My appliances don't match.

I consider a dishwasher and garbage disposal essential for me. I am building a new house and it will have many things in the kitchen but it will not have a fancy range hood, pendant lights, a separate prep sink, garbage compactor, warming drawers, or wall mounted pot faucet. It will have an island, stainless steel appliances, wood floors, built in microwave, range hood concealed under cabinet, and tile backsplash. I will get an ice maker inside the refrigerator. Also will have a walk in pantry and granite countertops.

I think mrspete has it right - moderation is a good goal. Some have huge houses with a matching budget, and they choose items that make them happy. Others have smaller kitchens/budgets and prioritize things as well. Neither is right or wrong. We have a small kitchen, we splurged on a few things, but we didn't get things that we wouldn't use or wouldn't fit the house.

Things we passed on:

- hot water dispenser, filtered water dispenser (one faucet for us!)

- prep sink

- ice/water in fridge door (hate those!)

- toe kick drawers

- microwave drawer or built-in microwave (gasp! we don't even own a microwave!)

Must haves:

- single bowl sink

- custom cabinets with drawers (we have a tiny kitchen so the bulk of our budget went to maximizing storage, which was most important to us)

- range hood vented outside (don't have one now, and let me tell you, the grease that builds up all over the kitchen is disgusting, and we don't fry foods)

- integrated fridge (enabled us to have the best layout since it can fit on a shallow wall)

- dishwasher

- garbage disposal

I love seeing the amazing finished kitchens on this forum. Many are my dream kitchen. Sure, they have things that I don't consider "essentials", but if I won the lottery, I'd take them in a heartbeat. :)

I really think there are two questions in one here - what "normal" things do you not have because you wouldn't want them at any price (for me that's water and ice in the refrigerator door), and what "normal" things do you not have because you had a budget and those lost the priority battle?

Of all the things listed, the ones I do not have are:

Hot water dispenser (with an induction cooktop, there's no need).

Ice and water in the fridge door (intense dislike)

Fancy corner cabinets (there are no corners in my kitchen, if I had corners, I'd probably have a super-susan)

Prep sink (no need in this kitchen - too small - but had one in my last kitchen and liked it a lot)

Wall ovens (I know they're much better ergonomically, but I really don't like the way wall ovens look)

Custom cabinets (we went with factory semi-custom)

I nixed a built in cabinet garbage container station. It was expensive and took up too much room. I've had a small trash container under my sink cabinet for years and I am happy with this. There is not much you can really put under the sink anyway...one side holds cleaning supplies the other the small plastic trash can that is emptied frequently. I was not willing to give up prime cabinet space for a concealed trash station. I am having the range vented outside as this is standard with our builder. I like having a microwave even though I don't use it much. For me it has to be bullt in or over the range as I don't want to have a cart or put it on a counter. I also like it to be eye level not lower to cut down on bending down. You do have to think of the price level of your home and the resale value. Most homeowners expect certain things at various price levels and you could hurt resale value if you go against the trend.

I will only have 2 of the things on your list: custom cabinets and a dishwasher.

Other things we are not getting include cabinets to the ceiling (I am ADDING another soffit - I want to be able to reach all of the shelves without a step stool), a built-in microwave (no room, it will remain on the counter), or trash pullouts (trash can and recycle can will remain on the floor; trash gets smelly and I prefer it covered).

I DID get double ovens - a basic GE electric range with a small upper oven and a large lower oven.

This thread reminds me of the old Dana Carvey SNL skit where he says "that's the way it was and we liked it!".

Oh, I want it all!, but I won't have ice/water in the fridge, garbage disposal (we compost), wall oven (space constraints), or built-in microwave/drawer. The rest is to be determined.

Some of the OP's list is actually quite desirable:

Huge banks of windows? Why not?

Prep sink? Very handy to have, especially with more than one cook.

Dishwasher? Well, if you really enjoy washing dishes and using up valuable counter space. Although my wife insists she doesn't want one, she's going to get one.

Life is full of compromises and surprises, and many of them are related to the kitchen! In my current home, we just replaced the fridge. We ended up with a super deal on a stainless SxS because it fit the space, and our budget. It turns out I like it much better than my old white fridge because it is less contrast with my oak cabinets and sort of melts into the background.

I compost and will never need a sink-disposal. I cook a lot and would give my eyeteeth for a proper vent hood. If we ever do a complete gut I will add one. We are renovating a rental house currently and it will have one.

We added a dishwasher, and I think it saved my marriage. With two working long hours, dishes were a contentious chore. Adding the dishwasher freed me from dish slavery, and helps me enjoy cooking and baking again.

We replaced our worn-out 30+ year old laminate a few years ago with new Formica. Like MrsPete above, I find the new laminate far inferior to the old laminate. The old laminate had few chips, it was just worn through from the years of use. My new laminate has chips, scratches, scrapes, and nicks from the same kind of use the old one endured ruggedly. Feh!

In the rental house, I bought granite off CL and think it will be much more forgiving for renters than laminate would have been for the same price. If I ever redo my kitchen, I'm planning on soapstone and/or marble. They will last and look great doing so.

I'll also keep and enhance my big windows. I have a lovely backyard and enjoy watching the birds at the feeders and seeing my garden. Why would I not keep that, or add windows to do so if I could?

I have a small kitchen so I don't want a prep sink, but if I redo, I'll move the sink to make access easier.

Finally, if I should ever renovate a kitchen for my use, it will be designed with aging in place in mind. Dish drawers or a raised dw, a wall oven, accessible layout, etc.

Lol jerzeegirl, how true! In fact, I would describe the planned kitchen as "old-fashioned and traditional".

Things I have in my new kitchen (that may not be popular):
- small MW on the counter
- SS sink, 60/40 split
- electric range (couldn't justify the cost of induction)
- oak cabinets (not quarter sawn, not rift sawn - plain old oak)

Things I don't have that are popular:
- an island (it's U-shaped kitchen)
- a tiled backsplash (I stenciled instead)
- ice and water in the fridge
- soap dispenser
- air switch for GD

Things on which I splurged:
- custom cabinets, to make efficient use of every inch of space
- quartz counters - DH and I fell in love with a color/pattern

I have/had everything (except fancy corner cabs) on your list and there are two things I wouldn't want, at any price:
a. hot water dispenser (useless and energy wasting for the amount of hot water)
b. induction range (had it, glad I don't have it anymore)
c. OTR (headbanger). I put a standard one up on a shelf.

Wood floors are easier to clean than tile (grout, ugh!) and slightly less easy than sheet vinyl (the kind that runs up the base, like a commercial space)

I thought of something else our kitchen won't have- a big bill! 100% DIY, it will come to about $8K for a brand new kitchen with all custom cabinets. That includes the appliances. I could have painted the ceiling instead of the tin and saved nearly another thousand, but I've always wanted a tin ceiling. We won't talk about how many hours of labor I put into it, though.

Random comments on the above:

A dishwasher is totally more efficient than hand washing.

I disagree about hardwoods being "forever floors". In kitchens, they're prone to water problems. I love the look but would not go with them in the kitchen.

I don't think granite counter tops are "forever" either -- not since so many people choose to change them out for cosmetic reasons. Plus it's likely that the cabinets underneath them WILL wear out, and typically new counter tops come along with new cabinets.

By "fancy corner cabinets", I think the OP meant specialty organizer things ... like lazy susan cabinets, or spice pull cabinets, or pop-up mixer stands. I have to agree that those are pretty expensive when compared to standard cabinets. On the other hand, plain drawers are more functional than standard cabinets, and the price difference isn't significant.

I agree that the counter depth refrigerator is an extravagance; it's so much more expensive. Before I'd go that direction, I'd go with slightly deeper cabinets ... or a recessed spot, if the layout allowed.

I don't know how deep my pockets are, but as far as this house build goes, my desires are considerably smaller than my ability to pay ... and I don't feel that going with "standard items" is a compromise in the least. If I won the lottery tomorrow, my kitchen plans wouldn't change at all.

I do want my appliances to match.

We passed on any type of built-in microwave and we are actually heavy microwave users. Our built-in microwave was impressive when we first moved in, but failed and nobody knew anything about it to fix it. The only mw I could find that fit the built in space turned out to be a unit that we hated for about 10 years. When we renovated, we went with a countertop mw that we selected on the basis of features, reviews, appearance - basically anything besides what would fit.

mrs. pete's post reminds me how we ALL have different priorities. For example, I couldn't care less whether my appliances match, but there is no way I'd have a refrigerator sticking out into the aisle space.

Fori- LOL! Neither do mine :)

Our appliances match- they're all electric ;)

I'm very happy with my top-mount refrigerator without any through-the-door anything. They are vastly cheaper than fancier fridges and need fewer repairs. And since I currently live off of frozen dinners, it has most of what I need at eye level.

On the list of don't have--a sink in the same room with the range and refrigerator, built-in cabinetry in the same room with the range and fridge, a range hood, any lighting beyond a single central ceiling light. You might guess, correctly, that I am pre-remodel. It's kind of a pathetic list, when I stop to think about it.

gigantic islands that collect clutter

New kitchen cabs on order, but there will be no prep sink, no 2nd oven (I am going to get a toaster oven instead), microwave is going in an armoire along with other appliances, no desk (taking one out/too much junk ends up there) and putting office items in walk in pantry designated area.

I don't think I would want to live without a dishwasher. In fact DH is hooking up our Bosch in the laundry room to the utility sink during our Reno. Yay!!!

Violet, I'm not an "island girl either! I like a compact kitchen and don't want to have it in the way!

For those concerned about the lack of a dishwasher -- I will have a 24" cabinet next to the sink. The next person 20 years from now can put it in. After researching them lately, I just can't have one. Water usage is a wash, most prople prerinse then use dishwasher or just use more dishes. They are a leakage issue (hence no wood or laminate floors either), and the new energy efficiency standards now make rinsing agents a necessity for dry dishes (I am very allergic to the agent ingredients.) If no agent is used -- you have wet dishes all the time. I will save $500.00 -$900.00 plus installation fees too. Also, when I pressure can, I do it semi-outdoors -- too much heat and humidity for my home. I use a couple of canners at a time and have everything laid out in the garage. I only can during a 2 week time, so it works great.

I compost and am on septic system, so the garbage disposal is out (though they are great for plumbers...)

We removed 5 feet of windows and a sliding glass door because I needed 8 feet of uppers and lowers to double my kitchen size.

Yes, the induction stove is another grand -- but I like cooking with the quick heat controls, it is safer if someone forgets to turn it off, and clean up is a breeze (I used to be the boilover queen!) I pay for this by not having the dishwasher and OTR microwave.

The counterdepth fridge is another grand or so -- but I can not recess it, and like sjhockeyfan, I will not have a frdge sticking out so far from my counters. Hiding it by trying to buy panels to cover it up or "build it in" only spend the same money I lay out for the counter depth feature. Also, if you don't get the water/ice dispenser in the door, you get the extra space inside!

I won't be having a built in soap dispenser, lotion holder, or a side mount sprayer either. In any home I had previously with them, they all stopped functioning in no time. Only replaced them before we sold or moved.

I will use a lower cabinet for a trash pull out and recycle bin - have doggie that loves to tip a can over!

My cabinets are premade, not custom, but they are 36" tall and will fit in so fine we should not have to use more than an inch or so of filler anywhere. Yes, they are froma big box store (horrors!), but the salesperson/KD there commented that I was able to use the standard sizes so well and didn't need to "fudge" nearly as much as others with more customized cabinets. She really liked my plan.

'Normal' things I don't have/want: A kitchen that opens to the dining room.

By "forever" I mean with normal wear and tear. If you have an actual flood, fire, or other catastrophe that is different. We have not found water to be an issue on any of our hardwood floors (very old and new). Spills that sit all day and night and no one wipes them up, ice cubes are dropped and left to melt, cat throws up (everyone waits for me to find it and clean it up), washed with a steam mop, DW leaked, etc. No issues. When we planned our kitchen we thought, what if we live here the rest of our lives? Nothing will need to be replaced except appliances. Minor updates and paint, yes. I like laminate would not last us the rest of our lives.

Mrs Pete I agree with you about putting garbage in a cabinet. Another "normal" thing in most kitchens! In our kitchen it would have taken up valuable cabinet space. Also we like to move our garbage can around to wear the garbage is. Ours is SS and to me looks stylish so it is not an eyesore. Garbage in a cabinet would not work for us even if we had the room. I could see the inside of the cabinet being filled with garbage for those who missed the basket. The outside of the cabinet would be filthy from dirty hands.

If you are just interested in water savings, a newer, water efficient dishwasher will definitely be the way to go. Some of them use as little as 2 gallons per cycle. It would be pretty hard to wash an equivalent number of dishes by hand using that amount of water.

Loonlake, I think it's great that you are putting in a 24-inch cabinet near the sink so the next person can easily add a dishwasher. Yes, we should all do what works for us in the kitchen, but if you can make it easy for the next person do what they like, all the better.

I don't have or want most of that stuff, but I really don't understand not having a garbage disposal, especially if you don't have a dishwasher. I never scrape plates or throw things down the GD, but food scraps do inevitably find their way into the sink, and I hate having to clean them out of the strainer basket on the non GD side, or worse, fish them out of the drain. I can't wait to have a single bowl sink where I can wipe everything straight into the disposal, run the disposal, and be done. (I don't understand having the GD in a shallow bowl of a double or triple sink for the same reason. Don't you want the GD where the dirty dishes will sit?)

Also, modern dishwashers do use much less water than handwashing. Here in California at least it seems irresponsible for anyone who can afford it not to have one.

One normal thing I don't have and probably won't be getting is a sink sprayer. My faucet is wall mount and they don't make a lot of wall mount bridge faucets with sprayers. I'll use them on other people's sinks but not having one doesn't really bother me.

I want all the stuff I have and would even like to update and include more. Which means that I have pretty much of everything the OP doesn't want. It's 2015. If someone doesn't have/want modern conveniences such as a dishwasher or garbage disposal, bless their heart because they certainly must have time and energy to do everything the way it was done in 1946. As long as I don't have to live in that house it's fine with me. No arguments here. Everyone should have what they do -- and don't -- want.

garbage disposer and septic systems don't work well together.

fishcow- all of my plates are scraped into the shallow bowl first and then set in the side bowls. I rarely have to scrape the sink strainer in those bowls, usually it is only when my kids are being helpful and throwing every dirty dish they can find into the sink. ;)

Also, I still don't get the issue with garbage disposal and septic. I have a septic system, I've been here for 20 years and always had a disposal and I've never once had a problem.

I get my septic pumped and inspected every 2-3 years and I've always had good reports from the company.

Well I think if it works for you that's fine but honestly the way you worded it made it sound like reverse snobbery. Reverse snobbery is just as bad as the other extreme and many of the things mentioned have good reasons for getting them and spending the money. As for me, I will justify why I am going to have many of the things listed. I like to make my life easier especially as I get into the I'm only getting older phase of life:

• dishwasher: I wouldn't think of NOT having a dishwasher. First for resale, second because it's more cost efficient and more energy efficient than washing by hand and 3 because I am getting older and it's just easier.
• garbage disposal: I have no disposal in NY and I miss it. I use it daily and it keeps my sink from getting clogged because no matter how careful, bits of food do go down the drain.
• hot water dispensers: Never felt the need for one since a teapot and/or the microwave does the job just fine
• wood or laminate floors: Yep having wood floors throughout my home. I want something that will last, something that is wanted for resale, something that is all one floor surface since we are getting older and lastly because I have severe allergies and it's easy to keep clean
• separate prep sinks: Yep doing this too. This way the dog's stuff isn't in my way constantly like it is right now
• granite, marble or quartz: ABSOLUTELY getting the gorgeous quartzite I found. Why shouldn't I enjoy looking at something absolutely beautiful while I'm in the kitchen? As an artist I love to surround myself with beauty.
• water or ice dispenser in fridge: Getting both because both DH and I use both multiple times every single day and again since we are getting older, pulling apart ice trays might start to get harder to do.
• wall ovens: One wall oven. Again this is a practical matter. Reaching down as we get older into a range oven is harder than opening one that is at a height where I can stand.
• OTR or drawer microwave: Have a drawer microwave now and again as someone aging in place it is much safer. Also safer for young children.
• fancy corner cabinets\drawers: Yep getting them too so I am not wasting the dead space. Why waste any spaces in a kitchen?
• custom cabinets: I'm building new and in my neighborhood custom is what we do. Plus custom here is still cheaper than semi custom from HD or Lowes.
• full tile backsplash: Yep, I'm doing subway tiles for the backsplash. See my comment about beauty in the kitchen
• huge banks of windows: Nope not doing this. I'm doing sliding doors out to our back area.
• induction range: Getting this too. Again for good reasons. Our home is in FL. It gets hot in Fl and again better for aging in place.
• counter depth fridge: Again probably getting this too for the look because I deserve it!
• No soap dispenser because we've had six versions of the one we have now and it's always broken. I'll get a nice container instead.
• Air button for my disposal. Yes I'm getting this too. Looks better.
• I'm also getting all drawers and glass cabinets on top of the 42" wall cabinets so the cabinets go up to my 10' ceiling.
• I'm also getting a garage door next to the refrigerator so the dog's stuff can be hidden away.
• I'm also getting a cabinet just for DH and his coffee mess and his wines.
• I'm not getting a pantry because there's only room for a pantry cabinet, so I'm getting that instead.
• I'm getting soft close everything since DH slams drawers, and I'm not about to teach an old dog new tricks.
• I'm getting a separate cabinet for my recyclables and my garbage can. Better than sticking out where the dog can get into it and much easier than having to keep dragging it from under the sink. In fact, I'm putting in two garbage drawers; one for the prep sink and one for the cleanup sink.
• Unfortunately I am putting in some SS appliances because that's the only choice. However my fridge and my DW will be paneled. Again, I like to look at something more attractive than a SS appliance with fingerprints. If I couldn't afford a lot of these things, then no I wouldn't get them but to imply that those of us who do get them have something wrong with us, is just wrong too.

I agree with cpartist too. If you have the money to spend, you should spend it on what makes you happy. Unless self-deprivation makes you happiest of all, I don't see the point.

I agree. I think the talk of what is "normal" in a kitchen stems from people thinking about what will be attractive to buyers when they sell. But unless you are selling relatively soon and really have a sixth sense about what buyers in your area want, who knows what features of your kitchen will appeal or repel them.

I have looked at houses where they had an "updated" kitchen and I wished they had just left it alone. Everything was different than what I would have chosen. But on the other hand, a kitchen that is thoughtfully remodeled with quality (but not necessarily expensive) materials and appliances is infinitely more appealing, even if every detail isn't to my taste.

While I understand the sentiment of cpartist, I feel like I get where OP is coming from as well.

I can't count the number of times I've been told directly, or through thinly veiled messages on these boards, that my kitchen is OBVIOUSLY inferior because I went with custom cabs ("custom"= anyone can throw a few pieces of wood together...") and I finished them myself onsite (Sooo many "custom cab makers build crap", " as bad or worse than third world country imports") etc.

This board is frequented by many pros who spend countless hours of their own free time helping out BUT they are biased.

The indirect bashing I've heard/received has almost always come from the kitchen designers and other pros and not other homeowners.

It is frustrating to scrimp and save and DIY only to have others tell you that your work/result is inferior because it doesn't meet X,Y and Z.

I'm incredibly proud of what I've accomplished and built on my own, it gets tiring hearing someone else bash what I've done simply because I'm not a licensed pro.

Forgive me a little thread drift, but I never understood the appeal of a garbage disposal. We've had them, but rarely use them. We're on a septic tank here, so I used that opportunity to convince my wife that we couldn't have one. I've always heard that, but don't know if it's actually true.

We almost never have anything of size left on our plates. We use small plates, and practice portion control, so we never have excess on the plates. If there's anything left, it gets scraped into the garbage, or into the compost bin if it's compostable. When doing prep work, the vegetable scraps go in the compost; meat scraps go in a bag in the freezer so they won't get funky by trash day. If usable, we save most bones for making stock a few times a year. We've never had a clogged drain, but I have had to clean and sometimes even disassemble a GD.

If you have use for something (or even if you don't) and can afford it, go ahead. We're on a tiny budget compared to most kitchen builds, and every penny counts. I find that finding bargains and doing DIY to be fun, and will admit to a bit of reverse snobbery because saving money is so ingrained. I'll admit to being proud of building an entire kitchen for what some people spend on a refrigerator. I learned to cook on base model appliances, and that's what I'm comfortable with. If I built a grand-slam $100K kitchen, I'd have to learn to cook all over again! Since we both cook, and it is a favorite hobby, we've had a lot of gadgets over the years- bread makers, rice cookers, pasta makers, etc., etc., but most of these have fallen by the side for lack of use.

As for the microwave- we use ours a lot. We've had OTR, but the hood is weak, and it's not all that safe for my vertically challenged wife. They cost more, and it's project when it eventually craps out. I wanted a drawer micro, but the reviews are very positive, and again, a project to replace. Our son bought us a small Panasonic MW that is amazing. I've never had a MW that worked so well. It has too many options, but I ignore the ones I don't use.

I have been thinking about this thread, and the old saying, "one man's junk is another man's treasure" may sort of apply. One man's frivolity is another man's necessity. Some might look at 3 things (possibly 4) I forgot to list that I AM getting, as frivelous or unecessary. But in my world they're not and there is valid reasons for getting them. (and I'm not explaining this to justify myself, but to help people look at things and realize they may not be what they seem. In fact, many, many times they're not) :)

1. Stainless Steel appliances - I have owned White or Bisque all my life. When I replaced my old Bisque stove a few years ago with same color, I quickly found out "they don't make things like they used to". In all the years I had the old one, with 3 boys and hubby being less than careful and me cooking up a storm on it, I only managed to get one chip in the porcelain and that was by me dropping something extremely heavy by accident and it hit the stove at just the right angle and broke a shard off. Fast forward to new stove. Hadn't had it a month and I had a decorative metal piece attached to my purse. Whipped around the corner of oven and that metal piece swung out and hit the edge of stove and chipped a little heart shape out. How sweet. Then within weeks it chipped again. So, I now know that SS is going to be a better choice. Yes it dents but with just the two of us here, I am hoping there are no issues. But I can be sure it won't chip.

2. I am getting toe kick drawers. Not because they are the latest, coolest kitchen thing, but because I am SO limited in storage space. Because I would bet all my life savings some man (or women, though I doubt it) who never cooked or tried to run a kitchen MUST have designed this room, and I am trying to work with it to make it most functional. In doing so, I will actually LOSE storage space, unless I go putting in custom cabinets in the wall to the basement stairs. So that would be (possibly) number 3.

4. Again, moving things around and working in a not huge space, I am getting a counter depth, and narrower frig so that I don't encroach my eating space anymore than I have to. (I have another frig and a chest freezer so I can afford the lost frig space) To me it's worth the money. We will live here til we go home, so I have absolutely no qualms about spending the extra to get what works best in the kitchen and makes the next few decades enjoyable.

Sometimes, we just have to do what we have to do. And sometimes, we do it cuz we want to. To each his own. :)

I didn't perceive reverse snobbery in the OP's post. I think it was about noticing that there are all kinds of things one can buy these days, but the reality is that many of us can't afford to buy every single thing that might grab our attention, and we may not even benefit much from owning those things anyway. I liked her (?) term "HGTVitis" because it gets at a major problem affecting our culture--conspicuous consumption. It's good to consider what we need against what want and find a balance that we can be at peace with. Most media would have us constantly longing for the next greatest thing, making us feel a steady state of not being satisfied. Although I come down with a case of HOUZZ envy at least a couple times a week, I count myself among the resistance to the conspicuous consumption ideology.

"Houzz Envy" -- yes, haven't we all felt it?

But the great thing about GW is that there are all sorts of people with all sorts of budgets and styles, so you can find great ideas that work for your particular situation. And I don't find that people look down on particular choices. Perhaps threads like these keep that from happening.

I don't have a coffee pot, a toaster oven, a bread maker, a food processor, or a tea kettle.

I will have custom cabinets because I have an old house with non-standard dimensions and buying custom cabinets wasn't any more expensive than making the changes to the walls necessary to fit standard cabinets in. So custom aren't always more expensive. It's about context.

I will have a dishwasher because we use a lot of dishes and it saves time and water (in drought stricken CA). I am reusing our relatively new dishwasher. But again in context the dishwasher isn't some kind of splurge, it's a practical choice.

We are putting in marble countertops. They are one of the cheapest materials we considered. Around here you can find carrara for under $13 a square foot to buy the slab. That's competitive with laminate in pricing. The lower tiered granites are also not very expensive. Assuming that a stone countertop is a luxury splurge may very well be a mistake.

I agree that people should pay close attention to their budgets. And that we don't all need or even want a 50 acre kitchen with a gold plated sink, but I also think people should e careful not to be penny wise and pound foolish (or even worse, to assume something they want is too expensive without doing the research and full cost analysis).

More than once, I've mentioned my low budget, re-using and re-purposing our cabinets, that it's all DIY including electrical and plumbing, that all "new" cabinets have been from Habitat Re-Stores, and my appliances purchases have been modest (new fridge was $650)...in fact, mentioned it in this thread already, lol. I generally get "good for you!" atta-girl responses. If I've ever been subtly slammed for it by a pro or anyone else, I guess I've been oblivious to it. If others have experienced that, I'm sad to hear it.

After not having a dishwasher for the first 28years of my life and spending 30+ minutes a day doing dishes (I cook a lot), I have been using my new dishwasher for 2 months and hope to never go without one again!!

I am slightly confused about people's comments about the water/ice dispensers in fridges. Most of the standard fridge/freezers we looked at came w/ the dispensers, I feel like saying you don't want them would limit your options and/or cause you to buy a more expensive fridge (like the counter depth ones). Assuming you are getting a new one instead of an older one on craigslist etc.

We did a lot of fancy custom things in our kitchen, but since we did a lot DIY we saved a lot of money. Some of the money saving choices we made were vinyl flooring (love this for comfort anyway), partially making our own cabinets, installing everything ourselves, getting a common granite (uba tuba), tiling our backsplash ourselves, and our island pendant lights. Some of our splurges were appliances (mainly- our 48" capital range), cabinet hardware, and lots of drawers, backsplash tile (although the tile we chose was reasonable, it was still more expensive than a painted wall), and stone underneath the island seating. I love seeing the choices different people make while still meeting their budget goals! :-)

Creative DIY efforts are always inspiring! It's folks with that DIY ability, coupled with the openness of accepting suggestions, that makes for the most impressive projects. Deedle's kitchen, for example.

I think what makes pros sad is that sometimes budget constraints are so uppermost in some poster's minds that they aren't open to simple changes that would have huge functional benefits. Or they focus on an expensive ''splurge'' that takes away from the rest of the kitchen's budgetary needs.

When funds are limited, we like to see the posters achieve the best bang for the buck with the design. That is something that professional advice can help a poster with. Yet, that's one of the first things that is out of hand dismissed, as being ''unaffordable''....when that is anything but true. That's why I did the comparison post about Barker vs. Omega frameless. When professional design assistance, with hundreds more choices, and less labor on your part is 10% more costly than an all DIY approach, why wouldn't someone take advantage of that!

Good design, regardless of budget, is priceless!

" Around here you can find carrara for under $13 a square foot to buy the slab."

Wow.

Good design, regardless of budget, is priceless!

^ This x 1000! Not creating the best functional layout possible with convenient, use-in-place storage is, imho, just putting lipstick on a pig.

Mermanmike- I don't really have Houzz envy. I see some nice features, but one of the few kitchens I wish I could copy.....is yours :)

Has anyone mentioned a fireplace? I wish I had a fireplace in my kitchen...with a seating area, a table, french doors to a little sun porch...oh, and a work area, too! LOL

Things I won't have that are considered normal: I refuse to have my refrigerator in the kitchen. It is in the pantry/laundry which is off the kitchen, requiring approx 3-4 extra walking steps. I HATE refrigerators, they are space sucking behemoths. Instead, on the logical fridge wall I have a four foot Boos butcher block work table. People who come into my kitchen always comment on how large it is (it isn't) but no one has ever said "where's your refrigerator?"; I usually have to point out it's "missing". We bought a vacation home and the first thing I did was reconfigure the kitchen to add a separate pantry/laundry so I could get the fridge out. That kitchen is tiny but feels large and we can have three people working in their own space due to the refrigerator's absence. Can't imagine living with a refrigerator in the kitchen, even a recessed one.

We are also getting rid of the garbage disposal.

I feel exactly opposite about refrigerators. I see it as this marvel of utilitarian architecture which can be as simple or as complicated as you want it. I couldn't afford it but I would have bought a Liebherr in a second....these refrigerators are beautiful....like shiny new sports cars...and I would have displayed it proudly as the focal point of my kitchen!

I do totally appreciate a beautiful refrigerator and would love to have one. Liebherrs are gorgeous; I'm even jealous of my mom's 10 yr old subzero. All the more reason it should have it's own "dedicated room"....

;-)

If space (and money) were no object I would get the Sub Zero Pro 48 with the glass door and the drawers.

Peppermintleaf, the reason I'm not keen on a refrigerator with water/ice in the door or even an automatic ice maker is that we don't have plumbing on the wall where the refrigerator is, and we don't want to spend the money and time to put it in. Plus we rarely use ice.

I do like filtered water, though, so I am putting in a combo instant hot/room temp and filtration system under the sink. This would probably be a splurge or completely unnecessary to someone else, but I am so excited about it.

I have Houzz envy, but it's mostly for compact, functional european kitchens. Not the often OTT american ones.

Those instant hot water taps are really useful in certain circumstances, like an office kitchen. I lived in a student co-op in college and we had one at the bar sink in the dining room that was an absolute necessity with 40 people. But I never realized people thought it was a standard thing for a residential kitchen. A good quality electric kettle is cheaper, probably more energy efficient, heats up the water very fast, and if it breaks you can replace it without dealing with plumbing. The really nice ones have multiple temperature settings so they make better tea and coffee than a hot water dispenser.