Getting Ready to Remodel!
I've posted HERE before for some ideas on remodeling our tiny and terrible kitchen. At the time, we were considering more extensive things like removing the wall, moving doors/windows, etc. We decided for the value of the house and our long term plans, a simpler remodel that made the kitchen more useful without costing too much was the best idea.
That being said, here is the plan we have come up with and will be staring in the coming weeks.
With this plan, we'll finally have a dishwasher...hallelujah! My wife and I both like to cook and sometimes are both making supper at the same time, so we're excited to have at least a little room on both sides of the range so we aren't constantly reaching around/over each other. We do lose some counter space, but we think it will be more usable to have some on both sides of the stove and not have the deep corner area, and we can use the buffet for some extra space also. Getting rid of the peninsula should help open things up a bit, as will getting rid of the soffit and raising upper cabinets from 14" to 19" above the counters.
We should have way more usable cabinet storage also. The new pantry area should make up for what we lost in the peninsula, and with drawers on all of the base cabinets things will be much more accessible and efficient. Uppers will go from 30" to 40" cabinets.
We are doing Ikea Bodbyn gray for all of the cabinets and a DOMSJÖ double sink. Still deciding what we want to do for counter tops. We'll be installing under cabinet lighting from inspiredled.com, as well.
Any last minute tips/tweaks/suggestions? We have all of the cabinets purchased so we can't do a major overhaul of this design, but it might be possible to change some things.
Can't wait to finally get rid of this inefficient 1970's kitchen! I'll try to post some before pictures and some progress/after pictures as well.
Comments (13)
sena01
7 years ago
jlvhawk3
7 years agoRelated Discussions
Opinion on Quote for Master Bath Remodel
Comments (18)Wow. I thought the poster wrote a pretty darn good post. (S)he likes the contractor. The contractor has done good work in the past. The contractor in the past seemed to be priced fairly for the market the poster is in. Had the poster been remodeling another basement; ie doing comparable work, that's one thing. But kitchen and bathroom work? They are completely different animals when it comes to bidding and building. The poster isn't screaming in internet outrage at the bid. He's simply looking for a warm fuzzy that the bid is good. I think he already knows the bid is good. But again...what's wrong with coming to the GWeb community to look for that warm and fuzzy. If he was a Yankee fan, hey, I'd be piling on too. But for totally different reasons. But a Red Sox fan in Westchester County? C'mon folks. We need to help the decent people in this world. So my reply? Yes, the bid (42K) taken at face value is high. It's high because $42K is a lot of money. Factor in your location. That brings it more into scale. Your materials. High end materials generally require more care when installing, that can elevate the price a bit. The scope of work: Demo. Framing. Messing with the building's thermal envelope. Electrica, plumbing, insulation, waterproofing, painting, yadda yadda. It's a full-scope job. I never mind being asked about money. If you're happy with the contractor, then just have a conversation with him. If the following fits how you feel, then feel free to frame it into your conversation. Tell him the bid is higher than you thought it would be, but you understand it due to the scope of work. Tell him that you can bump your budget to meet his bid. However, ask him to identify any areas where savings might be achieved. Also ask him to identify areas where there may be cost overruns. It's not that you're looking to knock the price down. You're not. But not exceeding the bid is important. Let him know you're simply looking for possibly contingency built in to the bid. ie if you go over in demo and repairs, can we absorb that overrun elsewhere without compromising the overall project. Good luck!...See MoreGetting ready to remodel the second floor, where to start?
Comments (35)EnergyRater - I guess I would rather have the choice of a material that was non toxic. Just because it is enclosed out of my living space, it still is produced and people working in the production of it are exposed to it, people installing it, people removing it are exposed to it, and then it has to break down into the environment too. So if there is a non toxic choice, that would be my preference. An air tight house is something I’m not sure I agree with. I don’t now enough about it yet. I realize that with an air tight house, it can work if you provide enough ventilation, but I’ve heard of air tight homes that became a hazard. I’m going to have to read up on that more. We are not doing the first floor, so probably we could not make the house air tight, but maybe you mean, if we are going to try for air tight, we may as well do it that way on the upstairs. Part of the second floor is storage under the eaves of the roof. We have a cape. The hallway shares that wall. Thank you ERater… :-)...See MoreKitchen remodel floorplan
Comments (19)WOW. Thank you so much for putting that together. This has been my first post and I'm blown away by your response! Very much appreciated. Sorry I didnt get your questions answered sooner. You are correct that the hallway leads to our front entry. To the left is our family room. I dont have a drawing of that but there is a set of sliding doors on the same back wall leading to the covered patio (about 18 feet from the french doors in the kitchen. Also, about those french doors -- they dont yet exist. :) That is one of my wish list items. Our kids/dogs go through the current sliders in the family room and track mud onto the carpet (will later be hardwood) so I would like to have a "dirtier" entry in the kitchen. I also like this idea because it will add light to the back of our house which is currently very dark. They will also allow me to keep an eye on the kids playing outside better. We also use the kitchen for most dinners, so I would like to have seating for four. I know the space isn't ginormous though. Typically, we only use the dining room when we have company. You are also correct that we do want an island with seating. It appears I'm rather basic ha. Our current layout has a small island with no seating - we are using a table at the end which makes it very cramped with the basment door opening. Our current layout also includes a wall right through the middle (non load-bearing) -- the corner room was originally the dining room. So we are using a much smaller space at the moment. I don't have a drawing of that but I do have a picture from when we bought the house. We have updated the appliances out of necessity but haven't changed the layout at all yet. Again, sorry I didnt provide more info sooner, I honestly did not expect your kind of response. Thanks again!...See MoreNew Kitchen Remodel Layout Opinions
Comments (22)Thanks again for the helpful comments. I guess my main goal was to initially come up with some way to open the wall and add a counter for 2 stools, and then "figure out" the rest of the kitchen (exact cabinets and materials, etc) once the wall issue was resolved. I see now that the the "pros" are ahead of me figuring out the full function and comfort of the entire kitchen from the beginning. I'm sure that is the best way to do this. I guess the angled peninsula is not approved. We first wanted to do something simple like this: We thought we were all set, until we tried a mock up and found stools would be in the stairway traffic - walks right past this spot. Tried different ways to address it, and eventually came up with the angled peninsula. In searching for examples of the idea, I found a few write ups that stated angled peninsulas are often used to move the seating out of traffic areas, especially on small floor plans and small kitchens. But I also read that some people hate them. I still believe there are times when they are necessary and possibly the only option to accomplish the goal. At this point, we're a little confused and apprehensive now. As far as the refrigerator and the range next to each other. Right now our cooktop is between 2 cabinet walls with about a 3" counter on either side (pantry on one side, and wall oven on the other). Even though it's not by todays standards, it never bothered much (although we would have liked a counter on one side of the range). Actually my mothers home (1958) has the a very similar setup (cooktop between 2 walls, one side the refrigerator, the other side is the wall oven). She said it wasn't much of a problem. I've seen it in other older homes as well. I understand if people have the space, change it to current standards. Having a counter on 1 side of the range is an improvement for us! Moving these items creates new challenges, so we really have to consider whether it's necessary for us. Finally the last challenge is the large window, that means we lose more cabinet space (as well as the cabinets on the partial wall we're removing). Cabinet space is important to us. So with all of these considerations, we have a real problem coming up with something that will function at least as well as we have now, and aesthetically appealing. No easy task! We'll consider everything I've learned here and come up with a final plan soon. With all of this in mind, opinions and suggestions are welcome! Again, can't thank you enough for comments....See Morejlvhawk3
7 years agoPictures of the current kitchen:
First picture shows how the peninsula really closes things in. The walkway between the end of the peninsula and the counter on the other side is less than 3', You can also kind of tell how low the upper cabinets are. The desk area seems like mostly wasted space for us.
Second picture shows the reach-in pantry space and how there really isn't much extra room here. The door can only open a little under 90° before it hits the fridge. The new pantry won't be as deep as the fridge so the door should open further, and I might even be able to make the door a bit larger. Also, we hate the stove being up against the wall!
Third picture, peninsula again and no extra space by fridge. The corner area of both the base and upper cabinets is not very convenient. The base has a lazy susan, but the way the cabinet is built (homemade I think) leaves a tiny opening and tiny space inside. With the low upper height, the corner counter area is also inconvenient. You have to pull the knife block forward to actually get them out.
jlvhawk3
7 years ago
cpartist
7 years ago
mama goose_gw zn6OH
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoSince you will have the fridge on the range wall, I'd suggest pulling those base cabinets out to match the fridge box, giving you more counter space for small appliances and more space for prep. You could use the Ikea 18" cabinets above, which would provide storage for larger items. There is a ledge behind the range, to fill in the gap, and to provide a spot for S&P shakers, oils, etc.
I'd have the cabinets where the current pantry is located come down to the counter, for pantry storage, but IIRC, Ikea uppers come in 15" minimum depth, so the new tall pantry cabinets might need to be pulled forward a few inches to accommodate the uppers.
dbonnano's suggested mobile cart is stored beside the buffet.jlvhawk3
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agomama goose, I really like this idea and I got really excited at first. Unfortunately, I don't think I can make it work. I can't move/remove that lower portion of the old pantry wall as that is what gives headroom over the basement stairs. So that corner still has to come out and cover the area in orange below. That is an interesting idea on pulling out the base cabinets on that side to get more counter space depth. Bit of a tradeoff in floor vs counter space, and wasted space behind the cabinets, but it might be worth it. I think there would still be a little over 4' between the two sides. I'll have to think about that part some more...
jlvhawk3
7 years agosena01
7 years agoI was thinking something like this if fridge doors can open wide enough to remove fridge drawers when needed.
I wonder if it's possible to have a rolling shutter door for the built-in pantry? That can allow you to have roll outs in the pantry.
jlvhawk3
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agomama goose_gw zn6OH
7 years agoOh, sorry I missed that :(. You could extend the counter over the bump-in, with a drawer to fill the gap, or a cubby for cutting boards, trays, etc., but that would make access to the uppers difficult unless you used something like the following cabinet insert:
Rev-a-shelf via Kitchensource
The upper corner would need to be voided, but there would be plenty of space for appliances on the counter.
jlvhawk3Original Author