Cheepchinesecrapola 5 year warranty cabinets with appliances that cost 10x what the cabinets did is never a good deign. The actual work zones are not horrible since they have a prep sink on the islsnd. But the aisles are too narrow, and there is too much visual chaos for a small space.

Its like a lot of show houses. It’s designed to sell product first. And the appliance provider is obviously the main sponsor and expects to see the most sales from it.

Actually Sophie, they're made and finished locally. The company has been in business since 1914 and they're still using the same factory as when they started building Hoosier cabinets back then.

5 year warranty says it all though. Every single true mid grade line offers a lifetime warranty. Even the entry level products like IKEA offer 25 year warranties. No one but imports, or low builder grade offers only a 5 year warranty.

I have a huge island separating my cook top from the sink and ovens, and it is awful to work in. Not much I can do about it though, as the cook top is in a brick oven type opening.

Agreed with OP- not a comfortable cook space.

Thoughts, from a homeowner who actually cooks:

--- The sink in the island could be functional, pots and pans from the cooktop, just a pivot away. But is that a porcelain sink? Going to get really banged up, fast. Undermount means live with the scratched patina and chips that will happen. Also- does the extra sink have a garbage disposal? If not, it's fairly useless as a "dumping ground"/extra prep sink

--- The classic idea of a kitchen cooking triangle is lost in this design. The refrigerator is too far away from actual prep area, and where is the pantry?

--- Sort of warming up to microwave placements other than top level and yet? This requires a lot of bending to use.

Eh? Projects like this should have a warning on them: "Objects in space not reflective of actual function."

I'm not a KD - I don't even play one on TV, lol - so I hope you don't mind me adding my layperson's opinion.

I don't mind the 2 cab finishes with 2 different counters because they are mirror images: white on dark and dark on white. But the ceiling, while lovely on its own, with the island pendants is a step too far for me. I also don't think the island pendants go with the sink pendant. These design elements need to go, IMO. The gorgeous hood should be the star in this kitchen.

My imperfect attempt at Paint removing the island pendants and ceiling treatment.

The aisles look narrow and I wouldn't put seating between clean-up sink and island. The butcher block inset is in an odd location. Who wants to stand at the far end of the island to prep? Pull items out of fridge, wash them, move to the end to prep and then back again to the range? Not the most efficient path for making a meal. I would have flipped seating and butcher block placement and reduced the island's width.

On the plus side, they have a prep sink on the range side and the path to the fridge isn't blocked by the island and the MW is near the fridge for quick reheats. I wonder where pantry storage is, too.

Not altogether awful but not altogether great either, IMHO.

Just a glance at that kitchen makes me want to run and hide. Way too much going on there.

The celling looks much better with plain white like Lisa’s. I am wondering how big the kitchen is. Anyone knows?

I love it. minus the curtains. that is giving me a hard time. But i am not a KD by any means

I think it's gorgeous and a lot of thoughtfulness went in to this kitchen. While I hate wallpaper, I think that ceiling is beautiful.

Regarding the layout? Sometimes you only have so much to work with in a house. It looks like a pre-war vintage home and those can be a challenge.

The island (maybe) should be a bit more narrow...sometimes camera views can be deceiving. They are lacking in upper storage, but they could have a pantry elsewhere or more cabinets on the other side of island that we can't see. Or again...an old home is a challenge. My 1925 home only has a handful of upper cabinets and I function just fine.

I personally think that straight runs like this are very functional. It's probably one of the most perfect designs for a kitchen. No corners to get trapped in to! Think about commercial/restaurant kitchens or kitchens in vintage estates. They are always straight runs and islands. The prep sink in the island clears up the issues of the range to sink distance. And the main sink then becomes the 'clean up zone'.

I have recently done two similar kitchens in the last year (ie. large island w/ prep sink, separate clean up zone...etc) I did have room for 4ft aisle ways....but both had walk in pantries. And both clients LOVE cooking in their kitchens.

Regarding the contrasting island/perimeter colors and tops? I think that's fine too...especially in a vintage home where they might want the island to stand out separately like a piece of furniture.

I would prefer to see the beautiful hood and range over a 30" range and more cabinets. The upper cabinets would make the room feel more crowded.

I give two thumbs up for this!

Kelly

I wonder if the butcher block rolls out? It looks free standing to me. To me this kitchen looks like something you would find on a movie set in a Diane Keaton movie LOL! I don't mind it.

While there is plenty to like in this kitchen and plenty to dislike,the narrowness of the space around the island completely ruins it for me. Also,why is the cabinet warranty only 5 years?

there is way too much going on, and the color scheme does not work, The island is out of proportion compared to the size of the kitchen. Prep areas are a little far, I cannot comment on the quality of the cabinets by just looking at this picture, I would have to see it in person and open drawers and inspect the finish to form an educated opinion.

Just like is mentioned above show houses do not have to be designed for a particular client or purpose/function or taste, they are the designer's idea of what it looks good and many times his/her opinion is not share by a great deal of people (trade and homeowners alike)

Just for grins and giggles, I left the ceiling treatment intact but swapped out the island pendants for ones that match the sink pendant.

Leaving the ceiling, though, makes me want to remove another element. I choose the butcher block on the island.

Barring the too wide island and oddly placed counter seats, I like my amended version better than the original.

I have a fairly high threshold for mixing things up (I have 2 cab finishes, 2 counters and 2 backsplash tiles in my modestly sized kitchen and I love it!) so it only took a couple tweaks to get back to my comfort zone but I'd be even happier with one more finish detail removed.

Is this a spec home? Or is it already sold?

My eyes hurt

--- Sort of warming up to microwave placements other than top level and yet? This requires a lot of bending to use.

The microwave looks to be a drawer microwave which means no bending.

Not a KD either. That ceiling would make me dizzy. I also think it looks better without the butcher block on the island. The seating on the island is not in the best place and the aisles seem way to narrow. The island could be smaller and the frig seems far away from everything. There are other things, I do like. I dont mind the countertops being different, although, I wouldnt do them like that. I do like the porcelain sink. I always have porcelain sinks, and have never chipped one yet. (Hope I didnt just jinx myself).

While there is no single element I dislike, all together, it looks like it was put together with leftovers (or returns) from many different projects.

Oh, I don't know, my favorite place to enjoy a meal is between the trash can and the sink that held the chicken rinse and vegetable peelings, looking at the pots and pans that cooked the delicious meal, and scoonching in to the island so someone can squeeze behind me to microwave their broccoli. And the convenience of being able to just swivel around and drop my dish in the sink is priceless.

I went to a designer kitchen tour where at one house another visitor and I joked about needing roller skates to get from fridge to sandwich-making space and plates, and we counted the steps...just as the designer walked in. Gulp.

Lydee Lee, it's against code here to put heat registers in toe kicks. They have to be in the wall or the floor.

Here's a news story about it. Here's a pic of the front:

Look at their instagram page

Here's a collection of Google images

It's worth it, if you're an old house fanatic, to click some of these links and go through the pictures and news stories. The ceiling detail is original to the house and there's a lot of good design that went into it. It's an especially unique restoration because the previous own had it filled to the ceiling with junk.

I noticed that the people in our area who are defending the kitchen design are interior designers, not KDs. As I came up through the construction business, I heard many, many comments about architects and how totally untethered to the reality of how much you can get out of the average building supply store. I feel that way about interior designers and kitchens. They're all about the look, not the functionality.

I think a true victory in kitchen design comes when you have installed a stunning kitchen with individuality and interesting details but it still works well as a place to prepare food and serve family and friends.

Here's a before photo

What exactly does a cabinet warranty protect against? I've never heard of anyone using one - most problems I've ever seen are the finish breaking down, and the cab co's is just going to blame those on normal wear & tear.

Too much going on for me. Don't care for the ceiling, window treatments, and pendants. The island appears too large especially with the butcher block. I'll never understand seating on an island looking at a sink a few inches away.

A 5 yr warranty on cabinets is a joke.The layout is not good, that hood when turned on will make so much noise you will hate it. No house unless they feed 20 three times a day needs a range anywhere near that size. Never put seating in your work area. Large does not make a good kitchen , function above all else makes a good kitchen . A hike to the fridge to do prep not on your life. The lighting is not enough for akitchen this size . There are cupboards instead of drawers for base cabinets , no one does that anymore they are useless unless you love crawling on your hands and knees to access what is in them.The cutting board counter insert is just one more place for crap to get into between the 2 surfaces.

freeoscar, I agree with you about warranties. I've been in the business for 34 years. 5 years is all you really need, because anything catastrophic (like finish falling off) will happen within the first couple years. That has only happened to my business once in all these years and the manufacturer replaced all the cabinets. It was a fluke occurrence. Warranty issues that happen after 10-20 years is usually a hinge or lazy susan failure....and if the hinge is discontinued, they might replace it with something similar. They state some replacement parts are subject to availability, and may differ from those originally supplied. I've had very few warranty claims in 34 years...a handful. Warranty shouldn't be a huge deciding factor. A long time running company with a good reputation, yes! Plain & Fancy...one of the best cabinet lines around used to only have a 7 year warranty. They are now lifetime, probably due to industry pressure.

Now back to the kitchen: To add to my post above, I still think this is a gorgeous kitchen....few things could be better (aisle spaces, light fixtures, barstool area). I agree with the poster above, get rid of that butcherblock. The all white top looks so much better. I doubt it is moveable! I just did a kitchen with one of these as the island....and I could not even budge it 1/4"!!!

Kitchen Place, I disagree. A cabinet warranty typically covers the finish, hardware, components and structure of the cabinet under correct installation and normal wear and tear. If you've got a faded place on your sink cabinet from twenty years of drips not being wiped off, they won't cover it. It covers broken hardware, a finish that is fading or peeling, and structural issues as long as the cabinet has been installed properly.

Companies establish the length of the warranty after extensive testing and development. It speaks to how long they think their cabinet will last and they won't use a cheap component etc because they know if it fails, they'll pay for replacing it. A five year cabinet warranty means that if something fails or breaks after five years, they won't repair or replace it. It's like planned obsolescence. If you make it so it doesn't last, you can lower the price and sell more. I think it says a lot about a company and how much they care about quality. If you're building a spec house and your margins are razor thin, I understand. If you're putting in a kitchen for a customer who's going to be living there for a long time, you should be able to offer quality.

I think selling a quality cabinet also helps a business like ours get referrals and good word of mouth advertising.

Holey moley, Carolina Kitchen & Bath, that before photo is breath-taking, and not in a good way.

Breath-taking as in 'scary'. I had to turn away. It made me sick.

I saw an entire house that had stuff like that in it, on the Mike Holmes show a couple of years ago. The crew got the lovely job of clearing it all out.

We had to put a floorvent in our bathroom when we re-did it and I don't like it one bit. Bring back the toekick vent!

Carolina, I agree with you. I love having a lifetime warranty on the cabinets I sell. I guess I should say, they are more for peace of mind of a quality manufacturer. How many times have you have a warranty issue? Was usually a hinge, am I right? But I do agree that if they are willing to back it with lifetime, it is just a peace of mind guarantee because there just isn't a lot of catastrophic failure, even with builder grade cabinets....and I think that's what people are afraid of. So I stand corrected in that manner...I guess they are important for showing the quality of a manufacturer.

For us, it's nice not to have a flow of people in the showroom looking for parts or demanding warranty service. I sold a 5-year warranty cabinet for a few months. I left because I didn't believe in the quality and because the business itself was run like it only had a 5 year warranty, too.

I am not surprised that the thumbs up came from pros. Some of us have the ability to see how a space functions beyond how it looks.

The aisles are too narrow.

The island divides the kitchen instead of making it a more functional space.

The seating is in a work zone.

The prep area should be opposite the fridge not at the opposite end of the island.

There is no access from the stove to the sink, so that pot of pasta, how would you like me to empty it? Does the prep sink have a garbage disposal?

What is the purpose of wall paper on the ceiling? It does nothing to enhance the area and only makes the ceiling look squat and short.

The light fixtures have no relationship to each other.

I hope there is a large pantry, because there is not a lot of cabinets in this kitchen.

Where is the counter height microwave? I have no desire to reach over my head or below my waist for a microwave.

This kitchen gives me a headache. The exterior of the house is gorgeous. Too bad the kitchen looks like such a nightmare.

Kitchen Place, we typically have 2-3 warranty calls a year. People come in with broken hinges, but they're usually on 30 year old cabinets. We still have some of those on hand, and we can get most of what we need from Richelieu. Sometimes the plastic piece that the drawer slide mounts to at the back of the cabinet breaks, but Merillat makes a piece to replace it even the older ones.

The last warranty issue we had was from a five year old kitchen. The finish was wearing away around two knobs. The customer had cleaned her cabinets with something unusual and it was her fault, but we replaced them because the builder was our biggest client. Most of the in-warranty hinge/drawer slide issues we get are from abuse and the client usually admits some kind of (mostly) abuse or mistreatment.

Many customers come in and say they "don't want a cheap cabinet." It seems that they're afraid they'll get some kind of cheapchinesecrapola cabinet. Telling them they have a 25 year or limited lifetime warranty puts that worry to rest.

"No house unless they feed 20 three times a day needs a range anywhere near that size."

Not even then lol.

I saw that episode, where the new owners were trying to (gently) evict the hoarder/PO and her hoard. IIRC the lady had been a successful designer, and was keeping most of the hoard for her comeback.

I'm not a designer, but I am a consumer. I like the mixed colors--I used them in my own much more modest vintage kitchen, and as long as the ceiling is high enough, the current ceiling treatment could stay. I don't care for the pendants.

I'd plug the BB in to the left of the prep sink, and put seating on the short end in its place. As almost everyone has mentioned, the aisles are too narrow, especially for seating in the clean-up aisle. I like the separate prep and clean-up zones--a helper, or multiple helpers, can get busy without invading my side of the kitchen. I'd guess that the door to right of the fridge (as we view it) is a walk-in pantry. There appears to be a MW drawer on the right side of the sink, near the fridge, as lisa_a mentioned. ETA, I just realized I agree with most of what lisa_a and KP Kelly typed.

Did I hear correctly on the video (newspaper link) that the wallpaper on the kitchen ceiling is grasscloth? That seems like a bad choice, even with the likely powerful hood. I'm curious to know what the pros here think about that.

After watching the video, I understand the design choices more. A number of rooms had wallpaper on the ceiling and the aesthetic seems to be fairly ornate with a greater mix of pattern and texture than what the general public prefers. I wonder how much of that was designer driven and how much was homeowner preferences.

Wow re the before photos! Now I don’t feel so bad about my slightly cluttered counter tops...

Son is graduating next week and we're having lots of company, so I spent the weekend cleaning, which was not what I wanted to do. Then I came back into work and saw this thread. Now I feel like my weekend cleaning was pretty easy!

5 year warranty for cabinets? LOL. They know that their trash.