On Friday, I talked about our 2018 home goalsĀ and how one of our biggest priorities this year is the kitchen. If you search ‘kitchen plans’ on my blog, you’ll probably laugh about the fact this topic has come at least once a year since we moved into our home over five years ago. But, this time around, I think we’re fully ready to commit! Today, I thought I’d give a little background on the space, what’s facilitating the changes and some very high-level plans for what we have in mind.
- Since the day we bought the house, we knew a kitchen remodel would be needed at some point in the near future. Therefore, we budgeted accordingly and have had money set aside for this project. This is also why we’ve considered it multiple times in the past. The reality is, other things just took priority and we weren’t 100% sure where we wanted to take things. At this point, I think we both have a much clearer understanding of what we’re looking for. If you haven’t already, it’s worth taking our kitchen tour I posted four years ago, to show some of the items we want to change. Nearly everything posted there stands today.
- At this point, this is our forever-home. We have zero intention of ever leaving, and unless something major changes, we plan to be here until retirement (or longer). With that being said, we have more interest in re-designing so the space works for us – not what is considered best for resale. We obviously don’t want to be stupid about anything, but if we’re living here for thirty+ more years, we want to do what makes us happy. Not some random future homeowner that will likely think the space is dated by then anyways!
- Our house is on the low-end of homes in our neighborhood (and many actually are worth double what we paid for ours). So, we are also not concerned about pricing ourselves out of our home value (even if we’re not planning to sell anytime soon).
- The cabinets are currently the biggest issue. They are definitely notĀ white, although I know they can appear that way in some of my photos. They are definitely more of an antique white / almost almond color with brown glazing. The biggest issue is that they are thermofoil. And, while I painted our thermofoil cabinets in our powder bathroom about a year ago, the jury’s still out on how well it will hold up over time. Especially in a high-traffic area like our kitchen. A year or two back, I called several experts and most did not recommend painting them. And those that said they would actually were charging so much, I may as well re-face the cabinet doors. Another issue is how they are wearing. Our house is about ten years old, and several cabinets are peeling and, as shown below, bubbling from exposure to heat or steam from the kitchen. Not a good combination! Once the thermofoil peels or chips off, you’re left with raw MDF board below.
- If we’re dealing with the cabinets, the backsplash and countertops are absolutely going as well. I’ve always wanted a white kitchen. I know they are everywhere, but for me, that doesn’t matter. I feel like from a long-term planning perspective, that is what will work for us the longest and will stand the test of time. I love the look of Carrara marble countertops in other kitchen, but a) Kurtis refused to have marble and b) I think it may be a bit too gray for us. I’m leaning towards a quartz that looks more like a Calacatta marble with a bit warmer veining. It’s been a few years since I researched marble alternatives, so it’s definitely something I’ll need to look into again! My hope is that we can repurpose a few of the existing pieces of countertop (or even cabinets) for one of our rental homes.
- We’re going for mostly classic elements vs. what is trendy. I know open-shelves are hot right now, and while I love the look, we will not be using them. A) I don’t want to deal with the dusting. B) They just aren’t practical with us and the cats. C) I prefer to shove random crap behind a cupboard door rather than try to make it part of my decor. Totally personal preference, but any storage in our kitchen will be behind a door!
- After years of discussion, we’ve decided we want to take the island all down to one level. With the current layout, there really isn’t much prep space and each section of countertop is relatively small. We also plan to take it a color other than the current black. The cabinets on the island are not thermofoil, so we may be able to keep them and just have them repainted! This picture is from the fall but shows our island layout fairly well. It also shows the relationship of the kitchen with the living room.
- Our goal is to meet with a designer and finalize all of our selections. At that point, I may reach out to the brands we have chosen to see if they are interested in collaborating on the project. This would mean they could use my photos for advertising their products, etc. in exchange for product and/or wholesale pricing. If it doesn’t work out that way, we’re okay with that, and will still move forward as planned.
- We’d love our pantry to become not only food storage, but a functional working/prep area. I hate that Kurtis leaves his oatmeal/protein shakes/waffle maker permanently on the counter. But I get that he does because he uses it all daily. So, if we could have a prep space in the pantry for items like this, that would be perfect. Kurtis hates the messiness of the shelves. So, ideally we’d continue cabinets (even if they are a lower quality) into the pantry with a countertop to work on.
- We would love to move our “barcart” items to the pantry. With our constant activity in and out of the back sliding door (in the dining room) we had several glasses fall off our wine rack last year. Now that we have much more traffic thru that door with the pool, we’d also love to free up that area and move it all to the pantry.
- The microwave (which currently sits on a random shelf sticking out from the cabinets quite a bit) will either be moved to the pantry, the island or we’ll change one of our ovens to a convection oven that works as both oven and microwave. Right now, it makes our kitchen look really unfinished.
- I would love to add a window to the space where the microwave currently sits. For as many windows as our home has, the kitchen is one of the few rooms that has zero. So I would love to allow some natural light in! Here’s a little mock-up of where the window(s) would go. This is updated from this post, to add a covered fridge and the window:
- I had several people message me because they had assumed the wall for the window faced our garage. The pantry does, on the left-hand side, but we’d be free to add a window as shown above (and even in the pantry wall straight ahead or to the right). I totally get the confusion because our floorplan is pretty unique and until you see it, it doesn’t make much sense at all! Our house is basically a U-shape on it’s side and this side of the house is the base of the U. I made this quick little map below to show you where I am referencing everything. The photo itself is about three years old so our landscaping has changed quite a bit. The buckthorns by the air conditioners are now about eight or nine feet tall! So, they’d give some good privacy around the kitchen window. We also have a twenty foot high (or so) bald cypress now in about the area where it says garage, so there is further coverage. I also already tested to make sure the window(s) would be high enough not to see the air conditioners, and the angles make it such that we’d be okay there!
- Lastly, keep in mind all of these ideas are without any sort of bid. I can talk all day about our changes, but the reality is, it could vary quite a bit between now and when we finalize those plans. SO, our plans may be changing drastically once we hear what this will all cost. A few years back, I did have countertops, a custom range hood and new cabinet doors bid, and it wasn’t nearly as high as we thought it would be. We’re hoping we’re still at least in that ballpark and not much higher. I’ll be sure to keep you posted every step along the way though!
We would love to begin in late spring or summer time when we know we won’t need our kitchen as much (since we can grill outside). But, we want to make sure we get the plans right so if it means pushing it off until fall, we’re okay with that too! I hope this post helps give some clarity on our thoughts. If you have something in your kitchen you can’t live without, we’d love to hear!
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Renee says
I love the look of marble, but my husband is a granite contractor and he says…no. Itās fine for bathrooms, but it shows stains and you canāt get out any oil based stain and forget about red wine. I love the look of quartz.
Sharon Peterson says
Here are a couple of my thoughts. We remodeled our kitchen in 1991. We did white cabinets, white Italian stone tile back splash and Colonial white granite countertops. My kitchen looks just as good today as it did in 1991. In fact when people visit our home they cannot believe we did the kitchen 27 years ago.
Here is the problems with quartz that no one tells you. 1) Quartz is āscorch proofā. It will burn above a certain temperature which the manufacturer doesnāt specify. Granite is a rock. It will not burn no matter what! I have set boiling hot pans on my granite with absolutely zero problems. 2)Quartz will scratch and you always have to use a cutting board. Granite will not scratch. You can cut on it. It is not recommended because it will dull your knives but it will not scratch the granite. 3) Quartz is 20-40% higher in price than granite. So what does that mean? It means quartz is a much higher profit margin item than granite. You have several huge outstanding granite yards near you. I personally bought granite in Lincoln for our bar countertop so I speak from experience. 4). Colonial white granite looks very close to carrera marble but with none of the downside of marble. If you do honed versus polished it really looks like marble. And there are at least three or four other granites that totally mimic marble. 5). The big thing the quartz manufacturers will tell you is that you have to seal granite every six months. That is 100% bogus. They say that to down sell granite. As I said we have had Colonial white granite in our kitchen since 1991. It was sealed when it was installed. After 15 YEARS my husband and I started feeling guilty because we had never sealed it. So we bought the sealer and did it. We couldnāt tell one bit of difference before and after. So the granite in my kitchen is 27 years old and has been sealed twice. It is a rock. Just remember that when you start hearing the horror stories you will hear from the quartz people. And try to imagine, short of a sledge hammer, how you can hurt a rock.
Oh, and for the record I have granite on my built in buffet in my dining room, in all of my five bathrooms, and on our bar. I have never regretted chosing granite!
Mary from Life at Bella Terra says
Since you haven’t gone out to bid yet, I have found that getting my cabinets made are less expensive than buying them from someone like Home Depot or a cabinet company. I don’t know if you have a reasonable cabinet maker in your area, but I’ve remodeled several homes and seem to get the best price, and best choices when I custom make them. Good luck in your remodel. Love the addition of the window. You can never have too many windows!
Christine says
hi, so excited for you guys. kitchen planning can be fun! We just finished our kitchen remodel and installed white quartz 2 months ago, painted our cabinets white, added gray glass subway tile and medium brown hardwood flooring. I love quartz….and it has not scratched or stained one bit. and anytime there seems to be a stain type mark we use Bar Keepers Friend polish and it’s good as new. We have a cat and two kids so the kitchen is the hub of our home. I say go with quartz, you won’t regret it! have fun!
Kerry says
I would consider putting your sink and dishwasher in the area under the new windows. Then the one leveled island would be all prep area.
Chelsea V. says
My favorite part of your remodel is the addition of the windows! I think that will totally change your kitchen in a good way. Are you going to be making changes to the actual cabinet frames? I ask because if I were building a house or doing a reno I would totally add a lot of lower cabinet drawers for tall utensils and large pots etc. So that I wouldn’t have to squat down and pull something out of the back of the cabinet.
Lyn says
Your choice of a one level island:….. I had one for years and it was in full view of the living room and the eating area. Absolutely everything…. the dish soap, any cups, any dish drainer…. sticks out like a sore thumb from any view into the room. Only you know if you can stand it:
Sarah says
That’s great feedback Lyn! We’ll definitely keep that in mind!!
Norma Rolader says
Oh I am excited for you and hope all will work out for you
Jen says
I love my one level island with a deep sink..and I don’t even mind dishes and things being there because the whole room feels bigger with it all one level.
In my kitchen my fridge is off the main area, kind of where your microwave is…and I’m guessing you aren’t into this idea but I LOVE having it out of the way just slightly from all the food prep/dish wash/putting things away area. There is so much opening and closing of the fridge that happens so when it’s a bit too close to the sink it makes your kitchen feel cramped. If you opt not to do a window over there, relocating the fridge and doing a larger built in one (maybe with a built in broom type cabinet next to it) I think your kitchen would feel so much larger with it over there and the current fridge area would be a whole wall of cabinets. If you keep the existing boxes you can still do it, just use the ones you remove from the microwave wall.
If you want a pic of ours I can send you it. Similar layout to yours though larger.
At any rate, I think you are leaning in the right direction to get lighter finishes and ones you love and I totally don’t fault you for making it your own. If you do decide to do NEW cabinets, I did an entire house flip property with Cliq studios online (cabinets that get shipped to you) and I was very pleased with the price/quality and soft close features. Much less expensive, just a bit of a wait for the painted cabinetry to come in.
Oh and I have Quartz in this new house and I was suprised by how much higher mainteance it feels…I thought it would be just as good as granite. It stains a little easier with certain things (red) or once a cork surface that sat wet on it too long. I also don’t cut on it or put heat on it for fear it will get ruined. Having said that…it is so pretty and all light and not as busy as granite…so I don’t mind the extra work I have to put in…and I have four kids. I just don’t buy red drinks ever and sometimes I have to scrub a few extra times for little marks/light stains or they come off over time, not right away. If I have regrets, it’s only in not realizing they would be like that.
Good luck! Can’t wait to see how you guys finish the space to your liking.
Katherine Cook says
Your project looks exiting, I can’t wait to see what you will do.