Wonderful transformation!

Gorgeous!!!!!!!

Absolutely stunning! What an amazing transformation!

Wowzer.

Morton, wow! I love your choices and the elegant, handsome way you brought it all together, your cabinetry choices, backsplash, and that wonderful table. Just perfect and another wonderful inspiration kitchen for others.

Your kitchen is fantastic! You did a spectacular job with everything - the layout, the design choices, the efficiency, etc. It was a real pleasure to look at your pictures.

Wow! What a dramatic transformation! Love your color combinations, the layout looks very "family friendly", and ooohhh your organization! Well done - what a stunning kitchen! Thanks for sharing.

WOW--that is an amazing transformation!!! It is also one of the most efficient kitchen designs I've seen. It's a space I would love to cook in, eat in, be in. I'm sure you are enjoying the heck out of it. Congratulations on your masterpiece!

Whoa! That is some kitchen! I'm loving the organization. Those pantry drawers, the pullout with the baking pans sitting sideways-I love it. the fire and ice backplash just goes so well with the granite and it all blends so well with the dark wood cabs. you should definitely enjoy your new kitchen and deserve it especially with those 5! your kitchen must always be in action.

I love your kitchen.
It is practical but sophisticated. It is dramatic
but peaceful. And for a busy family perfectly thought
out. I am impressed by your creativity and ability
to design a place that is suited for a large active
family. Amazing. Truly amazing.

The before space looked akward but you turned it into
an inviting yet elegant space. It seems like it is
the dream you visioned. Every thing in this kitchen has
beautiful details. Jeffery's Court fire and Ice brings
so many of these details together. I love the granite
surface. That makes the kitchen look elegant yet with the
warm inviting golden oak floors it turns into a practical
space. I can just see kids happily running about.
One child opening one of the IKEA
(No one would ever realize these are IKEA) cabinets to
pull out a snack. Please forgive my commnet. I want
to say that You just happened to dress up a very
simple IKEA cabinet in an amazing way. IKEA should put
your kitchen in their catalog.

Remarkable kitchen!
~boxerpups

When I first started lurking you were in the process of completing the kitchen. Some of your previous pics are in my inspiration folder. I remember your prep sink pride and we share the same yucky Bruce floors but yours don't look yucky anymore. I love the kid fridge wall. I tried to create that in my plan but I lack wall space altogether. I agree with boxerpups, Ikea catalog worthy with disclaimer "not typical results". I grew up in a family of seven and know we would have loved that space! Hope you still drop in from time to time.

It looks great, I really like the way you re-worked the the layout. I also think you have done a great job of taking advantage of benefits of an Ikea kitchen without reproducing the Ikea kitchen aesthetic.

Fairly on topic digression: planning an Ikea kitchen (regular Tidaholm for the lowers) and have opted to go with Fastedge self adhesive PVC edgebanding and was wondering what product you used, tools, process and how you found it.

Congratulations!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your kitchen! Great layout and materials! I'm so jealous!!

You did an amazing job! It's really beautiful.

Ikea is awesome.

Wow, that is absolutely stunning! DH and I both love it - great job :-)

Love your kitchen

Wow -really a remarkable transformation. Truly a great, great space!!!!
Two quick questions:
What is your wall color?
Where did you get the square bird platter?

What a beautiful mix of style and function. I particularly like the backsplash and the pantry next to the refrigerator. Great job!

I watched your slideshow 4 times to be able to take it all in! So many wonderful features to pick from. Congratulations on creating such a stunning kitchen. You must sigh with contentment every time you are in there. :)

Thanks for all your kind feedback. Truthfully, I was nervous about posting since my kitchen looks so different than many of the beautiful kitchens I have admired on these boards. So I'm glad people are not appalled at my dark cabs and warm palette! Holligator, your comment on the layout made my day, as I think of you as a layout guru.

Please let me clarify-- I still love white/soapstone kitchens (especially yours, momof3kidspa), just decided to go a different route. And I shouldn't have said that the kitchen looks clean when it's not-- that would be too good to be true-- but just that the surfaces are forgiving. I do clean them often, though!

Bestyears, the paint is Duron Millet 8212W. Duron is owned by Sherwin Williams now, and SW should have the formula for the color. The bird platter is from Home Goods. Ah, two more details: I have Never MTs at both sinks (love them!) and the stools are Ikea Julien. Would have liked more elegant stools, but keeping an adequate passage between the island and the table was a concern, and these are a bit more comfortable than saddle stools.

Caryscott, I used iron-on polyester edgebanding in black on the Tida cabinets, and PVC Fastedge in Fuji cherry on the Adel ones. I think that Fastedge is a superior product, and worth paying a premium for. The polyester iron-on stuff is kind of brittle compared to the Fastedge (though I have had no chipping after install). You will need two tools to edgeband: a side trimmer (to shave away excess on the sides of a board) and an end trimmer (to clip the excess edgebanding off the end). Both should be available from the edgebanding supplier, for about $35 total. It is very easy to edgeband-- I simply added the new edgebanding on top of the existing melamine. I was worried that the adhesive on the Fastedge would stick to itself and be hard to manage, but it was fine. You say you are doing regular Tida? Even though edgebanding is easy, I don't think I would bother if I had birch boxes and regular Tida doors-- I don't think you will notice the gap, except maybe on an upper corner cab. Plus, if you leave the original edgebanding, it is easier to reface your kitchen in the future should you so desire.

What a great kitchen, morton5.

I didn't hate the rabbit on the old backsplash-- indeed, I added it to the kitchen 10 years ago. The "kill the waabit" line is a reference to a favorite Bugs Bunny episode.

wow - what a kitchen! I love the brown cabinets! beautiful color/finish on them. I love the granite also. It's all just so beautiful!

and you refaced the box front yourself? with a laminate / sticky stuff? it has a name I'm sure, I just can't think of what it is. was reading about refacing on a door/drawer site just last night. debating if I could do that...

I've lurked and de-lurked a few times to post on certain threads, mainly finished kitchen threads. I love your kitchen. I have admired all the times you have posted certain aspects of your kitchen and am thrilled to really see the whole space. As much as I admire and and am in awe of some of the kitchens posted here, I find yours to be an inspiration for what DH and I want. I love the dark cabinets, the warmth of your granite and the fabulous backsplash. For me, it is one I am saving to show my DH and prove to him how it can all come together so beautifully. My parents are thinking of redoing their kitchen with IKEA cabs and this will help them see how beautiful it can all come out.

Awesome kitchen!

May I archive it in the Finished Kitchens Blog?
If so please submit the FKB Category Checklist so I can easily categorize your kitchen.
Thank you!

Here is a link that might be useful: Finished Kitchens Category Checklist

Morton: I am so glad to finally see the WHOLE kitchen after getting glimpses of bits of it's glory in previous posts!!! I just love it. The backsplash, the organization (amazing!), flow, the cabs (you really should be in IKEA'a mag!), I love the colors, table, granite...everything!!!

Amazing! It is sophisticated but comfortable (if that makes sense). I really love it. Another great one to show to DH.

Of course I have a few questions... Can you give me the cabinet layout of your island? I am working very hard to go the IKEA route. Can you tell me about your experience with the whole process? I am really interested in the Blue Star as well and wondered what "island trim" meant.

I am going back to look again and again... Enjoy your kitchen.

Stunning, wonderful and all of the other adjectives used here already. I love IKEA kitchens. They really are an undiscovered treasure.

Have you shared this over at the IKEAfans.com forum? Please do. It's really inspirational. And, IT's FINISHED! YEA!!!!

Gorgeous kitchen! You've done a fabulous job. I absolutely love it.

I have a question for you...I'm doing Ikea cabinets as well and wanted trash pullouts for underneath the sink but they don't make a sink cabinet with trash pullouts. It looks like you've got exactly what I was looking for. How did you modify the cabinet to fit the pullouts?

Thanks!

Love the colors of the cabinets and counter together -- it is an incredibly beautiful combination. I also love the kid refrigerator / freezer combo. -- lucky kids!! And I have serious table envy at the moment.

Morton5- really a winner! Thanks so much for posting a beatiful kitchen with DARKER cabinets! There's no question that the white ones are yummy, but with my dark cherry cabinets arriving in one week I also felt I probably shouldn't post my pics (a bit scary!!) Obviously, though, everyone here loves a gorgeous, well-planned kitchen in any color! Enjoy!!

Really gorgeous! It must be so amazing to cook on a range that has room to work and that isn't like an afterthought at the end of the island. The functional and cosmetic details are wonderful.

Morton5

Thanks so much for the detailed response. Both tools you mention were on my list plus the Speedroller Pro - do you think it is necessary? (I just got a quote from my local hardware store and the tools are twice the US prices from Richelieu - I think I'll get them on-line). Not my kitchen (always good to learn on someone elses) and I am keen to try out the edgebanding - I think the Tida is pretty different from the Birch but I get your point. Uppers are going to be a light grey so they definitely will require edgebanding.

Morton, Your kitchen is really lovely! Funny how you mentioned some nervousness in posting photos of the completely finished project. (I understand as I am having those same kinds of jitters about posting my completed kitchen photos). And, yet, as I look at your kitchen, all I can see is a gorgeous and extremely well-organized space which can only be the source of some well-deserved pride and enjoyment! This admiration comes, btw, from the owner of a white cab kitchen! :-> IOW, take it from me -- your dark and sexy Ikea cabs (from Italy, no less), Fire and Ice backsplash, fabuluous appliances, great layout, etc. all work together to make this kitchen a true winner in my book. Congratulations!

I, too, have a file full of white kitchens in my design folder but LOVE your kitchen. It is gorgeous and I am truly impressed with your design skills and bravery in some of the DIY aspects. Enjoy it!

Morton5, it is amazing. I am sitting here looking at the pictures over and over, and I must admit I am breathing a little heavily. :-)

I do have some questions...what exactly is edgebanding? Does that have to do w/ the edges of the Ikea boxes being sold in a light color, and you added a strip of edgebanding product to make it match the doors? I googled edgebanding to get an idea of what it is, but am not 100% sure what parts you did on your Ikea project.

Your space is just wonderful. It looks (from the before pictures) as though you have a dining room past the kitchen. And a big family room, too. What are the dimensions of your kitchen and your island, if I may ask? Do you have a layout posted somewhere? And did you expand your pantry/kid fridge wall? It looks bigger than in the before picture.

All in all -- just a wonderful kitchen. The windows and paint color and granite and backsplash keep the dark cabinets from making it feel like a dark kitchen. It's elegant, clean, sparkly and warm all at once.

Oh - one more question - curious about the planning peninsula. How did it get its name, and what can you tell me about those cabs? I'm curious about the two middle ones -- since they have the pulls mounted horizontally, are they pullouts or drawers? Are those cabs 24" deep?

Sorry for so many questions, but I am planning a remodel and may use Ikea cabs. You've done some really neat things here!

C

Everything is absolutely beautiful. I am also doing an Ikea kitchen and hoping to pull off a contemporary feel with a traditional door (Stat). Thank you for sharing! And I love your chairs!!

Wow, I am always impressed by the generosity of people on this forum, and never more than now! You all are so kind to take the time to give feedback and encouragement. Can't believe my kitchen is being described as sophisticated and even sexy! I guess this is my reward for enduring years of sippy cups falling on my head from overcrowded uppers.

I will try to respond to questions.

Odiegirl, the prep side of the island is 3 30" cabs (2 drawer banks and then the sink cab). The seating side is a 36" drawer bank (on the right) and then, at the diners' knees, a 36" wall cab and an 18" wall cab. There is a cover panel on the left side of the 36" drawer bank, and to make up that space on the prep side, I inserted a cover panel between the sink and the drawer banks. So, overall, the island surface is about 93" long x 51" wide.

My experience with the whole Ikea process was a lot of work, a lot of to-ing and fro-ing (mainly because I had a design change and had to return some unopened boxes), but I have to say I loved it-- it was empowering, in a way. I live 10 miles from my closest Ikea, and have a big SUV, so that made things a LOT easier. I'm also weird-- I like to visit the store, and I like to assemble Ikea stuff. I think it would be tough to go the Ikea route if you live more than an hour away, if this is your first Ikea kitchen. But if you do lots of research in advance and have a good plan, you can do it. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

The Blue Star island trim is an alternative to the 6" backsplash or high backsplash. It helps to vent the oven. If you have island trim the range has to have a non-flammable wallboard and backsplash behind it. I used island trim because I have 30" deep counters on either side of the range, so there is a strip of granite behind the range. Here is a pic:

Dinkledoodle-- yes, I will post on Ikeafans!

Donka, the trash pullouts are a modification I learned from Ikeafans. The link is below.

Caryscott, I did not get the speedroller pro, and I don't think you need it. The Fastedge is fairly sturdy, and the adhesive works great. If you really want to mash is down, you could always improvise with a rolling pin. Tida lowers and grey uppers, eh? That will look great!

Scootermom, edgebanding is a way of changing the color of the edge of the boxes that peek out between door and drawer fronts in a frameless, full overlay cabinet. Edgebanding tape is sold in iron-on or stick-on forms. There are even wood veneer versions for the purists. The edgebanding is most easily applied before the boxes are assembled.

The dimensions of the kitchen are approximately 18x20, but it's a bit squirrely because of the angled walls. Sorry, I never did post a layout, because the Ikea software is not mac-friendly, and I am now a mac girl.

The planning peninsula was formerly a desk with a kneehole, and I only refer to it as such because realtors and the GC called it that. It serves as a dumping ground for mail and schoolwork, and also as a place to charge laptops and cellphones. The plugmold was supposed to be almond color, grr. The two cabs with horizontal handles have filing boxes in them. Unfortunately, these are shallow cabs. I really wish I had not put in the pony wall and instead had modified 24" deep cabs to 21" deep-- could have had a full-depth drawer then. Oh well, live and learn.

Here is a link that might be useful: Trash pullouts under sink

morton5 - First, thank you, thank you for your detailed posting! I loved your kitchen before and now it is my number one Inspiration Kitchen. I love to assemble stuff too, but I don't know if I could take on kitchen cabinets. They are gorgeous. Just what I would want. I wasn't considering IKEA, but your kitchen could open my mind to new possibilities. Your kitchen is open, but cozy and welcoming. I can see how your entire family could be in and out of the room and you could cook in peace or enjoy their company. It's beautiful and you should be an IKEA consultant! Be proud of your creation, you done good!

I LOVE it-- one of my all-time favorite kitchens!! Great job with the counters, tile, layout!!, everything! Your table is beautiful too.

Beautiful transformation, morton5, one clearly driven by marrying function and form. Your kitchen looks like a dream to cook in -- so well laid out.

Interesting to see what you did with the BS. My BS has the 6" trim, which we bought when we bought the range, coming up on a year now, and in advance of the kitchen reno proper. I will also have extra-deep counters, with soapstone running behind the BS, and will have to figure out what to do there, as the 6" trim will look a bit silly, I'm thinking.

Debbie, Danielle and Venice, thank you for your kind comments. I'm thrilled that my kitchen is an inspiration to someone, and was remiss in not mentioning my two main inspiration kitchens: those of cat_mom (wouldn't have tried for a more contemporary feel had I not fallen in love with the clean lines of her kitchen) and Jodi_in_socal, the original GW trendsetter for the Fire and Ice backsplash. But truly, there are so many beautiful kitchens on this forum and so many helpful people that I had a wealth of inspiration and information, for which I am extremely thankful.

morten5 - I was searching for something and came across an old post that you responded to but I never saw. I wanted to thank you for your very thoughtful response. It was spot on and I appreciate the time you took to answer.

Absolutely love your kitchen. It is beautiful and so functional at the same time. Perfect.

I hope to post finished pictures of mine soon - waiting for a few odds and ends to be finished.

Wow - I am speechless! Morton5, you have done an amazing job transforming your space. The materials work together perfectly, and your storage is amazing. (And don't get me started on the kids' fridge!) The fact you planned/assembled/trimmed your cabinets just pushes you into kitchen-idol status! Thanks for sharing your work. Enjoy!

Gldnfan, I look forward to seeing your kitchen. I'm so sorry you have had such trouble with your backsplash and hope it is now installed to your liking. It is such a beautiful tile. And thank you, tsherman, for your kind words. For me the idols are those who install their cabs-- my carpenter did a great job, though-- very meticulous, which I try to remind myself when I brood on how much I paid the GC.

After viewing your slide show, I'm ready to tear out my white/soapstone kitchen and start over and imitate your black contemporary/granite masterpiece! Morton5, you and I are oldtimers now on GW, but your kitchen pics were so worth the wait. I just love it! You have done an amazing transformation and IKEA should be putting your kitchen in their catalog. Happy cooking!

Thank you pluckymama! I still love white/soapstone kitchens and of course they are perfect for so many houses in New England-- so don't even kid about having a moment of regret. I look forward to seeing your "finished" post-- the shots you have shared so far are beautiful.

LOL Morten5 - actually no, still waiting for my "hand-cleaned" mosaic tile to be returned so we can schedule installation. I guess it is good I can already laugh about it right? ;-) In the grand scheme of things it just isn't that important.

Now I am even thinking about how to retrofit some of my cabinets based on yours - IKEA really does have some great features.

Morton, I LOVE your kitchen! I am months from breaking ground on a new build, and still trying to find my kitchen "style", but yours has stopped me in my tracks! I love how your cabinets, BS, and granite work so well together. My new inspiration kitchen, for sure!

Thank you, shelly_k! If you are thinking of an earthy look for your kitchen, you may be interested in a kitchen I have linked below from Susan Serra's web site-- it is the "Desire to Inspire" kitchen about 1/3 down the web page. It was the kitchen that gave me pause and got me thinking about dark cabinets. Unfortunately I didn't bookmark the kitchen when I first saw it, or I would have copied more elements! Wish I knew how to insert a pic of the kitchen here.

Here is a link that might be useful: Desire to Inspire kitchen