolishing the existing master bath. This project will be at least as crazy as the kitchen was! However I won't be starting on it for several years -- got two kids in college right now, plus a few more "minor" projects to do in the interim.

Great thread, I'm looking forward to reading more feedback.

We passed the 3 year mark in August. I don't visit here very often anymore, but his thread caught my eye. We got a new cartridge for our under the sink water purifier. That is all. Everything is still working just fine. Miele dishwasher, Bosch oven and stove top, GE Profile microwave, and fridge. Haven't had to make a service call at all. Full extension drawers instead of cabinets with pullouts are the feature I like most.

-Babka

jkom51:
Would you be able to post a picture of your kitchen please?

Your message caught my eye when you mentioned the UV and the laminate cabinets. I am going to add a whole wall of windows when I remodel my kitchen, and was going to stay with maple cabinets because I wasn't sure how 'cheapie' the laminate ones might look. Your post is making me rethink going with the laminate cabinets.

Thanks!