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Cherry and SS Remodel

sjerin
11 years ago

Hello, All. We finished our remodel in November and I am just now figuring out how to use Photobucket and how to post the pictures. I hope this works! As most everyone says and MEANS, I am eternally grateful for all the help on this forum and sad to say, I've forgotten specific names apart from Angie DIY who was very patient with my myriad questions concerning cabinets. I was hoping to end up with a rather plain-looking kitchen without frills, to make cleaning easier. I'm also not much of a decorator so excuse the lack of fun color.

This is our third try at expanding our kitchen (by 5+ feet out the front,) the first two coming at inopportune times. In hindsight, that was a good thing as it gave me more time to have a better plan in order. We had hoped to use our neighbor's contractor who works on time and materials but when the time came, he was not available so we went with our #2 choice. For the most part we feel quite lucky to have had him do the work as he is honest, reliable and excellent at replying to any and all of my questions in a timely manner. He also has two delightful Australian shepherds who gad about with him. :) His crew was wonderful all the way through, and I rather miss those fellas. My only disappointments were in trying to get the contractor to understand we needed to see on paper the order in which work would be done, and to give me enough decision lead time on factors I hadn't anticipated or decided on yet--paint colors, anyone??? All but one of his sub-contractors were great; the painters, not as much.

Our old kitchen was mostly original, with perhaps a refacing of the cabinets done in the 80's or 90's. The house is a ranch style, built in 1951. The 4-doorway kitchen was small and had an eating area at the far end. It was difficult to have more than one cook at a time in the small space, the refrigerator pushed several inches into the doorway, and I prepped on 12 inches of tile next to the electric stove. I'm still mourning my little-bit-of-a-porch that I used to keep pots o' plants upon and am currently working on the new garden space outside of the kitchen; no money for a new porch. :( Well, I could go on and on about the process which was a first for us, but now I'll cross my fingers and hope the pictures post.

Countertop: Belvedere Soapstone from M. Teixeira in SF
Love it, though I wish I'd oil more often.

Backsplash: White square tile, with two accent rows of
"Stained Glass" 2x2's from Bullnose Tile in
San Jose
I wish I'd gone with a slightly more creamy white
and another row or two of blue, which I love.

Cabinets: Custom frameless, formaldehyde-free cherry with
slab doors; maple cab and drawer boxes,
dovetailed, with natural finish
My favorite element of all! Loved, loved the cab
guy who bent over backward to make us happy
and is still doing so after my little water mishap
this week. VERY fortunate to have found him.

Sink: Kohler Bakersfield cast iron single
This sink gets the grey marks so easily--maybe I should
have sprung for a fireclay.

Faucet: Watermark two-handle
The first one installed leaked and had to be sent back.
Belmont Hardware was good about the exchange. So
far, so good on the new faucet.

Rangetop: Bluestar Rangetop, 36-inch, 6 Burner
Never cooked with gas before, getting used to but
like it very much. One ignitor is on the fritz which
we have to figure out.

Oven: Wolf E-Series single
Works great

Micro/SO: GE Profile Advantium 240V
I swore I wouldn't buy GE again, but I've got to
say I do like it, both as a micro and extra (speed)
oven. Let's hope it lasts!

Hood: Trade-Wind 42-inch 1266cfm liner, blower and silencer
This is another one of my favorite things--thanks to you,
Trailrunner! I can't believe how well it handles our high-
heat sauteeing, etc.

Refrigerator: Kitchen-Aid counter-depth 36-inch French Door
(Don't tell Antss) I like it fine and hope it lasts.
Still don't think they should charge a grand more
for cd!

Dishwasher: Miele low-end model from 4 years ago
It works well and I didn't mind that it's black rather
than ss

Lighting: Rejuvenation Lombard orb flushmount and the
pendant over the table is from Murray Feiss
(Amazon)
Saleswoman at Rejuvenation was wonderful!

Flooring: Marmoleum (Forbo Fresco) Green Wellness
Dh gave in on the color but I love it--very soothing.
No hardwood due to my messy style of cooking and
it's a good thing since I tried to flood the kitchen last
week. No edges came up! I got this from and had it
installed by Conklin Bros. in San Jose.

Old Kitchen

New and Improved Kitchen!

Comments (26)

  • Holly- Kay
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Beautiful!

  • kiko_gw
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Looks great! I'm trying to figure out where the old kitchen ended and the extra 5 feet begins; about halfway through the island?? Why do counter-depth cost so much more? Do they really cost more to manufacture or is it just a money grab?

  • michoumonster
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    lovely! love all of the brightness and the pops of blue. what's cooking? looks delicious!

  • gr8daygw
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Beautiful!

  • cat_mom
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Love IT! So nice!

  • taggie
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Gorgeous. Those cherry cabs are simply lovely. The kitchen seems to flow beautifully now and looks so nice and open. It must be a dream to cook in. Great job, congratulations on your beautiful space!

  • EATREALFOOD
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Very nice--so clean looking and streamlined. Your style may be as you call it "plain or easy to clean" but it shows that you put a lot of thought and effort into this kitchen.
    I like the cherry slab doors. Please update us in the appliance forum(in 6 months or longer) on how your KA counter depth fridge is working out. People are always looking for recent reviews on FD 36" fridges.

  • susanlynn2012
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I love the counters so much and the cabinets are so modern and stunning. I love the overall modern look! Thanks for sharing. By the way, I wish I paid for and bought the Kitchen-Aid Counter Depth Refrigerator as I hate the way my big refrig sticks out and I am so petite that I can't reach the back of it either. I should have listened to this forum. But I love the stainless steel French Doors on my LG Refrigerator as I now do not have to move my kitchen table chairs to open the doors. I love the bottom freezer and no longer have bad food as I can see and reach everything.

  • sudaki
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    What a beautiful, streamlined look! The soapstone with the cherry is lovely.

  • elissahart
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow--very well done! Love the natural cherry and the countertops together.

  • ppbenn
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Very pretty kitchen! Love the flooring with your cabinet choice. Nice mix of traditional and modern. We are also looking at that same soapstone, between that one and Anastasia so its great to see in actual pictures.
    I'm planning the Advantium too glad to hear you like it.

  • sjerin
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks, it's soooo wonderful to cook, wash dishes or just BE in the kitchen without bumping into someone else.

    Kiko, yes, about halfway up the island is where the old kitchen left off. My opinion on the cd refrigerators is that they cost that much more simply because the manufacturers know they can get it. It was the cab guy who talked me into it, though he didn't have to twist my arm too hard. I'm not sure why cd isn't standard now--it's much easier to find things in there.

    Michoumonster--What's cooking is Indian food, which we make often. That kind of cooking factored into all the smooth surfaces, hi-heat stove and strong vent.

    Eatreal--I'll try to remember to update to the appliances forum, even though I know Antts will take my head off. :) So far, the fridge is fine.

    Thank you all for the nice comments. I feel terribly guilty because I rarely have commented on new kitchens, deciding that if I comment on one I should comment on all and that wasn't always doable. Again, I appreciate more than anyone could know all the advice, pictures, plans, comments and answers to questions on this forum. I have tried to tell friends about this place and the unbiased help one can get and am dumbfounded when I realize they didn't even take a look or take a quick look and then ignored. Where else can you find opinions not based on sales???

  • mjocean
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I love the soapstone and cherry cabinets together. I wanted soapstone, but lost that battle. Your kitchen is beautiful and has a nice layout.

  • angie_diy
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    It is really lovely. I really like how it came together. I love how your Belvedere looks. The kitchen looks like it would function VERY well, too!

    Thank you for the shout-out. I don't feel like I did anything worth your mentioning in the reveal, but I am glad you found it useful!

  • dljmth
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Really well done! Love your cherry cabinets. Was my original choice before a last minute switch to rift oak. Saw your ref to Belmont Hardware. Are you in the bay area too?

  • debrak_2008
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I like your backsplash. Enjoy your new kitchen!

  • User
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    WOW !! ( no picture of the hood liner ?? :) !! haha.. your kitchen is SO pretty ! I love the tile backsplash the color is just subtle enough to be there and not be too much. You did great .

    The cabs are devine ! Beautiful construction and lovely details. I hope you will enjoy it for many years to come. I am so glad you can make curry and not enjoy the smell for DAYS LOL ! c

  • sjerin
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thank you again for your kindness. Angie, don't you remember the endless emails from me and all the info you gave me regarding Scherr's?? I was all set to go with them, but the contractor had reservations since they are out of state. I would have fought him on it, but their lead time was getting to be very long at the time, and in the meantime my neighbor referred me to her guy who had done her kitchen the previous year. I was hugely surprised to hear him say he could give me low-voc cabs for just a little bump-up in price. In all my searching, it seemed to me companies that offered this wood charged much more than we could pay.

    Yes, Laura88, I'm in the Bay Area--San Jose. I wish I could refer you to the guy who helped me (and his cute doggie he would bring to work!) but he moved back to Portland recently.

    Hey, Trailrunner! I'm glad I could show you the finished kitchen--it is indeed a working kitchen with lots of messes. I really do love the hood as it does just as promised and has been super-easy to clean. I'll try to post a pic. My water mishap involved my brain forgetting I'd plugged up the sink to clean the stove parts then wandering outside to talk to my neighbor.....yeah, lots and lots of water over the edge and all over more than half the floor. The cab guy came over and removed one toekick and several doors, and sucked out some water from the island area. Lucky me, we had big winds that day, something we rarely have. With the fans, so far (It's been a week,) it's all good. I'm especially glad the flooring hasn't peeled.

    My husband couldn't believe the contractor was going to install such a huge/heavy thing and thought I had way over-estimated how much air we needed to move. He's singing a different tune now. :) Isn't it so simple and clean-looking?

  • User
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yes ! Love the Tradewind. It is indeed very easy to clean, quiet and efficient. I wish we could get more converts on Kitchens :) Perhaps your showing will do the trick. I love love your space !! c

  • wi-sailorgirl
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oh it's really nice. I particularly love the floor! It came out beautifully. Thank you for sharing.

  • angie_diy
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oh, I certainly remember our exchanges about Scherr's. I was just saying that I felt that was only a small gesture, one that needn't have been remembered and thanked. In any event, I am so happy for you for how it turned out!

  • sjerin
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks, Angie and sailorgirl. Angie, I was so stressed out in trying to find the cabs I wanted (under the time gun) that I could afford, and was hugely grateful that you didn't blow me off. :)

    TR, how can we get people to look into Tradewind? They were soooo easy (and kind--no attitude whatsoever,) to deal with and though I don't have specifics, were definitely less than Modernaire in which I was briefly interested. But judging from conversations here on the attitude at Modernaire and the cost, I'm ever so glad I went with Tradewind.

  • User
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    sj..no idea. I have tried for 7 years :) Guess the folks want brand names they know...oh well you and I know how great the Tradewind is so we will just cook and enjoy !! c

  • ginny20
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Just lovely. The cabs are beautiful, and the hardware complements them. Yes, the hood looks great. Congratulations!

  • deedles
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oooo... your cherry cabinets are beautiful! That is such a big difference from the old. Please do an update on the KA after you've had it a bit.

    How do you like your raised DW and how far up did you raise it? Looks like 12"?

    I'm strongly considering a Tradewind vent hood insert and now that two of you love it that helps the decision a little more.

    Your new kitchen looks great! Glad your marmoleum was installed well. It looks really good and I know that green wellness is a great color.

  • sjerin
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Deedles, the dw is 20 inches off the floor and I can't remember how far up a conventional dw is set. I LOVE not having to bend but a tiny bit for the lower rack. It was a little hard to give up the counter space, but for me and by back, worth it. About the marmoleum, I do wish the lines where pieces are joined didn't show, but they do. At least they're glued down tightly.

    Ginny, my dh really wanted the ss handles and I wanted orb. But I had to give him something as I chose almost everything else. :)

    Thanks, ladies. I'm doing some reorganization today and it is so much easier than it used to be--it's wonderful having more space.