so happy for you!!! you don't realize how un-functional your old kitchen was till you get a new functional one!! we had the same realization a few years ago!! love my new kitchen too!!!

Congrats !! you are wished many a happy cooking days!!

Totally agree on the joy of cooking/preparing meals in a well thought-out kitchen. I seriously cannot ever move from my home because I am afraid I won't be able to find such a well laid-out kitchen again. Mine does have a small round dining table that seats 4, and it is not open-concept style.

So nice to get caught up in your excitement Anglo. You have such a lovely kitchen. :)

Can't wait for my new kitchen, also with a rolling cart! <------ SO looking forward to that.

I love having 4 walls, with counter space on each. No, it's not an eat-in kitchen, nor is it "open concept".

I have a lovely breakfast room right next to it, with the DR on the other side of the kitchen.

If I ever get to remodel my kitchen, you just described my ideal kitchen. I detest my open concept.

Can you link to a detailed thread (if it exists) because you just described my ideal kitchen?

So happy for you Anglo! You put so much thought into your kitchen design. It's great that all that careful planning has translated to enjoyment and making nice memories in your kitchen with family and friends. Your post goes to show that there is more to consider than just resale value when you plan a reno.

Nosoccermom, here is the link (hope I'm doing it right!).

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/finally-my-kitchen-reveal-work-completed-in-aug-2016-dsvw-vd~4779243?n=10

How did I miss that? Beautiful! Amazing range! May I ask what hardware finish that is? I love your fox head string holder - what an extraordinary find!

I'm also so happy you are loving your functional (and beautiful) kitchen : - ) Thanks for posting this... gives those of us in the midst are just starting something to look forward to!

Anglophilia - I loved reading this. I too, have so greatly appreciated the functionality of our renovated kitchen (thanks to this forum). While I question some of my finish choices, I would never (NEVER!) give up my layout. Thank you for posting - and best wishes for many more happy meals in your lovely kitchen.

Yes, I love my new kitchen! I appreciate having, well, three walls, but counters on four sides. It means I can cook with others, which is simply a lot of fun to begin with.

No eat in space - the one and only eating location (inside the house) is the dining area on the other side of the peninsula. Non cooking folk congregate there.

Thank you all for your lovely praise! I love my kitchen! I bought the stove when we moved to LA - got it in 1982 -adore it! I think it cost about $275.

The hardware finish is solid polished brass that was unlacquered. I should have taken them and had them lacquered before they were installed. But I loved the unlacquered, polished look - a bit more "mellow" than lacquered brass - and didn't. When one has a gas stove with 5 pilot lights, the fumes cause metal to tarnish. I finally had all my antique copper lacquered as polishing lasted about two weeks before it started tarnishing. The pulls on all my uppers have darkened considerably; the pulls on the bottom have hardly changed at all - fumes from the gas rise.

The fox string holder was found on eBay. I had an unpainted rabbit one I had bought decades ago in San Francisco, and I wanted another and I originally thought I would stack them on the side of the refrigerator cabinet so I'd see them when I come down that hall to the kitchen. I couldn't bear putting nail holes in those lovely new cabinets, so I only used the fox on the wall under the brass ship's clock. It kind of picked up the color of the copper in my kitchen. And I adored his " spectacles". He's made by Babbacome in England. There are several for sale now on eBay. I just love him - he makes me smile.

My house was built in 1948, and to me, anything built AFTER WWII, is a "new" house. Of course, that's ridiculous- I was born in 1943 and I'm not "new" in any way! So my kitchen had to work with the rest if the house, even though it's a separate room. My house is very traditional and very English - lots of antique wood furniture and chintz and linen print fabrics. I prefer painted cabinets as new ones just look "wrong" with all the antique English wood furniture in the rest of the house. My inspiration was the English kitchen cabinet company, Plain English". It works in traditional, very old and stately English homes, so I knew that would work for me. I did NOT paint my cabinets grey because it was trendy, but because a white kitchen would be too bright and stark, with that huge west-facing bay window. The grey is light, neutral, and very calm and serene - also crisp enough with the white woodwork to look smart.

Moving the refrigerator to the back wall opened up the doorway to the back hall. Of course, building it in with cabinetry made a huge difference as well. But it opened up that doorway corner of the kitchen. It also gave me 5ft of counter space next to the stove, instead of 2 ft - huge difference. Yes, I gave up 3 ft on the back wall, but that was really unused space. What is left is a perfect place to tuck in a small microwave, the cookie jar and the KA mixer.

Planning and lots if thought is what makes or breaks a kitchen. It's not just about a pretty CAD drawing of pretty cabinets, countertops and backsplash- it's about how YOU cook, how many people will be in your kitchen helping, having designated areas for different preps. Having a place for the ingredients and pans one needs near that area. Yes, having the dish cabinets near the dishwasher is nice, but I'd never trade my huge bay window for that. That window was put in 32 years ago and I've never regretted that decision. It makes a small, ordinary kitchen special, and it brings my garden into the house.

Of course, today there is very little cooking going on in kitchens anymore - women too busy, too tired, just not domestic. For them, any old kitchen will be just fine, so long as it looks new and au courant.

Planning and lots if thought is what makes or breaks a kitchen. It's not just about a pretty CAD drawing of pretty cabinets, countertops and backsplash- it's about how YOU cook, how many people will be in your kitchen helping, having designated areas for different preps. This is something I've learned here on GW, and am very grateful for that.

Of course, today there is very little cooking going on in kitchens anymore - women too busy, too tired, just not domestic. For them, any old kitchen will be just fine, so long as it looks new and au courant. Sadly, this is so true. I understand lack of time, but still, I manage, as do so many others here. Is home cooking going to be a lost art some day?

Anglophilia, you entire home sounds gorgeous - how I love chintz, but with my DH, it would not work (long-time bachelor and I can't seem to train him!). I love old, always will. I also love unique (I can't see the spectacles scissors, is the fox wearing them?) and find ebay, etsy to have some great finds!

Thank you so much for the link. Must study in more detail later. How wide are your aisles, and do you find yourself moving your island a lot?

I am wondering if a white counter drives you crazy or not. For the longest time, I was set on a white Corian counter. Then changed my mind to HD Laminate. Now, I'm waffling. Would love to hear your thoughts! :)

Like Beth09, I'd love to hear your pros/cons on the white Corian. I'm leaning heavily toward it because I love the flexibility of repair it offers.

Beth, I've had those counters now for 33 years and I still adore them! We re-used the countertops and added the new 5ft one next to the stove. My DD has the same as do 3 friends in different cities, and we all love the. They're very easy to keep clean and are totally timeless.

nosoccermom, I think my aisles are about 32-33 inches wide. Thus works as if there are multiple cooks in the kitchen, they're each in a different area. Never an "excuse me"! Island car is only moved if I using the Swifter to get up fog hair, or every other week when my cleaning woman puts it in HER preferred place. It's just perfect for my needs.

Thanks Anglo!

Yes, yes, yes! I'm right there with you. I love that my new kitchen has space for multiple cooks and keeps traffic out of the Ice Water Stone Fire zones. I also love having the kitchen as a separate room from the rest of the house. We have two pocket doors that we can shut to block noise and we love that.

It's so much fun to read how much you are loving your new kitchen! :)