Your must haves in a new kitchen?
jillybean103
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
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New Home Must Haves
Comments (16)I agree with the majority here in saying that the most important items are: - a good design that fits your family both today and tomorrow. Never confuse "good design" with "huge rooms" or "more rooms". Good design is a layout that makes sense; for example, a dining room located adjacent to the kitchen, nice sight-lines for every doorway /walkway, inviting nooks in which to sit. - quality construction so that you won't be plagued with maintenance issues after (or even before) the new wears off the house. You can always go back and upgrade your countertop or your light fixtures later, but it's much more difficult to go back and upgrade your plumbing or your foundation. Don't skimp on the things that matter. - a house that incorporates all your needs and some of your wants. Keep your needs foremost in your mind, but if you can't get a few bells and whistles along the way, why are you bothering to build? And I'll add a tremendously important detail that's rarely mentioned on this website: - an affordable price tag. It's easy to end up house-poor. It's easy to get caught up in "Wow, refrigerator drawers are cool!" and "Two dishwashers - that sure would be handy!" . . . but those are expensive choices. Even some of the small upgrades that're discussed here add up to big bucks by the time you've said "yes" to just a few seemingly small things. Unless your budget really is unlimited, you're going to have to say "no" to a number of things that would really be great to have. DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT gloss over those all-important, long-lasting items in favor of small-but-fun details. Having said that, here are some upgrades and non-obvious details that are on my and my husband's list for our retirement house, which we have collected over the last year: - All brick, low-maintenance exterior - Partial wrap-around porch, also built in a low-maintenance material - Wide, easy-to-climb stairs . . . both to accommodate foot-traffic comfortably and to allow furniture to be placed upstairs - 7' tall windows throughout the house - Windows on two walls in all the major rooms - House designed and oriented to suit our site; for example, garage placed on the less-desirable North side, preserving the better light for the living areas - Natural rock to-the-ceiling masonry for fire place; direct-vent gas firebox - Built-ins in the living room for books, games, DVD and video game storage - Energy efficient windows and appliances - Ample insulation - 32" doorways and wide hallways to accommodate a walker or wheelchair - Leaf guard gutters - Electrical outlets well thought out: Over the mantel, on both sides of the island, in closets and pantry, by desk in garage entryway, at comfortable height over nightstands (4 outlets on each side of the bed) - Electrical outlet switches for the Christmas tree spot (by a front window -- very important to me) and for the holiday porch lights; these lights will be controlled by a switch located in an odd spot behind the front door -- to avoid confusing them with the everyday lights - All light fixtures are to use standard light bulbs rather than odd sizes (and, yes, we already have our dining room chandelier . . . and it uses standard bulbs!) - Keyless entry on garage (main) entrance - Dimmer switches on appropriate lights - Many ceiling fans (we're in the South) - Hardwood floors throughout the house - Plantation shutters in living /dining room - Dining room small enough to be cozy for 4 people . . . but adjacent to a wide pathway so the table can be expaaaaanded to seat twice that many - Small kitchen with nice finishes -- most storage in the adjacent pantry, which is much less expensive to build and will hide messes - Huge pantry: 21' floor-to-ceiling shelving, self-rotating can storage, 5' work space, storage for cookbooks, storage for large /rarely-used cookware, area for broom closet and storage of cleaners, recycling bins - Motion-sensor lights in the pantry and all closets - Mostly drawers in the kitchen . . . traditional cabinets under the sink /one thin cabinet for stand-up cookie sheets and cooling racks - Lift for Kitchen Aide mixer - Built-in bread storage drawer - Built-in knife drawer - Heated granite on the island - Hidden spot for fire extinguisher in the kitchen - Counter-height window over kitchen sink - Undermount Silgranite one-bowl sink with 1 hp garbage disposal - Upper cabinets are to be tall: Will be 15" off the countertop (I'm short) and will reach the ceilings; include extra shelves for all that height - Glass-fronts in some upper cabinets - Central vac dustpan in kitchen . . . and a few more spots throughout the house - Swing lamps attached to the wall by the bed rather than lamps on night stands - Built-ins in bedroom for storage - Safe built into closet wall - Gun safe built into closet by garage entrance - Walk-in closet big enough to incorporate dresser-items - Open, no-barrier shower /good for accessibility in our elderly years . . . moveable bench rather than built-in - Tornado body-dryer in the shower - Raised toilets / electrical outlet near toilet for Toto seat . . . no silly little toilet closet - Plumbing is all kept to the center of the house /upstairs bath stacked over downstairs bath (huge cost savings) - iGlass in the bathroom (since ours will overlook the backyard) - Plywood behind all bathroom walls to add strength to towel bars /handicapped access grab bars - Heated flooring in master bath - Master bath wired for cable TV - Built-in hamper in master bath with other-side door that opens in to the master bedroom; this will allow us to toss in clothes from either direction - Laundry room located near master bedroom - Large patio with stained concrete - Run a PVC pipe w/ hose through patio concrete . . . so that we'll have a hose on the far side of the patio without having a visible hose - Hose bibs on each side of the house and one in the garage - Small fiberglass pool with tanning ledge and bubbler - Small outdoor kitchen - Ample parking for guests / clear pathway to the front door - All flower beds, etc. edged with brick (or similar) to eliminate need for edging -- mowing alone will take care of the yard's main needs - Outlet in the garage for electric car - Rain barrels to collect water for flower beds - Walk-in attic storage space...See MoreTell me what a 'must-have' is for my new kitchen!
Comments (30)We're just weeks from moving into our new house, but we built in 2001 and I've reproduced the things I loved most about that house in the new one. I'm one who loves deep drawers -- I kept my daily dishes -- heavy stoneware -- in one and my shoulders appreciated not having to lift them into a wall cupboard. I hated the two "door" cabinets I had because I had to sit on the floor to dig things out. The new kitchen is almost all drawers -- and the two door cupboards have pullouts this time. Full extension drawers -- wouldn't be without them. Under cabinet lighting -- ditto. The best quality cabinets you can afford. It's easy to fall in love with a look and sacrifice quality. Resist the temptation. For me, a fridge with a freezer on the bottom. The apartment we're in while building has a top freezer and I curse it every time I have to stand on my head to get something out. My old fridge was a single door, bottom freezer -- I loved it. The new one is a FD bottom freezer. I hope I like the FD as much as my DS and DDIL do. I know I'm WAY in the minority here, but I've had a ceiling fan in every kitchen since 1977, and I can't imagine not having it. I thought long and hard before sacrificing snazzy over-the-island pendants for a pedestrian fan and light -- but I love having cooling breezes while I'm cooking. The snazzy pendants are going over the sink. We loved our island in the last house, but found it a bit too small when entertaining. The one in the new house is more of a continent. I'm almost embarrassed . . . but we'll never find it too small!! Have fun planning! The link below has a lot of great ideas . . . Here is a link that might be useful: Maybe more than you wanted to know!...See MoreNew kitchen cabinets & island- what are must haves?
Comments (8)I like my ice maker in my freezer. I like spices in a drawer and not right next to my cooking appliance . I like a narrow pullout for oils and vinegars , all drawers for base cabinets for sure. Trash under my sink since I take out trash almost everyday I do not require a huge trash can. I think a wine cooler is a nice addition if you have the space under counter or a full sized one if you have the wall space. I do not feel it is important to have baking sheets in a pullout , I store mine in the cabinet above my double wall ovens they are stacked but in 3 stacks of different sizes. It works for me. If possible true pullout pantries on the same wall as your fridge and maybe even wall ovens . A large single bowl stainless sink . As for islands we need a floor plan to advise there. IMO not every kitchen needs an island and more to point not always the best choice . IMO get a true kitchen designer and not a cabinet maker or salesperson. If you post your plan here you will gets lots of feedback and its free. But you need to post a to scale floor plan , all windows and doorways marked and all measurements clearly marked . Use graph paper it makes to scale easier to do and make sure the drawing can be enlarged....See MoreNew Home - Must Have Features
Comments (28)Adding to this again. We spent over a year designing and planning every aspect of our home, and we are 99% happy with it. There's always something though! Things we added that we love: Electric - Again the Lutron lights. Very flexible, programmable, any switch can control any "connected" light in the house Outlet planning. Both sides of bathroom countertops, power strips under kitchen cabinets so you don't have to look at them in the backsplash, where you might install a future Sonos speaker (high on the wall, outside where you entertain, front porch, etc), in every closet (cordless vacuums etc), 220v for a garage air compressor, 220v for future electric car Extra circuits. I've had kitchen circuits trip during holidays for having just a few crock pots plugged in. I think every "wall area" is on a separate 20a breaker in our new home. Also (funny example) we have a huge christmas tree that pulls close to 5a so turn the TV on and some lamps then pop goes the breaker. We did a dedicated "christmas tree" circuit right in front of our big window where it will always sit. Dedicated circuit to IT rack and/or security panel... Oh and I forgot soffit outlets for hanging christmas lights. Did I mention those are on the Lutron system so I can program them to turn on/off from my phone whenever ;). Rough in a PVC chase from your IT rack up to the attic, future proofs ever needing to add wiring/security/etc HVAC - While we never use "programming" I'm happy we did zoning. Helps when you like bedrooms colder, or if an "entertaining area" will have the door open all day and you don't want to overwork the condenser etc. Since I use/work/hangout in my garage so much, I heated the floor (boiler, hot water). Can't beat warm concrete, completely silent, there's no fan to blow dust around, and keeping it low at 65 feels like 75. However, it was stupid expensive, another thing to break, and I'm gonna have to stay here 20 years to justify the ~$15k cost Our outside AC condensers are close to our entertaining space (didn't have a choice). I have 3 of them. Chose to upgrade to the more quiet/efficient and VFD Carrier options. Super glad I did, literally all 3 will be running full blast and I can barely hear them from 5' away. Plumbing - hot/cold mixed spigot in garage for washing cars. Utility sink in garage. Line drains in garage instead of dinky 6" can drains. Floor drains in basement area where you might see flooding/water on a bad day. Rough in radon vent PVC if it might be in your area, so if you need it it won't be on the outside of your house. Multiple hose bibs outside for cleaning/play Things I missed: I wish I planned better for a future screen porch Some doors hit cabinets when open instead of opening all the way to sit flush against the wall One light switch ended up on the wrong side of the door swing Didn't realize my custom front door lock wasn't the same as the other exterior doors, now I have 2 house keys... Should've done a ceiling fan on my outdoor porch (plan how you'll entertain) Underestimated landscaping cost. I figured we would just "worry about it later" Plan furniture arrangement very well. We made some mistakes but made it work in the end... One half bathroom is too dark, we only did sconce lights but it should have also had a can light for its size...See MoreMiranda33
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoMrs Pete
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoMrs Pete
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