Depends so much on your budget.

For cabinets only she is budgeting $4,000, the layout I have now using 30" wall cabinets can be done for under $3,000.

For new counter top and sink she is hoping to spend under $1,000. Not sure if she will have a backsplash or not.

$5,000 total not including new flooring.

is that the sink shoehorned in between the fridge and the stove? that seems really awkward - no place to put a dish to dry or stack a dirty glass.

any chance of moving either to the other side of the L? I think if you could do that you may have a reasonable layout.

Why is the sink moving? I would keep it where it is.

I am not sure I am seeing the sink

I think the sink will be to the right of the utility door-the wall is void a window-it shows a sink base cabinet in his layout. I'm not lovin that fridge....any other options such as cabinet depth/or at least put a panel on the right exposed side,or get a standard 30 in fridge with freezer drawers below.The plan looks nice-allow for lighting package to give some atmosphere-why would the island be rolled away for guests? Usually guests like to hang near the island-overhang with stools/pendant lights/etc. Personally,I'd do an even bigger island as a central feature...and the table would be the flexible element-get a drop leaf-land it against a wall at the other end with a chair or 2 for day to day eating.

Looks like a doublewide mobile home kitchen. If it is, beware of mounting cabinets to framing that isn't there.
Casey

Also, I think all the plumbing , etc. is "Mobile home standard" ( I made that up) but you have to use mobile home parts, because regular plumbing and electrical may not fit.

Exactly, leave the sink where it is today, saves money with no need to move the plumbing and she has a light fixture she can update above the sink. The island becomes her working counter space so there is no need for the long empty counter space that is drawn in the current sink wall.

Cabinets look at RTA, IKEA or something in a builder grade like Merillat Essentials. Merillat is local for us and many of us had builder grade in our suburban tract houses for 15 years until we updated the kitchens and they really held up quite well. I used Essentials in a flip a few years ago and they looked decent and the house sold well.

Counters in Formica or something like Uba Tuba granite which is almost as inexpensive around here. Often you can get granite deals around me where the undermount sink is thrown in free.

Floors - I would use Allure Vinyl Planks from Home Depot. Floating, easy to install, inexpensive. I threw it down last summer for a temporary floor in the kitchen. It held up well under 2 active dogs and plenty of construction mess for over a year. I am selling the house and leaving it, it looks OK. (Cambria on the counters and $1.99/sq ft Allure on the floor, let's see how it sells!!). The other alternative is ceramic, the end caps at the big box stores are usually under $1 per sq ft, but I would worry about how much subfloor you need to add in a modular home to make a stable base.

Plenty of inexpensive tile at the big box stores to make a nice backsplash.

Can she do it for $5000? Pretty close without appliances, I would think.

Faucet looks like it might be reusable. I would probably put in a microwave over the range to free up counter space and they are fairly inexpensive.

You really are a good friend! Look at all those drawings and renderings you've made!

With a space this small, space is the limiting factor, and workflow is less of an issue (everything is close); drawer organizers are the most important feature.

A suggestion for maximizing your friend's limited budget: Home Depot's Amber Glaze RTA line. It looks really nice in the photos, has dovetail drawer boxes, and undermount soft close drawer slides. Pretty cool features for an RTA line. Only issue is the limited selection of sizes.

Here is a link that might be useful: Home Depot Amber Glaze

It might help to research Green Demolitions, ReStore, Craig's List etc. to see if she can pick up good cabinets or appliances for a good price. Ditto any 'scratch and dent' or floor model appliances. If those aren't available then as mentioned above perhaps IKEA as many on the forum seem to have good luck with their cabinets. Is the hard water the only reason for no DW? Is it worth looking into the cost of a water softener? (Not sure since I've never had it, but can't hard water stain sinks and other fixtures? Might be worth a softener to avoid that.)

FWIW I think this cabinet over the sink provides a nice updated look that looks like it wouldn't be too hard to achieve (add a shelf under the short cabinets, paint the wall, add some colorful stuff.)

{{!gwi}}

You might look at Lily Ann RTA cabinets, they're prices are great, and they have all wood construction. DH has installed them for several different people and has been pleased with the quality overall.

We too have Allure flooring and have been quite happy with it. Whenever DH is asked to do flooring for someone, it's his top pick. Very easy to DIY, much simpler than laminate, and I think it's more resilient, too.

Hope the project goes well! : )

Here is a link that might be useful: Lily Ann Cabinets

Is the house a manufactured home (trailer, mobile home) or a modular home (stick built off site)? Important as others have said a manufacturered home may have limitations to framing, plumbing, electric, etc. Most modular homes would not have these limitations.

Tread carefully here! If this is a mobile home, there is a whole can of worms behind the wall, and 5K won't begin to be enough to do this project, even for just the materials. She'd have to take off the vinyl walls and create enough stud supports to hang real cabinets. And hope the floors can hold that transferred weight. No granite here. Laminate is heavy enough.

With her budget, the best expenditure would probably be painting the existing cabinets, and maybe applying some molding to the doors to create more visual interest. The paint will unify it and make it look as though it was created like that from the beginning. And she wouldn't have to deal with any of the snakepit of construction issues that she would if she replaced cabinets. Then just add some pretty pulls and a new laminate counter. For the DW area, since she wants to eliminate it, I'd create a mobile cart out of some lumber, casters, and a piece of butcher block. It could roll out when needed and roll back under to tuck out of the way.

I would also question the visible range hood...that could be $5k alone.

She calls it a modular but it is 30 years old. It is on a foundation, I suspect it is more of a manufactured/double wide home.

Laughable and Hags00- Yes she loves the Allure flooring, she already has that in the living room and plans to put it through to the kitchen and dining area.

Davidanh - I looked at the homedepot amber cabinets, they do look nice but she wants white.

Annie - we found a range hood on ebay that we think would work nicely for $279.00
a 30" ENJEN WALL RANGE HOOD STAINLESS STEEL 30KB-extended
extended model fits both 8 ft & 9 ft
ceiling
http://www.ebay.com/itm/30-ENJEN-WALL-RANGE-HOOD-STAINLESS-STEEL-30KB-extended-/251147708128?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0amp;hash=item3a7991e6e0

Greendesigns - that can of worms is already open.

A week ago her bathroom fan caused a fire that destroyed her attic and roof and caused smoke damage. Insurance will be covering the cost to put in new ceilings, roof and attic and because it has such a low pitch roof they are raising the height of the ceiling and making the center wall (range wall) a standard 2X4 wall with sheet rock (Yeah!) So she is actually going to have sheet rock instead of paneling wall board stuff.

The restoration company doing the work said they will be destroying her kitchen upper cabinets to put in the new ceiling-attic/roof (Yeah!) Part of the demo done for her!

They are also rebuilding other interior walls to support the new higher pitch roof.

Unfortunately they put out the fire before it could do enough damage to have a new house/modular built.

:)

1. If it were mine, I'd probably slide the stove a bit to the right to create a more generous space to the left but otherwise leave the layout as it is. It's already good. I'd install a 24" cabinet and keep the water lines where the DW is because retaining a DW option for someone wouldn't cost anything.

2. I would shop low-end cabinet lines, like the ones named. If she chooses an inexpensive door style I think she'll be very pleased and excited at how amazingly inexpensive new cabinets can be--and good looking. In this case, also, having a small kitchen is definitely on her side.

2. I absolutely would put in as many drawers as I could afford, one shelf for vertical storage and drawers everywhere else. This includes drawers under the sink! I would even put plywood on the counters and paint it if that was what it took to be able to afford full-extension drawers. They're that good, just incredibly superior to lower shelves in both efficiency of storage and ease of access. A wonderful luxury that I no longer consider a luxury but a necessity (this after decades of adoring the old, old kitchen cabinets in all the places I lived).

3. I'd again choose what are called frameless cabinets as they don't waste valuable space. All Ikea are frameless, I know.

4. I'd have fun making my own rolling island from a piece of second-hand furniture. Lots of examples on the web.

What about the sink placement?

chicagoans - I like the cabinet design for over the sink, That adds an element of design since the window will be gone.

The sink is not moving the footprint of the kitchen will stay as is because of mobile home plumbing and other issues.

Insurance is requiring them to bring all electrical up to current code because most of the wiring is in the attic and was damaged. I honestly think when all is done it would be cheaper to start over new, but that is not what her insurance is covering. This home is only valued at $99,000.

I went to menards and looked at the shrock cabinets and we came up with this preliminary design. She wants a corner lazy Susan cabinet so we will be changing that base out so the drawer base to the left of the range will go.

Looks like the quote is missing knobs and pulls, and finished sides. With the boxes being maple melamine, the exterior might be white melamine, and that will age differently than white paint. That may not matter to her now, but it may in 5 years when the sides of the cabinets are a different white than the fronts. She could upgrade to flush painted sides (they should offer that) or field applied veneer "skins". Skins are harder for DIYers to install and no real dollar savings.

I know the resale value of manufactured homes isn't high, but even so, I would strongly suggest that pulling a standard appliance like a DW out of any home is likely to lower it's value as it's an expected part of any modern kitchen. Even a $200 "apartment grade" DW will do a better job of washing dishes and use less water than doing them by hand. If it lasts 3-4 years, it's paid for itself.

I'd recommend against a 36" base cabinet, no shelves, no drawers. It's a massive waste of prime space, to the point that I can't imagine why anyone would still recommend it.

A larger sink, 33" for instance, can fit very nicely in a 30" cabinet because part of that width is flange that can overlap the 2 cabinet sides. Pay no attention to any derriere-covering warnings that this can't be done. It's done all the time. We did it in our kitchen.

Regarding all that great space under the sink, there are better places to keep the insect spray, so once space for a couple of cleaners is accounted for, what could all the rest be used for?

I realize this isn't much of a contribution, but have you considered rotating the island 90degrees? On the plan, it looks like not only would it be more functional, but would give more space in the kitchen, and possible seating or leaning in the dining area.

Having had a fire, I can tell you the things no one ever thinks about can be a b!tch. Glad someone noticed knobs and handles, etc. Just getting rid of the smell is a huge undertaking by the restoration company. I wish her a speedy recovery.

live wire - I am glad you caught that. We will talk to the KD at Menards and ask about finished sides. So we would add that to the wall cabinets on either side of the range hood and the side by the garage door as well as the refrigerator wall cabinet. But we do plan to build that out and enclose it to look more built in.

I think she will keep the water supply for the DW but opting for cabinets instead. She is on well water and it is horrible and she insist she does not want a DW. I tried on that one. Her home is on acreage and in the family so it will not be sold at least not in her lifetime.

Rosie - good point on the sink base, I know she is wanting deep sink to wash pans for her animals etc. I just thought she would need a large base. she will probably get laminate counter tops so a overmount sink should be no problem. Do you recommend a particular sink size or style? I have a ticor in my house and love it. I think she is wanting as large as possible one bowl sink. Would you move the sink base to left or right for extra 6 inches?

I appreciate everyone's time to look at this for us. I hope to get back to menards this weekend and revise the plan.

The cabinets she likes are Shrock in painted maple and a simple shaker style, They are very nice looking.

the kitchen is 11' 3 " X 12' 8" how big of a Island do you think would work. I thought a 3' X 6' would work?? She really would like a little seating at the island, but don't know if that would work.

she just heard that she will be getting a cabinet allowance from her insurance adjuster!!!! Did I mention she is living in her RV while this is being repaired. She has animals that she needs to be on site to take care of.

I hope this goes as quickly and smoothly as possible for her.

While the roof is being done, how about adding a skylight to that kitchen. Since she has no good window in there, it seems like it would really brighten the whole space up, and help those white cabinets shine. : )

I'd be reluctant to spin the island 90 degrees. My current island is perpendicular to my stove, and I sooo wish that it wasn't. I'd like all that expanse of workspace to be directly behind the stove when I'm working in the kitchen. It also looks like she can have a longer island if you leave it the way you have drawn in your OP.

RT-

The kitchen in the house I am moving to is a galley with no windows in the galley area (big bay in the eating area). It had a 24" tall upper cabinet over the sink (30" with soffits in the rest) and when I stood at it, I had a real closed in feeling with my head (I am short).

I put in a shorter cabinet (18" vs my 39" uppers) above it much like you have in your drawing. Then below it, still pretty high (I can't see the top of it), I put in a floating shelf. Space is 36" and the floating shelf is 27" or 30", I can't remember which. It is only 8" deep so it looks really nice and doesn't give me a closed in feeling at all. I put an under counter light under the floating shelf and it lights up my sink well. She will lose the fixture currently over the sink when you put an upper in there so her sink lighting will be coming from behind.