Everyone has asked, so here we go! Take a look at our new kitchen plans:
We (I) vacillated about whether to transform our current set-up (straight line kitchen, 7x10) into an L-shaped kitchen with more cabinet space.
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| Notice some of the wasted space around the stove. The new plan will add a built-in 18" dishwasher and several inches more of counter space. Additionally, the cabinet above the stove will be an above-microwave cabinet. The microwave will provide a light and a circulating fan. The glass doors on the wall cabinets flanking the sink should help give the appearance of more space/depth. And under-cabinet lights will prevent the shadows caused by the wall cabinets and myself when I'm working around the sink. |
The cabinets themselves are quite old (not sure
how old) with exposed hinges, no drawer tracks to speak of, and layers of grime from years of tenants. I've promised myself to buy a
splatter screen for sautéing before the new kitchen is finished to help prevent some of these otherwise-inevitable messes. I shamefully have contributed to the mess around the stove.
Closing this gap will make me really happy!
(Dad, close your eyes.) Yes, that is curled sheet vinyl placed over curled-up sheet vinyl placed over vinyl tiles; trim with large gaps; and shoddy electrical plate placement. You will be happy to know that everyone working on the new kitchen is licensed and insured.
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| Tacky paper. |
We drew up a pretty satisfying L-shaped kitchen plan (the one I emailed the grandparents), which included a full-sized, built-in dishwasher. At the end of the day, however, all suppliers appeared unable to make that design fit within the parameters of our budget. There was additional electrical work required (and soffit work), which added a lot to the cost. The good news is that we were able to work out some "stylistic" upgrades to this plan, which would not have been possible in a more "functional" plan. For example, granite tops, glass-front doors, and diagonal tile fit within the budget of a straight-line kitchen (in part due to sales, which didn't apply to the other plan).
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| The base cabinets here are 12" deep due to a window on the adjacent left wall, which is 10" from the corner. So, neither standard-depth cabinets nor wall cabinets work here without causing window blockage or head bumps. The circuit breaker is to the left of the door way. We *may* put a picture or a pot rack in the open space here. Right now the rollaway dishwasher sits where those base cabinets are and blocks the light. |
I will not miss the rollaway dishwasher, though it was nice to have one as opposed to no dishwasher at all. It also has provided a nice top for our coffee maker, toaster, and paper towels. We are giving away the Keurig because it simply doesn't fit. The simple coffee maker is meeting our needs just fine.
Isaac was enjoying this photo shoot as you can tell. The improvements really will make this space substantially nicer. The previous owner did her fair share of upgrades including new vinyl windows and blinds, a remodeled bathroom, and refinished wood floors in the living space. The kitchen is the only space that needs work.
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| The narrow cabinets along the right wall will open up the light path from the window and providing more storage space. The 12" depth will still be perfect for the coffee maker, toaster, and paper towels. We could also use it as a buffet station when we have guests. I'm excited about being able to maximize the space we have. |
The contractor that we chose offered a sales package which included *almost* everything we needed (licensed plumbers, electricians, and carpenters). There were fewer choices, but the inclusions were nice: granite tops, ceramic tile, all-wood cabinets, painting of the entire room, connecting all of our appliances, a new sink & faucet, demolition and installation of everything. It did not include new appliances. We tried to talk them into giving us a credit for a built-in 18" dishwasher and a microwave. They couldn't work that out, but they did throw in a pantry cabinet, glass fronted-cabinets, diagonal tile, and connection of a new ceiling light at no extra charge. We added under cabinet lighting and a microwave outlet. We are keeping the refrigerator and stove because they work well, and are replacing the rollaway dishwasher with a built-in one, and providing a microwave. (It will be SO NICE to actually HAVE a microwave again!)
The current pantry cabinet is helpful for storage, though it is very long/deep. Moving the doors to the "side" will help us to see what we're reaching for and prevent us from having to reach really far for items in the back.
If there's one thing I've learned so far, it's not to underestimate the value a general contractor provides. We were surprised by how many details people (at IKEA and Home Depot) didn't remember, how many times we had to request an appointment just to have it change, and how poor some of the service was in general (among other independent, small contractors as well). The idea of "cutting out the middle man" is fine in theory. But, as we experienced, the price of having a project manager wasn't
that much greater than managing the project ourselves, which was a HUGE pain. I could go on an on about the problems with many contractors (including one who hung up on me and made me cry) and suppliers (taking 20 minutes to find an appointment I had a confirmation number for), but I don't want to make your heads spin. And we are very pleased with the results we are getting now (thank you,
Better Business Bureau and
Angie's List!).
So, we are using
Virginia Marble & Granite (yes, they do general contracting) and our demolition begins next Wednesday. The project should be finished in 1-2 weeks. Our cabinets are
TSG Shakertown Maple with
Peacock Green tops (don't let the name fool you -- it really looks black) and sand-colored tile. More pictures coming soon!
