i just remembered, there was a small hunting cabin on the back side of black water swamp, not 15 ft from the water. it started without 2 bedrooms. they worked hard, well on all the important upscale stuff. in the meantime the swamp and roads spent more and more time underwater. finally the ended up selling for way less than what they put in. It even had stone counters! Poor little rose cottage - yes it was named. I heard that maybe they did not put in so much in the external supports and it did not survive the next hurricane so well. wonder what they did with the professional stove?

rita, i mistalked? it looked all right to me. I said that if you use them, at what time i would been very happy with a much larger stove and more counter top. not now. but I am a very good cook and was head of the food committee at my son's school etc.

and my own mother does not understand my desire to rescue art. or am willing to cover my arts in it. we all got something.

as far as appliances go i am really interested in the new smaller wolf appliances. but also admit that appliances have always lasted me 20-30 years and they were by no means top of the line and most were never repaired. so, I admit that if i buy the wolf stuff for the last few years of my life probably is not a neccessity.

YES!

Have you signed a contract with this builder; if not, see what other builders and options are available.

Talk with some cabinet makers separate and apart from any conversations with builders and see what they can offer.

Better cabinets would be my preference. Basic quality appliances rather than designer brands would be more practical economically.

Unless you're adding plumbing and wiring, you might consider not building in an island to match your cabinets, at least initially, and use a wheeled table / cart island instead -- preferably one that you could roll outside onto a porch or deck or patio for when you're doing indoor/outdoor entertaining.

"We all got something," oh yes, having fun.

I have this issue with the concept of snob appeal- it sets me off- I apologize.

perhaps the proper term is keeping up with the joneses? or do you think they are the same? and i was kinda convinced about maybe you should pay much more for cabinets. but if you look through houzz enough, cabinets get torn out just as quickly as the appliances. Face it, no matter what you buy bathrooms, kitchens and fireplaces are always gut jobs.

Here's a way to calculate where to put the funds.

Purchase Cost + install costs ÷ years of life expectancy

HI Steve,

I would reach out to a few appliance stores.. Maybe they have access to floor model giving you what you want at a slightly cheaper cost.

You mentioned .... I'm now leaning towards just keeping the Kraftmaid, doing a Kitchenaid built in fridge, doing a simple Bosch DW, but keeping the Bluestar range/hood. This would get me under budget by about $5K - so I save some - but still get something I want and will like. Great idea! You will find the Bosch DW a super german product. And the KA refrig will give you what you need while not breaking the bank. Keep the Bluestar as that is going to be your bling! And that is going to make you happy. I think the Kraftmaid cabinets are going to work better than you expect.

Kitchen renos or new builds are always about making compromises and finding out what works for you. Your original question. Would you trim appliance budget to get better cabinets? For me that is a yes. But not specifically for appliances but for a nicer countertop and wall adjustment. If Appliances are your WANT and you can make it work. Do it!

My husband always asks me this question... "Will this matter in 10 years? or 20 years? " When I was shocked at the price of appliances, cabinets, floors, counters etc.... He said. "Will this matter? Is it going to break us in 10 years? ( he answered ) No, we won't even notice in 10 years. We will be so busy enjoying our space." I do not know your financial situation if you can look at long term and you are not taking from savings you are going to be just fine with your beautiful blue star and your kraftmaid cabs.

Enjoy your kitchen to be,

~boxer

" a Bluestar range or range top to be in that category (if there is such a
category) ...It is a workhorse piece of equipment that most people
outside this and other cooking forums have never heard of"

But most people don't need a workhorse of a range. They are average families who cook average meals in average quantities and at average frequency. But they want their kitchen to look like they're running a professional kitchen and have the skills to multitask on several subtle cooking techniques at a time -- and that's where the "snob appeal" comments come in. Buying more than you need just for the aesthetics, emotions, and/or appearance to others.

Honestly, that's OK, because we all do it about something.......We might buy more automobile or house than we need, for instance, because it's comfortable or visually appealing or a symbol of some other life desire/plan. We buy more (or fancier) clothes than we need for the same reasons. But at least let's own up to it and accept our choices for what they are, rather than pretending we "need" it or that it's a good investment because "it will last for 20 years", even though our lives will change and we won't be using it as much - or our desires will change - in 20 years.

Great thread. Very interesting. I have to jump on because I need to add my vote for the "if you love to cook buy the appliances you want" camp. As someone who loves to cook, my stove and my sink are soooo important. Bry911 is right on. Get what you want now.

I agree. Don’t compromise if you’re going to be unhappy. I chose a Bosch dishwasher, couldn’t be happier. But I needed to pay more because I needed a water softener. It makes a huge difference. What helped me was identifying the features I need and use, versus the fancy extra buttons. I chose a Thermador steam oven over the Miele because I didn’t need the broil feature or the larger oven capacity (I have a 30” double oven to take care of that stuff). Love the steam oven. It saves a lot of money reheating leftovers. I think you’ll be happy with your blue star. Congrats on the kitchen.

now i know there are only 2 of us, but it would be extra to find a dw that always emitted clean dishes, not bits of dried food stuck to them, etc. in the meantime, we just keep handwashing.

havingfun, Our Miele dishwasher has yet to have any dried food bits stuck on it. It's this model, which is not the most expensive: Miele G 6305 SCU AM

Here's a way to calculate where to put the funds.

Purchase Cost + install costs ÷ years of life expectancy

No... just no...

Kitchens are not simply a financial calculation, so please remember that you should enjoy your kitchen.

The above calculation will give you this almost every time.

Oh, a Consumer Reports recommended kitchen.

People who buy wisely use the equation of

Purchase Cost + install costs ÷ years of life expectancy to determine if it's worth the investment.

It's a very relevant equation to consider in where to dispurse funds within a budget.

Of course, buy things you enjoy now that has a high life expectancy is the best scenario.

Because buying things that depreciate fast & don't last as long will zap any short enjoyment out of any purchase.

That's why I invest in high quality cabinets & countertop 1st THEN the remaining funds towards the appliances in my kitchen remodels. Appliances are replaced more often than cabinets.

I went again to look at the Kraftmaid cabinets today, and honestly I was really impressed with them. They felt very solidly built and I do like that sheen finish alot. So I think I'm set on cabinets.

On appliances, I keep rethinking them. I went and saw the Kitchenaid fridge in person and it just felt cheap for the price. The Dacor wouldn't be too much more than the Kitchenaid, and I think is better built, but am I asking for trouble buying Dacor?

The other counter depth fridges all feel kind of cheap to me too, and honestly the Subzero I thought felt kind of chintzy/plasticy. The Miele, Thermador, built in Bosch, Dacor were the only ones I liked. Of course. lol

I just thought of something really important about appliances.

Of course how well they work is key, and how often they break don't or don't.

But really, please check out their telephone service departments.

Just think about your computers, and what a nightmare it is to have to call and get someone in a country half a world away that barely speaks English, and won't or can't help you and may be polite and yesses you to death but still doesn't help you.

Or their service department is open ridiculous bankers hours, and those hours don't match the time zone you live in, and they won't send someone out even for a warranty repair for ages and ages!

And the warranty covers almost nothing!

Please check all this out exhaustively on line, before you make a decision.

Did you look at Fisher Paykel and Frigidaire/Electrolux for the refrigerator? IDK anything about Dacor refrigerators. It would be good to know if they are made by Dacor, or someone else.

1 of my clients was going to get a subzero & ended up getting Electrolux. Side by side freezer & fridge. They are very happy with them & saved $.

I would shy away from water dispensers outside on fridge doors. 2 kitchens I saw over time had rust and the surface bubbling beneath due to water occasionally dripping down.

If you are still undecided on fridge, you might also take a look at Liebherr. My wife and I went to a dealer with full intentions of ordering a Sub-Zero, and displayed just next to them was Liebherr, which we had never heard of. Long story short, five years later with the Liebherr (and about $2500 saved), ...no complaints so far :)

edit to add: we have the bio-fresh which seems to keep veggies incredibly fresh/long

An engineer friend also taught me to watch out for appliance combos. For example, a microwave oven combo. Because they have different life expectancy & when 1 goes they both need to be replaced. It's been good advice.

A rental investor I work with, who owns 75+ homes doesn't use glass cook tops because they can break, scratch, & often discolor.

I also try to get less computer chip appliances. They often malfunction & the computer boards are costly to replace.

Commercial grade appliances when possible. They cost more, but last longer. Highly suggested if cooking a lot.

Speaking of commercial grade, what about True refrigerators? My understanding is that they are louder than the SZ/Miele type, and have a very plain interior. May be worth investigating.

Agree with sharonva!

(We agree a lot.)

A few differences-

Commercial ranges weigh a lot, a lot, more than most kitchen floors and foundations can support, and their electrical and HVAC needs are also more than most kitchens can support as well.

And slightly off topic, the combo printer/scanner/faxes that I never wanted to buy because if they broke I would be out all three functions, well everyone gets them nowadays because they just aren't all that expensive to replace.

(Unless you have a need for a dedicated laser printer.)

Hi Steve,

Here is a link that helped me to learn a little about the reliability of appliances,

Blog the least serviced most reliable appliance brands

5 Best Luxury Appliance -ratings

~boxer

You know what else I would do, if you can, go to a showroom, take your two biggest pots or pans, like a 12" fry pan, for example, (if you use those) and see if two of them can be next to each other on two adjacent burners.

If they can't, that would be an automatic NO for me for that cooktop.

Also, if your vision is not that great, make sure you (and your mother if she is living with you) can see all the numbers on the dials or the electronic controls.

Loobab, Good point to add about the extras needed for commercial application.

It's a very relevant equation to consider in where to dispurse funds within a budget. [...] Because buying things that depreciate fast & don't last as long will zap any short enjoyment out of any purchase.

Even if we allow that the use and replacement cycle of kitchen appliances and cabinets are approximately the same thing as depreciation, you still can't use the formula. Depreciation is never used in finance or project decision making because it is a non-cash allocation that ignores the time value of money.

Even using an incredibly modest discount rate you get that $1 spent in 10 years is equivalent to 61 cents today, and $1 spent in 20 years is equivalent to 38 cents today. In other words every year that an appliance or cabinet lasts is worth less monetary consideration than the previous year it lasted.

Additionally, just because something lasts longer doesn't mean you should put more money in it. If that were the case I would drive a $1,500 car and have $50,000 suits. You must consider things like the marginal benefit of use, the substituable utility, etc.

All that formula will tell you is that a $5,000 total cost kitchen that lasts 5 years is superior to a $40,000 total cost kitchen that lasts 39 years, and a kitchen that you get from restore for $1,200 and spend $500 installing is superior to either one if it lasts 2 years. None of these are any more correct than the $50,000 suit example.

To the OP, there is no right answer to this question, it is all about how you use and enjoy your kitchen. For myself I will never get more enjoyment out of "better" cabinets. I am a woodworker and that has been my hobby my whole life and half the stuff they are selling as superior is just marketing. If an Ikea kitchen will fit, that is what I will go with, because they are just big wooden boxes, pick them up off the floor and you are two steps ahead of most U.S. cabinet brands. Having said that, one of the must-haves we gave the architect was a walk in cooler, so I am not sure you should follow my appliance to cabinet example.

"Depreciation is never used in finance or project decision making because it is a non-cash allocation that ignores the time value of money" BRY911 's quote.

Never?? Well, if it's an investment property then depreciation expense is.

I use the business formula when calculating personal expenses that depreciate, because time value of $ is relevant. I want to know how much my $ is working for me, since it took my valuable time to make the $ to buy it.

Example.

$700 fridge lasts 5 years = $140 a year for needed use. + $700 x2 for replacing for each 5 years. $2100. (Most fridges last longer, just an example)

$8000 fridge lasts 15 years = $ 533 a year for needed use.

Of course, It's not the ONLY equation to consider, however it is 1 that should be considered in any asset that depreciates due to wear & tear use.

I deal with real estate investors and we do several kitchens a month.

I can tell you the equation I posted is considered. Depreciation assets life expectancy & costs are always a PART of the equation of where to allocate funds within their kitchen remodels.

Now the cost of worth versus enjoyed use over time, is a personal decision. Especially in a home of residence. In a home of residence of course splurge, but splurge wisely.

If I'm going to purchase an expensive item that depreciates, it better have a high life expectancy & add a lot of extra enjoyment over time.

"Really interesting discussion. The price range for kitchen should be driven by your home value."

That's really only true if you are only concerned with resale/recouping the money you put in to the renovation. If your primary concern is getting something you'll really enjoy for the next several decades, then it doesn't matter if it's "over priced" or over done. I kind of admire people who do what they like for themselves and are willing to forego any resale concerns about something that might seem "overdone" for the neighbourhood. I know a gearhead who replaced the wall between his garage and living room with glass bricks (he may have left the load-bearing pillars in place, I'm not sure). It makes me laugh, but also kind of admire his chutzpah in getting something he loves regardless of what it might mean to potential future house buyers. He's obviously not ever planning to sell his house (in his lifetime).

Never?? Well, if it's an investment property then depreciation expense is.

Well the OP didn't say it was an investment property.

I, however, currently have 8 rental properties and am currently involved in 2 multi-family developments. I also have a PhD in accounting and am a professor of economics specializing in firm efficiency in project acceptance. In other words, the corporate version of exactly what we are talking about.

Depreciation is the rational allocation of an asset's cost over the period it will generate revenues. Depreciation example: A delivery company buys a truck for $80,000 that will last 5 years. According to the matching principle the cost of making money must be recognized when we made the money. In our example, the cost of the truck must be spread out over 5 years, as the revenue it gets from delivering packages will come in over 5 years, so $16,000 of depreciation each year. The entire purpose behind depreciation is to correctly express Net Income. In our example, suppose our delivery truck generates $30,000 per year of revenue, and other expenses are $10,000. Our profit will be $30,000 - ($16,000+$10,000) = $4,000. Were we to fail to depreciate the truck our profit the first year would be $30,000 - ($80,000+$10,000) = -$60,000 and the following 4 years would be $30,000 - $10,000 = $20,000. Because we didn't spread out the expense, investors can't make informed decisions from our income statement, that is why depreciation exists.

The only way that depreciation would be used, even in rental property, is by using the tax effect to get back to some type of cash disbursement. But taxes are not greater than the expense so it is a bit of a bad decision metric. Taxes are going to refund whatever your tax bracket is of their cost annualized. A more expensive purchase, will yield more tax breaks but the net effect is still more money spent.

Additionally, assuming most investors are using the standard Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System provided by the IRS, the recovery period is too long on passive activity rental property.

I will however modify my statement. People often arm themselves with a little bit of ignorance and make decisions. Often those decisions turn out fine, because the underlying investment was fine to begin with. Throughout a lifetime of real estate investing I have heard some of the most ridiculous criteria for investing in properties, and they often turn out fine, because in the end, a levered investment in real estate tends to be a solid idea. That doesn't mean their decision criteria worked. To know that we would need to know where they would have invested using other decision criteria.

Although this is a bit long, it is fairly simple, I assure you, I can do this until late August, when I have to go back, or we can just skip to the part where you stop trying to prove me wrong and try to understand.

He's obviously not ever planning to sell his house (in his lifetime).

Ahhh, the "forever" house. A lot of people plan to "never" sell - and then life happens. Parents get sick. Or grandkids appear. Or you or your spouse get sick. Or the housing market tanks and you can't afford your house anymore. Or the reverse, like we're experiencing here, the housing market skyrockets and you can't afford the taxes on your "forever" house anymore, even though it's been paid for for years. Or, also like we're experiencing in Wisconsin, a corporation decides to build a factory where your house is, and the state condemns your land under eminent domain. And then suddenly, there you are, with your "forever" house on the market, fingers crossed for a sale (or a halfway decent check from the state in the case of the FoxConn folks).

None of these things are any fault of the homeowner or are things you can control or plan for (completely). Not saying a homeowner shouldn't do what s/he wants, but they can't say "d*mn the consequences" if they're not willing to eat the cost of those consequences down the line...

Yeh - I don't intend to move - but since becoming an adult - I haven't stayed in one house more than 8 years. I don't think there really are "forever" houses so it's good for me to try to save some on the upgrades we're doing.

Another question on appliances - do folks believe it's worth saving the taxes + getting 2-3% back from ebates - by purchasing appliances online and then hiring the same local installers that local appliance stores use? OR is it worth the additional $2K or so I wouldn't save by purchasing online - by using a local appliance store?

$700 fridge lasts 5 years = $140 a year for needed use. + $700 x2 for replacing for each 5 years. $2100. (Most fridges last longer, just an example)

$8000 fridge lasts 15 years = $ 533 a year for needed use.

Of course, It's not the ONLY equation to consider, however it is 1 that should be considered in any asset that depreciates due to wear & tear use.

---------

I feel like I am repeating myself a bit here. The problem with your equation is that it overvalues price and removes utility. Which from a purely financial perspective is OK, but is flawed in a kitchen that you actually want to cook in. Your own example proves this.

Currently, Sears has an 18 cubic ft refrigerator for $429. Given your formula if it lasts 5 years, then everyone should purchase that fridge. You are unlikely to get a fridge for substantially less than $85 per year, so therefore, that is the only fridge anyone should ever buy. Now your problem being that not everyone will be happy with a $429 refrigerator, and spending $429 to buy something you hate is silly.

Furthermore, your formula only works in an apples to apples test. It might give you information on cabinet vs. cabinet but offers no insight into the OP's question. It is absolutely useless for deciding the division of certain sums of money between differing items. As I alluded to earlier, you can say that there is really little reason to spend $10,000 on a refrigerator, which I completely agree with. However, that in no way means that you should save $8,000 on a refrigerator and spend it on cabinets.

It is some type of non sequitur fallacy. Refrigerator A is cheaper using this formula than Refrigerator B, therefore, you should spend the money on Cabinets. You might argue that your formula is way to look at the value of a refrigerator, again ignoring utility and the time value of money. However, that doesn't get you to, "Here's a way to calculate where to put the funds."

ETA: Here is the proper version of your formula btw, still ignoring utility but at least proper for financial only....

This is closer to correct for your $700 appliance (using a 5% discount rate)

You would be surprised at how much of a deal you can get from your local appliance dealers when you are buying a lot of appliances at once.

I had considered ABT because shipping is free and there would have been no sales tax theoretically. I say theoretically because legally you are supposed to self report out of state sales and pay on that but obviously no one does it except for cars or other items that have to be registered.

I created a spread sheet and my net total from local places didn't make it worthwhile to me to pursue doing over the internet. Installation charges start to add up and I bought from a place that threw in free installation on everything.

I have bought some big ticket items on the internet including all my computers so I am not adverse to buying through the internet since the warranty is from the manufacturer anyway. I didn't really try to find the cheapest internet source for each item because I priced them out only at ABT because I did want to make sure the seller was a really reliable seller in case there were any initial problems that had to be dealt with. With ABT there is obviously no ability to negotiate prices whereas my experience was that I had a lot of negotiating leverage because of the quantity I was buying at the same time.

Helen, what brands were you purchasing? So far, I haven't found local stores really competing on price - they are all using the same price which I think is the minimum for many luxury appliance brands.

Another question on appliances - do folks believe it's worth saving the taxes + getting 2-3% back from ebates - by purchasing appliances online and then hiring the same local installers that local appliance stores use?

Just to be clear, while many people do this, there is no sales tax savings from purchasing on-line. You are essentially evading taxes, and while people often get away with it, it is still income tax evasion and is a crime in most states.

Every state that has a sales tax also has a use tax. The use tax is a self reported tax on purchases made where taxes were not collected on behalf of the state that the item is used in. Most states will give a credit up to their taxing percentage for out of state sales taxes paid, however, if you paid no, or reduced, sales tax, the use tax kicks in and you must pay it.

You can check your state's tax forms for more information.

Furthermore, the Supreme Court ruled just last week that states may immediately start demanding that entities with no physical presence in the state begin collecting sales tax for sales to their state.

This does happen a lot, feel free to do it, but I just wanted to let you know. I have only heard of one person who got in trouble when build.com turned over information to a state revenue department.

Sounds like Bry doesn't think it's worth it. :)

Sounds like Bry doesn't think it's worth it. :)

Let's pretend there are degrees of honesty in use tax, and I am right there in the middle. However, I am not sure I would use fuzzy math for $20,000 of purchases.

I just didn't want this to blindside you at tax time.

Corian Glacier White does not stain.

Some brands are price fixed so they can't give you a price break on those. I bought some Bosch and those were all price fixed except someone gave me a break on an oven which was price matched but the savings on Bosch were minimal.

However I was buying other appliances that weren't price fixed so the stores would then give a hefty discount on those appliances so the net price of everything I was buying was low enough so that I decided not to go the internet route.

What really saved me money was free installation on all the appliances - wall ovens, microwave drawer, refrigerator with water line; washer and dryer, vent and dishwasher as installation charges really added up and free installation was thrown in with the store I went with. Some stores charge for delivery but that was less of a factor than installation since some of the stores would throw in free installation for some items but the store I went with threw in free installation for everything which put it over the top :-)

"Ahhh, the "forever" house. A lot of people plan to "never" sell - and then life happens."

It depends on when you buy a "forever house" (hate that term) and what your life is like. In his case, he was mid-50s when he made the change, and children are grown......but of course he could end up needing a nursing home rather than staying in his house til he dies. You're right that best-laid plans usually go awry, but we plan anyway :) That's part of the human condition. As long as we are willing to accept the consequences of our decisions, it's OK.

I don't know that I'd make the same decision he made, but I admire his guts and determination to get the home that he wants, not the home that he would be in wishing he had something else. In fact, I may have overbuilt my kitchen by turning what was a 2 bedroom plus den condo unit into a 2 bedroom unit (it was a 3 bedroom when it was built) - more than doubling the size of the kitchen at a time when most condo-owners are buying places with smaller kitchens. Time will tell. At one point I said I'm never moving until they roll me out on a stretcher, but - as you said - life happens.

"OR is it worth the additional $2K or so I wouldn't save by purchasing online - by using a local appliance store?"

If it's a good store with good customer service, it might be worth it - and they might actually be able to give you a discount to narrow that price range (that's what happened to me - I did spend a little bit more buying in person than on line, but not a lot more, and I know I'll get good customer service if something goes wrong. That's worth the extra couple of hundred for peace of mind).

Hey Joseph - re: Corian Glacier White does not stain.

I had Corian in my last condo - it was some sort of white but maybe not Glacier White - and things like tea, raspberry juice or wine would cause red stains to appear. They came out with some soft scrub but it was kind of an ongoing maintenance issue to clean off the counters every week at least to get them back to their pure white.

Is Glacier White a different kind/type of Corian?

...as for Dacor-we had Dacor in our prevous kitchen, inherited from previous owners. I was very pleased. Then microwave died-after all it was very old-and we couldn't find anything even close to it..and it was built-in..in short, PITA

So if Dacor stayed the same, in terms of quality-yes, I'd recommend Dacor

The dishwasher was Bosch, we loved it, and got another model of Bosch for our new house too-we got it very cheap which was a funny story that's too long to tell here probably.

I personally would definitely go for the cabinet upgrade as they are a permanent fixture and more difficult to replace.

A locally owned store with knowledgeable sales staff and their own high quality service technicians makes a big difference for me. Schedule service in a multi-hour window? Order the part and reschedule another multi-hour window? Or spend hours trying to get a big appliance corporation to respond to your call or email? No thanks. A good service department definitely eases the hassle of a broken appliance. I was without a dishwasher for three weeks when dealing with a big service company. The local store never took much longer than the time to ship a part, and they often had parts in-stock.

My local store also offered a better price on the purchase of a group of appliances before I even had to ask. Though I would have asked.

Have you heard the saying, "service, price, quality - pick any two"?

I called around to a couple local appliance stores (not just Ferguson which isn't really local honestly) - and I actually was able to get better pricing than online, surprising enough. And the install was a better price as well. I'm still going to pay a little more overall - but I agree it's going to be worthwhile to have someone I can go to locally - and I'd rather support a local business anyway.

IMO it's a personal decision that wouldn't be the same for everyone.

I didn't read every response, so excuse me if this isn't all relevant to your question anymore.

Looks are incredibly important to me, but I think I'd go for the nicer appliances. For me, if I have nicer appliances it would make it more fun to cook. Many less expensive appliances get the job done and just as many other people don't care.

I don't know what the cabinets look like that you are choosing from, but simple and plain can be elegant if done correctly, and the appliances will really pop.

A simple quartz countertop can be really nice too. I looked at your quartizite as well, but you can get something just as pretty for less if you wanted. It depends on your look. In general, I'd say get more plain cabinetry and a nicer countertop, however, I'm doing the exact opposite, so go figure! We are getting horizontal planking on our cabinetry with grain, so I decided a quiet countertop would actually look best. I found a solid white marble with no veining that is less than quartzite. I realize marble isn't for everyone. I think, depending on your design, a solid white quartz can be beautiful too. I just went to a friends house who had the most plain white cabinets and countertops and I thought it was stunning in it's simplicity. But, of course it depends what else is going on in your room.

If I were changing some of the appliances, I'd personally keep the range and d/w, and then maybe downgrade the hood and fridge. the first two have a lot of function that you might notice more than just ever so slightly more smells or a different layout in the fridge)