|
| So lets face it, even us TKOers have to face the reality of our budgets. Part of making the budget work is deciding what to splurge on, and what to scrimp on to make those splurges possible. So what were your scrimps and splurges?
I'll go first.
*Sinks- Went with Ticor SS sinks instead of the Rohl apron front I dreamed about, or the pricy big-name SS sinks. (The Ticor sinks are such good quality that I'm hesitant to really classify this as a scrimp...but the low price was definitely scrimp-worthy!) *Backsplash- Got a $7/sqft closeout tile instead of the $30/sqft ming green marble with Tantrum accents that was tempting *Flooring- Kids are in the future so we chose inexpensive laminate that we plan to switch out for hardwood in 10 yrs or so *Kept our old fridge- It was only a few years old and working perfectly, so we couldn't justify replacing it. *Hardware- Yup that's $1.29 pulls on all our cabinetry. They look great and have standard 3" holes so if we ever want to switch them out we'll be able to. Splurge:
*Granite- I know for many granite prices have become much more affordable, but for us, it was definitely a splurge. We chose an average priced stone and our granite bill was still ginormous. *Appliances- all really nice appliances well suited to our cooking and cleaning styles, including a beverage center which is by anyone's standards a splurge. *Faucets- Those pull down faucets sure are pricy, but so nice to use. |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
| my choices aren't decided yet, but am leaning toward very similar situation to you. splurges will be granite (i'm drawn to pricier patterns :( ), maybe bosch range, maybe grohe faucet. i am also keeping my fridge and not going high on cabinets; i'm even doing thermafoil since i want white (prob. slab) and in my narrow galley you really don't get a good look head on at the cabinets unless you're doing dishes! |
|
| Skimp: Ikea cabinets (though they are so nice, I don't feel at all deprived) Ikea butcherblock countertops Ikea apron front sink (wow, what a great sink though!) Amerock cabinet pulls and knobs Kingston Brass faucet off overstock Splurge: I think the rest of our choices were pretty middle of the road in price (cork floors, low-end Bosch d/w, GE profile range, GE bottom freezer refrigerator, etc.) |
|
| Honestly, by some posters standards my whole kitchen is a "splurge" and I cringe when I read of the tight budgets some are under; the converse can also be true however. That said, here are my relative scrimps and splurge: scrimps: no glaze on cabinets, mid-priced door style, no wood hood less expensive backsplash field tile (to justify my splurge on 5 metal accent pieces for the cooktop focal point) cheap bar stools on sale at Target no insta hot or warming drawer simple microwave - no convection or speed cook Milguard vinyl windows cabinet hardware - a steal eBay not really a skimp, but I got the Bosh DW with the bottons on front instead of on the top of the door (which costs a few hundred more). I did prefer not to see the buttons, but reasoned to myself, it was after all a kitchen... and wouldn't affect the quality of the DW (which was a splurge) splurge: two skylights relocating kitchen to old family room location to address flow issues - entailed removal of old fireplace, bearing wall, and new window and patio door good quality appliances including two ovens and gas cooktop and real Vent-a-hood granite was a spluge--but did not even consider some of the higher priced granites and shopped around for a less expensive fabricator rift & quartersawn hardwood floor sinks & faucets |
|
- Posted by jenellecal (My Page) on Mon, Oct 29, 07 at 15:16
| I'm not done yet but my entire kitchen is a scrimp ;-( I have about $7,000 to work with and DH is doing all the work. The only splurges I have so far are 1) Swanstone, granite composite sink My scrimps are 1) Old refidgerator (want a new one and might buy one after remodel). |
|
| I'm terribly bad at scrimping, but, that being said, I don't like to pay full price for anything. We're remodeling our whole house (actually starting a whole house remodel on number two as well, so) I purchased MANY items on Ebay. I got what I wanted, but didn't pay any were near full price on: Franke Professional Sink 30x12x18 and I saved the oak floor by refinishing it. It now appears that in "refinishing it" the contractor might have ruined it beyond saving, and I'll now have to buy a new one...this does not make me happy Splurges: We got the appliances we wanted. Some would be considered splurge easily (Lacanche Range, SubZero fridge) but the DW and Trash compactor are both Kitchenaide. Not for money savings but because we liked them best after trials. My subway tiles. They're hand made by anorexic faries on the Oregon coast. They sprinkle fairy dust on them directly from their fairy wings, which is very hard on a fairy as you may well know. For this (and it's the only reason I can figure out that they cost so much) they charge about umm $68sq ft. But...you know, they're made by fairys and stuff....(ok I'm just making stories up to justify them, but I had to have them! They are the only appropriate backsplash for our granite). Stainless steel countertop custom made for the main work surface. Well worth the cost. A very expensive :) AND I LOVE IT espresso/coffee maker. I look at it in the morning and it says "Hello Gorgeous...want some coffee you skinny babe? " (Delonghi) Antique lighting, but that again I saved on by refinishing and having it rewired on my own. They're $2000 each retail and I have about $600 each into them. |
|
- Posted by celticmoon (My Page) on Mon, Oct 29, 07 at 16:21
| Scrimp: kept the range, cabinets, counters, flooring, faucet and fridge. Changed: DW, sink, cabinet color and a few cabinet locations (hardly splurges) Splurge: Hardware (Being able to work parttime with no debt - and early retirement in sight: priceless!) |
|
- Posted by amsunshine (My Page) on Mon, Oct 29, 07 at 16:41
| Well, I'm almost embarrassed to post mine, because our budget was so tight that some of my splurges might constitute skimps for others! :-) But here goes: SKIMPS: Lowest priced wood door style for kraftmaid cabinets, with a standard stain, no upcharge. Lowes white subway tiles for backsplash (less than $2/sq. ft) No cabinet "enclosure" for refrigerator. I went for a bumped out cabinet over the refrigerator, instead. Much less expensive and gave us a couple more inches of cabinet storage. Freestanding Frigidaire range instead of slide in or other high end range. (This was a steal as it was being discontinued, but I can honestly say that so far, I'm very happy with it) Lower Priced Granite instead of Quartz counters (not technically a "skimp", and I do love my granite, but I really, really wanted quartz counters -- they were just so much more expensive than granite and I couldn't justify the expense) All black appliances instead of stainless. Didn't want to pay a premium for something I thought was purely aesthetic. Inexpensive Kichler light fixtures. Ticor Galaxy stainless sink instead of white farm sink. I really wanted the farm sink, but couldn't justify the expense. I'm happy with the Ticor. SPLURGES: GE Profile bottom freezer refrigerator. (I know, this doesn't seem like a splurge, but it was way over what we originally budgeted for a refrigerator.) Kitchenaid dishwasher -- also more than we wanted to spend, but it's a nice, solid dishwasher. Top Knobs cabinet hardware. I just loved the silky and solid feel of this hardware, and because it's what we feel every time we open a cabinet or drawer, I felt it was worth it. KRAFTMAID pullout trays from ebay for my pantry and base cabinets. We originally did not put this into our budget, but we love them and am glad we splurged. Undercabinet lighting. I originally thought this was a luxury we couldn't afford. Now, its the most used lighting in our kitchen and I can't imagine not having it. 42" upper cabinets all the way to the ceiling. We have so much more storage space now! Decora switches, outlets and covers w/hidden screws. Cushy cupboards. Love it! |
|
| I didn't do a lot of skimping because this is the kitchen I'll have until we retire to a smaller place and my kitchen is really very important to me. But here goes: Skimps: Slurges (I'm much better at this =o ): Potential splurges: |
|
| Scrimp: *Kept 2 yr old white fridge- so all new appliances are white- (still feeling a little uneasy about this decision in light of the seemingly overwhelming popularity of SS- BUT figure we will be staying here for at least 10 yrs, and can buy new SS appliances then to sell house which may be more of a selling feature than 10 yr old ones?) *Bought $600 Blanco faucet for $200 from Home Depot Auction *Bought $2400 Chandelier for $240 from Home Depot Auction *Bought $500 SS Sink for $200 from Newspaper Auction *Cabinets- super deal from new company- 1/2 to 1/3 the price of other estimates- having problems getting some cabinets delivered from manufacturer- so this company is having them custom made locally for same price (still has to happen, so jury is out) *Installing cabinets ourselves- saving thousands of $$$, and probably more care taken (DH is a perfectionist engineer) *Gutting and drywalling and painting and installing all wiring/lighting ourselves Splurge - * Two Garden Windows - wish I had ordered them down to counter height- but otherwise am very happy * Tigerwood flooring - just love it! The Oregon fairies sometimes come up and dance with me on this! *Granite counters and are also having matching granite on pony wall in living room *Building lighted alcove into furnace duct- hope this turns out to be a really special feature to display 'stuff'. My house is terribly short of display areas. *Two Pantries- you can never have too much storage- right? *Pullout shelves on all lower cabinets and in pantries *I have scrimped so much and saved so much, I would love to splurge on an espresso/coffee maker- maybe for Christmas? |
|
| Our whole budget is $13K and we're doing all of the demo and install work ourselves - just to put it all in perspective. Scrimp: Splurge: We're still not finished but I'm loving the choices we made. The kitchen will be warm, simple and comfortable - exactly how I like a kitchen to feel. |
|
| I updated my 12 year old kitchen for about 15K. Scrimp Splurge Neither scrimp or splurge Still deciding if we should splurge on built in microwave or scrimp and put a counter one in a cabinet. |
|
| I can't say our entire project was either a scrimp or a splurge. But we definitely wanted a new family room, so we added that FIRST. This gave us a place to move the kitchen into, temporarily, and also a more realistic idea of what we could afford to spend on the kitchen. Scrimp: Splurge: Scrimp: Splurge: Complaint: DonnaR/CA |
|
| I splurged on -cabinets, sink and granite because there is no going back once they are in. -marmoleum because I love it -backsplash (if it ever gets finished) because it's so small but has big impact -lighting, because it's so hard to retrofit -removing the lowered ceiling because I was told it would be cheap and easy. Not. I scrimped on |
|
| Good thread--it's interesting to see all the tradeoffs. My entire kitchen was a scrimp as new kitchens go, with used and low-end items wherever possible. My real splurges are long stretches of windows and airy open work counters, both at the expense of convenient over-counter storage. |
|
| very interesting thread. We splurged on many items as dh and I felt this was our opportunity for the kitchen of our dreams, and we weren't living through a renovation again. Having said that, here was our list: Scrimp: -no insta hot water -no water filter system (still looking into ones though) -did stainless hood instead of wood chimney hood to match cabinets (we did this to save money and in the end I like it better) -beverage center went with ge instead of subzero or uline which were very pricey -refinished existing hardwood floors instead of putting down tile (we also did this to save money and i like it better this way) -simple backsplash with no mural or accents above rangetop- again did to save money but like how it turned out. -stools ordered from home decorators outlet.com- got them for $$39 each! if I don't like them can replace in a year or two and not feel so bad. Splurge: Having lived with our new kitchen for 2 months, I'm very happy with all of our decisions . |
|
| What an interesting thread! OK here's mine. Some of ours were planned and other parts just happened. It was more important to me to add character, storage, and prep space than to add features, though we are in love with our new appliances! Love love love the KA dishwasher! Skimp- Splurge: favorite things- |
|
| Hmmm...interesting thread. We restrained ourselves where we could: Durasupreme cabinets instead of the Crown Point custom that I'd orginally preferred. No regret there. Splurged on lighting fixtures from Rejuvenation, since their period stuff was most appropriate for our home. Did hardwood floors throughout (quartersawn oak was a bit pricier than the standard, but we're glad to have gone that route.) I bought hardware that I love - not the top of the line, wherever that is, but not cheap stuff, either. Maybe $7 per piece? Splurged on custom tile for the backsplash, as I have something of a fetish there. Still, didn't do the Motawi ($$$), so it could have been worse! Went with a builder that was probably on the higher end, but feel like that was money very well spent. Pulled a cheapo ($250 or so ?)stainless Franke undermount sink right off the shelf at Lowes. With my three kids in tow, I was more or less just desperate to provide the granite guy with a basis for his template. No regret there either. Sinks don't excite me especially much, and this one works perfectly well. Splurged on beautiful windows; went with three doors of glass w/a transom, as opposed to the double French doors the architect originally proposed. Big upcharge there, but again, feels like money well spent, since we'll likely be here forever, and it adds much light to the room. Re-used all of our home's original beadboard and fir flooring in the new powder room & laundry room. Neither a scrimp, nor a splurge there, I guess, it just felt good to be using as much original stuff as we could, even if it meant that the effort for demo had to be pretty delicate, in order to preserve all of those materials. The choice of bianco romano granite for the island over calacatta marble was done at least in part as a cost savings effort. As it turns out, the granite was no bargain; nevertheless, I'm SO glad not to have gone the marble route! I think of this a number of times a day, as my kids spill g-d knows what on the island, somebody hoists a bunch of grocery bags, greasy pizza boxes, whatever lands there. No worries! I know that I'd be anxious with marble, exquisite though it is. The carrara double vanity in my master bath is showing obvious wear and tear, even after only 6 - 8 weeks of use; I can only imagine the beating our family would have given marble in the kitchen! Also glad not to have hired a kitchen designer; this site was an invaluable resource. Saved money w/ the architect, as well, as we hired somebody to do the bare minimum for drawings. Decided that we could handle the zoning/permit stuff on our own, and happily, such was the case. Anyway, very interesting to read how we've all shuffled various priorities! |
|
- Posted by nigel-bigel (My Page) on Mon, Oct 29, 07 at 22:00
| I don't feel like I scrimped on anything, although I certainly saved on certain items. But I ultimately bought them because I wanted them. For instance, I looked at loads of faucets, but I kept going back to the Delta. It had the lines I was looking for. We originally were going to go all out and do a no-holds-barred custom kitchen. Then we saw this house an DH fell in love, so we decided to move and renovate this new-to-us house with the monies we had originally allocated to just a kitchen. The new house needed a lot more attention than just a new kitchen, so the budget was a lot tighter than previous. Therefore in a way the whole kichen is a scrimp, but the entire house is a splurge! That said, DH and I decided that for the kitchen each of us should choose one splurge, one thing that will make the kitchen special to us. I think this is good advice for anyone on a budget. Make sure you put in at least on fabulous thing that will make you smile whenever you are in the kitchen. Good Buys... Splurges... Our appliances are all mid-level (Bosch, KA) and don't feel like either an economy or extravagance. The only other thing I really wanted was to buy wood doors (either from IKEA or Scherr's) and have them professionally painted a rich dark red. This would have added about 7K to the budget and I just couldn't justify it. Besides, that will be an easy thing to change out if we want to in a few years. That's the beauty of IKEA! Nicole |
|
| (Since we're only partway through Phase 1 - haven't even got to the kitchen yet - I may add to this later one, but...) Basically, for most people ALL the kitchen items we've collated so far are a skimp - the splurge is that we're doing it at all! However, some specifics. I note as I type this that the "skimps" are actually "splurges" which I found cheaply by getting them on Craigslist; if we hadn't found these "luxury" materials that way, we'd have been going with low-end everything to try and come in for our budget. The entire project includes refinishing the attic (which required significant structural work including adding windows, reinforcing joists, new partition walls, hvac, wiring etc), rebuilding and relocating stairs, relocating sink and stove, removing a load-bearing wall... The entire project budget is less than I have read some folks in here have spent on just their cabinets, so it's TIGHT! But, we're doing it with the help of an amazing GC who we admire more each day - his work is gorgeous and he has gone to such lengths to work WITH us and make this project happen. Rather wonderfully so far. I'm now just dying to see the finished result because I'm so happy with the way the attic is coming along, and with the materials I have assembled for the kitchen itself! Skimps Splurges We'll see what the other splurges are by the time we get to the end! Great thread topic - fascinating reading! |
|
| Splurge *Kraftmaid ginger glaze cherry cabinets *Oven - double frigidaire convection oven *Paying for help to hang cabinets (diy otherwise) *Marvin windows *Rejuvination light fixtures *Gold and Silver Granite *Extra cabinet for linen closet with built in laundry (small house) *new dishwasher - didn't need one, wanted it so the appliances look the same *new fridge - $1000 - was $2000 at Sears Outlet, but the splurge was the panels that we didn't plan for as we had no clue what we were ordering as we had to get something upon move in. *Blanco sink - got it for $250 from granite guys but didn't need that one - wanted it due to the shape Skimp Still Undecided |
|
| Splurge Cabinets - custom, QS Oak, inset doors Shaws sink Rohl faucet in polished nickel professional marble fabricator professional drywaller professional electrician professional floor install - red oak, site finished Skimp A year and a half later, I wish I'd splurged on the stove. My gas Frigidaire is fine, much better than the 70s era electric we got rid of. But, after cooking on these two high BTU burners, I now want a range with ALL power burners -- and a warming drawer. |
|
| How could I have forgotten my beloved Tapmaster? Definite spurge. Definitely worth it. |
|
| Very fun thread! And informative! We're completely redoing our kitchen. Ours is an old house kitchen with only a sink hanging on the wall and cupboards in the pantry. It's like working with a blank canvas, and the scrimps definitely outweigh the splurges. Scrimps (but still quality) Splurge (but still price conscious) |
Here is a link that might be useful: Our project thus far (actually we're further along than this)
|
| Don't know why I didn't think to include this first go 'round, but we did elect to exclude the interior painting from our contract w/ GC in order to save several thousand dollars. Wishing now that we hadn't. My poor DH has spent every waking moment prepping and painting for several weeks now. It has been a big PITA. Money spent to have the professionals do this would have been well spent, in retrospect! Oh well, live and learn. |
|
- Posted by loves2cook4six (My Page) on Tue, Oct 30, 07 at 9:34
| Wow. Some very interesting info here. Our entire kitchen was a splurge as we will live in this house till we retire - a good 20 years away unless we win the lottery LOL Skrimps Splurge |
|
| Like many, I'm better at splurge than scrimp, but I did scrimp on everything for 4 years after I bought my house so I could pay for the remodel in cash without incurring any debt. Scrimps: Splurge: |
|
| Love this thread! We've been in our house for 3 years now, and have been planning our kitchen addition from day one. Our house is 100+ years old and from what we can tell, the last kitchen update was when they bought a fancy new stove in the 1940's. We have the old apron front, double drainboard farm sink (which we love and are keeping) and the original built-in kitchen cabinet (the one and only cabinet in the kitchen). Our hope is that the new kitchen will look original to the house, only equipped with lovely things like a dishwasher and counterspace. Our existing kitchen will become our breakfast room. We're using lots of salvaged materials which often cost less, but we didn't pick them specifically to try to save money, but rather to add age and character to the new construction. The footprint of the new kitchen is fairly small (10 x 17), so there isn't room to fit in too many dangerous splurges :) Skimps: We're a one-cook, two-person household, so we only have one sink, one dishwasher, one fridge, etc. Splurges: Custom cabinets (although I'm painting them myself, which will save us a few thousand) We're just now framing the addition, so I'm sure there will be lots more skimps and splurges in the near future! |
|
| This is great. I've enjoyed the read ...... We aren't finished yet, but most is paid for, with expection of backsplash & hardwood floors. Skimps: Splurges: SIDE NOTE: Christy |
|
| We're not done, but here's the plan: scrimp: + kept original footprint + didn't demo soffit, there were pipes in it + black stove, dishwasher instead of stainless + kept fridge + kept floor (3/4" hardwood, probably maple, installed 20+ years ago by former owners) + stock hardware + didn't demo former laundry closet, bought stock shelving instead and kept behind doors + nice but not ridiculously expensive faucet + cabinet hanging by individual who used to own a co. and now works as an on-site problem correction person for a large cabinet company locally + update track lighting instead of installing new recessed + served as my own KD and GC splurge: That's the plan, anyway. Now I just need to commit to a cabinet in order to begin execution. |
|
- Posted by lynninnewmexico (My Page) on Tue, Oct 30, 07 at 15:34
| This is such a great thread because it gives us all a chance to see what trade-offs others have made . . . and if they regret anything. Our cabs are being installed as I write this, so I haven't had the chance to actually "live" with my kitchen as yet. This will hopefully be the home we retire with and we've put a lot of thought into a layout, appliances and cabs that (we hope) will stand the test of time. Skimps: Splurges:
|
|
| Budgeting was important in our build because although it will be our retirement home in approx. 10 years, we still have to maintain our current home for a time for job commuting. We tried to go with spending now on the "bones" of the house figuring we can upgrade on furnishings and some appliances later. But for now... Splurge - Carlisle wide plank pine floors (love them!) My top-notch soapstone guy who did the Lighting fixtures from Rejuvenation Hardware Upgrade to have my island finished in a custom blue stain. Walk-in pantry with custom shelving Bank of windows (level to the countertop)on sink side. Holland bar stools (pricey, but comfy and likely to last) Scrimps - No instant hot water I don't feel I gave up what I most wanted and, the kitchen got the lion's share of the budget. I'm really happy with it. |
|
| adunate-- can you tell us about your fridge paint job? Wowee! I.e., how did you get it to the body shop, how much did it cost (if you don't mind saying,) and how easy/difficult it is to keep clean. If you don't answer, I'm gonna start a new thread-- what a great idea! |
|
- Posted by agnesackneback (My Page) on Tue, Oct 30, 07 at 17:07
| This is our first home and we remodled the whole thing (bought my grandma's house that was not kept up after my grandfather died). Not done yet, but hopefully soon we'll be done enough to move in. I'm gunna try and contain this to the kitchen and nowhere else in the house since this is the Kitchen Forum. Hehe. Splurge: Skrimp: |
|
| bump for adunate |
|
| We're mostly done now. I have to say the whole reason for our remodel was kind of a splurge. We remodeled to raise the cabinets and counters 1.5 inches so we could get the dishwasher in and out over our wood flooring. Then it snowballed into let's get the white cabinets DW always wanted and lets get the granite and new appliances, etc, etc....We have a long list of splurges but also several scrimps. Scrimps Splurges It took us about a year to get comfortable with the amount we would have to spend on the project but we ended up running about 25% over budget. We kept rationalizing that we're only doing this once so let's do it the way we want. |
|
- Posted by gnomelover (My Page) on Wed, Oct 31, 07 at 14:18
| I think we are mostly scrimp, but: scrimp: reused refrigerator and dishwasher splurge: cherry cabinets |
|
| "It took us about a year to get comfortable with the amount we would have to spend on the project but we ended up running about 25% over budget. We kept rationalizing that we're only doing this once so let's do it the way we want. " Ya I used that rationalization as well...and I'm still not comfortable with the budget (it's an entire home remodel and we're about $210,000 over where we had originally planned to be) And "we'll only do this once" kept coming up....now I have house number two LOL and must do this all again! (That is if I ever finish house number one!) I will NEVER tell myself I'm only doing this once so go for it!!!! |
|
| "I will NEVER tell myself I'm only doing this once so go for it!!!!" Yes, it's amazing what we will say and do when things are ALMOST done yet there's another $$$ to add or fix the last detail!!! For us the pain level for the last bit of perfection is getting pretty high too. LOL! |
|
| Splurge--Wood Floors: We bought a beautiful Asian Walnut that is fabulous but much more expensive than other wood floors we were initially interested in. Scrimp--Installation of wood floors: I had a friend that helped me put the floors in. He made good money off of it but in the end, it cost me about $1 a square foot to install, instead of the $3 that others would have charged me. Splurge--Cabinets: A great small company did our cabinets. Though not as expensive as many of you have done to get truly customized, we did get some customization and it cost us much more than just the standard cabinets from a big box store. Splurge--Countertops: We went with the cambrian black antique. Not cheap but should turn out well. Scrimp--Appliances. Though we did spend just a bit over $5,000 which is not truly scrimping, it could have been a lot worse if I went to the highest end with Wolf, Miele, etc. We got some very good appliances, but did not break my bank. Splurge and Scrimp: Walls and Open floor plan. We took down all the walls and have a huge open floor plan...but we scrimped as I helped my contractor do the work and helped get up the drywall, etc. Total, to take down 4 walls, put up structure support beams in the ceiling, put up drywall on the entire ceiling and all the walls and tear up all the old floors, we spent under $10K on our guy--a definate splurge on doing work that we didn't have to do, but pretty cheap for all the work that we did. Scrimp--Did not get a new patio door that leads out from the dining room to our backyard. I want one and we will get one, but for now, we didn't get and we are stuck with the old door. Moderate--faucets and pulls for cabinets. Nothing extravagant but not real cheap either. A kind of in between. |
|
- Posted by kitchenkelly (My Page) on Wed, Oct 31, 07 at 20:12
| On my last house it was scrimp, scrimp, scrimp and DIY. This time it was mostly splurge. Even though it was nice to splurge, I really felt great about my scrimp kitchen. Doing alot of the work myself gave me more satisfaction and making smart decisions is always a good thing. Next time (that will be in another life time) I think I will try to find a middle ground. |
|
| Fun thread! Hmmmmmmmm Scrimp: ~kept footprint and tile floor ~DIY removal of half of a wall to open to the living room ~passed on a really cool hood above cooktop and wish I hadn't ~oven/micro combo instead of a double oven ~a deal on my huge ticor 1 3/4 sink ~cabinet hardware that I also love was a 10 pack at HD for $20 Splurge: In all honesty, this whole project has been a splurge for me. |
|
| The biggest scrimp for us was working within the existing house space for the demo/reno and NOT adding on to the house to make the kitchen and DR larger. Adding on was one of the ideas we had toyed with, but it would have taken just about all the $ we had for this project (to do the construction), and we'd have been left with an empty shell, or at best, using the cheapest cabinets and appliances to outfit our kitchen. I suggested to DH that if we could come up with a way to maximize the existing space (e.g., changing the window to allow for cabs along that wall, and moving the range over a little, etc.), I'd rather skip the addition, and get the best things that we could afford. The parts were more important than the larger space. So, I guess the splurge is just about everything else in the kitchen in a way. Certain things were rejected so early on in the "look-see" process (because of cost or other reasons), that I don't know if the actual items we chose instead would be considered scrimps, splurges or other. The only thing we didn't get that we'd always wanted was a big, big, big kitchen, but we still got an awesome one so that's okay by us! |
|
| Okay, my turn. Mostly scrimp but the fact that we remodeled was a splurge in and of itself. Our old kitchen was only 5 years old but had cheap builder's grade white thermofoil cabinets and very little floor space. The reason for the remodel was water damage to our hardwood floors from a leak in our refrigerator's water line. We had wanted to change the footprint of our super tiny kitchen from day one and rather than just replace the floor and then have to tear it out again later for a remodel, we moved up the remodel and did it now. Scrimp: Splurge: Like many others, this is all really a splurge for us. I am a stay at home mom, DH is a software developer and makes good money but still we are a one income family. That fridge leak was a blessing in disguise though as with our old kitchen you couldn't have more than two people (or one person and a 100 lb goldendoodle) in the kitchen at one time. |
|
| I want to thank everyone for their fascinating input and honesty re: prioritizing and their budget(s). It is truly refreshing and validating, if that makes sense. Robin -- I am you! Well, a SAHM with an engineer spouse and feeling like getting to do a kitchen is a splurge in itself. It's now looking as if the kitchen portion of our remodel (this year is the main level, maybe next year or the year after will be the upstairs) will start the week of Christmas -- no joke. Our cabinetmaker told our GC they should dismantle the kitchen that week so the following week (the New Year) they can start installation. Ha ha ha ha ha. My only mandate is that the whole house must be absolutely finished by January 31st as we're adopting a puppy in February, and I don't want the house in a tip with a new little furry life. (The puppy will actually arrive around Valentine's Day, that's why I gave the January cut-off, to allow an extra fortnight of wiggle room.) Even though we can technically afford this, I am growing more and more conflicted, more and more ambivalent about it all. It is almost hurting me to spend the money; it feels both obscene in light of others living conditions (here in N. America and abroad) as well as scary to take such a sizable chunk of our savings. "How long will it take us to recoup?" I find myself wondering with more and more frequency. Has anyone else felt that way? All our appliances / fixtures are purchased, and while they are all "splurges" they are "skimps" a la meme fois. Like igloochic, I fastidiously researched every single thing and got the best prices available, even if that meant purchasing way in advance to take advantage of a sale or special offer. And like cat_mom, our biggest "skimp" is that we're not building an extension, so with what we're making do we're really making do, full steam ahead! We hate our kitchen at present: its layout is crap, unfunctional, and yes, aesthetically displeasing. I'm really excited about having a kitchen which functions for us (a two-cook family) and is pretty to boot. But thinking of all this money going out hurts. I guess we could start from scratch. Again. (many of you were so kind to me earlier this summer when we had a major kerfuffle with our [former] KD) We could use cheaper cabinets, and a cheaper countertop. But when I've broached the cabinetry thought both internally with myself as well as externally with my husband, we both come back with: in for a penny, in for a pound. Why spend any money if we're not going to get what we want? Then let's just live with this kitchen we hate rather than spend any money on a kitchen which causes us to think "well, this is our so-so space. Blah." Thanks for letting me vent. Since we're still newish here in Colorado I don't have anyone local with whom to share my trepidation(s) without fear of sounding totally bourgeois. Of my dearest girlfriends, three live in other countries so are in different mindsets about what a living environment entails, and the one who lives here in the US is dealing with a child recently diagnosed as being on the spectrum, so my fears would sound terribly trite and petty at this time. I know you all have lots of stuff going on in your lives, too, but we're all here in this forum because of kitchens, so I feel safe. Thank you. |
|
| Rmkitchen- Just so you know- another SAHM (well, I am, even if both have left home- one is still in University) with an engineer hubby. If I may make an assumption- as SAHM's our job for many many years is to make that one income go as far as possible while raising the kids- and spending on ourselves seems hard to justify. That may be why you're having such a hard time. As long as it's not going to cause financial hardship and make the family suffer cuz there's no money- I would say- try and enjoy the process- I'm sure you will continue to make money-saving choices, but don't get consumed with guilt if you do splurge once in a while! Rileydog- Splurge: ~Love my blanco rados faucet! That's the kind I have to (still in box). So, I'm going to be happy with it? Like an idiot, I phoned the store (HD) when I was checking it before granite fabricator came. "Pullout doesn't stay in"- in panicked voice. Before I took it back, engineer Hubby figured out it had weights to keep spray head in place. 'Crisis averted'!!! |
|
- Posted by robinkateb (My Page) on Thu, Nov 1, 07 at 9:33
| Count me in as a SAHM with a computer geek husband. Like the rest of you that is my biggest splurge, then we have to figure out how to live on one income. Raehelen, you hit the nail on the head about having trouble spending on ourselves. My children have way better wardrobes then me. We moved about a year ago to a house with a tiny really bad kitchen (no counters on the wall the stove was on, electric stove...). So most of what i have done currently is a scrimp that will get us through to a remodel. We used Amex points to get el cheapo Mills Pride cabinets for the stove wall. Now I have a place for my pots in one cabinet and my kitchen aid in the other. Please more counter space then this kitchen ever had. however we splurged, for us anyway, on a Capitol range. We had started with a used gas range that from a recycled goods place and their were several issues with it. When we do renovate the kitchen the range can move to the new space. -Robin |
|
| Hey all, I have really been working on the whole skimp/splurge issue as we have gotten new (hopefully, realistic, quotes). We are doing a semi large scale remodel/extension on the house we bought a year ago. Now that the numbers are in and are higher than we were led to believe, we have to rethink what is needed vs. what is not necessary. Like noted above, we have to make it worth doing without breaking the bank. There are some things that can wait but others that are tied into the project and would be not cost effective to delay on. To do the work, we have to cut wherever possible, which is hard because I thought I had already been cutting costs as much as I could, and the few things I didn't, we already own without being able to return. Our total will end up over $100k, but hopefully, not by much. Our splurges will be: semi splurges: Not the cheapest, but not crazy skimps: The biggest waste of money was for the architect's plans that have to be rewritten. We have spent thousands of dollars for plans that are too grand for our budget. At minimum, we have to just take off the front porch and lose some skylights. The worst case scenario is that we also have to give up extending the master bedroom (planned 4 foot extension to line up the back of the house straight across with the kitchen and den extension).
|
|
| raehelen I sure hope you like your rados as much as I like mine. When I first pulled it from the box though, I couldn't believe its size. It looks perfect with my very big sink. I also got the soap dispenser (splurge) and have just those two things at my sink. I am trying to become a minimalist. I hate clutter so this has made me happy. I am glad that someone else found blanco. I have their potfiller, too, and love it as well. |
|
- Posted by kpekitchen (My Page) on Thu, Nov 1, 07 at 11:14
| Splurge: Cherry cabinets (42" Natural) from cabinet maker in PA --Full extension drawers Brazilian cherry floors Granite countertop Glass blacksplash All SS appliances (but, they're GE Profile, so some may put it as a half-scrimp) Went with a GC instead of DIY Scrimp: |
|
| Rileydog: I am also looking at the Blanco Rados faucet because I am also looking at the Siligranit super single bowl sink. Do you think this faucet will look right for this sink? Does it by chance swival at all and if so how much? Any splashing problems if your sink is deep? The Siligranit will be around 9" deep. Right now I can't run down to a HD or anywhere because I live overseas so I am relying on GW for opinions. We will get to the states during Christmas and New Years and then I will run around. Thanks so much for your input! |
|
| Kulagal, The Blanco Rados swivels 360 degrees. Now I get to add another Scrimp- Figure if it doesn't work out, can always order the Blanco one later- Rileydog- do you happen to know what size hole was needed for the soap dispenser? And yes, boy this faucet is big! I am also pretty giddy about reducing the clutter from the sink area. |
|
| Our ongoing kitchen project is both a scrimp and a splurge. This, if not our forever house, is at least our "for a really long time" house. So we want something both beautiful and functional. But we're also committed to doing it without borrowing. It's in a 1947 bungalow we bought a year ago. It had a reasonably functional, but dated, 1970's kitchen. We wanted to add a dishwasher, give it a facelift, widen the opening between the DR and kitchen, and find a new location for the cooking area. I've added rough costs (CDN$) because I always find it helpful in posts. Apologies to those of you who will find this declasse :-). Our SCRIMPS: No changes to footprint - leaving us with 9'7 x 8'7 OUR SPLURGES: 2 new wood custom windows (including 5x4 counter height garden window)- $2500 In addition to these costs, we've spent roughly $1200 on electrician's costs to add some additional plugs, wire the cooktop, fan, etc, etc. Drywall/paint materials - $500. Wood shelving/brackets $300. Rough total: just over $17K (not incl backsplash tiles, which will be a future project). We'll probably come in around $20K when all is said and done. |
|
| Kulagal~ I don't have any problems with splashing in my sink with my rados faucet. It does indeed swivel up a storm if desired. I have the stainless steel and I think that would go well with your silgranite sink. raehelen~ I don't know what size hole was cut in the granite. I just handed the box to the installers and they cut away. I got a great price on the blanco faucets and soap dispenser from a friend in the business. It is a crazy price as were the grids for the sink I almost bought. That's why the ticor w/grids for around 250 was a great deal. |
|
| We aren't quite finished, but here is the scrimp/splurge list: Skimp: DIY electrical: added/moved recessed halo lighting, added mini halogens over island, added/moved 220 for induction cooktop, covection microwave, wall oven, dryer DIY demolition DIY added walk-in pantry and dedicated laundry room, including design/build of pantry fittings[decreased size of kitchen- it was too big to be functional- still huge area] DIY plumbing changes/install [the DIY not really a skimp- kind of fun] Kept Stainless Bosche d/w DIY customization and install of Ikea cabinets [not really a skimp] DIY paintiing of cabinets and walls DIY crown molding Kept heart pine floors Ikea wall sconces Lowes track lighting over sink wall White Americast sink [not really a scrimp- I had one for 10 years and I loved it- quiet, easy to keep clean, great value] SPLURGE: Mistake scrimp/splurge: |
|
| To Jenellcal, Did you have any trouble installing blumotion on your drawers? We are going to install them on 27 in. top drawers. Happy Thanksgiving! LM |
|
- Posted by diymadness (My Page) on Thu, Nov 22, 07 at 13:22
| I was working on a budget (refused to go into debt) and doing most of the work myself -- so my whole kitchen reno involved a lot of scrimping. Also, I'm still working on it, bit by bit, which allows me to afford things that I couldn't have afforded all at once. But some things were still splurges for me. Scrimp: Ikea cabinets (but in Tidaholm, one of their more expensive styles) Splurges: Nice bevel-edge on laminate counters |
|
| Here's some perspective on this issue: we did a whole house remodel in 1989/90, so I redesigned the U-shaped kitchen myself. Yes, went through the whole "bleeding money" thing - painful! Thus, we skimped on some things simply because There Was No Money Left. These items would be redone in a 2003 remodeling. Splurge: Worth it? Oh yes, definitely. The cabs clean like a dream, I can put dishes away sopping wet without harm, and I have two full-height pantries with pullout drawers, two fabulous Lazy Susan base cabs, an EZ-reach upper corner, and a base spice pullout. Full extension drawers, full-opening hinges, and finished sides/bottoms were STANDARD in those days! I love these cabs. Occasionally I go to Expo and check out the kitchen displays. There is nothing out there that feels or looks any more solid than my KM frameless (a line called Euro6 which they dropped in 1997). If I could take them with me when I leave, I'd do it in a heartbeat! I am rough and tough on my kitchen, but they look and perform as well now as in the beginning. Did I mention I love my cabs? ;)) 2) Splurged on an entire back wall of picture windows and a cathedral ceiling to top off a revised layout of the main living area. This changed a drab little cottage with the usual chopped-up rooms, into a stunning contemporary open plan where the LR, DR, and kitchen blend into one another. When you enter the house, you look straight through the LR into the kitchen and a fabulous hillside view. Worth every penny, and then some. My previous kitchen was a "black hole." What a change to not have to turn on the lights from an hour before sunrise to an hour after sunset! 3) Lots of lights for when it does get dark. Halogens were unheard of in 1989 and fluorescents were green and buzzy. Lighting consultants didn't exist, at least for low-budget kitchens like ours. I bought five recessed lights with eyeball trim for the whopping price of $6 each, a bargain even in 1989. I added a simple hanging globe pendant on a separate switch, over my next splurge listed below. If you add the two halogen range hood lights, I have 575 watts in a 13x14' kitchen - bright enough even for us aging four-eyed folks. No dimmers, I just use the hanging light if I want a gentler "light the way" mood. 4) A movable island cart. They aren't cheap now and they weren't cheap in 1989, either. In a modest kitchen, there really isn't room for the usual center island. It's only 5 steps from the furthest points - sink to refrig. BUT, even 5 steps with something really heavy - a full 7-qt Lodge cast iron stewpot, for instance - can be a pain, literally. And everyone needs as much counterspace as possible, right? So I splurged on an expandable, movable cart. It's 18" x 30" closed, holds a ton of stuff, and the top flips out to a full 5' of additional countertop. This gives us 30' of countertop in a modest-sized kitchen - not too bad for a room where 4' of one end of it is an open aisle to the back stairs. Scrimped on: I do, however, wish I'd known to plan for bigger or different-sized appliances. Trying to cram in as much storage as possible, I used no filler strips. So I'm limited to replacement appliances that fit in a certain sized space. I can't put in a pro-style stove, for example, because I have exactly - not a millimeter more - 29-7/8" for a stove. To put in a 30" stove I would need to rearrange 4 cabs and have one custom-made to match the existing - won't happen! 2) Flooring - installed a sheet vinyl remnant from HDepot. Easily replaced in 2003 with Metroflor solid vinyl tiles in a gorgeous slate-look. 3) Counters - I designed a total of 25', much more than I'd ever had before! But when the money ran out, pre-formed laminate in-stock counters from HDepot were installed instead of something fancier. Both my DH and I loathe tile, so it was never an option. The laminate was fine for many years. Really, it's space and layout that count the most, not materials per se. In 2003 we upgraded the countertops to Swanstone. At that point we also switched out the sink and faucet, going from a durable but irritating Kohler Executive Chef double sink (our big pots couldn't fit) to an easier-to-clean, what-we-wanted Swanstone single sink. BTW, I think it's worth spending $$ on a good sink. They really do take a lot of abuse. That Kohler looked as good when it was pried out as the day it first went in. We gave it to a friend for a rental apartment, in fact. No matter where you splurge or where you scrimp, the essence of a good kitchen remodel is one that produces a kitchen which is more efficient and more of a pleasure to cook in. We are at the stage where anything I spend on the kitchen is now a splurge. There is nothing that will make it work better, just fancier stuff that would be "dressing it up." And even after all these years, I still love being in my kitchen! It was the best thing we ever did, and even with the mistakes I made, worth all the money and angst. |
|
| I'm not sure if I can really say we've consciously thought in terms of scrimping and splurging...the house is 110+ years old and our intent of staying true to the age and style of the house precludes much of what would probably fall under the category of splurging. We're keeping the original kitchen cabinets and we'll just prep them, paint them but switch to some vintage brass and ceramic knobs we found at the ReStore (36 knobs for $20!). The flooring under the grungy old vinyl is pine which we'll keep and refinish if needed. As old house owners much of what we're doing is revealing the original features and finishes that need rejuvenation rather than replacing. Patterned backsplash tiles I found again at ReStore and I really love them so I don't think of their ReStore price tag as a scrimp. I suppose the new, coordinating, solid color Saltillo backsplash tiles were the splurge. The light fixtures are not pricey but are consistent with an old house kitchen so I don't really see them as a scrimp. The kitchen had 2 bare bulbs hanging from wires for light fixtures when we moved in, so anything is a splurge over that! |
|
| So - what do you think? We are SO_O out of money - but HAVE to finish before we consider selling our rambling multi-level to the next generation. If I put in a cheap OTR microhood, instead of a more attractive curved undercabinet vent - it will save big bucks on 1) initial price of unit, 2) not needing a tiled backsplash 3) and can just use the recirculating feature instead of installation work to connect to outside existing vent. Then perhaps can afford to install a warming drawer where the gaping hole in my microwave cabinet (on other wall) is. OR - should I leave it gaping and go for replacing the front bay window, which is currently being propped up with concrete blocks - negating all the rest of the to the studs renovation we have done in the house. Blast this darned market downturn! |
|
| jubileej, you might want to post your questions under their own discussion topic in the forum, so you don't hijaak the OP's thread. |
|
- Posted by vwhippiechick (My Page) on Mon, Dec 10, 07 at 0:36
| What great reading. Surprising how differently we think things are a scrimp or splurge. We are in the middle of our remodel, here's my list. But first, special thanks to my hubby, who agreed to sell some of our toys ('65 Mustang Fastback) to underwrite the makeover. What a guy! Scrimps Splurges: Looking forward to finding out if these were all good choices. Cabinets due next week.
|
|
| Our project is one that grew. We have a 60's ranch style house that had knotty pine cabinets. I painted them around 10 years ago. Started out to just repaint cabinet doors, but after checking out this site decided to get new Shaker style doors, It has grown from there. The last door order is due this next week. I started in July, and I am ready to finally be through with the cabinets. Scrimps Kept same footprint and cabinets DIY painting of bases and mounting new doors. DIY demo of old bar and changing out a couple of cabinets. DIY crown molding to match cabinets. There was shoe molding up there when we first bought the house. Kept oak floors Kept two year old white refrigerator and DW-- an LG French-door model and a Whirlpool DW (had a bad experience with Bosch. Seal and timer went out after about 5 years, and the parts were discontinued, and this was an expensive DW) Kept a six year old GE Profile gas range (also white--DH likes white) One of the burners needs to be looked at, but it is still in great shape. Will keep the faucet. It is brushed nickel& moderately priced from HD. Delta, I think. Didn't order doors to go to the ceiling because it would have doubled the price of the doors for 4 extra inches of door. DH hates them, and I almost reordered, but he decided he could live with them. It does limit what will fit on the top shelf, and if I had it to do over, I would get the full sized doors. No disposal. I just never have used one. Most of it goes in the compost pile. Got a cabinet off the shelf at Lowes to do a small island. We are pushing it to have an island in our space, but love the extra counter space. Neither a splurge nor a skimp Splurges By reusing, doing most of the work ourselves, and buying in phases, we have been able to do this project without borrowing any money. The drawback is that we had a mess for longer than I would have liked. It is coming together though, and I like the kitchen for the first time in the 18 years we have lived here. I am amazed that I am talking about a new kitchen at all. |
|
| Our kitchen isn't finished but so far here's what we've done: Scrimp: Kenmore appliances instead of Viking/Subzero (maybe someday) Faucets (designerplumbingoutlet.com) used chrome finish instead of ORB or brushed nickel Cabinets Diamond from Lowes- DH Installed them Prefinished OakFloors DH installed them too No Instant Hot or Garbage Disposal Barstools from Target.com Splurge: Still need : |
|
| Oooh, what a fun topic! My kitchen isn't finished yet, and we didn't skimp much because this is the house we plan to die in, but here's my list: Skimp: saltillo tile floor (not really a skimp because it's beautiful, but it is cheap--$1/sq ft) simple one-bowl cast-iron sink skipped the sprayer, soap dispenser and pot filler Thermador double ovens (would have been a splurge except we got a floor model) top of the line KitchenAid dishwasher (would have been a splurge except ditto) regular dryer instead of the one that "matches" the front-loading washer not really a skimp b/c I like it better, but a 4' wide pantry "closet" in the kitchen with shelves and a pair of doors--*so* much cheaper than the equivalent amount of cabinets wood countertops made on-site from tongue-and-groove wood flooring Splurge: separate scullery to keep mess and dishwasher noise out of sight and hearing built-in hutch between dining rm and scullery with drawers that open both ways: i.e. in the scullery you open the drawers and load them with clean dishes and silver, and in the dining room you open the same drawers to set the table. Thermador pro-style cooktop French-door fridge separate walk-in pantry 20 cu' upright freezer (*so* done with bending and rummaging in my old chest freezer!) custom Arts and Crafts style light fixtures custom all-wood true divided light windows two days of a cabinetmaker's time to draw up my very non-standard designs, plus building same LauraG |
|
| My skimp was to keep the original cabinets and have new doors made for them. I'm also keeping my original black dishwasher because it's only about 3 years old. I splurged on everything else...granite, hardwood floors, new window, new lighting, ss appliances, and $400 for a ss Broan hood. I didn't even ask the price of the granite...just saw what I wanted and said that's it. My splurges may not seem like much but keep in mind this is only a $300,000 house near Boston. |
|
| This thread has been very enlightening about how other people think and what their priorities are....thanks for starting it Alku! Still helping us all! The hardest thing for me was the change in door style (switched from Artesia...which I love! to Anson...similar but lacks the raised center panel.) Everything else I could probably live with permanently eliminating...but not the door! I have already told my DH that after we've paid for this remodel I want to begin saving again to replace the doors. I will hold off on the decorative door panels until I've replaced the other doors with my Artesia door! (Why pay for an Anson door end panel when I plan to replace them eventually?) * Can be added/changed later as funds become available! Re: Organization Closets in FR. Now that we're DIYing the Mudroom, we've decided instead to put in a built-in desk and surround it w/cabinets for books, games, etc. This is actually turning out better than we had planned...sometimes it does help to have a limited budget...it forces you to think and make choices that often ultimately lead to a better design/plan! I should note here that we knew we were over budget (our KD kept reminding us!). However, in the end we decided to plan the "ideal" kitchen and then go from there. Even if we don't have everything we want right now, we have a plan for eventually getting most of what we want. And, since this is probably our "forever" house, we have time to do it! |
|
- Posted by elizabeth96 (My Page) on Fri, Jan 4, 08 at 21:41
| We're in the process of redoing our 1942 kitchen. After reading these posts, I realized that what seemed like splurges to me may in fact be considered skimps! But we're happy with how it's turning out so far. Our house is not a high end one in our area, so it wouldn't make sense to overdo it. I guess the main splurge for us is that we decided to renovate our whole home before moving in, and it's been 5 years so far...! Here's what we've done: **We completely rewired and replumbed the whole house. The contractor who did the rewiring is an old friend. He hasn't charged us anything yet, and despite our nagging him for a bill for 2 years, we don't know if he ever will. **We installed HD Thomasville cabinets, which I guess are middle of the road. We had them painted, which was more expensive. Our kitchen is really small--there's only one pull-out cabinet! So no bells and whistles there. Our walls are not plumb so the installer had to do a little magic to get them in. Because we ordered everything incl. the installation through HD, and they had some really good specials going on (ex, $750 gift card), we saved ourselves some dough. **We were going to use Renovations for lighting, which is pretty expensive. But we found some really inexpensive and cool 40's lights that are just right for our home. We wanted to keep it to the period if we could. **Refinishing the old fir floors is really popular in our area and a good selling point. You never know if they're going to turn out okay, but ours turned out great. It's one of the best features in our kitchen. **We have yet to install countertops and appliances. Of course, we'd like to splurge and go with granite and stainless steel. But we painted the walls a light yellow shade that's hard to match, so we may have to repaint. Since we want to get moved in asap, we're going to put in butcher block from IKEA and a beadboard backsplash. We'll see if we can't buy some white appliances from someone switching their's out for stainless. Then we'll replace those things down the road. **Oh, and one more "splurge" was to hire a designer, and then another one, and another one. We ended up going with mostly our own ideas, wouldn't you know. But I wouldn't say it was a total waste, because it helped us to hone our own style. This was the first major kitchen remodel we've done, and we've learned a lot. I'm so glad to have this forum to go to for advice, it has really helped! |
|
| after having gone thorugh all of the purchasing, i have another angle on scrimp vs. save. that is, when to go "retail" and when to bargain hunt. i was comfortable saving money on plumbing fixtures by doing an extensive internet search...and ordering with plenty of time for any problems. but i ended up going to a local tile shop where i know the prices are not the lowest availa ble (bill v.- if you're reading this, you will HATE how much I paid for my Adex beveled subway!!)but, they are around the corner from me, had lots of samples i could run home with, could get whatever i wanted in a couple of days, and were full of good advice in helping me pick both the floor and backsplash tiles. doing this on my own, i really appreciated them and feel i got my money's worth. in fact, the owner even talked me down on how much floor tile to buy - which only hurt her revenue - and she was right about the amount. |
|
- Posted by footballmom (My Page) on Tue, Feb 19, 08 at 11:05
| Glad, We all need to know which city you are in! |
|
| lol, footballmom. i am in fairfield county, ct -- aka nyc metro -- aka $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ :) |
|
- Posted by mariel1951 (My Page) on Thu, Feb 28, 08 at 19:16
| On January 2nd, I demolished (really did! Loved that hammer! And had a great time after an argument with my 22-yr old son! A gal has to find some stress-relief, right?!) all the cabinets and soffits, re-mudded the walls and ceiling (after installing some pieces of sheetrock where the soffits used to be) removed the old vinyl flooring and old glue, and now I am starring at blank walls for another few days. In my spare time (3-6 am, hey! I am a 58yr old woman who can't sleep!), I designed on paper my ultimate kitchen (of course on a small budget!) I found an incredible cabinet maker who is charging me about $4500 for great cherry cabinets with soft close doors and drawers (no extra cost), glass or wood doors (my choice), full extension drawers, all drawers in base cabinets as I asked. Total of 26 cabinets including 2 giant floor-to-ceiling special designed/built large pantries, crown molding and all my little special requirements (oh the price also includes install of cabinets and granite). See his website: http://www.gwkitchen.com/index11.html. The granite I chose for my 2 long (39 sq/ft) countertops is "absolute black" 3CM granite for $1400 (you can check out their granites on same website). I just cannot be happier! No fancy name brand but great quality just the same. Scrimp: Splurge: And most importantly? Researching and shopping on the internet with companies who offer free shipping and tax and reading every single blog on this website and getting incredible ideas from you guys to make my kitchen even better and elegant. Should be done within 2 weeks and will try to post before and after pictures. |
|
| Has anyone seen the Thermodore mirrored silver finish? I can't find anywhere in Central Ohio to see it. I am going to have an induction, just trying to decide on which brand. This silver seems like a good choice with my stainless appliances. any thoughts? |
|
| Responding about the Thermador (but I think it needs to be a new thread). I've seen it - it is very mirrored, but quite sharp looking. We decided on the Monogram silver sight unseen partly because of the price difference and partly because I think the Monogram is a better cooktop. I wouldn't want the Thermador anywhere near natural sunlight as the surface is potentially very reflective. |
|
| bump |
|
| Scrimped on IKEA cabinets (would have loved Italian modern cabinetry, sigh) Splurged on appliances and complete change in layout, plumbing, and electrics |
|
| bump |
|
- Posted by cupofkindness (My Page) on Mon, Jan 3, 11 at 7:07
| Great thread! |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Kitchens Forum
Instructions
- You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
- HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
- No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.