Our remodel is now 100% complete, and I am so excited to share it with you all.

Thank you ALL for your advice, expertise and support throughout this project. I appreciate it more than I can express! I am SO HAPPY to have found you guys!

From start to finish it took about 3 months. Not too bad considering it was a 95% DIY project (and we both have day jobs!)

The project entailed removing a major load bearing wall between our kitchen and dining room to open up the area. The wall was also full of DUCT WORK (all the heating and a/c to the 2nd floor!) as well as a lot of electric. DH did ALL the demolition, the construction, the electric, the plumbing, the heating, the lighting and the appliance installation. We did everything ourselves except the hanging of the cabinets and the laying of the new floor.

Kitchen design by The Kitchen Village, Corry & Erie, PA.
The cabinets are by Showplace Wood Products; "Breckenridge" door style, in maple; "Antique Soft Cream with Ivory Glaze" finish.
Granite is Santa Cecelia Light, slabs hand-picked at Mont Granite in Solon, OH.
Blanco 1 3/4 bowl silgranit sink in color "Biscuit".
Delta Saxony faucet in SS finish.
Appliances:
GE slide-in gas range, model #PGS908SEM.
GE microwave, model #PEB20605SM1SS (built in w/ trim kit).
KitchenAid french door fridge, model #KBFS20ETSS01.
KitchenAid D/W, model #KUDC03FVSS0.
(We reused our KitchenAid disposer, it was new.)
Low-voltage xenon under-cabinet lighting by American Lighting.
All lighting fixtures by Murray Feiss, from the "Alexandria" collection.
Flooring is a Tarkett Fiber Floor (one piece vinyl) - color/style: Arizona Saltio, Taupe #38062.

Total spent was about $35K, broken down approx. as follows: $16K for cabinets and installation; $7K for granite; $6K for appliances; $1K flooring; $1.5K for lighting; $3.5K construction/finishing supplies/misc., etc.

My vision for this kitchen remodel was to complement our 1600 SF Cape Cod home, (built in the 50's), by creating a space that was beautiful, functional, easy to maintain, and (most of all) fun to cook in. I am so happy to say that we achieved our goals! This kitchen is a delight.

Soooo, without further ado -- what I know you are really interested in ;o) -- THE PICTURES! Enjoy!

BEFORE:

In this next picture you'll see the wall (behind the stove) that had to go! The dining room is on the other side.

THE PLANS:

(This next picture isn't 100% accurate; it doesn't show the 9" tray/cookie sheet cabinet between the sink and the D/W. We decided on that later, and the plans weren't redone.)

A FEW "In Progress"... just for fun! (Ahhhh, the memories...!) ;o)

I'm not sure how many photos one post can hold, so I will continue in another post. Stay tuned!

The appliances are delivered...

The granite is installed...

Next post... FINISHED!

Dining room walls: SW Ivoire, velvet finish.

Crown molding and trim (both rooms): SW semi-gloss white.
Ceiling (both rooms): SW basic flat white.

You savvy GW'ers will no doubt notice that we reused the hardware from the old kitchen. ;o) We bought it not too long ago when we gave the old kitchen a little "face-lift", with full intention to re-use it when we remodeled.

I LOVE the under-cabinet molding (trim) on the wall cabinets... I think it's my favorite "small detail". Really made a HUGE difference in looking "finished". Some of the best $200 we spent in the whole project!!! ;o)

Here you can see our under-cabinet TV/DVD/CD/radio mounted under the corner wall cabinet. (The little TV screen pulls down and swivels.) LOVE that when cleaning up!

I love the seeded glass in the corner wall cabinet!

LOVE the little "bun" feet!

We ADORE the granite... I honestly think it's our favorite thing. It has so much *depth* and so many "layers" of color and interest. It has lots of garnet in it, and what looks like mother-of-pearl, and oh-so-many-beautiful sparkles... not to mention the rich and varied creams, browns, grays, taupes, and even some black. Would choose it again in a HEARTBEAT!

LOVE the Gel-Pro mat, color: Truffle.

I was a little worried about upkeep on the SS top of the range... but I shouldn't have been! It is a DREAM to clean. I would wholeheartedly recommend it!

Both top drawers feature double cutlery dividers, with full-extension, blu-motion whisper glide closures.

Also, you can see the spice rack/pull-out and the super-susan (in the corner) to the left of the range.

Looking into the dining room. LOVE the open-ness!!!

A fun (and practical!) feature of the pantry cabinet is that it opens on both sides.

I stenciled this mouse by the cat's dish, just because it makes me smile!

The under-cabinet lighting:

From the dining room side:

One main reason why we chose this particular design is because of the storage under the bar on the dining room side. TONS of it! And the granite is supported by the cabinets, so there was no need for a half wall, which saved having any "dead space"... all space is fully utilized for cabinets/storage.

We added the crown molding to the dining room when we put it in the kitchen. While we were at it, we put it in the living toom, too. (And yeeeeeessss, that's a drinking fountain for the cat that you see under the window!)

And just for fun, dining room into living room:

From hall into kitchen:

If you have any questions, please let me know.

I hope you enjoyed this... I know I have enjoyed so much looking at all of your beautiful finished kitchens. You were all an inspiration to me!

Thank you for looking!

Lynn

Great job!

Really, wonderful job -- opening the wall really made a difference and I envy all your storage in the dining room side.

Thanks for all the photos. I enjoyed following your progress! :-)

Enjoy

Patty, thank you! The wall color really is pretty in person - I do recommend it! I think it's what I like best about RL paint, the slight (but significant) "nuances" of color that I really couldn't quite find anywhere else. (Of course, I don't have a BM store near me, so my choices are pretty much limited to Home Depot and SW!)

EBSE,
The barstools were purchased locally for WAY CHEAP! ($100 for all three!) I didn't want to put a lot of $ into them, because I hope to replace my table and chairs in the not-so-distant future, and at that time, I know I'll want to replace the bar stools, too. But they work for now. And they are remarkably comfy and sturdy, and slightly distressed like my DR chairs... so it's all good! ;o)

CooperBailey,
Yep, I'm a quilter. Are you? I LOVE making, using, enjoying, displaying, and giving quilts. Of course Boo (the cat) has his own quilt, too!!!

Minette99,
Boo (our Ragdoll cat) was into EVERYTHING! I will have to post some pics of him in the action. I was kinda worried he might be upset by the renovations... all the noise and chaos, the saws and drills... and our shop-vac could wake the dead... but he LOVED it! Had his little pink nose right in the middle of everything! We called him our "Inspector" and our "Supervisor"! And he learned how to climb the step ladder all the way to the top in about 3 seconds flat!!! THAT was hilarious to watch!

Alice,
Pretty much ALL the credit for this successful DIY project goes to my sweet DH. He barely slept for 3 months! I was just the planner and the painter and the cleaner-upper... he was the brains (and brawn!) behind it all!

I was really proud, though, when the professional cabinet installer came... he couldn't BELIEVE what he was seeing had been a DIY job. Just couldn't say enough about how impressed he was, and what an amazing job my husband did. In fact, he even said that our kitchen was his 2nd favorite one he had ever installed! He just loved it. We were so proud!

It's a good thing my husband is so handy, because we could have never afforded to do this project if we'd have had to pay labor costs. There's just no way. We stretched the budget to the MAX as it was!

Well, I know it's not the biggest or most expensive kitchen here on GW... and obviously, we don't live in a McMansion... but it is great for us, and we love it!

Thank you all again for looking and sharing our excitement!

Lynn

The little mouse stencil is ingenious!

I agree: You absolutely achieved your goals. Happy cooking!

Where did you find the cat tin(?) container? I've been looking for something similar to put their food in. Geez, my response sounds cat obsessed.

Lovely remodel which complements your Cape. Enjoy!

Congrats!

Kat :)

I love what you did with your kitchen - my favorite things are all the cute little touches like the mouse! I think it's hilarious that your cat was into everything. Our dog is a bit stressed by everything going on in her house - as soon as she hears a hammer or drill, she tries to get under our feet or will cram herself tightly into a corner in whatever room we're in. I feel horrible that she's stressed but hopefully the worst is over. She's gotten better with time (it's been almost 7 months so far), but she still doesn't like it.

Would love to see more shots of the kitty getting into things :) Enjoy your kitchen!!

A couple of things I wanted to ask. Where is the pulldown TV? Is it over the sink? Maybe I'm mixing up the pics. Also, where did you get the cat fountain? Would this work for a dog as well? That's a neat idea.

Did you agonise over your choices? You seem to be a very content and happy person from your post. Congratulations once more. I know you will continue to enjoy your kitchen for a long time, and wish you all the best.

Mari

Thank you so much for the photo-essay! It was a lot of fun going thru all the pictures along with your commentary. The photo of Boo on the stepladder will remain one of my all-time favorites!!! Btw, I have that same water fountain for my cats. But not the mouse stencil. I love the mouse stencil!

What I also love is how well everything in your house flows - kitchen to dining room to living room. All the colors, the warmth and home-ness of it. I want to live there!!!

Congratulations!

LisaK, no, there's no stove venting. At first I was concerned, but the KDs assured us it would be fine. All I had before was a charcoal recirculating m/w (over the range) that we never used anyway. Structurally it would have been A LOT of work to put in a hood, plus it would have partially blocked the view we worked so hard to open up! So, although I know it's a very personal decision, and everyone might not agree, I'm fine with it.

Smiling Judy, I have had the cat food tin for a long time, but I got it from Country Curtains. If you google "cat food tin" I think you'll get several hits. It's about $40 and comes in white and silver, and there's also a larger dog food one.

Traci29... more photos of Boo getting into things?! OK... since you ASKED!!! ;o)

Double checking the plans... you can never be too careful with the details!

This guy was EVERYWHERE! Look at those steely eyes!!! ;o) Here he is peeking through the (old) floor into the basement where DH was working! (And that would be sawdust on his nose!)

Checking that the rough plumbing is up to code...

Keeping an eye on the tools...

Making sure we didn't try to take any sneaky short-cuts...

Always watching!

Making sure the sub-floor is level...

Checking the height of the space for the fridge...

Good... cabinet door hinges look straight...

Supervising the painting...

Just got done checking all the appliances over...

Inspecting the quality of the cabinets:

Checking for any warping... nope... doors look good... glazing is uniform...

Supervising the plastering...

Inspecting the sink for small cracks or imperfections (he didn't find any!)

Checking that the new toe-kick furnace duct works...

Good... drawers are nice and solid...

Finally relaxing, it's all done, and apparently he approves!

And yes, according to Mont Granite, SC Light is an entirely different stone than (regular) SC. There is a HUGE variance within the SCL slabs, though... and our KD strongly encouraged us to handpick our slabs (which we did) because some can be almost *drab*, while some are just "knock your socks off" gorgeous!!!

Here's a couple more (close-up) photos of ours:

Mari,
Thank you for your sweet post! It made my day! Oh yes, believe me -- I agonized over all the many choices (you can search my user name to see just a FEW of them!!! haha!) I worried and fretted and split frog hairs many times!!! But I had a budget to adhere to, and a vision in my head, so I tried to keep it simple and trust my instincts and have fun with it.

Yes, the little TV (with radio/DVD/CD) is directly above the sink. I can take a picture of it with the TV screen down, if you'd like. Just let me know!

The kitty fountain is a Drinkwell Platinum, you can get them anywhere. And yes, they're great for dogs, too... and they come in various sizes. Ours is the smallest size, for cats or small dogs. Boo LOVES it, and we love it because it keeps him out of the bathroom sinks trying to drink from the faucet!

Shoregirl,
The dimensions of the cabinets on the dining room side (under the bar) are 12" deep and 40" tall. We LOVE that storage space!!! We got several different designs and bids, and none of the others had anything like that. It really did "seal the deal" for us!

He's a very brave kitty. With a very brave mom. I was afraid to let my cats out while any work was being done - I was convinced they'd jump onto countertops that weren't there yet, or electrocute themselves in the exposed outlets... And now I'm going to paint soon, and I'm going to keep them locked in the bedroom lest they get BM Spanish Olive or Monroe Bisque on their cute little pink noses. (Okay, so I'm a little over-protective...)

Boo rocks.

I am a quilter too, so it's fun seeing your living room with all the quilts!

In the 2nd picture you can see the cable outlet. My husband hid the electric outlet (to plug it into) up in the corner cabinet, which is nice. He offered to move the cable outlet, too, but there was SO MUCH to do, I told him he didn't have to do that. Now I wish I would have... and I think I will have him do that *one of these days*!!! ;o)

Here's the TV down, but off.

Here it is on, with the screen swiveled. It says it swivels "270 degrees".

And one last one:

And yes, we have under-cabinet lighting. We specifically chose lighting that would allow enough space for the TV! I really enjoy the TV (and the radio) when I am alone and cooking or cleaning up.

Hope this helps!

Lynn

Oh my goodness look at the little TV. That is too cute. How clever, the little shelf behind the sink. I swear y'all did a superb job. Just fantastic.

The cat pictures are amazing. You could easily do a children's book (or adult) book about the cat who loved remodeling.

Now, our poor Border Terrier was incredibly traumatized by the whole ordeal. Power tools would start him on barking streaks that wouldn't quit. So, both the dog and workers were going nuts. It got so that we took him to doggy day care on the worst days of tool use.

Enjoy the terrific new space!

I still can't believe this was almost all DIY! You guys could also go into business - we'd all be lining up to hire you :)

Our project keeps getting stalled due to the economy. We are a bit cautious with the way things are, no cut backs in my department yet, but the University Board is making cuts in other areas. DH's job seems to be safe too, but it is hard to feel comfortable spending a lot of cash right now.

Congrats on a well done remodel!

Yes, I hear you (MaryBeth) on the economy... we almost put this project on the back burner ourselves. We moved here 3 years ago, after one kiddo was married and the second was in college; it was a downsizing for us.

The bigger house we sold had a beautiful kitchen so it was hard to accept the kitchen in this new house. Everything else was just perfect, though, so we bought it, with the intention of doing a full (kitchen) remodel in "a couple of years", after we saved some money and did some other (mostly minor) renovations, upgrades, etc.

Well, it'd been three years, and we were ready. Of course by then the economy had changed and we really wavered... but in the end this is what we decided. We plan to stay in this house... and it really needed the kitchen updated. And if we waited, it would just cost more in the future! So we just bit the bullet and went ahead with it, although we really did try to contain costs in lots of ways (doing most of the work ourselves, smart shopping, reusing what we could, and trying to keep it simple by not getting a lot of fancy gadgets, gizmos, etc.)

Of course it increased our home's value, and we are happy about that; but mostly it's simply something that we thoroughly enjoy together every day... so we don't have any regrets, and I'm so glad we went ahead with it.

Thanks, Timber! The lettering above the window is a vinyl graphic; got it from eBay, under $20!

Anyhow.. love the kitchen! May I archive it in the Finished Kitchens Blog? If so then please submit the FKB Category Checklist to give your permission.

Thank you!

Haha! The honest to goodness truth is that except for the pictures of Boo in the cabinet above the fridge, NONE were staged!!! And I'm not even sure you could call those ones "staged". We did put him there, because he was going CRAZY on the ground to GET UP THERE! And we figured we better just do it ourselves or the crazy boy would climb the ladder, or scale the wall, or try every which way to get up there and check it out for himself, and we didn't want him to hurt himself trying!!!

And yes, I would be delighted and honored to have our kitchen featured in the FKB! I will take care of the details in the checklist later today! THANK YOU!

Lynn

But not to go OT, as much as I love the kitchen, especially the mousie, I think I love the kitty most of all.

I have a similarly inquisitive fellow, and now that the kitchen work is almost done, he misses the contractors' company, so I need to get a buddy for him. Can I ask what Boo's breed is? He's gorgeous, and you can tell he has a phenomenal personality. Does he have brothers somewhere?

Thanks in advance,

Cecelia

congratulations. enjoy it with good health.

Boo is a Ragdoll, have you ever heard of that breed? You can google 'Ragdoll cats' and learn all about them. But in a nutshell, 'Raggies' as they are affectionately nick-named, are an especially gentle, loving, docile breed of cat; filled with personality!

They have been called 'puppy-cats', because they have a lot of traits of puppies; Boo greets us at the door, follows us from room to room, and is generally not too far from us at any given time. He doesn't have the 'cattitude' ;o) that a lot of cats seem to have!

Ragdolls are a 'pointed' breed, meaning they have darker ears, tail, etc. They always have round, expressive blue eyes, and there are lots of color variations -- Boo is a seal bi-color, meaning that his darkest areas are very dark brown (almost black), and he has a pink nose and the inverted 'V' mask. They have medium to medium-long fur that is VERY EASY CARE - usually matting is not a problem. They mature slowly (can take up to 4 years to reach full maturity; so Boo at age 2 is really still a baby) and can also be somewhat large, but Boo is only 12 pounds.

Ragdolls are all born completely white, and they darken as they get older. Here's a picture of Boo as a baby!

Boo is an amazing animal, and we love him SO much! He has enriched our lives beyond measure!

There are lots of wonderful, reputable breeders out there, and you can search on the internet for one(s) in your area. There's also a wonderful forum for Raggie lovers, I'll post the link below. Several excellent breeders post there, too, so it's a good place to start!

Let me know if you have any more questions - as you can see, I LOVE to talk about him!!!

Your kitchen came out FABULOUS! Many of the items you picked are mine as well. I am just beginning demo though....

I was so thrilled to see that the range you got was the GE profile 908. I am ordering it within the week. I posted on the appliance forum for pictures of the cooktop because I haven't been able to see one in person, but no responses yet. I too am worried about the cleaning. Also about the grates and the vent. So you recommend it? I was happy to hear that it's not a pain to keep clean. How are the grates? Do pots slide easily over them? If you get a chance, I would love a picture of the top.

Enjoy your kitchen. I hope mine comes out 1/2 as nice!

Carrie

Maureen,
Regarding the sink... well, here's the story w/ that. When we started dreaming about/planning the new kitchen, one thing I had seen that I loved and wanted (and was singing like a canary over!!!) was a step-OUT sink w/ bun feet. I just love that look and mentioned that to every KD we talked to. Well, in the end, we chose the design with the corner sink, and so I think to *appease* me somewhat ;o) the KD did the step-BACK sink (w/ the bun feet!) I like it because I think it adds just a little bit of interest, but I'm sure your sink will be BEAUTIFUL, too!

And I always LOVE to talk to a fellow quilter! Did you notice the antique wooden ladder to the right of the french doors in my living room? It's displaying 6 quilts that I made... plus you can see the flannel one on the back of the couch... and then there's the small one on the ottoman. And of course Boo has a little quilt with his name on it... but it isn't in any of the pictures!!!

Oh CARRIE! YOU WILL LOVE THE RANGE!!! I was soooo nervous about the SS top... but I needn't have been! I cook A LOT so I am really using this range, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!! It is a DREAM to cook on, bake in, and clean. The grates are LARGE and HEAVY, very well made. The book says they are D/W safe; I haven't tried that yet, but I'm sure I will someday. The book also says that no matter how hard you try, the grates will discolor a bit over time and with usage, so I'm prepared for that and am OK with it. Hey, this is a working kitchen!!! Pots slide over the grates easily... and the vent certainly gets WARM, but it isn't a "burn" hazard. I completely and unreservedly recommend this range. I have been NOTHING but 100% pleased with everything about it! I have a few pictures already in Photobucket, I will post them here, but if you want more, please just let me know. Here goes:

I hope this helps!

Mom3Suns,
Haha, your post made me smile. Thank you! I'm sorry, though, but Boo just isn't going anywhere --EVER!!! ;o) We'd give up just about everything else we own before we'd give up him! ;o)

I mean, really... just look at him!!! ;o)

I also used the RL Fairy Wren in my kitchen/dining room and I think that it is GORGEOUS!!! SO.... obviously we have similar tastes. I also have kitties that "rule the roost".... so, while I loved to see your kitchen remodel, I must admit that I loved your Boo pics (and comments) even more!!!

One day when I figure out how to post pics on here, I will have to show everyone my kitchen remodel... but until then,..... I must return to lurking!

Carrie

Lynn (DH, and Boo!) ;o)

I got it off of eBay, it's a matte black vinyl graphic and was only about $20!

It really is cool, and looks like hand painted lettering. It was VERY easy to apply, too. And supposedly, very easy to remove (just warm it up with a hair dryer and peel it off). It's not reusable, but they say it will not harm the wall behind it in any way.

It would be a good way for renters to jazz up their space, yet be easily removable when moving!

Anyway, I just LOVE those "wall words", "wall graffiti", etc. I could have words, quotes and sayings all over my house!!! ;o)

I'll let you know if we decide to put one in. It's so much better than on the counter.

BTW, do you have a pantry? I don't remember if I saw one. I'm in the middle of thinking out a walk-in pantry that I thought to ignore, but am now thinking of redoing.

No, I don't know about the cat blog you mentioned, can you give me the link? I do post some at www.ragdollcentral.com, which is a really wonderful forum for Raggie lovers (although ALL CATS are welcome and loved there!)

Can you disclose where you got the kitchen table. It looks gorgeous in your new area.

I'm not surprised at all that your kitchen is gorgeous and functional - with an on-site inspector 24/7!! How many people have that? no one would dare attempt a short-cut, do a shoddy job or 'misplace' a tool... (especially 'dad'). Few have such an intense sense of balance, smell and touch - or the ability to view those out of the way details at such close range.

I also think you could make a super book of Boo! Boo- On The Job. Inspector Boo. Boo's Watching You ...

I did also get some great ideas from your kitchen...the water fountain for one - lol! (dogs here) I've collected some doggie pics over the yrs to put down on the wall by my dog's indoor dish (I'm still working on my design LO etc - need to fit in a 'dog bar'). A mouse just wouldn't do here... nothing that might make real ones feel anymore at home. They'd think it was a family portrait - great-grandpa maybe!

I was glad someone asked the 'why' of the corner step up behind the sink. did you give the 'why?' of the step up for you? I might have missed it. I've thought of doing that myself (corner is so unusable to me) I just haven't yet figured out 'why?' - lol! What would i use if for anyway? tho now I'm thinking it would be a good place to put one of those photo frames with the gazillion pics on it that keep changing (can't think of a name for them...) - great way to have pics of the kids and gkids etc floating around me as I do things in the kitchen. It'd be safe up there, out of the way from any spilling, cooking disasters.

I also like the little tv - I've planned a large TV about 10' from the kitchen area - that's probably close enough. It'll be viewable from the stove (if I'm standing there cooking, stirring, checking things that are cooking etc). Hopefully I'll have less burned dinners this way!

loved ALL of the pics. Boo - and the kitchen too!

Regarding the step-up "shelf" behind the sink... well, it was just added for interest and to kinda balance out the step-up bar at the opposite side of the room. I wondered what to do with that area behind the sink, too; in fact, I started a thread about that very question while we were in progress... you could probably do a search by my user name and find the thread - there were some good suggestions! I ended up doing the big wrought iron basket/bowl; and I love that for fresh fruit, etc., and it'll be easy to change out if I get tired of it. Adding the step-up "shelf" there really does make the corner space more *useable* and functional, and visually and physically delineates it from the "sink/faucet" area, IMHO. I'm really glad I went with it. (And on a practical note, anything up there doesn't get wet or splashed at all!)

From the kitchen into the living room, and also showing the small front door entry way:

We added some new wall art to the kitchen and dining room.

The new picture above the baker's rack says, "ENJOY... life is good!"

Our "Coffee Corner" with new "Fresh Java" sign. LOVELOVELOVE the new Keurig coffee maker, BTW. OHMYWORD!!! How fun is THAT?!

And just because NO POST can be truly complete without a picture of Boo, of course... ;o)

Thank you for lookin' !

Thanks!

Here are some photos as requested (EEEEK, I think I should've probably tidied it up inside before I took the pictures! ;o) Oh well!!!):

Closed:

Left (large side) open:

Right side open:

And with both sides open:

I hope this helped! Please let me know if you have any more questions. Thanks again for looking!

Lynn

I think it is just so warm and welcoming and fun! (These vinyl graphics could get quite addictive, I think! So easy and darn-near fool-proof! I have the "Bon Appetit" in my kitchen, and now this on the door. But I promise to quit now, before it becomes "TOO MUCH"!!!) haha! ;o)

Close-up of the graphic:

Thanks for lookin'!
Lynn

BUT, I called my husband on his cell phone (he is not home right now) and asked him if he might know, as he was on-site for (most of) the cabinet installation.

I read him your questions, and this is what he said: "The inside cabinet (kitchen side) is the corner cabinet, and it was screwed to the wall on the outside wall (window side); therefore already supported before any other cabinet(s) went in. The cabinet that "backs" it, on the dining room side (the cabinet with the apothecary drawer) was screwed to that other cabinet (behind it) as well as screwed to the outside wall. And both cabinets are "sitting" on the granite, which is "sitting" on the (base) cabinets beneath that."

There is a sheet of cabinet "trim" (not sure this is the correct term?) that covers the sides of both cabinets to cover the "seam" where the kitchen side cabinet and the dining room side cabinet *meet*.

I hope that helps you, and is what you were asking. If not, please let me know!

And do keep us posted on what you decide! How exciting!

Lynn

Thanks for your post!
The wall color in the kitchen is by Ralph Lauren Polo in color "Fairy Wren"; number NA61. It really is a lovely color. I couldn't find anything I liked better in ANY paint line - and believe me, I LOOKED FAR AND WIDE!!! ;o)

The dining room is SW Ivoire. It's a very pretty, soft, subtle color. I think it complements the kitchen nicely.

Thaks for looking!

Lynn

Your kitchen is so nice and I really love that Bon Appetite script also and must find one like it for my kitchen. Your granite is my favorite and I just adore it. Your cabinets are so creamy and I love the hardware. The wall color is perfect and also goes so well with the dining room's complimenting color. Your floor is also very nice and I will look into your floor as well )Tarkett Fiber Floor (one piece vinyl) - color/style: Arizona Saltio, Taupe #38062) since my kitchen needs a new floor.

I love everything about your kitchen and one day I hope to be able to remodel my kitchen to look almost as nice or even half as nice I would be happy.

I have a question about your pantry - thanks for posting pictures. I have something very similar in my design (on the side of a CD FD refrigerator - is yours CD?), so it's 24" l and 12" deep - is yours just 12" deep? I was concerned about what I could fit in it, but it looks like a lot. I know KD ordered fake sides for the front, but now that I see your doors, I think I like that idea. I wonder if I can incorporate it now (cabinets have been ordered).

How do you like your refriderator? Can you post pictures of the insides of it? (don't worry about what it looks like - you would probably not eat in my kitchen if you saw the inside of my fridge!).

TIA,

Lynne

Hmmmm, I can see why your KD might suggest "fake front" doors, but it is surprising how often I use the front doors. Honestly, IMHO, it would probably be *fine* with just the large doors operational, but being able to access the contents of the cabinet "both ways" is VERY, VERY convenient. I wouldn't change mine.

Yes, we LOVE the fridge! Very streamlined and "built-in" looking, and the reduced depth makes it very easy to *find* things. The french doors are very convenient and beautiful, and the fridge holds a TON of stuff!

The sink is a Blanco silgranit 1 3/4 bowl, in color biscuit. We LOVE it, it is a dream to use and keep clean.

And right now, our kitchen is still "coming soon" on the FKB.

OK, here are some pics of the fridge, open (EEEK! haha!) as requested!

Freezer drawer, open:

A different angle:

Let me know if you have any other questions or want any other pictures.

Thanks,
Lynn

Thanks again for posting more photos, you are a real trooper. I am going to send off your pantry photos to KD right now and see what she says.

Lynne

Priscilla,
Oh, I have had that little mouse stencil for YEARS! In fact, I actually have 3 different little mice stencils, one looks like his little head is busting through the wall! I had that one in the dining room before the reno, and it got ruined; haven't gotten around to putting it back yet, although I plan to.

Honestly, I have wracked my brain and I cannot remember where I got them... I used to get some stencil catalogs in the mail, and they were in one of those.

But I did a quick search and found these to get you started! Some of them are really cute! (I hope these links work!!!)

Link

Link

Link

Link

And, OH! Here's a picture I found of the exact one I was telling you about above - the little mouse busting through the plaster! It is ADORABLE!

Link

Have fun, and hope this helps!

Lynn

I've added your kitchen to my collection of "inspiration" kitchens. :-)

I've been lurking on the forum for a long time, and am finally at the "end of lurking" and at the "beginning of the beginning" in planning my kitchen renovation. I just love your kitchen and the peninsula bar treatment with the cabinets. That was a clever design.

BTW, your photos are really great. I mean, they are so well-taken that I feel like I'm getting a good sense of the lighting and ambiance of your kitchen. The one with the mouse by the food dish is just darling. :-)

Thanks for being an inspiration!

ACT86,
Measured diagonally from the corner of the pantry cabinet to the corner of the peninsula/bar (where you walk through) is just a hair under 32". Does this answer your question?

McGILLICUDDY,
Thank you so much!
And oh... regarding Inspector Boo... he's actually surprisingly inexpensive for an inspector of his caliber and experience! ;o) He'll work for HOURS for dry kibble and belly rubs!!!

Love all you've done! great job!

I ordered the cup-pulls from our local cabinet store/showroom; I don't have any other information. I just chose them off of a random sample board.

I *assume* they are satin nickel, but they *LOOK LIKE* brushed SS, which is the look that I wanted.

They were surprisingly hard to find, considering all I wanted was a plain, simple cup-pull... not too big, not too small... not too fancy, not too plain!!!

Hope this helps!

Lynn

Our kitchen took 3 months to *build*... but probably almost a year to *plan*. I think that's the key to success (and lack of regret!): PLAN, PLAN, PLAN!

I kept a huge 3-ring binder of favorite ideas, pictures, articles, samples, etc. I also poured through magazines and books, spent HOURS cruising around dozens of home stores, expos, (and this awesome forum!) etc., until I felt like I had a pretty good idea of what was "out there". That made the (hundreds of inevitable!) choices so much easier for me.

Congratulations on your upcoming new kitchen -- I am confident that it will be wonderful!

Thanks!

Kimran,
Thank you for the sweet post!
I have had the bakers rack for 5 or 6 years. I got it on a close-out sale (for under $30!) at our local Big Lots (do you have those stores where you live?) It was just what I was looking for, size and style-wise. I wouldn't begin to know how to find another one at this point.
I am so sorry I am not more help!!!

Lynn

Everything looks well thought out and of high quality. I can't believe you did this in three months! That's insane.

I absolutely love the Boo pics. I have a Balinese, also mushy and doglike, also with longer easy-care fur. Ashley is a lilac lynx point. Her buddy Austin (RIP my dear friend) was a seal point.

Amanda

I'm so glad that my thread has been helpful to you! Thanks for letting me know that. It's hard to believe that we have been *done!* and enjoying our kitchen for 6 months already! I can honestly say that we enjoy it more everyday and wouldn't do a single thing differently!

Now, regarding your question. The other side of the fridge has a panel and trim board, yes. It's at the corner of the doorway leading (2 steps down) to our back door (and also to our basement). I took a picture for you - hope this helps:

Please let me know if you have any other questions!

Thanks again,
Lynn

Also, how much does the granite overhang beyond the peninsula? Do you find that the right amount for sitting space? Now that you had this new kitchen for a while, do you see both peninsula and table sitting used often? We will also have both next to each other.

Thanks!

The brand and model # of the fridge is in my very first post.

And yes, we have a "wall" on the right side of our fridge, too. See what's green in the above photo? That's the wall. (It "jigs" then, beside and behind the fridge) What's creamy white is all cabinet and trim. I think you can better see what I am trying to explain if you look at the two pictures of the plans, posted very early in this thread. That should make it clearer to you. Let me know.

We couldn't recess the fridge, either, our steps to our upstairs are on the other side of that back wall. But I think the counter-depth fridge works nicely to really look "built-in". I really love the fridge, BTW. It is beautiful, works GREAT, holds a TON, and is so user-friendly!

The granite overhangs the peninsula 11.5" and I think it's perfect. Even my 6+ foot tall hubby doesn't have any trouble.

And the peninsula seating and the table nearby is also quite nice. I find that we tend to use the bar mostly for informal breakfasts and snacks, and the table for dinner. And while we don't have small children anymore (or grandbabies yet!) I can envision (for larger meals) the kids sitting at the bar while the grown-ups sit close-by at the table.

First, the measurements. Starting with the edge of the wall to the RIGHT of the fridge...
From edge of wall (green) (not counting white trim around that back doorway) to start of (fridge) cabinet trim: 4.5" wide.
1st vertical trim board is 1.5" wide.
There's a small air apace, then the 36" wide fridge.
Then another small air space.
Then the front of the pantry (12" wide. not counting doors)
The the rest of the wall (green) to the archway leading to the hall: 11"
So all told, that wall area behind the fridge must be about 66" long (but remember, I'm only counting the wall area between the archway and the doorway to the right of the fridge.)
And where the wall jigs back (right inside the back doorway, to the right of the fridge) is about 20" deep; and the depth of the vertical (cabinet trim) board to the right of the fridge is 4".

Here are some more pictures:

Area above fridge, and showing back doorway:

Looking up from the dishwasher, as requested:

More...

Above pantry:

Let me know if you have any more questions. I do think the design is pretty creative, and really made the best use of our space.

Taken yesterday... here's our little monkey!!!

Lynn

By the way, I really like your green wall color and would like to use it in the tile backsplash and/or wall paint.