Loves2-

Absolutely scrumptious. Your interior fittings are drool-worthy. Congratulations on a super job!

LC

Great job. I realy love your creative use of space and your custom cabinets are to die for. The best part is that it is so unique. Congrats and enjoy!

Gorgeous! Wow! Would love to see the toe kick drawers in relation to the full cabs. Wow!!

Wow wee man! Awesome transformation with storage galore!

Beautiful! I remember seeing your two-tone cabinets earlier, and thought they were very special. The town we moved from last spring is just down the road from Nappanee -- great craftsmen in that part of the country! I'm glad you're enjoying your gorgeous new kitchen.

Arlene

Still one of my favorite kitchens! Love the custom "corbels" on your overhang--so sleek and contemporary! Everything is so cool looking: the handles, the different woods, your granite (I helped vote for that one!), I can't decide what I like best about your kitchen!

Oh, and your hanging-pan storage cab is pure genius--I'm quite envious!

OT, but you were very helpful while I was deciding about getting my A-C pots and pans--I added another A-C pot to my collection recently--a 4 qt soup pot from W-S (everywhere else it's called a 4 qt casserole, but W-S sells it as a soup pot, with a large A-C ladle, all for ~$50 less than the other stores and it is the identical pot--same model # on the box). I love using all of them (have been seriously considering adding the 6 qt buffet pan to my collection, too...I think you helped to create a monster!).

Wow!!! I LOVE your kitchen. Very unusual, great use of space. Your hardware is to die for. Hard to believe it is the same space. This is definitely one of my favorite kitchens I've seen.

TOtally cool. I love it. The checkerboards are more than great, and so is the hardware. The 2-way trash is an amazingly good idea.

Fabulous - you've got all the bells and whistles working beautifully. I want those toe kick drawers!

Beautiful and functional! I love all your choices--the diagonal wood floor, your pendants, counter, storage, cabinet handles. What a transformation!

Congratulations on a very personal and beautiful kitchen!
Thanks also for sharing so many details with photos...
pretty cool faucet and hardware!
vic

I've never seen anything like it! So contemporary! I love that hanging pan storage cabinet. Why didn't I think of that!

What a fabulous kitchen! I saw your pot hanger in the cabinet quite awhile ago and loved it so much I ripped off your idea and am putting one in my kitchen. You know what they say about imitation and flattery, don't you? :D

Love it! Very unique! I love that you took some chances with your design! Are your cabinets and drawers always that neat? If so, I am truly jealous : )

Such a cool kitchen. Love all your storage ideas. Checkerboard pattern on the cabs, really fantastic and unique pulls, especially the manhandle. Great and creative job.

Your kitchen is special since it is unique, pretty and so contemporary with the most wonderful storage!

What width are your hardwood floors and what species since it goes so well with the contemporary feel of your kitchen. I never thought I liked diagonal wood floors but your floor has change my mind since in a wood species like you have the floor does not look too busy on the diagonal like it does to me with floors with a lot of variation in color. Thanks for sharing.

BLUSH

Thanks guys - I really and truely would not have had this fabulous working kitchen without the help of my GW friends and my friend Julie who helped design the cabinet doors and I definitely wouldn't have all this cool stuff if it weren't for Ken at Ayr. If I said "can we do this?" he always said we'll find a way and he did. Thanks Ken!!

LOL igchic - there's NO BACKSPLASH and there might never be one. I LOVE rknee All my toe kick drawers are visable in the pics above: There are two drawers in the butlers pantry - the one is open and the one next to it is closed, there is one under the double ovens, and the bottom can drawer is the 4th one. The really nice thing about the drawers is they are regular drawers that go into the toe kick space making them deeper and also with a funny little ledge in the front as you can see in the open drawers. There's no way we would have got three layers of cans in there without going into that space.

Cat_mom TY!! Love your kitchen too and every time I see it I drool over your backsplash.

AC is the best!! Cookwarenmore.com has a bi-annual sale where they sell seconds. I bought a roasting pan during the sale and I swear you can't see the imperfection. Totally worth it for up to 50% off.

Oh and to give credit where credit is due, the idea for the pot hanging cabinet came from a kitchen I saw on here. It was that beautiful white kitchen inspired by the one in the movie Something's gotta give belonging to susanandmarkw

rhome - thanks!! The hardware comes from many sources. The fridge and DW handles come from New Zealand IIRC. The rest are discontinued Hafale handles and knobs that I fell in love with and ended up not being able to get locally cause no one had stock anymore. They ended up coming from Germany. And the Manhandle, well the manhandle was a total splurge. It gets so many comments and does a brilliant job of hiding the pantry cause no one thinks it's a handle. We just love him.

Jeannie - I am honored... you have one of the most stunningly gorgeous kitchens I have ever seen with an attention to detail like no other AND YOU LIKE MY KITCHEN!! I am humbled. Thank you

Janran, thanks for noticing the floor. We replaced all the carpets on the first floor with the beech boards and putting it on the diagonal opened up the entire area. It makes it look so much bigger (was another budget overload though - I think we needed 10% more material and labor was also more but so worth it)

sweetd13, yep it's hard to mess up the cabinets and drawers as everything fits so perfectly. Now don't ask about the counters OK and I won't have to shoot you

Love the checkerboard, the squiggly knobs, the strong sense of individuality that shines through this kitchen. Hate the 1980s (bet you were glad to get rid of those cabs).

Now you have me blushing loves2cook4six! I am honored that you, with the lust-worthy kitchen, loves mine!

I absolutely think the Stilatto (sp? still can't get it right after all this time!) tile would look awesome in your kitchen! One of the warmer (deeper?) colors would look terrific with your cabs and granite. You could install it vert. or horiz. and it would work.

Please keep me posted as to that sale. The W-S outlet not too far from us sells seconds at about 20% or 30% off list, but I can get first quality with a 20% off coupon at a nearby cooking store (or even Fortunoff or Bloomingdales when they have their sales/coupons) so the outlet's certainly no bargain. The 6 qt pan is the only thing on my more immediate wish list at this time (with a roasting pan on the slightly further down the road list!), but I know more will tempt me--I'm really enjoying them. A new kitchen and good cookware certainly do make cooking more fun, huh? LOL

That's really cool!

What a fantastic kitchen! So nice to see something truely different.

The man handle is the best!

Loves2cook - As I was scrolling through your pics, my cheeks were starting to hurt I was smiling so big! It must be an absolute JOY to work in your new space -- it is obviously so well thought out, not mention to die for gorgeous! I love that you literally seem to find a functional use for every inch! I covet the Manhandle -- just fantastic! Wow, wow, wow - thanks for sharing - this one is great!

Boy your kitchen is really beautiful. You utilized every inch of space. Can you tell me more about your pots? Did you get the SS ones with the copper bottom? Did you get the coated ones. I am looking for pots for my new kitchen also. I would appreciated any help about your cookware.

Wow - your kitchen turned out great and unique. I love the checkerboard effect and the contemporary feeling of your kitchen. I'm sure enjoying cooking in there!

What a creative, artful and beautiful kitchen! So many unexpected things. Gotta LOVE it! Having the range in the middle where one would normally expect a sink. Great idea. Good working space on either side! Having the sink where one would think would be the area for the range. Great working area away from the other working space.

The handles. What can I say? If you tire of them....I will gladly take them off your hands! They are so special. I love them!

I also love that you did the floor on the diagonal. The wood is gorgeous on the cabs and the flooring. Great use of space. Great job. So creative! So beautiful. I am sure the pictures don't do it justice!

I don't have a house I could even contemplate a contemporaary kitchen in, but I've really enjoyed watching yours come together. If I were to swap kitchens with you, I think I might switch the pendants (I'm a blue person, love red too, but I wouldn't pick yellow), but I admire everything else. Your kitchen has what I love most -- function and great use of available space, creativity and personality. It's warm and fun, has a rich beauty and is "kicky" too. And it's all yours. Enjoy every bit of it.

Your new kitchen is so fun! And beautiful! Your knobs are a riot - especially the "man handle". The checkerboard on the cabinets is really cool. Who came up with all these great ideas? I have never seen a kitchen like it. I love the corbels on your bar - straight out of the Jetsons! I think I must spend too much time looking at traditional kitchens. Your kitchen is a breath of frest air followed by a giggle. Enjoy your new space and thanks for sharing.

Gorgeous kitchen! I love the way you combined the maple, cherry, and walnut. You're handles are unbelievable too. Your kitchen must be an absolute dream to work in with all the custom builtin organizers. You lucky, lucky girl.

What a lovely, interesting and different kitchen. Enjoy!

Judy

That is one 'WOW' of a kitchen! I'll bet you are having a blast working in it! Love the cooktop in front of the window...what a pleasant place to stir a pot of stew!

Congratulations, loves2cook! You've really pulled it off and then some!

Sandy

Where did you find the metal braces holding up the bar height counter? Those are amazing. thanks

What a beautiful space. I am sure you are are going to love to cook even more now. I also love the checkerboard. Its also great seeing how you organized everything. Love the pullout pantry.
Congrats & I hope you get to make TG dinner.

Wow! How mod! How organized! How personal! What attention to detail! It's a great space that is so uniquely "you". I bet that room lifts your spirits whenever you enter it-- which is what we all hope for in our remodels. Congratulations on a beautiful space and a job well done.

There's nothing I can add to what's already been said but ... oh-my-gawd, that is one heck of a kitchen! You are a girl after my own heart with regard to organization and storage, but you've done things I never even dreamed of. And your finishes are to die for. So, congratulations, and don't make yourself black-and-blue pinching yourself every time you walk into that unbelievably beautiful space.

You have, hands down, THE most organized and efficient kitchen I have ever come across. Bravo on the great job of planning and enjoy your amazing new kitchen!

OMG I LOVE love LOVE your kitchen!

I would walk in there every morning & spend my whole day smiling - what a feel good space! Yeah yeah, I know, it's very unusual & personal & unique & might not appeal to everyone, but while the quirkiness & fun factor is a big part of it, it also looks utterly elegant & highly functional.

Just beautiful! I remember seeing some of the details you've posted in the past; it's an absolute delight seeing how wonderfully you've put it all together.

Yours is one of the kitchens I would just love to visit in person!

I am so happy to see your incredible & incredibly thoughtful kitchen in its entirety! Seriously -- looking at your kitchen makes me think: if only. It is so organized and the attention to detail is just meticulous.

I hope I don't hurt your feelings by writing this, but it reminds me of a wonderfully playful, exuberant kitchen I saw on tv (HGTV's I Want That! Kitchens) -- theirs was based on an open-concept restau (I think) they saw in Circus Circus (again, I think) in Las Vegas. I loved that kitchen, although I don't think their function was as good as yours by half. I just love yours too. (Actually, I love yours more because in addition to be incredibly fun it's also incredibly thoughtful in terms of its use.)

You know what else I love? The six braid challah you taught me how to do! I've not been as good about making challah every week (we've been experimenting with other breads), but every time I do, it's your six braid! (ours never, ever looks as good as yours, but with a four and two year-old "helping" with the braid, it looks as good as it can!)

Anyway, I can't stop scrolling back up to look at your pictures!

I'm sorry the GE Monograms couldn't be resuscitated -- what a bummer! (I remember your post about the ongoing problems with them.) But I'm so pleased the Miele(s) will work out. (We have the Miele's cousin, Thermador columns, and love them!)

Really nice kitchen. But you must know that that man-handle is quite disgusting. Quite brings down an otherwise lovely room. I'm going to email you my address - send that to me and I'll get rid of it for you. And while you're at it, there are a few other things that you might want to let me get rid of for you too: that two-toned pantry door that he's attached to for one ...

BTW, any chance you could take some close-in pictures of the upper door handles? They look quite interesting but can't quite make them out in the pictures since they've been taken from far enough away. No doubt they're perfectly foul too, but would like to confirm my suspicions.

;-)
GORGEOUS and unique kitchen. Congratulations!

Still think you should let me get rid of your pantry door and climbing-man for you, though.

Lovely kitchen. The mix of woods is fantastic and I covet, covet, COVET those wonderful pendants. As someone noted upthread, this kitchen must make you so happy every time you get to cook in it. Congratulations on a great job.

I *love* the great use of storage space. Ingenious functional storage gets me every time, even before the fun/funky form :) So much to learn from here. And I can tell from all your implements that this kitchen is *every bit* a real working kitchen, not a flash for flash's sake showpiece. What's not to love! :)

I looked at your pics quickly yesterday before I had to run off to coach, and I've been trying to think how to express what your kitchen does for me.

As someone else said, it's the quirkiness that is so appealing and refreshing. I keep thinking it's a room someone that works at Disney might design. Or...if the Jetsons' kitchen was actually being designed this year instead of 40(?) years ago!
Anyhow- just add my kudos to the list! Well done!!!

Fabulous! One of the best contemporary kitchens I've seen!
Congrats to you on the achievement.

WoW!! THANK YOU GUYS. I was so nervous posting here - this issuch unusual kitchen that I truely wasn't sure how it would be received but we absolutely love it and I am so glad you do too.

I really think the biggest help was working out where everything would go when we were done and then setting up the "kitchen" floorplan in the garage using appliance boxes and working through a couple of our make-a-lot meals. We refined it quite a bit that way and the actual kitchen has met or exceeded all our expectations in function and form.

The one thing I sometimes wish we would have changed is moving one DW more into the prep area making cleanup easier but the reasoning for not doing it was sound form over function :) We didn't want to see the prep sink from the front door and that was the only other floor-plan that worked. I keep having to remind myself of that.

dancefit my pots are All-Clad Stainless. We bought them because non of our old pots and pans except for the Le Creuset Dutch ovens were not compatible with the induction top. I LOVE these pans. They are awesome to cook with. They've definitely made me a better cook.

mustbnuts - the floor-plan was inspired by out of the box thinking by my then 7 yr old LOL. He wanted me to watch him play outside while I was cooking. Initially there was some reserve here about putting the cooktop under the window but code in our village allows it as long as there are no combustible materials like fabric around and if the windows open, which ours do, the cooktop cannot be gas which ours isn't

lascatx - great minds think alike!! The yellow pendant was supposed to be the back up in case any of the others ever broke. The one that should have been there is a blue one but the electrician put them up without consulting me - he didn't think it made a difference - and then to get him back would have cost $100 so we live with it for now. It's still beautiful.

Auchmedden The checkerboard was from my inspiration kitchen and my friend Julie, who is a graphic designer sat down with me, a few copies of the elevation and brown, yellow and black crayons and we worked it all out in about an hour although I couldn't have done it alone.

Crabapplemcn and others: the metal braces were custom made for my kitchen. Our granite fabricator has worked with Eric, the stainless steel fabricator from Indiana, before and together we designed the look I wanted. Eric consulted with the installation crew and together they figured out how it would be installed. The wall they attach to was built to take the weight of the bar PLUS those pullout seats from innovative-seating. We ran out of money so just have standing stools there now.

Acountryfarm - we had TG dinner last year for 44 WITH NO PLUMBING in the sinks and an oven that I didn't realise at the time was 50 degree too low LOL This year I have plumbing and only 14 people coming. I'm really looking forward to it.

maydl,redroze and moonkat - thank you :) Come on over any time just give me some warning so I can get the counters organized

rmkitchen - you're a GENIUS!!! THAT WAS MY INSPIRATION KITCHEN!! Their kitchen was based on Circus Circus but I took most of the colorful elements out - wow you have a good memory. I saw the kitchen in a magazine and my inspiration came from there. I didn't hear about the TV show until much later

Here's one of the pictures we used for inspiration!

mindstorm - you had me there for a minute. [GRIN] but my manhandle doesn't like to fly and he hates being packaged in a little box. He likes it just where he is and he's staying put.

These are our upper knobs

Our inspiration kitchen had about 15 different handles but the space was about 4 times what we have. It would have looked like a circus.

zeebee - I'd tell you where I got the pendants but then you might have to shoot ME. It wasn't easy working with THAT glass blower but any good local glass blower should be able to make you something similar.

Flyleft and others. A lot of the storage solutions are unique. DH is a fledgling woodworker and did all the fittings for the inside of the drawers including the can drawers. Everything was made to measure which is why it all fits so well. A HUGE advantage of going fully custom. The rest is due in HUGE part to Ken at Ayr cabinetry. We tweaked this layout to make sure EVERY inch was used. He never said no to a single request. I think I drove him nuts but it was SOOOO worth it.

raehelen :)

Thanks again everyone. Now I must run and clean up the mess I made making dinner: Beef Brisket, mashed potatoes, broccoli and La Bete Noir! Sorry - no pictures.

See, the problem with arriving so late to the praise party is that everyone has already said everything I would have said. . . and probably 10X better. But, I will say this Loves: I've been following your reno for more than a year now. During that time I've also been blessed by sharing of great advice for me on my own kitchen reno. So, to now see your finished project -- so beautiful, creative,functional and stepping out of the box in every way yet responsive to every of a serious cook's room-- well it just takes my breath away! I'm so very happy for you! You go!

Now, you've inspired me to try and think up something for my classic white kitchen that can be even a fraction as clever and stunning as that fantastic manhandle! :)

I LOVE contemporary and your kitchen is tops! Congrats on a job well done!

OMG! It is just so funky-fabu-licious!!!! You would not believe how many times I have thought "has lovestocook ever posted her final kitchen?" LOVE the man handle and those pendants! It is amazing.

Congrats

Beautiful! You thought of everything. Great job.

old, old post but I'm bumping for trixiemo :)

And if anyone has suggestions for a backsplash.... Yup, still don't have one. Not sure I need one either except we thought we were putting one in and so the counters are not scribed to the walls.

loves2cook4six, did you see my thread with a question for you about your Hafele corner unit? Follow the link, please.

Thank you!!

Your kitchen is so well organized! And I *love* the checkerboard inlay on your cabs.