Builder Basic to My Dream Kitchen (before & after)

last year

Demo began 10/20/22 on our 2001-built home and the last touches were done on 1/13/22. We worked with a contractor and separately hired floor and countertop installers. This was our first renovation - don’t ask how we decided to tackle the Big One first, it was probably not well thought out. I learned SO MUCH from folks who’ve shared their knowledge on this forum. From big stuff like design choices to little things like cabinet overhang, I figured out what I wanted by seeing what folks here had done and recommended. Thank you! (as I write this there are line breaks, we‘ll

see if they stay when I post…)

In case it’s helpful to others planning their remodels in the future, here’s what we used and some takeaways.

Cabinets- Kemper Choice in Coconut and Tundra (which is not espresso but a warm medium wood tone)

Countertops - MSI Calacatta Valentin quartz

Sink - Kraus 33” Kore work station stainless steel farmhouse sink

Faucet - Kraus Bolden

Backsplash - Bedrosian Cloe white 3x8” ceramic tile

Floor- Arizona Tile Kaplan 12x24” porcelain tile in Marfil

Floor and backsplash grout - Custom Prism in bleached wood

Range - GE Cafe dual-fuel 30” range

Hood - Zline 36” hood

Cabinet lights - WAC strip led lighting

Pendant - Shades of Light

Chandelier - Kichler Harmony from Lamps Plus

Paint - Behr Swiss Coffee

Hardware - Liberty from HD

Things I’m thrilled about:

My giant stainless farmhouse workstation sink. It is so functional it makes my heart sing.
Adding trim to windows and sliders really elevated the room.
Cabinets to the ceiling - I love the look, plus more storage, and no dust-catchers!
Tile backsplash - I kept coming back to the Cloe tile, and it’s perfection. I agonized over the grout choice and the bleached wood color is a warm white that works for the tile and our color scheme.
Our new pantry door came in toward the end of the reno when we were anxious to be done. It was too light & orange, so we had the vendor refinish it. Despite wanting to just let it be, I’m glad I held my ground so I wouldn’t be bummed looking at it every day.

Things I learned:

When creating a budget don’t rely on the cost of the lowest end version products if you don’t typically buy the least expensive products. Be honest with yourself about your taste and choices!
Adapting to changing changing circumstances is the name of the game. Lots of things will go wrong and you just have to focus on your goal, and problem solve, and try not to get caught up in the roller coaster.
When planning the island placement leave a little more room to account for the collective impact of counter overhang, door fronts and pulls, and the range sticking out a bit. Ours is fine but would have been even better with a couple more inches.
Speak up earlier and more firmly about my choices. I found myself going along only to backtrack and have something redone to get it right. I learned to hold my ground and trust my instincts but wish I’d started that sooner.
You need to be available preferably in person at key points - e.g., when the floor guys and the countertop template guy came by, and at the beginning of key construction points such as cabinet, hardware and backsplash installation.
We probably did not *need* a solid pantry door (though she’s pretty).
Think in advance about how your rooms are connected and changes in one area impact adjacent space. I thought we’d just paint one wall; no the whole room, ceiling and entry hallway had to be painted to go with the cabinets and trim.
Watch out for decision fatigue! I didn’t research what molding I wanted above our cabinets and just winged it after making our cabinet selections because I was tired. Months later our contractor put up what I’d picked and it was too big and chunky. He actually noticed and suggested an alternative option that we liked better. But we spent $ on molding we didn’t use. Blerg.

It really is true that when you redo part of your home you become especially aware of other parts that need to be redone. Next up, the primary bathroom!

Featured Answer

morz8 - Washington Coast

last year

How is it no one has mentioned the dog, and how great it goes with your flooring. I'm so glad you have a proper range location with real ventilation. When landing on your second 'before' photo, my immediate thought was 'how dangerous'. That was a lot of stove taking up the previous peninsula. Great job! You'll enjoy that kitchen for many years.

Comments (52)

hhireno
last year
It looks fabulous. Very impressive results.
mxk3 z5b_MI
last year
Holy cow is that even the same house!? What a difference! It looks marvelous.
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My dream kitchen is crumbling down around my head.
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Thank you all so much! The handholding helps more than I can say. Herbflavor: MA will certainly make the hood a custom size and in fact I am going to tell them to make it 16" high. mtnredux: I decided to leave it at 24" deep. There's a pic on the MA site where a huge hood of the same type I'm ordering is partially under a 24" soffit and it looks kind of neat. So I'm going with the "it will look interesting" idea, not because I don't want to make the GC redo it, but because as you suggested, I slept on it and decided in the am that it would be okay. April_Lorraine, mastiffmom and sioushi: I decided to go with the solid floor for the reasons that 1) once the island is in, we actually won't have a lot of floor space showing, and 2) the range and hood and island will have such big visual impact that I want to give them a nice pale surface to stand out against. I think I have to give up my beloved F&B Pavilion Blue as well (don't think it will go with the hood so much), so I decided that when I have some money again (HAH!) I will redo my foyer with Pavilion Blue and a checkerboard floor. Plus, although he wouldn't have fought me over it, DH slightly preferred the solid floor. willtv: Thank you! It is very helpful to hear from someone taller with even less space between the hood and cooktop that you don't bang your head. And I'm ordinarily not much of a drinker but I'm having a glass of wine right now and boy, is that some good stuff. V. relaxing. Sayde: I know 31" is within the normal range but it just seems so low to me that it bothers me! I'm sure it will be fine. blfenton: Hahaha! One of our cats does behave that way. The other one always has this slight startled deer-in-the-headlights expression. I guess I looked more like her at the time. rosieo: I know, I know...and I really do count my blessings every day and try to keep this in perspective (like, there are people with nothing to eat and I'm worried about this stupid sofft depth?!?). Normally I'm pretty unflappable but this was kind of a cumulative effect thing that got to me. I've compromised on lots of little details and over time it has a way of building up such that I feel that what I had planned and designed won't be anything like what I end up with. But truthfully you're right: It is, after all, just a kitchen. muskokascp: I think I was just exhausted. You're right...one thing at a time. It's tough, though, when you consider changing one major element and you have to think carefully through how that change would effect everything else. It's tiring. johnliu: No, I really haven't made that many changes. This was after we were waffling on the sink being next to the wall, decided to switch it with the DW, and I was so miserable over the thought of it all night that I switched it back in the morning. This GC has remodeled two baths for me plus installed a completely new one and painted my house, and for all those jobs combined, I made exactly ONE change (to replace a window molding that didn't match others in the adjacent rooms). This was just bad timing. SusieQusie60: Hmmm...I don't seem to be able to make decisions piecemeal. I am compelled to consider the whole package. Not sure if it's because I'm a graphic designer and tend to think in terms of "overall packaging" but I have to visualize the entire kitchen and how everything works together. Which unfortunately makes me terribly indecisive! I'm probably my GC's worst nightmare, and here I think I'm so easy to work with. *g* katkatf: Thank you! That helped a lot. I've decided this is like childbirth: It sucks while you're going through it but there's no other way to get there. Although hmmmm...I didn't have any drugs when I had a homebirth. I wonder if I could get my epidural now. aliris: Thank you, that was a great post! It's good to know I can both feel incredibly blessed and lucky and at the same time occasionally pull my spoiled princess act (as long as I don't do it too often). desertsteph: No, not really. I had meant to tell him earlier and just didn't. Lesson learned. I must say that he is a GREAT GC in terms of quality and competence and reliability. His crew has been with him for a long time and they're great too. It's just that most of the kitchens he does--and he's built some very high-end homes--are the same generic thing over and over. So he thinks I'm a whackjob when I propose some new thing he's never done before. Like I told him 15 years ago in another house that I wanted a wood floor in my kitchen and he said that NO ONE does wood floors. I also told him about radiant underfloor heating and he looked at me like I was from another planet. Fast-forward a few years and he's telling me that wood floors are wonderful in kitchens, or if I do tile, I should consider radiant underfloor heating. :-) He doesn't know about my secret weapon, the GW Kitchen Forum! I told him that while he thinks I'm crazy and always wanting to do something he's never done before, look at how much he's learning. (Currently he's telling me that NO ONE does marble countertops. Heh.) So thank you so much, everyone. All the electrical went in today and we're moving along. I'll just keep taking deep breaths and repeating "It's just a kitchen. IT'S JUST A KITCHEN."
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I think you should make a plan for your kitchen, before you dig in. In how many years, realistically, might you change the countertops or do a full gut-remodel? If you honestly think either one of those could be in the next 5 years, that would change my answer. My gut feeling is, you just bought this house and you have a lot of things to furnish and complete. If so, then I'm guessing you're 7-10 years out before a full-scale kitchen remodel? And in that case, I'd gently suggest you do the following: 1. Assuming your cabinets don't have peeling veneer, or details we can't see, then I would leave them dark as mayflower advised. 2. Get cabinet hardware as andrea advised. 3. Tile the backsplash. You could add instant bling by buying the cute mini-tiles, already on webbing at Home Depot. Some have a bit of metallic or jewel tones. With labor you could be at a $1,000 for this item alone, but I really think it would perk things up. Also, aesthetically, your top cabinets seem to be floating in a sea of wall right now. The backsplash will connect the bottom cabs to the top ones. Also, please continue the backsplash down behind the current stove 6 inches.(see point 4). 4. Replacing appliances: Mayflowers is correct that this would also update your room. I would replace the stove. But, since you MIGHT want to open up that wall, you could be looking at a stove on an island someday. So leave your options open: Buy a slide-in range that could be used against a wall or on an island. A backsplash will be even more useful then, because your stove won't stick up above counter-height. See the sample photo of a slide-in range that I've attached. If you were to replace any other appliances, my second choice would be a white fridge. Fridges have gotten so much more efficient, you will actually save some money on their operation. Somehow the D/W is less bothersome to me. Also, most busy families wear out a dishwasher every several years so I'd milk it to the end before replacing. 5. I am not sure you need to repaint unless you have worn spots from the previous owners. You have a nice neutral color on your walls. See what you find for your other accessories before deciding. Here is a link that might be useful: Sample of a slide-in range
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Nice, I especially like what you did in the kitchen. Too often the advice here is that people should save up to rip out a perfectly functioning kitchen with solid cabinets instead of making incremental improvements like changing the backsplash, repainting the cabinets and installing new reasonably priced countertops. I love the new laminate countertops. They make a huge difference in that kitchen. I am not a fan of the stacked stone backsplash, but as long as your parents love it that is all that counts!
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Donna- the pantry was the existing one there- a closet with wire shelves. Size wise it's great- we keep thinking about putting in better shelving (there is also shelving on the doors) but since it's functional and behind closed doors.. it hasn't been a priority. So it's just shelves going from one wall to the other. The shelves are 18 inches deep but the closet itself is 25 if that makes sense.
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cupofkindnessgw
last year
Your kitchen is stunning, congratulations! The wood lower and white upper cabinets are timeless.
jaja06
last year
Wonderful job! So glad you stuck to your guns on the pantry door. Enjoy your beautiful kitchen!
Sherrie
last year
The kitchen looks beautiful. I particularly love the floor tile. Having just gone thru a kitchen rehab after a water leak, I totally understand your comment about decision fatigue. You did a great job. Enjoy your new space.
houseaddiction
last year
Wow!! beautiful and impressive
herbflavor
last year
porcelain floor......whoo hooo that really pulls it together.....I'm not keen on floor tile but that is a beauty of a pick.
rebunky
last year
Haha morz8, I was just going to mention how well Coco Puff (we must know her/his real name!) matched the kitchen. That is just as important as the backsplash, flooring, paint color, etc… you know. 😂

It is a gorgeous and very functional kitchen. You obviously did your gardenweb/houzz homework. Enjoy!
Carrie H
Original Author
last year
@herbflavor Thanks for the comment about the flooring. I agonized over that choice because I like the look of some porcelain tile but took seriously the recommendation to go with the same flooring throughout the home but we’re just not ready to upgrade elsewhere yet. In the end, since we don’t have a totally open floor plan (there’s a step down to the the living room on one side and a halllway on the other), I thought the flooring break would be acceptable. Also I do not have the skill to mix & match wood base cabinets with wood flooring. Nope.

@morz8 - Hello to another Washingtonian! Our girl is SO happy to have the reno done. Being cooped up so much while work was being done was a lot for her. We moved the range after I searched for “best downdraft range” and the result was a video about how they don’t work. Lol. Then it was just a matter of making the move to the wall work.
Carrie H
Original Author
last year
@rebunky May introduce you to Maple Buttercup. She’d jump up and lick you if she could.
iroll
last year
Wow, what a gain in function and looks! Maple Buttercup looks very happy.
cpartist
last year
You may have started with the hardest but you did an excellent job. It looks beautiful and functional. At first I thought you didn't have enough space between the sink and the stove, but then you mentioned it's a work station sink and I went, "Oh that works perfectly!"
chispa
last year
I agree with everyone else that you did a great job with this update/remodel.

I am going to mention one thing that would have added cost and time, but would be something that I personally would have tried to do ... it would have been to replace the windows and sliders with taller versions. Providing more light and views into the room. Of course, it would probably lead to a domino effect with other window/doors in the house. Just something for others, doing similar projects, to consider when they start planning.
User
last year
I love it. I love that your sink is not on the island. Very functional and beautiful!
Carrie H
Original Author
last year
@chispa I agree that would have been lovely. We are planning to add transom windows in the living room to open up the space since it has vaulted ceilings & low windows as well. What I really really wanted to do but ultimately couldn’t due to larger home layout issues was flatten out the door to the pantry so it wasn’t at an angle. The kitchen and pantry are next to an angled hallway that would have been much more than we were prepared to take on. I am planning to get rid of all the diagonals that I can in time though. :/

But to any builders: Please do not build diagonals into homes! They are awkward to design around and a PITA to change later.
Carrie H
Original Author
last year
@cpartist I went with a workstation sink in part due to feedback I had on my layout at the outset. Maybe (probably) because my layout was so poor beforehand, this feels super roomy by the sink, as I was used a corner. So far we’re very happy with the workstation sink - I’d recommend one for anyone looking for extra work space. I also enjoy the stainless sink - we have a family and just aren’t that careful so I worried we’d chip or stain anything else.
smalloldhouse_gw
last year
Really, really lovely! And your advice is spot-on.
kdecou1
last year
Beautiful - amazing transformation. I was just looking at the Cloe subway tile before clicking on your before and after. Wondering if you used white or beige. It's beautiful.
Carrie H
Original Author
last year
@kdecou1 I used Cloe white tile, bought a box extra, and didn’t use the greyest ones. Since our cabinets are a warm white but not cream I thought the cream would have been too warm for the room. The suggestions here for working with that tile were really helpful.
PRO
Norwood Architects
last year
Big improvement!
PRO
FrameMyMirror
last year
This is a stunning transformation. I love the backsplash. Great job!!
Kendrah
last year
Nice kitchen. Even better dog.
champcamp
last year
Thank you for sharing. My exterior wall layout is similar to yours and I have a cooktop on a ridiculously placed peninsula just like in your before photos that I am planning to place on the exterior wall when we remodel this spring/summer. It is so nice to see a real life before and after relocating the stove exactly how I want to do it. Your after is stunning and thanks for sharing your selections.
Painted Peggies (zone 6a)
last year
Love it!

We recently did white uppers/ dark wood lowers and it makes me so happy. Such a beautiful combination 😊
Carrie H
Original Author
last year
@champcamp Thanks! Because you mentioned moving your range to an exterior wall, I’d recommend taking a close look at how your range connects with the outlet and whether you want to have the outlet built into the wall, if possible. If you can’t do that, depending on your range and its connection to the outlet, it may not sit flush with the wall (ours had a small gap). It looks fine now because we covered the gap with backsplash but we’d have preferred it to sit flush if we’d caught the issue sooner.
blfenton
last year
What a beautiful kitchen and your extra comments were very welcomed. And speaking of which - how wide is the aisle width from cabinet to cabinet and then counter to counter. I'm waffling and my designer needs me to settle on something.
Carrie H
Original Author
last year
@bfenton It’s 39” counter to counter and 41” cabinet front to cabinet front. I thought when I was planning for 42” that it would be roomy but add overhang, knobs, etc, and it shrinks.
Sally T
last year
@Carrie H - your kitchen is gorgeous! are you happy with the dual fuel range? If so, do you use it for baking and are you happy with it? THANK YOU!
Carrie H
Original Author
last year
@Sally T - Yes I’m happy with it. We do bake, mostly cookies, and the oven is much more predictable than our old range, which literally died the night before we junked it. My new range has a double oven which we love. I got rid of my toaster oven (more counter space!) and it’s so convenient to have two separate ovens, with one a convection. My only question is whether we should have gone with an induction cooktop, given how things are evolving, but my husband loves cooking with gas so we stuck with it on top. 🤷🏻‍♀️
Meltem KW
last year
Looks beautiful! Thank you for sharing!
PRO
Norwood Architects
last year
Great improvement!
Kendrah
last year
This kitchen is the poster child example of why to get rid of diagonal corner cabinets. This space is lovely.
Manny Jones
10 months ago
last modified: 10 months ago
Beautiful kitchen! we r just past demo in our kitchen renovation and most stuff has been picked out already. what brand under cabinet lights did u use?
Carrie H
Original Author
10 months ago
@Manny Jones We went with WAC undercabinet lighting, from our local lighting store. They’re more expensive than what you get online, but are rated highly reliable. Very happy so far.
dani_m08
10 months ago
@Carrie H - I’m finally getting started on my kitchen renovation next month - I say ”finally” because I purchased Cloe white tile for my backsplash about 1 1/2 years ago - everything was delayed due to huge issues with contractor (who was going to be doing the work) re related to renovating my master bathroom (everything had to be torn back out and rebuilt).

First - I’ve never understood windows without trim - they always look unfinished to me. I’ve never lived in a house (or even apartment) that didn’t have framed windows/patio OR trim for openings to rooms (like into study and dining room). Maybe it’s a geographic location thing?

Luckily, I still love Cloe white every time I see it installed in someone’s kitchen on here! I remember someone else using bleached wood for grout color - but wasn’t sure how it would look. Looks great in your kitchen.

I am also doing a similar style as you did - white shaker w stacked uppers (some with glass - some not) + stained wood lowers and island. I’ve been planning on a lighter white oak - but your darker lowers (they might look darker in photos than in person since you stated that they are a medium color - not dark) looks really nice.

Congrats on your kitchen - enjoy!
artemis_ma
10 months ago
Very nice work, such a lovely improvement! And as someone else mentioned, the dog works in admirably!
vicbayside
10 months ago
Great job, so nice to get your dream kitchen! Really nice choices. Thanks for all the info you gave us as well, we are starting our new kitchen this week and you gave some great reminders. What is the dimension between your range and sink please?
PRO
OTM Designs & Remodeling Inc.
10 months ago
Great work!
Carrie H
Original Author
10 months ago
@vicbayside We ended up with 32 inches between sink and range. It doesn’t feel small but that could be because I was used to a corner there, hah! Good luck on your reno!
vicbayside
10 months ago
Thank you Carrie, you have a whole island to prep on so I'm sure that 32" works just fine. My layout has sink and range on same wall also but its a wide galley. I will have 42" between sink and range and will do most of my prep there, I think it will be plenty. I been using a tight corner to prep for 5 years so big improvement. I know you must love cooking in your new space, so open and great colors. Thanks again!
PRO
FrameMyMirror
9 months ago
The transformation is stunning!
Barb Noverini
6 months ago
Thank goodness you moved the range and installed a hood. I'll never understand why people think installing a range in a peninsula or island is a good idea...
mishdish
4 months ago
Love your kitchen. I’m in the process of doing my kitchen and will be doing similar layout. Does a 30” range work well?
Carrie H
Original Author
4 months ago
@mishdish Thanks, I hope your remodel turns out fantastic! I love my range, but I’ve never had a bigger one so others may feel differently. We cook a normal amount, and have 6 burners which is more than enough. I think I’ve only used 4 at a time and usually it’s one or two, maybe a third to boil water. I do love the double oven as well, especially because we were able to get rid of the toaster oven on the counter in favor of using the upper smaller oven to quickly heat items on a flat surface. My only second thought was that maybe we shouldn’t have gone with a gas cooktop since they’re not good for air quality, but we just weren’t ready to commit to induction yet.
Rasa A
3 months ago
WOW!!!!!!!!!
PRO
Norwood Architects
2 months ago
Looks great!
daniildudenko
2 months ago
The change from an outdated kitchen to a modern, functional space is quite noteworthy. It highlights the impact of careful design and skilled workmanship. Improved elements such as under-cabinet lighting and a sleek backsplash can enhance both the look and usability of the kitchen.
PRO
Aardvark Architecture
last month
What a difference. Love the added doggo, really nice touch.
PRO
CAGE Design Build
last month
Great job on personalizing the kitchen to be functional for your needs.

Builder Basic to My Dream Kitchen (before & after)

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