Reality Check - Kitchen Island Size
dsnice
2 years ago
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Fori
2 years agobiondanonima (Zone 7a Hudson Valley)
2 years agoRelated Discussions
$Caesarstone Piatra Grey$ reality check...
Comments (16)I am having Piatra Grey installed in my kitchen. I live in the NE and the quote came to $76 per sq ft. I was a little disappointed with the quote because the price was advertised (costco/supplymycounter) as $70 per sq ft. I called Costco who advised me to deal directly with the contractor/supplymycounter. I finally received an email from the supplymycounter to the effect that caesarstone restructured their color groups in March of this year. Most website have not updated theirs. So the actual price is $76. To remove the old counter top will cost $11 per sq ft extra. Once it is intalled I will need to have a plumber to put in the plumbering at an addtional cost. Bottom line, I have 60sq ft of counter top and vanity between my kitchen and bathroom. Price of materials $ 2771 Price of labor $2267 Removal of old counter top $660 Plumbering $300 2 undermount sink cut out came to $ 388 which in included in the labor. I am going with the basic bevel edge which is included in the price. If I choose a different edge (bullnose or ogee) I will have to pay an extra of $700-900. All said and done, I will be shelling roughly $6000 for 60 sq ft of counter and vanity top...See MoreReality Check-Kitchen Cabinet Pricing
Comments (14)Whether that's "average" for where you live or not, I don't know. Regardless, I recommend you take your design and shop around. Look at other cabinet lines. It may be that b/c your KD's company only carries one line they don't worry about competitive pricing b/c there's no competition w/in the store. Check custom...but (1) Custom is not a guarantee of quality...so be sure to see his/her work in several finished kitchens, not samples in the workshop. (2) Just b/c some people were able to find a custom cabinetmaker for lower than purchasing from a big box or specialty store does not mean you will. In reality, many custom cabinetmakers charge more in the end once you factor in the "extras" that come standard in some lines, good drawer glide/door hinge hardware, trim, installation, etc. (3) Be sure the custom cabinetmaker has done kitchen cabinets in the past, not someone who does furniture and has an attitude of "they can't be too hard"...b/c cabinets are different than furniture. There have been several horror stories around here about major problems w/custom cabinetmakers...quality, customer service, etc. So, do your homework...thoroughly...if you decide to go the custom route. Yes, there are also horror stories about cabinets from stores, but you usually have a management chain to climb if the person you're working with isn't responding or stonewalling you. Oh, and if you want opinions on the layout your KD came up with...feel free to post it here. However, people here won't pull punches...especially considering functionality, so if you can't take constructive criticism or absolutely do not want to change it, then don't post it. Good luck!...See MoreReality check on my kitchen plan before I get in too deep
Comments (48)Re: cooktop on the island: I know you are starting to move away from this concept, but I want to emphasize how important I think it is NOT to have the cooktop on the island. This is from my experience, and I know everyone is different, but there is no way I would have the cooktop on the island simply from a safety standpoint. When my kids were younger, they sat at the island to do homework. They would have never felt comfortable sitting there if I was cooking. My mother had her cooktop on the island for 37 years, and she loved it, but the island was essentially a gigantic cooktop. She didn't do her prep there, and no one sat at the island while she cooked. Think of the times you are cooking and your oil spits. All it takes is one time...and your kids will never sit at the island again. And I wouldn't want them sitting there. Do you want your precious sweeties injured? No. Re: prep sink in the island even though you are not far from you main sink. My cutting board is in the island, and even though it is a mere 3-4 ft. from the garbage disposal, I remember the first time I used it thinking,"How do I get this crap over to the sink without making a mess on the floor?" Our house is 27 years old, and prep sinks weren't the thing in our area at the time it was built. There are times when I wish I had it, but if I would redo the kitchen, I wouldn't put one in, and here's why: our island is the perfect party magnet. Guests and family just love to hang out at the island when someone is cooking or just to socialize. When we have a large party, we use the island as a buffet table. I think I would just view the prep sink as being in the way in a situation like that. But that's me. Because we don't have a prep sink, the floor between the island and the sink can get dirtier than the rest of the kitchen. I joke that it's amazing how dirty the kitchen can get when you use it! But isn't that what kitchens are for? My mother washed her kitchen floor almost daily. But she made everything from scratch, plus she canned and froze her own vegetables and fruit. So if I have to wash that section of the floor more frequently than the rest, so be it. Another thing I would consider is the clean-up triangle. One plan had the clean-up area include the sink, DW, and table. But the refrigerator is a huge part of clean-up. There's a lot of 'stuff" you have to put away. Also think about your landing area for putting leftovers into containers. We use our, yes, you guessed it, island for this. We keep out containers in a cabinet in the island. I'm glad you are keeping an open mind about your plan. There are so many good ideas here. No kitchen plan is perfect. You're doing the right think by being more aware of your habits this week, so you can determine what your needs are. Oh, and one more thing. There are many things in our gorgeous, upscale kitchen, that are wrong, mostly due to placement. But after living her for 22 years, we have gotten so accustomed to it, that we would never spend the money to "make it right". Now that we are retired, we would rather use that money for travel. Just food for thought, no pun intended....See MoreReality check--cabinet prices per linear foot?
Comments (43)Mama Rachel thanks so much for the #'s, very helpful - can you tell me what brand of cabinets you went with? Are you happy with them? Where are you located, it sounds like you got a lot of work done for a great price. Funkycamper Thanks for the response on the appliance issue, I am still flailing about in all of this! Yes, my kitchen is pretty large, but filled with very bottom line cabinets (as in 1" reveals, plain stark white, ugh) ceilings are 10', I have a 10.5' stretch of lowers and uppers (considering a 2nd tier of shorter uppers w glass fronts on top to go to the crown moulding) as well as a 7' stretch of same + an island that is curved and hard to measure, we are changing it a bit but it's currently 3 lower cabinets w a cooktop. We are also re-doing the bar and that's adding another 14' liner feet, so it ends up being a lot. Looking at Decora maple w a stain right now, totally plain slab doors. Our first estimate should be back in about a week, 2nd guy coming on Friday to measure. I will post #'s as I get them. i guess if 30k is right that is what we will do, maybe I just need to adjust my expectations! I have decided on Crema Bordeaux granite and found a local place that has it for 65/sq ft so I'm happy about that...doing honed slab travertine for the backsplash. Thanks again for the input ya'll!...See MoreDebbi Washburn
2 years agoThe Kitchen Place
2 years agoPatricia Colwell Consulting
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2 years agoNidnay
2 years ago
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