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dljmth

Rift Oak Kitchen Reveal

dljmth
10 years ago

First, THANK YOU to all the people that helped with the advice and help with the layout, colors, counter materials, well - just about everything! Couldn't have done it without the help of the people on this forum. You are all so great! Here we go...

Cabinets - rift cut oak vertical grain with a custom stain of base walnut with a gray/black wash. The finisher was like a cook mixing a little of this and a little of that. They turned out to have an earthy appearance (like the color of rich soil) and they feel like silk. This was not my original plan AT ALL, but when I saw them I loved them and then picked everything else to match.

Cabinet pulls - Schaub Sorrento - thought I was set on finger pulls because I wanted the sleek wood to be the showcase, but when I put them on (without screwing them in) they made the cabinets looks like lateral files. I really like the Schaub ones because they are a little softer with a very slight edge curve. I used some Atlas ones for the little cabinets where I had the outlets.

Perimeter counter is Ceasarstone Cinder. Looks green/gray to me but when I first picked a sample, many people said it looked brown/khaki. 2" mitered edge detail.
Island is White Princess polished. Really wanted honed but after much consideration and discussions with several fabricators and looking at my budget I decided to stick with what came straight from the granite yard. Turns out I actually really like the polish. It's not really that shiny after all.

Backsplash is Stone & Glass Blends "Stick Mosaic" in light gray.

Oven: Wolf AG 4 burner with griddle (scored a floor model), it was supposed to be delivered with red knobs, but I actually like the black so I'm just leaving them.

Miele Speed Oven - loving it so far. Don't microwave too often but love the 24" size convection oven. It's really perfect for everyday cooking and I don't have to heat the room with the big 36" oven.

Dacor paneled warming drawer below speed oven - this was an impulse purchase (not made my me :)) and I don't think we needed it.

Miele Futura Classic DW - got a floor model of this too, but wish I would have gone one model up to get the water softener.

Refrig - Kitchen Aid Architect Series Pro model. It's OK, but is noisy!

Hood - Modernaire (would not do again). The range hood was the trickiest part of the remodel because of window clearance and the tile. We decided to use an island style hood because we were running the backsplash to the ceiling, wanted to have some dimension to the wall and thought overall it would be easier to implement because with an island hood the chimney does not touch the wall thus wouldn't interfere with the tile.

Sink - Kraus 33" 70/30 sink - the largest one they make. We had a single sink before and I wanted a prep sink. But I wish I would have had a custom one made because I have a 38" cabinet and the 70 part of the sink is smaller than our old single sink so it feels cramped.

Faucet - KWC Luna

Floors - red oak floors (to match the rest of my ranch style house) but with a water based clear coat finish. This makes them more neutral in color and they feel like they have more of a matte/satin finish. I didn't want them to turn red/yellow. With water based finish they will remain this light color. Hoping my dog won't destroy them too quickly.

Paint - Benjamin Moore Gray Horse at a 50% reduction and the blue is Ben Moore Oxford Gray at a 50% reduction.

Lights - Tech Kable lighting. All LEDs. Still TBD if we will install pendants over the island. Don't want to detract from the windows and the ceiling design. The light fixture over the breakfast nook area needs to change too as it is too large for the space.

Still to do - art for the wall to the right of the range and furniture and landscaping! The stools are a loan from a neighbor and the family room red couch has seen better days. Also, the intention is to put a breakfast table in the window nook. We originally were going to put a built in bench/banquette but opted against it simply for flexibility.

Also finally finished the guest bath that is behind the kitchen. You can see pictures here. http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/bath/msg062309138932.html?14

These are the tech lighting pendants that we haven't put up yet. The swirl in the glass really complements the grain in the cabinets. I'm just not too sure I want to detract from the windows.

Here is a link that might be useful: Guest Bath

Comments (42)

  • noopd
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    awesome kitchen.. your cabinets looks amazing.. i really like the finish.. the drawer organizers are great too.. i wish i have some of those.

  • sixtyohno
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I love your kitchen. The cabinets are gorgeous and the colors are just beautiful. Have a wonderful time cooking and enjoying your lovely new space.

  • remodelfla
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Love it! I really love the overall space and your color choices too.

  • tea4all
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    You are blessed to have so much natural light. Love those windows! Your floors are gorgeous. Your hood vent has nice lines with the windows. The counters and wall colors make that kitchen so calm and peaceful! Congratulations on a lovely kitchen. Enjoy it for years to come!

  • caitlinmagner
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    great job!

  • Majra
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Beautiful work! Congrats!

  • cat_mom
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Gorgeous!!!!!

  • heidihausfrau
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Lovely! All of it :). I am just wowed by your windows. Were they always there, or did you add the, during the remodel? They are amazing!

  • rkb21
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Love the cabinets! All of that light coming into the space is just fabulous!! Great job :)

  • Denitza Kotov
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Just gorgeous! Love it! Great job!

  • LE
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow, I'd be spending all my time in this room-- love the light and the openness. I know what you mean about the pendants--we are thinking of skipping them for the same reason. I wasn't clear what you were saying about the hood. Does it actually attach to the wall or just the ceiling? Would you not do an island type again or not do Modernaire?

  • oldbat2be
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Love the contrast and the colors you chose! Calm and peaceful - very apt description of your space. We have used a lot of tech lighting and lbl lighting products and really like them. Your choices are perfect for the space. Now off to look at your guest bath:)

  • deedles
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Lovely cabinets! Rift cut is so beautiful. Wonderful light from the windows.... such a nice open, airy feel in there. Really like the fridge/pantry wall design, too.

    We are having someone build our cabinets out of white oak (alas, not rift cut) and stain is on my mind lately. May I ask what stain(s) were used to achieve the color of your cabinets? Also, what was the finish... is it a matte or satin? Any info you could share would be really appreciated. I think your cabs are beautiful!

  • joaniepoanie
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Your kitchen and bath are absolutely beautiful! Enjoy!!

  • homebuyer23
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oh wow, its beautiful! So bright clean and fresh. I love your counters, I considered Cinder for a while.
    You have miles of beautiful functional counter space! Its gorgeous, great job & enjoy!!

  • LoPay
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Love your cabinets and the rest of your kitchen. I clipped your post to show my designer.

  • kaysd
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have been waiting to see this reveal, and it did not disappoint! There are so many details I like: the rift oak cabinets, Princess White island, sleek hood, BS tile and Kable Lite. It all works so well together.

    Which Kable Lite heads did you use? We are supposed to use this system in our living room, and I have not seen any LED options for the heads, just halogen.

    What is it about the hood you would not repeat? Using an island hood or buying from Modern-Aire. I thought about splurging with the wall mounted version of that hood, so would be curious to know if you had problems with Modern-Aire.

  • sanjuangirl
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow! Very cool, spacious and airy kitchen. I love your cabinets, colors, windows etc etc! Great function too!

    Congratulations and enjoy many a happy meal in your bright, beautiful space.

  • michoumonster
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    grogeous! i love your cabinets. they are the perfect shade of brown. great choice on hardware too. and you must be loving all of that light and openness.

  • badgergal
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Your kitchen turned out great. It is crisp, clean and modern looking without being stark. I remember your thread about the tile. I am glad to see that you left it as you had it. It is very stunning.

    I love your Kable light system. From your photos it doesn't appear that you need pendants but if you find that you need them for better task lighting, IMO you should not use the amber colored Tech pendant you posted. The lines in the glass shades do coordinate with the wood grain of your cabinets but I think the color is too warm for the overall coolness of your space.

    Perhaps pendants with grey, white or clear glass might be better.
    If your pendants have to hang from your Kable system then your options might be limited but if you could use one of their other types of mounting something like the Otto pendant which has lines etched in the glass might look good. It comes in white and smoke. I have it in smoke. I love the inner diffuser that it has. Here is how mine looks with the light on in the daytime.

    While it doesn't have any texture to it it, Techs Fire pendant is very nice looking. Here it is in smoke. They have a similar one called Inner Fire that comes in white

    {{gwi:1926048}}

    You have probably studied the Tech catalog so I am sure you have seen the ones I posted but they have so many other neat lights too.

    I don't know much about design but I just don't think the amber color would look good in your space. I think it would detract from the beauty of you cabinets and backsplash.

  • bowyer123
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Very nice! I especially like your back splash, it looks great. The windows and the light are to die for as well, enjoy!

  • sochi
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wonderful kitchen, congratulations!

  • sochi
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wonderful kitchen, congratulations!

  • dljmth
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks everyone! We really do enjoy the space. We've been in the house almost 20 years with the kitchen pictured below so this is a huge treat for us. The best thing about this remodel was that when we finally tore open the wall in the kitchen we found a little time capsule with pictures of the previous family. It was dated June 1983 - so the kitchen was 30 years old! I found the previous owners and gave the pictures to her and brought her to the house. It was a real treat.

    This is the old kitchen which is now part laundry room and part dining room. We moved the kitchen to the family room.


    There is definitely a cool, somewhat earthy/organic feel to the new space without it feeling too spa like. This was not what I had originally planned. When I saw the sample cabinet stain I insulted the cabinet maker by telling him they looked like dirt. :) But what I meant was “earthy”. The Cinder has a spring grass feel to it and the island feels like river water. The tile feels like birch bark and rain and once we get the landscaping done it will be even more seamless with the outdoors. It came together with loads of help from this forum.

    To answer the questions:
    heidihausfrau - The windows are new. Our house was 'J' shaped and we made it 'U' shaped by moving the kitchen to the family room and new part of the 'U'. There were sliding glass doors where the sink windows are and the room stopped at right about the middle of middle window. We rebuilt the walls and took them to 9.5ft so we could have the large windows.

    kaysd - Lights: We used the K Hello heads on the Kable lighting. We had to put in all low voltage transformers to meet code so we had to use LEDs bulbs. I bought all the bulbs at 1000bulbs.com. We used 2700K Toshibas (they were the only ones that fit). We couldn’t use any recessed lighting because of the ceiling so cable was it. Pendants will have to hang from the Kable system. I already have the amber ones, but may try to return them.

    badgergal - the reason for the amber colored pendants was to bring a pop of color - or sunshine - to the space. Earthy cabinets, green grass, river water island and sun lights. But I haven’t put them up for the reasons you state. I was thinking these might work better, but they are $$$ and outside the budget. May just have to wait.


    From this vantage point, it might be nice to have pendants as it will define the space a little. Either that or I have to find a great piece of art for the wall to the right of the range.

    deedles - the cabinet stain is custom. It is a walnut base with a grey/black wash. I can see if the cabinet maker will give me the exact formula. I believe it is a satin finish because there is just a very slight sheen to it.

    Range hood - it was very tricky because the ceiling is sloped and we wanted to tile all the way up. I think it threw my GC for a loop. Should we get a standard wall mount hood and tile around it? Should we mount the hood on top of the tile? The architect thought using an island hood would solve the problem and provide some visual interest. It does work but island hoods are deeper so at first it felt too big at 24" deep. But after awhile we got used to it and I think it works fine.

    re: Modernaire - I originally wanted to go with Imperial. For the price/performance and warranty and reviews, they seemed much better. But my GC didn't like that there wasn’t a local rep that could help make sure it got measured and installed correctly. He wanted me to use Ventahood but they were even more expensive than Modernaire. Modernaire did come out and measure for the custom angle but it was delivered backwards - long story short - they were a hassle to deal with but it was an easy fix. My main gripe is why a 600 cfm fan is so expensive and loud. Seems like all bark no bite.

    One other thing I need is some sort of window blinds at least for the windows above the sink. It faces East and the morning sun is harsh. Am thinking to find some sort of outdoor power operated roll up shade of some sort.

    Thanks again!

    This post was edited by laurat88 on Sat, Jul 13, 13 at 1:57

  • akl_vdb
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    That is absolutely beautiful!

  • bowyer123
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I love the time capsule story. I can't imagine how much has changed for the previous owners in 30 years. How wonderful you got to show her the new kitchen!

  • taggie
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow, this is just a fabulous remodel! Those cabinets! Those floors! That backsplash! And those windows!!! Wow, I am running out of exclamation points.

    I also love all the little touches that complete the look, such as the nicely sloped perimeters at the ends, the open upper, etc. Great decision on the pulls.

    Love the story about the time capsule, what a treat for both of you. Congrats and enjoy your new kitchen.

  • kaysd
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Sorry to hear about your hood hassles. I am waiting for a quote on a custom hood from Imperial. Their Brea factory is 97 miles from my house. I wonder what I would have to pay to have one of their people drive down to template the intersection of the vent cover and my vaulted ceiling, lol? I do like the idea of supporting a "local" company, plus the great warranty.

    The Hello head from Tech is the one I want to use, so I am glad to hear it works with LED bulbs. Those tall, slender blue pendants you posted are lovely!

    I really like the painting in that last picture. Who is the artist? Could you post a closer picture of the piece? I would love to see more of the detail.

  • pandora1
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Your reno is awesome. Your story sounds just like ours-transforming an old house(ours is 1978) floor plan to an updated open layout. We have been in our house 17 years and just did a huge kitchen reno and opened up walls between rooms. We didn't find the time capsule, but I did put pictures of our family in a wall before dry wall went up for someone to hopefully find down the road.
    1pandora.

  • williamsem
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Love it! The way the fridge area is trimmed out looks great. I know you were worried about the backsplash, I think it looks just right where you put it.

    I like your pendants, I think the color will be nice with your large piece of artwork.

    Great job!

  • Mgoblue85
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    1983 was 30 years ago??? Holy cow!!!

    Your kitchen looks great - very cool and calm.

  • bpath
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I adore your description of your materials. Sounds like you are one with your kitchen already. It is simply lovely! As in nature, every choice complements the others. Enjoy!

  • annkathryn
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Laura,
    I'm way late to the party but had to chime in with congrats on such a beautiful space. Well done! It's such a bright, airy space. You and your family must love how it all turned out. Thanks for sharing it and the great story about the time capsule.

    Enjoy!

  • Gooster
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Just wanted to chime in as well... I love the cabinets as well and the wonderful story about the time capsule. The windows and light are wonderful. Sorry to hear about your Modernaire problems, my install and ordering process could not have been easier.

  • ppbenn
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    This is a beautiful kitchen! After seeing the before pics I am SO happy for you!! Love the time capsule very cool you had the previous owner to visit.
    I especially love your island, I am planning an oak with white counter and its great to see it. Is the top quartzite or granite? Its beautiful.
    What size is your island and how big is your space? It looks like the perfect size.

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

    I don't know how I missed this! I just love your cabs and the stain color is lovely. You must be over the moon with how lovely your space is! Best wishes for many happy hours in your beautiful kitchen.

  • ginny20
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    That is truly elegant. I love all the windows, the vertical BS and the sleek wood cabs. Lovely design. Great job, congratulations!

  • Bunny
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I love everything about your kitchen, but esp. the light, which is the most important thing to me. The cable lights are awesome, no pock marks on the ceiling.

  • dljmth
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks again for the comments.

    gooster: Glad to hear you had good experience with Modernaire. I am probably overly harsh on them. Their service was probably as good as anyone else's. It was more that the range hood itself was just challenging.

    ppbenn: The island top is White Princess quartzite. The design of dark cabinets and light counter was really inspired by firsthouse_mp and annkathryn. Thank you to them! The WP is fairly consistent in color and not too busy. Has just the right amount of green and grey without being too splotchy. There are several threads on White Princess. I love it! The island size is 92" x 42". We wanted it a little longer to fit 4 comfortably but when we laid it all out we thought it was better to have more room in the aisle by the refrig. We have 46" there and 42" on the sink aisle and range aisle.

    @kaysd - the painting is oil on hemp. It is from a Vietnamese artist Vu Thang.
    http://vuthang.vxartgallery.com/Gallery/

  • ppbenn
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Laurat88 Thanks for posting close-ups of the white princess. I've been eyeing this particular stone here on GW but the locals don't have anything that looks like this, but still call it white princess. What's here looks like granite. We're still looking.
    Thanks also for the island measurements. It's one thing to try to see it on paper or in an empty room and so much better to see it in a spacious kitchen like yours.

  • renoremo
    7 years ago

    It turned out gorgeous!

  • Kisa Valenti
    6 years ago

    So beautiful. I love every detail. BTW, I have the Tech "Otto" pendants badgergal posted a photo of. Mine are in Amethyst. I am green with envy because I have had nothing but disappointment and problems with my very costly Plain & Fancy Cabinetry.