Mushcreek - your kitchen is gorgeous. Love those windows!

Mine is the back door (and the light, even when there's not a lot of light, there's light:)

Hands free prep area with my own sink, tapmaster and utrusta garbage. I know it's cheating to mention 2-3 things, but it's the fact that I can handle raw chicken and can throw away the packaging and wash my hands without cross contaminating anything that I love so much.

The storage! A place for everything, and everything in its place is such a luxury to me. Makes prep and cleanup so fast. I love my kitchen, and I am grateful for it every day.

When I read the title, I assumed everyone would have a specific thing they'd cite (sink, range, island, drawers, etc.), but it seems like it is changes to layout and physical structure of the space that give a real change. So much beautiful light in the pictures above!

We are no different and, after living in a poorly laid out (and even more poorly lit - my nickname for it was" the bunker") north facing dark condo for a year during the restoration, my favourite thing about the new kitchen has to be it's functionality.

The condo kitchen was 2x the size, but I hated it and only cooked once a week if that. Cleaning up always felt like a chore so there was a constant layer of dirty dishes out to greet you on the counters.

Our new kitchen is small but there is room for everything and cooking and cleaning is a breeze.

So if you are planning a new space, do take the time to figure out what is going to work for you. So worth it!

The counter space after my reno! Before I had 2 spots of about 24" in which to do all my prep and cleanup (no dishwasher so one of those spots was for the dishes to drain). Now I have that, plus a cutting board and colander over the sink, and a 5' stretch behind me. And a dishwasher!!! I still normally prep next to the stove where I used to, but now I have the colander/cutting board and so it's much better. Plus of course, I just need to do a half turn to reach the counter behind me. And the drawers! :)

The light and openness. Same number of windows but taking the upper cabinets down that were over a peninsula changed the room drastically. We expanded onto a porch so even though we reused 2 windows they are no longer under a porch roof so let more light in. We also have more lighting options than I thought we needed - and I love it! Canned lights, pendants, a range hood light... My energy conserving husband follows me around turning them off all night though.

I have what I call a "cockpit" kitchen - small and (U + opposite wall) shaped. It isn't what I would plan now with more information, but what I do love about it is it is PAID FOR, didn't cost a fortune, and is very functional. It is no more than two steps to do anything, and every aspect has at least two very close landing pads (fridge, ovens, cooktop, sink, microwave). I also love that the two arms of the "U" are deeper counters at 33 inches rather than the standard 24 inches deep.

I couldn't live without my walk-in pantry.

I also love my above cabinet warm LED lights surrounding the entire room that are on auto timer and light sensor also. This soft, warm indirect light (cheap also) makes the smaller room glow and seem larger, and is enough light for anything except task work.

I love the layout. It is so functional for us. We saw this kitchen layout in a model home many years ago, and it actually drove the design of the entire house. What works for us is having the main sink and dw on the short wall where all the clean up is done. I cook, DH cleans up so we are out of each other's way while we're both in the kitchen. Coffee mugs are on the left, dishes are on the right so unloading the dw is only a step away from the cabinets. The prep sink allows me my own separate work triangle away from the clean up. When we entertain, I can speak to our guests but have room to cook freely while we talk as they are on the other side of the island, not in my way. The island is great for holiday dinners which I serve buffet style. The dinner gets laid out for serving. After dinner, the mess goes by the main sink for clean up, and the island is clear again for dessert buffet. DH also loves that, behind the nesting doors over the fridge is a TV where he sits and watches the news every a.m. during breakfast. The bookcase in the island is for my cookbooks and I also have an electrical outlet inside which is a charging station.

We moved the original windows down so now I can see out of them and open them. It's a huge improvement in the feel of the space. As a bonus it lines the windows up with the rest of the windows on that side of the house so on the exterior it actually looks better now than it did originally (1926 house).

(I also love that my sink is now huuuggggee and has two faucets. Maybe we can just say I love my new sink run and call it one thing?)

My cheap IKEA butcher block counters. Warm to the touch, not loud when putting things down, easy to wipe down. The best part is, even if I ruin them somehow, it's no big deal, as they are so cheap and easily replaced. Very relaxing.

the ,light (natural and man-made) and function/flow. all of which were absolutely abysmal prior to reno

I have to pick one? Taking down the wall between kitchen and dining room opened up the space so much. I no longer feel like I've been sent to the time-out room when I'm cooking. Removing uppers made the two, large kitchen windows feel more open and now I have the extra-large dining room window's view and light, too. And I've tripled the counter space and made a more functional flow. I really can't pick just one.

If my clean-up sink and new DW location ever get plumbed so my DW would get out of the prep space, that would probably become my #1 favorite but I can't claim it yet.

That we, and that includes GW "consultants," created the idea.

I had the soffits removed in a very small condo kitchen and brought new cabinets to ceiling and added an extra shelf inside. Also able to use Super Susan in replace of a blind corner cabinet. Moving things just a few inches here and there also gave me room for another small cabinet on the bottom due to removing a small kitchen full of fillers prior and using new semi custom cabinets.

Light and openness - south-facing window, lets in light, looks out towards woods.

Thanks for such a positive thread!

It faces front, with the covered front porch spanning the front door on one side of it and the service door and garage on the other. I can see everything going on out front, on the street, and with the dining room behind it I can see the woods in the back as well. The kitchen table is my favorite place to hang out.

I love how much counter space I have now. I could hardly do anything in the old kitchen without stress. Now I can bake and cook at the same time!

I don't think I can pick one thing that I love the most. Added window makes the space brighter and seem larger. Re-arranged appliances and cabinets also makes it seem larger and definitely more functional. Triple the storage. LED ceiling lighting is fabulous. Double (actually more than double) the counter space, in a nice stone. Larger single sink. Pulldown faucet. Undersink trash/recycling/compost. Elbow room around the stove and fridge. More electrical outlets. Drawers and rollout everything possible. Plus, all the elements -- cabs, stone, trim, paints, hardware, floor -- being just plain attractive instead of old, tired, and damaged.

I guess my top three --- no, I can't even narrow it down that much. Top six -- new, larger, and more cabinets including pantry; rearranged allowing more counter space and better function; LED ceiling lights; drawers and rollouts; more outlets; larger (yet it is not even 33"!) sink. Under sink trash a close contender.

I love the cabinets in my remodels! They're dove tailed quality! A pleasure to behold and a pleasure to use. #2 The BIG single undermount sink!

Cabinets are not in yet, so I have yet to see where my mistakes will be. However, I hope that what I will like most is having all my stuff stored in drawers -- and each item in the location where it is most often used.

My current "map" of the kitchen places all my pots and pans in the drawers on either side of the range, beneath the prep and landing areas for the range.

All the baking / mixing supplies will be underneath the longest stretch of counter, which is next to the sink.

All the table setting-related things sit in the cabinets that are closest to the adjoining dining area, so that you don't have to cut across the narrow galley kitchen to set the table.

Those items that I don't use daily, maybe just on weekends or once a month, will be in an area of the kitchen that is outside the main work area.

My great hope is that this will put an end to previous patterns of bouncing all over the kitchen (or, due to inadequate storage, even other rooms) just to retrieve what is needed. I am also hoping it will make it easier for my husband I to work more comfortably in the same small kitchen.

Time will tell.

For my new kitchen? It has to be that I'm going to have an induction cooktop. Except I can't pick just one. The second thing will be my quartzite. It's just stunning and reminds me of watercolors and as an artist...

For my current kitchen I'd have to say it's my granite. In fact my whole condo's colors was designed around the granite colors.

My island. I love the fact that I can be prepping multiple items and there is still room for people to sit and chat. Having three banks of drawers is amazing, plus I love the storage on the back side for those items not used regularly.

Storage!

I now have enough storage to be able to get things off the counters (knife drawer vs block, canisters in a drawer, etc), so the kitchen is less cluttered.

And I now have the right storage in the right place, which makes it convenient to cook and to clean up.

While there are so many things I love about my new kitchen, each one ultimately is the result of efficient design and appropriate storage.

There's no way I could pick just one or two things so I'll just say that I love that everything just works and it's a comfortable enjoyable space to be in. Everything is level, the appliances works like their suppose to, there's actual usable storage, real counter tops, the floors aren't ice cold in the winter, you don't have to slam doors to get them to shut, and we get so much more natural light now. Before we liked to cook. Now we like to cook in our kitchen and actually spend time in it before and after we cook. It's almost like we added a 170 square feet onto the house.

In general, I'd say all my windows, dutch door, opening skylight and the Southeast exposure. ...So daylight, and plenty of fresh air!

However, if I had to pick just one thing within the kitchen, it would have to be my Bluestar range. It is truly a workhorse and a dream to cook on! So basic and simple, it is much like the stove we had growing up in the '50s-'60s. No frills, just pure function. I've had it three years now and often cook 3-5 times a day, and still look forward to the next time I fire it up...:)

One thing....... The Before and After pics show more than words can say -

Let There Be Light!

I love that I did the design myself. The GC and KD kept questioning every move, so I found someone else, I told them what I wanted, they drew it, and built it. I love that it fits the house, and everyone who sees it says that very thing.

It's finished and I can cook again!

One?? Probably having more than an 18" square ikea cart to do my prep on. Or having a dw. Or opening it up to my nook area that gets a lot more light??? Hood rather than just a hole in the ceiling? Oh man there are so many things. I haven't even got to the induction cooktop!

It seems like there is a trend to this thread, and that is light and space. I love the pics of kitchens that have been opened up to their true potential! Since my one thing was so general, I'm going to cheat a bit and add a specific item- the prep sink. I always wanted one, but never realized just how much of a difference it would make. Our main sink is a monster at 43", but it's so handy to have a second sink with two cooks in the house.

Layout. I question my finishes but not the layout.

Windows as big as doors that match the rest of the house. The kitchen used to be a dark galley with one bitty window. Sorry, photo not great....Just ordered more windows yesterday!

I wanted more light...DH is starting to hate "change orders"!

The windows will be fixed, so I have more glass and they will come within about an inch of the counter!!

My granite countertops. After 20+ years of living in various houses with white tile countertops, I love being able to clean off a smooth surface and not worry about cleaning the *#@$^&$@# grout! This is followed closely by having hardware on the cabinets and big drawers on each side of the range.

Beautiful functionality with fabulous storage. It makes my heart sing.

I'm with annac54. Our kitchen isn't finished yet, but one of the things I'm most looking forward to is being rid of the 2-inch square tiles with deep grout lines. I'll never have to vacuum the countertop again! A close second is having an actual built-in dishwasher instead of one that rolls over to the sink and blocks the entire working area while running.

I really like the bigger sink, but the part I love the most is the unfitted look. And the aprons! LOL Almost done with the floors and just waiting for it to warm up enough to paint....will post pictures, soon :)

My soapstone. It's work to have it perfect, but I'm not a perfect type of person, so soapstone and I are meant for each other. It's a dream for cooking and baking, and I never tire of it.

the other thing I love was already there before I redid it- that it's a galley. Most people find them too small, but ours is a one butt kitchen and that's how I like it. Get out and let me cook! Everything is easily accessible. If I ever had a huge, wide open home, I'd be sure to put in an island and keep the everyday use things close so that it still felt like a galley.

I like that the kitchen is not the main thorough fair to the house! Last house it was a major traffic jam with a horrible layout. Within the kitchen itself I love my drawers (thank you GW) complete with organizers (GW) that I never had before and my big single sink (GW) and my gas stove. How could I forget - I love my hood that is vented OUTSIDE!

Other than that I love Mushcreeks windows oh man oh man I have mushcreek kitchen envy! Oh wait that is another topic now isn't it. My bad. :O

Things are coming together with my kitchen, which creates a whole, in-love feeling. It's not nearly finished (finishes, actually) but I stand there and love it.

What has made me really love it vs, eh, ok, maybe someday, is replacing the glass screen door I had in as a pocket to the mudroom. The dogs could look through it, scratch and chew and I didn't care. The beautiful, 1.76" thick French door WITH TRIM (The only trim in my house) is a joy to see. The light was already there, but now I LIKE to look at it.

What's really contributed recently to me LOVING my strange kitchen is moving the fridge to the mudroom, giving me 57" of landing space just inside that French door, vs. the 24" I lived on. Cutting off my peninsula has opened the ENTIRE ("ENTIRE," she screamed!) kitchen. It's so open and amazing now, even not finished. With my reclaimed pine floor I have yet to finish, it's just cool.

Gotta figure out what to do with those peninsula lights and build my rolling island, but all in all, those items really contribute to my happiness in my kitchen.

Can't wait to see how I feel when I can afford my counter depth, over the sink window, my soapstone counters, and someday, a counter depth fridge.

Pretty much everything, but primarily the layout.

1000% better than before.

Before:

After:

Will- Nice!

A quick sneak peek of the bistro table...at the end of our kitchen. Another thing I love is our little chandelier :)

Lavender, Love the Bistro set-up. Much nicer than Starbuck's ;)

Willtv, great job, love how the black&white pops in your space. Those old appliances, from the 70s surely!

raee_gw, Thanks. Our kitchen reno was completed in October of 2010 so it's been about 5 1/2 years and I still love working in it. As I said, it's 1000% better than what was there before.

As for the Harvest Gold appliances, we moved into the house in 1987 and the appliances were already there. At that point they were probably 10 years old but still kicking. In fact, the fridge was moved to the garage and is still used as back-up fridge and freezer space. They just don't make 'em like they used to.

If you'd like to see more, here a link to my reveal from several years ago

but what I do love about it is it is PAID FOR, didn't cost a fortune

You know, I pretty much hate my kitchen. It has a piss-poor layout, is dark, has a desk plopped right in the middle of a cabinet run, has cabinets that're mounted too high, and has awful lighting ... but it is paid for. And it was super cheap.

And it's in an excellent area close to the best schools, which is why we moved into it more than a decade ago. I knew the kitchen was bad then, but the house's location made up for the kitchen's shortcomings.

Another thing I love about the kitchen: It is adjacent to the 30x12ish covered deck, which makes grilling easy. We don't really have an outdoor kitchen now -- just a Big Green Egg grill, a shelf for grilling accessories, and an outdoor eating area -- but we do grill several times a week in good weather.