Do you know what you want? Layout, cabinets, etc? Could you figure it out yourself based on what other Kitchen Designers or contractors have already proposed to you?

I'd chose to basically be the "contractor" and subcontract out the jobs I couldn't do, like move the plumbing and electrical, etc. Do you know the layout of your cabinets? Draw it on a piece of paper and go down to the building division and apply for a kitchen remodel permit. Order cabinets through HD, Lowe's, Ikea, whatever and hire a handyman to install them. Hire someone else to put in counters.

This is the method I have chosen after failing to be happy about who I met with and what I could afford. And applying for a permit means you'll know the work is up to code because inspectors will come out to check.

Deep breath... You're going to make it...

You've done so much research but when it comes to executing your plan within a reasonable timeframe, you failed miserably. I get that finding the right contractor, KD etc is causing the major issues/delays, but who tears down a ceiling when cabinets aren't even ordered yet?

If you can't afford a KD then don't use one. The people here can help free of charge. It just takes a little more work. Start interviewing more contractors asap.

Also, I don't know your budget, but what about Ikea? What about a local cabinet maker? Cabinets take time... Contractors who are good are usually busy/booked for a while.. But I don't need to tell you these issues because you already know.

Worst case, make a makeshift kitchen to hold you over until you can create your dream space. You complain about the microwave when you can buy a new one from Walmart for $35. Stop letting the little things bother you. Focus on the end result.

I became my own GC after hiring then firing three GCs. I talked with a lot of KDs and none met my needs. In fact, they were taking notes about my ideas from GW for their other jobs.

I ended up designing my kitchen, drawing my own plans for permit submission, and hired my own engineer when the GCs were freaking out about inspector's demands.

The extra costs of mistakes by the GCs came out to be around $5000. Those were the fixable ones. I did workaround for the ones that couldn't be fixed (electrical).

After $40K with no kitchen, I took over as GC and built the kitchen myself since my budget was blown by that time.

I would suggest starting by drawing something by hand and sharing with the forum for suggestions. You should know by now why you like, need, and your habits while cooking.

Being done by Thanksgiving with the amount of work you're talking about is not realistic unless money is no object. There are always delays.

For example, getting my countertop installed was a month to six weeks after templating. Every good fabricator was on that deadline caused they were booked. Cabinet production was two months and I still had to assemble.

You don't need a kitchen to cook. We haven't had one for 2 1/2 yrs.

The more you investigate and learn the better the job will turn out with the lowest price. Your structural change isn't brain surgery. For a certain distance with your residential load a certain size beam will be specified. The point loads have to be supported into the foundation. Shop around with as much info about your house as you can get. You can find a structural engineer at a good price. Break up the remodel into its components and tackle each one in turn.

I'll leave the details up to others to respond

Good contractors are booked right now. If you're talking to someone immediately available (who didn't have a cancellation) then enter at your own risk. We waited a year for ours to become available. Rushing will only disappoint you in the long run.

We're in the middle of our remodel. I totally designed our kitchen myself. I got out a tape measure and measured our space and drew everything on graph paper. Then I went online and looked up standard cabinet sizes that you can buy on RTA websites or Cliqstudios to get a good feel for cabinet sizes and options out there. I spent lots and lots of time on Garden web reading through design threads (post your layout here and they will help you!!). I then gave my sketch layout to local cabinet reps and shops including Home Depot and they quickly priced out. We had them ordered and used our own installer. So far so good and in budget!

It will help the design gurus if you draw by hand a basic house layout for all the rooms, closets, hallways, windows, stairs that surround the kitchen. It helps see the traffic flow patterns and if there are any spaces that can be "repurposed" for something like recessing a fridge or making a walk-in pantry. It can be a rough drawing that doesn't have measurements.

did annie just hijack this thread or Katie66 is now annie? am very confused.

I think Annie meant to add the detail to a thread she had just started, but made a mistake. I posted on that thread to let her know.

okay .. this is confusing. I guess both users were the same person as both names are the same now.

You can save yourself some serious money by not removing that load bearing wall. I'd design a kitchen with it in place if money is tight.

What is the reason for the 36" high cabinets? For more storage or because you need the higher countertop?

If the latter this could easily be done with IKEA cabinets. You just put them on a base that is higher to get the finished height you want and then do your own kick board and paint or stain to match the cabinets, or use filler pieces to create.

What IS your budget? And what is your realistic DIY skill set? A low budget means amping up the DIY. Tearing out stuff without a plan in place doesn't lend confidence to any claim of skills though. So, that is why you need to realistically face what you can and cannot do.

This is what I am working with.

• one person kitchen
• 36" high cabinets (either all white or darker bottoms and island with lighter
• top, like River Rock and maybe Polar White from
  Shiloh) with a tall cove molding
• 8' ceilings
• lots of drawers
• really would love a nice open island with seating for 4-6
• have a range and full size French door fridge
• would like a built-in look microwave and chimney hood
• no open shelves
• would like to open up the doorway to the dining room to about 68" if
  possible
• can't do counter-depth fridge
• would like dishwasher to the left of the sink
• granite or quartz countertops TBA
• 2-3 of these pendants lights if an island is
  possible
• love the look of this Granada Smoke water jet tile but
  can't afford it. Will look for something with a similar feel. Maybe paired
  with this 4'x12" tile.
• no Ikea cabinets due to height of cabinets
• flooring choices are still open but hoping for a midtone hardwood

I talked to a very handy friend today who is willing to assist with project
management since I have to work and can't be here for the whole remodel. That
will help because he will keep an eye and things and allow me to hire everyone
individually.

Any assistance/ideas you wonderful people are willing to offer would be
appreciated.

lyfia, I mean 36"
uppers.

Sophie Wheeler, my budget is $55k. I tore things out because I had a handyman in to fix an electrical problem and then a plumbing problem occurred which required the removal of a good portion of ceiling. It didn't make sense to me to replace the drywall when I knew the reno would be taking place. I didn't arbitrarily remove it.

My DIY skill set would allow me to comfortably do the demo, assemble RTA cabinets, paint and trim out the walls. The electrical, plumbing, drywall, flooring and hanging of cabinets will be left to an expert. I might do the backsplash.

In my part of the country, taking out a load bearing wall would not "break the bank" and could be "absorbed" into a remodel project by cutting expenses elsewhere like granite level, light fixtures, backsplash, etc. if removing the wall resulted in a better design that I loved like having an island, I would not hesitate to do so.

Any structural work here is expensive. I looked at leaving the support beams but removing half of our load bearing wall to put in doors instead of windows and it was $50K quote just for the wall work. $150K for the whole thing. I dropped that as part of the kitchen remodel.

Based on your plan, your kitchen is 15' X 24.5' which is quite large without removing the wall.

My kitchen is 15'x 20' and I managed a huge island in it. It is designed as L shape. My perimeters are almost 33" deep for both arms which also eats away at the space.

If you do a smaller island and stay with standard depths for cabinets, you should be fine without removing the wall.

You can do a combo Ikea and custom RTA like I did to save money. I used IKEA everywhere I could when I designed the kitchen including cutting down cabs to size. I ordered a few custom for the rest like my 44" uppers and my 48" range cabinet. Even with using IKEA, I managed a design without any fillers except the necessary ones at the corner and one end wall.

All the doors and drawer fronts came from the custom RTA so they all match.

So far none of the subs who have come in to work can tell its IKEA. The custom contractors here all use IKEA for their melanine bases anyway without telling you.

"However, I was quite taken aback when he said that he would remove a load-bearing wall (I was very pleased with that) but then stated "You are supposed to get an engineer to come up with the plan, but we don't need to waste the money. I know what they are going to say and I can do it myself." Now, I appreciate confidence but this guy is pretty young (doing this about 7 years), our local code requires a engineer's plan and our 2,600 square foot home is supported by that wall. It was depressing to know that the person I hoped to use was the type of person who would not pull a permit and risk structural damage to my home. So cross his name off my list. If he will cut corners there, will else will he cut them?"

You may have just screwed yourself out of an excellent contractor. I am not an engineer, but I designed, built, and installed the header holding up my father-in-law's kitchen roof.

It took half a day and passed on first inspection.

I've got a picture, but it doesn't seem to want to post.

I removed 2 load bearing walls and replaced them with sistered laminated joists and 2x4 columns. This required building temporary walls to bear the weight between removal of the old wall and installation of the new beams and columns. In the basement it involved cutting joists in half and inserting the beam so that it wouldn't hang below the joists. Cut a hole in the basement floor and put in a new footing. Removed part of the stone foundation and poured a concrete replacement cap to support one end of the beam. Fabricated a steel support post to support the other end.

While it was a ton of work to do myself, it really wasn't complicated. Any contractor who does this for a living can eyeball the solution in a few minutes. But to be legal and also avoid any my insurance company finding an excuse to deny any future claims, I paid an engineer $300 for plans. The plans were detailed, listing not just lumber and footer sizing, but also the exact bolt sizes, nail sizes, joist hangers and simpson strongties. Funny thing though, the final 20 something page report included my hand drawn original plan.

If you liked that contractor, don't be put off by him suggesting he is entirely competent to spec a beam to replace a load bearing wall. That is not saying it is wise to go without engineering and code compliance. Just that he's as likely to spec a proper beam and column as would be an engineer. My concern would be about, compliance, liability and insurance, not his ability to build exactly what is needed.

Joe, in regard to the engineer and the load bearing wall, in some cities you cannot pass the inspection without having executed a plan done by a licensed engineer that has been submitted and approved first. We had to do this with the block wall around our back yard! So, talented contractor or not, he may not have been able to do this.

My concern is not so much about his ability to support the structure, per se, as much as it is that he suggested that we ignore the local code which requires a permit and engineer's stamp on the plan. The cost to remove the wall is not entirely prohibitive ($4,000) but for liability purposes, we need to pull the permit and follow the code. I am wrestling with whether to trust someone who suggests such a plan.

I will get more graph paper out this evening and start putting my vision on paper and see where it leads.

What type of siding is the house? Are you open to changing the window that is lower than counter height?

it might help if you posted some of the plans that were designed and tell us what you did not like about them. It might spark the creative process for the layout gurus on this site. There is no point in laying out a plan that you have already rejected.

Thanks rantontoo. I will work on that this evening. And I am open to changing the window, if need be.

The siding is vinyl.

"Joe, in regard to the engineer and the load bearing wall, in some cities you cannot pass the inspection without having executed a plan done by a licensed engineer that has been submitted and approved first. We had to do this with the block wall around our back yard! So, talented contractor or not, he may not have been able to do this."

That happened to me. No engineer, no go.

"...our local code requires a engineer's plan..."

Bottom line...if it's required, then you have to do it, regardless of how "talented" someone is. In fact, I share Katie's concerns. Either he didn't know enough about what's required where she lives or he's cutting corners for whatever reason.

Ok, here is the basic first floor layout. Pretty standard colonial in our area.

Our big traffic area is from the garage into the kitchen. Like a lot of people, we don't use the front door all that often.

Katie...is your layout to-scale? I'm asking b/c it doesn't appear to be. E.g., the 69" measurement is much longer than the 87". I'm trying to draw up a "blank slate" to work with, but am having trouble coming up with the missing measurements (see below).

Is it just you in your home? Since you said one cook, that is my assumption (most spouses and even children help out or help out when they're old enough when they're learning to cleanup and cook.)

How high off the floor is the 87" window? I know it's below the counter, but what is the window's actual distance from the finished floor?

Could you please check the dimensions? The ones with red lines are measurements I calculated. The blue are yours.

We have a similar set-up to yours and couldn't remove the wall between the kitchen and dining room. When our KD made this suggestion I, quite frankly, thought it was stupid but she suggested putting another door in that wall 2 ft. from the wall at the other end. I was surprised at how much it opened the area and gave really good traffic flow.

Of course, you could probably just widen the other doorway as well.

Good luck with your project.

Reading the Layout Help FAQ might help...

How do I ask for Layout Help and what information should I include?

• http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2767033/how-do-i-ask-for-layout-help-and-what-information-should-i-include

OK, so some of the measurements have changed on your floor layout and some are now missing. I'll go back and look at them. But, if you could verify which are correct, please do! I'm guessing your more recent #s, but I just wanted to check!

The measurements don't add up....compare the bottom wall with the top wall to see what I mean. They're off by quite a bit.

Would it be possible to use columns for the support of the removed wall. I know columns aren't great but in many cases it allows for a much more open design without the expense of a total removal and beam installation. And they can be faced or wrapped with wood matching the cabinetry. With out a doubt pull permits! No cutting corners there. It would be a terrible thing to have to rip it all out if you were busted. Lots of people try getting away with it but if you ever want to sell your house and they want to know if permits were pulled for the construction or electrical etc you have a real problem.

Kitchens with support columns

https://www.houzz.com/photos/support-columns-phbr0lbl-bl~l_143304

Support columns only affect the price of the actual beam needed. Which is the cheapest part. All of the other relocation of services and floor patching and 95% of the labor still exists. That is why it is a penny wise and pound foolish endeavor on the most part to not go for the flush support integrated into the ceiling.

I have deleted the confusing layouts and created this photo to give you a better idea of what our first floor looks like. The purple arrows show the main thoroughfare in our home. I hope you can read it. If you have trouble, please let me know I am will save it elsewhere and create a link.

Thank you!

What's the dashed line between the kitchen and living room? Is there a step down there?

Katie, I wrote a comment yesterday and then deleted it because I felt that I was reading the situation all wrong. But now I am thinking I was okay.

Your current layout is very much like mine. My kitchen is the main pathway from the garage to virtually the rest of the house. And your range is right next to this pathway. In my case, I have no countertop next to the cooktop. This pathway will limit you as well, in my opinion. Then there is that big window to deal with! Just like me. UGH! Is your current kitchen a peninsula with room for a table by the large window?

I feel for you! I have the same frustrations. We are in limbo right now due to our restrictions/budget. Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like you have the luxury of waiting it out to save more money.

Katie, we are stuck ourselves. No matter what we do, it leads to problems elsewhere. It can be mostly solved of course with lots of money. However, I would never get that back on resale. We are not going to live here that long. Retirement is around the corner.

So, given your pathway where it is at, I don't think an island is possible unless some larger structural change was made. I hope I am wrong again and someone does chime in with a layout that works. Now that your drawing is done with correct measurements, this will help others.

Oops sorry I read that wrong. So to save money on cabinets I'd see about using IKEA base cabinets (without the doors) and another brand uppers such as Scherrs which is custom RTA and then use Scherrs to make doors for the lower IKEA cabinets as well. Lots of people have used them for just the doors. I used them for drawer boxes and doors for a vanity I built at my old house. Great service and price was reasonable. Or if you are willing to use like you mentioned two tones and just have doors that look closely related your options open up even more.

Luke with Scherr's here. We have a lot of customers buy cabinets from IKEA and then doors/drawer fronts from us. You can just send over an IKEA kitchen planner document or have someone at IKD help you design your kitchen if you're willing to spend a bit more to have your designing done really well and quickly. We can work with plans from either to get you a quote next day.

Right now if you buy an unfinished job it'll ship out within a month. If you get clear coated job, it'll ship out in a month and a half. We wouldn't be able to do a painted job on your timeline though.

I may have missed this in the comments but if you go to a big box store with a kitchen department, they'll do a layout for free. You don't necessarily want to buy from a big box store, but get the ball rolling on layout ideas. Cabinets from big-box stores generally take a month to come in. They usually have pretty competitive pricing on product, they make their money off installation.