Sorry, jkinpv, missed one of your questions. Yes, I mostly removed the closet in the back bedroom. Actually, I removed the wall entirely, trying to figure out a way to expand the kitchen that way. It just didn't work and didn't help the flow of the house. I'm glad it didn't work because that's what forced me to bite the bullet on moving all of those pipes and open the other wall.

All that's left is a skinny little space that I'm going to turn into a built-in bookshelf for that room. I hated how claustrophobic that corner felt before. With the rest of the kitchen open, maybe it wasn't necessary. But I do like the extra cabinet space it provides.

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!!!! As a white, chocolate, Fratelli kitchen owner myself, I am blown away. This is one of the reasons I return to this forum time and again--we have so many common elements (my backsplash is even carrara, though it's tumbled mini bricks), yet yours came together so differently than mine. You did things I now wish I had done--I love how you mostly used drawers on your lower cabinets, for example. I also love the ledge above your range. Oh, and that fridge--it's striking and looks perfect with your cabinets. You've definitely achieved a warmth I'm still trying for! To think this was DIY is nearly unfathomable--incredible job!

This is one of the best transformations I've ever seen here. And so much of it DIY? WOWZA. It really does look like something that should be in a magazine--I second the suggestion to send it in! I enjoyed the suspense of scrolling through the shots of your ummm, extra-special "before" kitchen. The shop light! The CARPET! I couldn't imagine what might be coming up!

It is sooooo gorgeous. Congrats and enjoy it.

smilingjudy - thanks for the answer about the wall paint color! I thought it looked gray! I'm going to definitely check out that color since every gray I've seen so far has either been too light, too dark or not gray at all (one was completely blue and looked NOTHING at all like the paint chip). Enjoy your new kitchen!! I'm envious that you're done since I won't be surprised if it's still at least a few months for us (although 2 months ago the contractor estimated about 7 weeks, so I guess we're on a "rolling" 2 month schedule!).

unbelievable transformation!

and I am going to copy those columns, for sure!

I love, love, LOVE your kitchen. May I ask what your room dimensions are? We were considering moving a staircase and expanding into the adjacent garage, but your layout looks like something we could totally do with our existing footprint. My hubby and I both looked at your kitchen and agree that it is beautifully executed and right up our alley.

Take a bow, smilingjudy! Bravo!

Your kitchen is beautiful! Love the cat door. What a terrific idea!

Kansas City, my very favorite town next to Dallas. My parents were from KC and St. Joe. I have great memories of those beautiful cities. My aunt lived in Prarie Village for years.

I loved seeing the transformation. Also love the range and its label!! I am so jealous of DIYers!

Holy Broken Eggs, Batman, that's some KITCHEN! As others have said, blown away, knocked it out of the park, unbelievably WOW! I wouldn't remove the "made in Italy" sticker! OK, I bow to you! This is one of the most beautiful kitchens I've ever seen. Every inch is just gorgeous.

I've never seen that fridge before and it is a show stopper. Beautiful! OK, the range is beautiful, too but that's supposed to be, all dressed in her Italy sticker but that fridge is a real surprise to me and how beautifully it looks there... oh my!

Like rm, I keep scrolling up -- love the cabinets and how you set them -- love that kitty station and my cat is among the many jealous here and very smrt to give them a door! Countertop -- beautiful. Backsplash -- oh heaven! And hardware is beautiful -- really shows well, stand out nicely!

It's all stunning! I'm in awe. Stunning! Even more in awe that this was DIY!

Yup, gorgeous. What they all said!!!

Can you explain your cat door? Is there a basement staircase behind that wall that kitty hops onto or did you have to build her some access down? Did you have to train her to use the door (I assume it's a flap door like you'd put in an exterior door...???) I am trying to make a good place for the catbox in our reno! I am totally going to to copy the pet nook area for food at the very least. Thank you!

Just an amazing before and after!! I love how beautifully you've used all the available space and how serene and sophisticated the overall feel is.

Oh my goodness!!! AMAZING transformation! I love your cat space, that is perfect! Everything seriously looks gorgeous. How do you like your Jenn Air fridge? We are considering one. Ive never seen the floating glass before, it looks very pretty in your space. Every element works beautifully together!

Holy crap! It's gorgeous! Congratulations, you must be really proud of accomplishing this kitchen. I absolutely love the chocolate counter and the tile. I have the same soul-killing yellow Formica counter in my current kitchen--miles and miles of it. I so look forward to the day I rip that counter out with my bare hands....

How do you like that faucet? It's a pullout? Is it the kind that stays on once you've pressed the button? Does it have the little magnetic base thingy?? It looks really good in your kitchen, curious how you like it. Congratulations again, you've really done an awesome job!

That just doesn't even look like the same house! Its unbelieveable to see your before and after photos and realize we're looking at the same place. You did a great remodel - its a beautiful new kitchen! And I cannot believe it was DIY - you should treat yourself to a nice shopping excursion!

Thanks so much for the reply about the columns, they are lovely and we are doing the exact same thing. We took down some walls and will be creating columns around the studs that are left!

Enjoy your beautiful new space!

Kat :)

You did a fabulous job. I can't believe it's the same kitchen. I absolutely love the cat door and feeding station. Couldn't help but notice the bottle of Cook's over the stove. My friends and I drink it all the time and consider it a well kept secret for the price.

Looks like it's always been there, ie fits the space so perfectly. Wouldn't you love to have the previous owners see it? (Unless you were the original owner- made that mistake before).

Can you please explain how the corner cupboards beside the fridge work? Do you have blind pullouts or did you close off the back space?

Hear you on the dimmers. We actually don't have a dimmer on our xenon UC lights, but we do on the main kitchen lights- never use them! We do use the dimmer on the DR fixture. Guess you never really know until you use the space...

Your kitchen just proves that a white fridge is SO under-done!!! It is a much better look than SS and you probably saved a fortune by not doing a paneled one. And your cat zone is pure genius!

It's just beautiful! And I can't help thinking..what a lucky cat, lol.

(blush) Gosh, everyone. I still can't believe some of the adjectives you've used for my 'lil kitchen. I am truly flattered.

janefan - Fratelli's unite! Don't be silly...your space is very warm indeed!

cass62 - The footprint is about 13.5 x 8 which makes the walkway itself just under 4 feet wide. Very roomy!

staceyneil - Yes, there's a basement staircase behind the wall that they jump onto. There isn't a flap or anything yet. I'm thinking of using some "strips" of fabric backed vinyl to create a covering. (think old-school carwash strips) That should help keep out cold air from the basement and the occasional cricket that tries to migrate to the living space. I haven't figured out how to implement that yet since I know I'll want to be able to remove it for cleaning. Maybe I'll just finish the basement and then won't need it at all. HA! My kitties are pretty curious, so it wasn't hard to get them to use it even though they are both around 11 years old. They were walking through it while I was trying to paint!

twogirlsbigtrouble - Love the fridge so far. I was in major retail shock for several hours after I ordered it, but I am totally happy with it. Be sure to note the hinges if you're looking at the floating glass. The hinges stick out past the edge of the fridge and could be problematic depending on your layout. That was a total shock to me when it was delivered and there is actually some extra space behind mine b/c the cab guys had planned on the whole thing sliding back. (I did a post with close-ups several months back if you want more info.)

amanda_t - Yep, the faucet is a pullout. It's not super fancy so it doesn't have the magnet, but I kind of like that. I'll often let it dangle a little bit to get more action in the small side of the sink. It was super easy to install and no troubles with it so far. The one thing it doesn't do that I wish it did was "remember" the last setting (spray vs stream) after I turn it off.

fran1523 - The Cook's was a freebie from a hotel. It's probably not even drinkable anymore, but I think now is the time to pop the top and find out!

raehelen - The corner cabs are pretty basic. Lazy susan in the base, and a wedge-shape in the upper. My cabinet makers didn't have many fancy hardware options. I use the susan for infrequently-used small appliances and the upper is filled with pantry items.

You all are right. The kitties are very lucky. Now when will they realize it? :)

I'm back for round two on this stunning kitchen... In addition to everything else, I love the hood and shelf over the range. Again, so beautiful, every inch!

Judy
Thank you for sharing the incredible transformation! I thought my kitchen won the ugly kitchen award - but yours wins! the carpet put it right over the edge

Well thought out transformation and you did some of the work as well?

Really nice choices and application - I have the JA FD fridge not floating glass - Love that things really don't get lost anymore

It will make you really smile when you cook & probably cook better! I was always a cook, not much of a baker - well in my new kitchen I know I've become a better cook and now I am a baker - just love being in the space

ENJOY - Stunning transformation

You did an amazing job! It's really gorgeous. You should go into business doing it for other people ;-). So many people spend so much more and it doesn't look anywhere as good. Taste is more important than budget!

One thing I can't figure out though. About your cat door. Very clever. The kitchen floor though is the basements ceiling and it's at least 8 feet off the floor. As agile as cats are I can't imagine the little beasties making an 8 foot dive onto the floor. Is there some sort of stair or ramp under it? A little cat trampoline...LOL? Maybe that's how they get back up? I'm really curious how that works!

The cat feeding station and cat door to basement is too cool!!! I just love it!

Oh and the kitchen is beautiful as well! VERY NICE!

Judy, what is your floor in the family room? Wood? If so, do you know the stain color? It is pretty.

Thank you, smilingjudy, for posting your dimensions. I am getting very excited now as this means we don't have to remove walls, move the staircase, and endure all that would entail. Our footprint is 15'2" x 8'8" with the range wall being 9'9".

If we used a plan similar to yours, we would be able to turn the garage into a laundry / mud room and a nice big walk-in pantry. I can't thank you enough for posting your kitchen. It made us step back and showed us that we don't need to go the other direction. Our layout isn't the problem...our kitchen is simply butt-ugly. That will change soon enough! Thanks again, Judy.

minette99 - More ideas I stole from people here, with a little artistic license from my cabinet guys. I have very low ceilings, so it was tricky squeezing the look I wanted into a short space.

jejvtr - Thanks for the ugliest kitchen award! :) I thought I was a pretty strong contender. As another commenter said, EVERYBODY should post a before if they have one. It makes the result look so much more impressive.

I've redone nearly every inch of my house and rarely use outside help. The kitchen required more than usual, simply because of what goes into a kitchen. I was kind of relieved that custom cabs were my least expensive option as it meant installation was included.

blondelle - The staircase to the basement is right behind the wall, so they can just hop on to the stairs from the door. The top two steps are actually large platforms, so there is more than enough room for them to land. It's still hilarious when I'm in the kitchen and a cat comes shooting out of the wall. Cracks me up every time!

Hi kelleg - Long story, but the short answer is it's about a 50/50 mix of red oak and english chestnut on red oak boards.

cass62 - That's great to hear! I'm glad I could help.

Your kitchen is just beautiful, but I am most impressed that you did so much of it yourself. Great job and great choices. It looks amazing!! Someday you will have to give a tutorial on how you made those gorgeous columns. I keep looking at them and wouldn't know where to start. And of course the kitty door and eating area is so purrfect!!

"...and a cat comes shooting out of the wall."cats -that's a great visual, and gave me my first chuckle today!

I cant stop staring at your darn kitchen! How am I going to talk my DH into white cabinets???!!! I really love how you did brown and white. Black and white is always pretty, but its nice to see something different. How much does the Richlite run?

I'll have to search for the thread about the hinges on your fridge. Does it stay pretty clean looking? Fingerprints? Do you just use glass cleaner on it?

What color do you have on the walls? Looks like a blueish...

Sorry so many ???'s :)

No apologies necessary! The wall color is SW Passive. It's about as grey as it gets, but there is a bluish-cast. In some light it even looks green. I rejected it at first because my sample board looked "too grey". After I painted the whole place a couple of other options that had too much color, I went back to it. Had to paint an entire wall to decide it was the one.

The fridge stays very clean looking. I know it's dirty by feel more than by appearance. I just wipe it down with dish water or spray from my usual vinegar/water cleaning solution. Glass cleaner would work fine. A quick search did not turn up that thread about the hinges, but the closeups are still in my photostream (starting here)

Richlite is NOT budget friendly. You have to buy by the slab which can affect cost also. eg. I had to buy two slabs even though I only used about 1 1/2. It's comparable in price to a high-end granite. Unfortunately, I was already in love with it when I thought it was about half the price. Took about 3 weeks to get over the sticker shock and seal the deal.

What a genius you are! You really have an innate sense of how a room should look and function. I love the fact that you took a small kitchen and with your magic hammer turned it into a fabulous, georgeous, unbelievable room! I didn't know a glass fridge existed - I like it better than a panel; kitty area - how fun; backsplash to die for. I love your RH cabinet and drawer hardware. Would you mind telling me the length you used for your pulls? I will be getting RH pulls in Dakota (black) but deliberating on how long the pulls should be for my 24" and 27" wide drawers - 6" or 8"? Thank you for sharing your wonderful kitchen - you win the blue ribbon!

Thanks for the link to your photos, that helps alot. Did you put the fridge in a 36" space? I think our builder is recommending 39", but Im a little leery of how that will look. I dont want to have it too wide with alot of space on each side of the fridge, but maybe it would work nicely with those hinges.

We're looking at granite for our counters. I love soapstone and I love your richlite, but Im afraid of the wear and tear.

I may have talked my hubby into white cabinets :). Are yours maple? How are they holding up with nicks, etc?

kulagal - Oy! If only the rest of my house functioned as well! I used a mix of 6" and 8" pulls. On the range wall for example, the drawers to the left are about 17"; they have 6" pulls. The drawers to the right of the range are about 25"; they have 8" pulls. I don't think I applied any logic to what went where. I had one of each and just went around holding it up to see what looked best.

twogirlsbigtrouble - The opening is about 36 1/4"; very close squeeze. My cab guy was trying to give me as much pantry as possible. He referred to it as a 38" though b/c I think he was talking about the outside dimension. Make sure there's no confusion there.

Yes, they're maple. I don't notice a problem with nicks, but be prepared for paint "cracks" along the panels where the wood expands and contracts. If you can have them painted before they're assembled you won't have that problem. MDF construction also helps as there is less movement due to changes in humidity. My guys didn't offer that; I knew I would have the cracking. I'm going to live with it through the year before I decide if I'm going to touch it up or not. (And maybe don't mention it to hubby if you're still trying to convince him to use white.)

Beautiful! I love galleys. I love your square pillar too.

OMG!! Just BEAUTIFUL and TASTEFUL!!

I happened to have ordered the Jenn-Air white floating glass refrigerator (side-by-side, full depth) along with GE Monogram SS Advantium, Single Oven, and Miele SS DW.

I was concerned about mixing white floating glass with other SS appliances, but your photo confirmed that it will work. Thank you so much!!

My Jenn-Air fridge is arriving next Monday. Now I am excited even more.
Congratulations for your wonderful new kitchen!

What a change from your "before" kitchen! Beautiful!

I'm not going to tell you how fabulous it is because I'm sure your head is swelled with the comments and I don't want you getting stuck in the doorway :oP (OK IT"S FABULOUSSSSSS!!!!) My god what a change and that had to be hard to do given how wonderful the before kitchen was :oP It must have been terribly hard to decide to change...after all, that before was so umm distinctive :oP

I must admit that while the whole kitchen made me smile, the part I loved the best was kitty land :) We also planned a kitty land (it's still in progress) and I always love to see someone else who plans a spot in their home for everyone to be comfortable in!

I'd forgotten I needed to ask my carpenter to put in a spot for our dog in the bay window seating. I'm drawing it up right now so he can include it before it's built. My doggie thanks you so much for reminding me :)

You've been so great about answering questions...I hope you don't mind a couple more :) I was wondering about your backsplash. It looks like a polished marble? How do you like the sheen? Is it really shiny? I'd like to use something similar but I have polished granite counters, SS appliances, and semi-gloss wood floors. I'm afraid a polished marble might just be too shiny with all of my other finishes. Is it very shiny IRL? I really would like to make it work, it's so pretty. Also, re your cabinets. What type of paint was used (oil, lacquer, latex, milk, etc)? Are they satin or gloss? Were they finished on site? Sprayed on or hand painted? Okay, I think that's all the questions I have. TIA. Beautiful kitchen, I keep coming back to it. You should be so proud!

That's precisely what I thought of when I see your kitchen..."ahhhhhh". It is so beautiful and serence, and the backsplash is gorgeous. I really like your red tea kettle - do you mind sharing the brand?

Kitchens like yours are why I keep coming back to this site. =)

smilingjudy-your kitchen is unbelievable! i see why you might be smiling, judy. its very sophisticated and well put together.

igoloochic, i just have to hijack this thread to tell you how precious that puppy is! it makes me want to snatch him right out of that photo. that is too cute. is that a maltese? i was about to get one when we ended up with our now very spoiled siberian husky. big difference huh?

rubyhouse1021 - Yes, I guess it would be considered polished marble b/c it's definitely not honed or tumbled. It's not super shiny though. My countertop is very matte and there's not a huge difference in sheen. You kind of have to look at it sideways to see any kind of shiny-ness. Not sure I'd put it with polished granite....what color are you using? I'd suggest going to pick up some samples and look at it all together. In case you didn't see in the details, it's Lansdale Carrara marble from the Tile Shop.

The cabinets were painted at the cabinet shop using oil-based, semi-gloss paint with a sprayer. After the install, they came out and touched up all the trim joints and nail holes by hand. Can't even tell the difference.

redroze - The kettle was a gift from my british b/f; gotta have his morning cuppa! :) It's by Chantal.

That is a cute doggie. Looks like a Westie (mix?) to me (??)

Your kitchen is positively gorgeous. Fabulous in every respect. Love the pet door to the basement. Your cat must love that.

I'm hoping to bump this thread as it's too good to be "lost" in Gardenweb pergatory. (Fingers crossed!)

LOL! Unfortunately it still looks the same as in these pics! Still no light fixtures, dining room paint, or furniture. argh!

How is your project going, cass62?

I wish I could say we were making great progress, but alas, are still in the "planning" stage. We are hoping to take the plunge by late summer or early fall...we shall see. I am finding out I have a lot more patience than I thought. LOL!

such a beautiful kitchen! I love how the light comes in from the nature room. what a pleasure it must be to cook in it.

putting in a place for you pets is a great idea! my gf did that in her kitchen remodel and I'm working on a 'food bar' for my dog - but it'll take up more room than yours!

I came across this thread during a google search (FDFG fridge Richlite search) and even though it's almost 3 yrs old - wow - just wow!

What a beautiful mostly DIY transformation! It's THE kitchen I've been searching for that I didn't realize I was looking for!

Judy - if you're still checking in from time to time - thanks for sharing!

Thanks, binsd! I don't hang out on the forums. Just don't have the time and it's a shame really; it's so fun over here. Anyway, I received an email question about how my counters are holding up, so I thought I'd post a quick 3-year report.

Cork floors - love 'em. Comfy, good for a klutz like myself, hides dirt well, super easy to clean. Would do it again in a heartbeat.

Fisher Paykel Dishdrawers - Awful, awful, awful. Replaced them with an integrated Bosch which works great.

JennAir CD fridge - I like it quite a bit, but just last week had to have the touchpad replaced. Not cheap.

Fratelli Onofri range - I do love this thing, but it has some issues. First, I should have purchased the large single oven instead of the double. It's been a very rare occurrence that I've needed to use both at different temps. The door seal on the large oven recently broke because it became brittle. Had to order a part from the UK to replace the seal. Additionally, the big oven has been flaky coming up to temp lately. I'm going to try a heavy-duty cleaning to make sure there aren't any blocked sensors or anything. Hopefully that fixes it.

Cabs - I went with a cab company who primarily worked with stained cabs. I think it shows that they didn't do a lot of paint jobs. There are a couple of chipped areas and other places where you can tell the paint will be peeling someday. (Like on the underside of the sink cab door ??? weird.) Anyway - I think if you're getting painted cabs, be sure to work with someone who does paint to ensure the wood will be properly prepped and they take steps to make sure the paint hardens well, etc.

Countertop - Finally, the info people want. :) I still love this stuff. Yes, it shows wear, but it's a warm, rustic-looking wear which is a-ok by me. If you drag something sharp and pointy across it, it will scratch. If you drag a bowl across it, you're probably fine. If you stand in one spot and do a lot of hand mixing in a bowl, it will probably create "rub" marks. If you drag a dish across it that has "unfinished" edges, it will leave a mark. I don't notice water mark problems around the sink. If water is left to sit and dry on the surface, it will leave a mark. Wipe it down with a dishcloth and the mark goes away. No biggie.

I've tried to capture their current condition, but it's tough to photograph. I have only oiled them once since the original photos were posted.

This is my most heavily used prep area:

Here's another shot of the same area:

Here's a scratch that just showed up a few weeks ago. I have no idea where it came from.

Here you can see "rub marks" in my baking area where the mixing bowl "spins" on the countertop

This is new also. There was a winter squash sitting in this spot. It had a bad spot and started to leak, causing this mark. Weird. I'm sure it will come right out if I oil it.

Overall, still loving my kitchen! The layout has worked out fabulously and I love spending time in there. It has completely changed my life. Literally. I overhauled my diet shortly after it was finished and that made a drastic impact on my life.

Thanks, Gardenweb friends!

Thanks so much for the update smilingjudy! So glad to hear you still love Richlite as I'm falling for them . . .