Finished! White (with blue island), soapstone, etc. (pic heavy)
We've taken some time off from reading this forum (new baby came 4 weeks after we were substantially complete on the kitchen!), but we just got back the photos that our contractor's professional photographer took, so we thought we'd do the final unveil.
When we moved into this house 17 months ago, we knew we'd need to update the kitchen. It was the size of a postage stamp and cut off from the rest of the house. See original floor plan here:
We really wanted a kitchen that would be open to our family room, would have eat-in space not separated by a brick wall, and - of course - more space. So we decided to take out the wall between the original kitchen and dining room, move the dining room to what used to be a formal living room that we never used, and taking out the wall between the old kitchen/dining rooms and a breezeway type area that was mostly wasted space.
After discussions with several design/build firms and countless hours of looking at floor plans posted to this site (thank you, those who gave us valuable input!), we pretty much designed the floor plan ourselves and then found a contractor who was willing to do it. We did have to convince him that we really did want this design. He wanted us to have a U-shaped kitchen with a peninsula instead of the island, but we really wanted the circular flow plan and felt strongly that we wanted 2 separate cabinet runs that make a disconnected "L" so we didn't have any corner cabinets. (With his design we would have had 2 corners on an 11-foot wall). What we ended up with was mostly like this:
Changes to this design included moving the warming drawer to the island, putting the icemaker to the right of the prep sink, and shrinking down the island a bit. We also moved things around within the mudroom. Generally speaking, this is substantially what we ended up with.
This was no small construction feat - we took out 2 walls, including one load-bearing wall to combine 2 rooms and an old breezeway into a single kitchen and then added a mudroom. From the first sledgehammer to the final nail, it took about 16 weeks. There were a few in the middle when we thought that the baby would come first but they got it done on time and for that we are super grateful!
For those who want to know what is what:
Cabinets - CWP (we originally wanted Crownpoint, but decided we wanted something made closer to where we live - VA - and less expensive). So far we've been pleased though the wainscot still needs to be touched up. We're glad we did the blue island with the white surrounding cabinets. It gives the room some personality, looks great with the soapstone and matches my Polish pottery!
Counters and sinks - soapstone from Buck's County. Love it.
Rangetop, hood and ovens - Wolf
Fridge - 48" Subzero
Warming drawer - Miele - we still don't really use this...
Dishwasher - Miele
Microwave - GE spacesaver. We went through a lot of angst with our contractor on the placement of this. We had this location in a prior kitchen and really liked it but he never did. We still like it!
Wine fridge - U-line
Ice Maker - SZ (found used on Craigslist!)
Backsplash - carrara marble (we originally wanted plain white but hired a designer for a few hours of input and he recommended this - we really like how it ties together the grey in the soapstone and the white in the cabinets)
Knobs and pulls- RH
Latches - can't remember, but found them from the Christopher Peacock look-alike kitchen blog
Faucets - KWC except for the filter/insta-hot which is Waterstone (I thought I would love the pull down one but I actually like the pull-out one at our cleanup sink more)
Pendants - Hudson Valley
Floors - White oak in kitchen, soapstone in mudroom. We had 3 different materials in the 3 rooms that were combined to make this (cork, wood, and slate) and had a hard time deciding what we wanted to have. In the end, we went with wood and stained it to match the adjacent dining room.
The pictures:
The old:
The new:
To orient yourself, the pantry to the left of the fridge is in the same location that our old fridge was!
Comments (64)
14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
Related Discussions
Finished Bathroom Pics (two bathrooms!)--very pic heavy
Comments (41)Wooo!!! Cat, I am stuck at home because of the snow storm so wandered around here not looking at anything in particular and came upon your thread. I totally agree with you on the shower curtain choice. Regardless of whether I have the money to spare or not, keeping those suckers clean is a nuisance over time. We have a glass shower door that was installed back in 2003 and I can't tell you how much I hate cleaning it. Not that the door is all that dirty, but a shower curtain is way easier, and you can change the look/style whenever you feel like it. Can't do that with a pricey shower door. Anyway, everything looks lovely as usual, including the "prom" dress :-) Love, love those circular tiles, and the floor tiles that look like fabric. Gorgeous. What colour is that again? It looks greyish on my monitor....See MoreFinished pics - Creamy white, stained island
Comments (68)I am fairly new to this forum and have enjoyed browsing through all of the lovely kitchens and reading the comments but I have yet to comment myself. Until now...I must tell you- I LOVE your kitchen!! It's my 'dream' kitchen! We are getting ready to do a full remodel of our kitchen and I am completely stuck on the cabinets. Due to our budget, we have selected Mid Continent Cabinetry and I cannot decide on a door style!?! :-\ Would you mind helping me select a door style that would be similar to yours? I can't exactly tell from the pictures just what yours look like and since every company offers something different, I'm just not sure which one to go with! Here is the link to the Mid Continent site: http://midcontinentcabinetry.com/Products/Signature_Series/ We will be going with the Signature Series, full-overlay door. I am considering the Adams with the 5-piece drawer option (least expensive) in the Traditional door style, the Concord (mid-expensive level) or the Mission (most expensive) both with the 5-piece drawer option in the Simple door style. Or should I select something different? I would appreciate any and all input! I'm so stuck!!! Thanks much! Here is a link that might be useful: Mid Continent Signature Series door styles...See MoreNervous about Blue Cabinet color
Comments (10)Peggy, Don't be nervous it all sounds wonderful. Just look at this cover! And as for Marble if you love it get. People have a misconception about marble. Marble is as easy to clean as granites. And in some ways it is easier to repair than a Quartz. Children grow up quickly, and children can be taught not to use permanent sharpies on the island. Does Marble stain? Sure but 98% of the stains can be removed with bleach. YES good ole fashioned Bleach. Or peroxide. But not togehter please. Does Marble Etch? You bet but if once every 6-8 years you have it rehoned or polished it will look fantastic. Is marble hard to care for? Marble has been around for 1000s of years. Marble is as easy to care for as most granite or quartz. Some Old GW posts that talk about Marble. Honed marble countertops 3 years later? Photos? Experience? http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0515282622706.html Anyone regret getting marble countertops? http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0211001428927.html Marble counter top questions http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0215374910799.html Quartz counter top questions http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0316414017978.html The pictures...Here are some images of kitchens. Some with blue islands. Maybe they can help you. ~boxer Letendre Woodworking Chadds Ford blue bell White Kitchens (Google Image) Winning Windows Sorry this does not have a blue island but notice the blue accent chairs and overall feel of this kitchen. Lovely. by Capecod designers Daisy Pink Cup Cake website (blog) Point Loma A wood island might be a great option too. Blue Kitchen and Bath Ideas website Hardy Kitchen Cottage Devon Blue Bell The Annex Cambria Quartz Welsh Pool Kitchen Island with a Bench (google image) Oliver Here is a link that might be useful: White Marble Countertops...See MoreBeautiful green soapstone installed (pic heavy)
Comments (49)Again, thanks all :) Gharborwa -- I'll second what someone else said on this. Meta Marble has (or had, when I was looking a few months ago) some nice soapstone. Crocodile Rocks had a good grey-with-veins soapstone, too, as I recall. Pental had a large selection, too, though I can't remember if any had good veining (they might have some now). I didn't travel to CA to pick out the slabs. I had been looking for so long and collected so many samples I felt pretty confident about what I could expect. Plus the company I bought my slabs from (Soapstone Werks) sent several great photos. Also, I have to admit that working with Wendy at Soapstone Werks increased my confidence that this was, indeed, a special and beautiful stone. After dealing with so many male stone professionals (and don't get me wrong, I'm sure there are men in the business who also have a sense of aesthetics in addition to the business side of things) it was really refreshing to deal with Wendy. Talking with her on the phone about the stone and about what I was looking for just really gave me a lot of confidence that she knew what I wanted and understood my aesthetic concerns. Boxerpups (great name -- now I want to see those boxer pups!) -- Thanks for your comments. It was tough to wait so long for a nice stone to pop up, but I'm glad I did. You hit the nail on the head :) The name of my soapstone is "Green Porto". I bought it from Soapstone Werks who (I think) gets their stone from Dorado. Interestingly, I was also working with the Dorado people to find a nice stone but they didn't send me any pictures of anything like the slabs at Soapstone Werks. I don't know if they just didn't have any more in stock, or if I dealt with a dud of a salesman. In fact, the Dorado guy told me they only had one greenish soapstone in stock and the photos he sent me were so bad you could hardly see what the stone looked like! Not professional, at all. To top it off, after he sent me a couple photos he told me that half of those were of slabs that had been sold a few months ago. How helpful is THAT? *not* Regarding fabricators -- I went with Venetian Stoneworks out of Woodinville. I chose them because they have state-of-the-art equipment for templating and cutting stone (laser templating so every odd angle and corner would be EXACT, and a computer-guided water-jet cutting machine that cut the stone to the exact dimensions of the template). The other thing I liked about them that made a difference in the aesthetics of the installed stone -- they took high-res photos of my slabs. These were loaded into a computer program and I got to see EXACTLY how the stones could be cut and how the veining would line up. It was really cool. There on the computer screen were my actual slabs and I could watch how the pieces would lay out as they tried different configurations for how the various pieces could be cut from the stone. I had final say on how the slabs would be ultimately be cut. That was important to me. All this being said, though (and I can't stress this enough) I DID MY HOMEWORK! I did not sit back and rely on this fabricator's mostly-granite experience. I knew how I wanted my stone to be finished, I made a big fuss over how I did *not* want any sealer, over what grit I wanted the final finish to be, over how I wanted the seams done and what kind of glue I wanted them to use. Honestly, I think I was a real pain-in-the-a$$ in a lot of ways (though always with a smile on my face!). In fact, I know I was. But I wanted to make sure this stone was done RIGHT. In the end, they learned a lot about working with soapstone (I think my project was only the second soapstone they'd ever done, and the first one they did they had finished like a regular granite project, with sealer and all). But yes, Venetian Stoneworks was great. They listened to my concerns (and fussing). They were professional through it all. They very definitely fabricated the stone according to my preferences. After it was all said and done we were both very pleased with the project and thankful it worked out like it did. Brescianlute -- What's going on behind the cooktop? Well, I still haven't put up the backsplash yet. My plan is to do some sort of artsy mosaic with glass tile (nothing gawdy, but more subtle-design oriented). But in the photos here all you're seeing is the studs of the half wall. Give me a few more months and I'll post pics of the backsplash :)...See MoreRelated Professionals
Piedmont Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Shamong Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Hopewell Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Hanover Township Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Vancouver Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Waukegan Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Glenn Heights Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Christiansburg Cabinets & Cabinetry · Lackawanna Cabinets & Cabinetry · Murray Cabinets & Cabinetry · Newcastle Cabinets & Cabinetry · Tabernacle Cabinets & Cabinetry · Bellwood Cabinets & Cabinetry · Davidson Tile and Stone Contractors · Whitefish Bay Tile and Stone Contractors- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
irishcreamgirl- the DR wall color is BM Williamsburg Blue. We had originally chosen a golden color but changed to blue at the last minute, not even trying to coordinate with the island color, but it turned out well. Here's a pic of the DR. It is about a shade darker in person.
kitchenadict - the dishes with the dark blue are all Polish pottery. The flag ones are "Americana" and the dots are usually called "Peacock". There are a lot of online sellers these days...!
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 14 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 13 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
mfhoopOriginal Author