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Pip's Finished Kitchen! Lots of pics

pip
13 years ago

Thanks to the many inspiring kitchens and knowledgeable people on this site, we just finished our 5 week remodel of our kitchen. The collective wisdom on this site helped us so much during the remodel!

The previous kitchen had been remodeled within the last 10 years, but it was separated from the rest of the home and lacked sufficient counter space for a family of four. We decided to tear down the wall that separated the kitchen and laundry room and expand into the dining room to give us more counter space. The windows in the corner were too low to run counters and that proved to be a design challenge. Instead of raising the windows which would have altered the architecture of the exterior of the home, we decided to make the area a banquette. We also moved the old doorway off the foyer and created two larger arches which open up the kitchen to the living and dining room.

The space was too small for an island, so we had our counter top fabricator make us a work table that is movable -- it has wheels and we can roll it out of the way if we want to open up the kitchen.

Details:

Cabinets - custom by Los Angeles cabinetmaker - maple shaker style (bar area is espresso finish)

Countertops - Madre Perla quartzite

Backsplash - White onyx staggered tile

Faucet - KWC Eve

Sink - Franke

All KitchenAid appliances, except for GE profile microwave Vent-a-hood

Lighting - onxy pendants purchased at Lighting Emporium

Pulls - Great Indoors

Floors - White Oak hardwoods to match the rest of the home

Paint- Martha Stewart "Fossil"

Before:



During:

After:

















and, of course, a photo of Pip himself, enjoying his new kitchen...

Comments (104)

  • trailgirl
    13 years ago

    Ok, now that I have finished with all the sighing I was doing earlier, I have a couple of quick questions. Is your KWC Eve the full size one, and how do you like it? Any other similar faucets under consideration? Also there is a little cabinet with backsplash between the fridge and the door, how did you end the mosaic, is there a pencil liner or a bevel on the tile, or did you just end it? I will have a similar spot in my kitchen.

    All your choices work seamlessly together!

  • cookpr
    13 years ago

    Any feedback on the Kitchen Aid dual fuel range?

    Always seems like a good value ($3000 cheaper than others), but was always sketchy on there are not many owners of those.

    Any thoughts you would have would be appreciated.

  • pip
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    hi trailgirl, we got the full size KWC Eve. I also like the KWC Systema - it has the sprayer. In retrospect, we probably should have chosen that one for the sprayer, but I liked the Eve design a little better. It's a bummer you can't test out faucets at the showroom. As for the lip for the backsplash, we just ended the tile and they caulked the edge.

    cookpr, so far we are happy with the KitchenAid dual fuel range. Easy to clean and cooks nicely (although the real test will be over the holiday when we bake the turkey and the fixins). We considered the Wolf 36 in/6 burner but ultimately ended up getting a great deal on the KA appliances so that was the reason we selected it. But so far no complaints.

    Pip says thanks for all the love!

  • taggie
    13 years ago

    Oh my goodness, this is one of the most beautiful kitchens I've ever seen.

    I love, love, love the window seat!! Can imagine sitting visiting there, and scratching pips neck while he stretches out too.

    He's a gorgeous weim! We had a weim (named Shotsy) who looked very like him, with the exact same splotch of white on his chest. Pip's picture brings back such memories. Best dog in the world ... boy do I miss him.

    Congratulations on your beautiful kitchen.

  • momto4inor
    13 years ago

    That is a truly beautiful kitchen! Congratulations and all the best for you and your family! I'm sure you will love it for years to come!

  • cardamon
    13 years ago

    Beautiful kitchen to raise a family in. You must wake up happy and go to bed pleased with all your choices, they are lovely. Best wishes for the holiday and in the days to come in your new kitchen.

  • kateskouros
    13 years ago

    ohhhhhhh, this is simply beautiful! i'm especially loving the sparkly backsplash i love it all! enjoy your new kitchen ...and have very happy holidays in it!

  • shelayne
    13 years ago

    Wowzers! Merry Christmas to YOU! Little elves were surely busy in your house! Five weeks?? ;^)

    That is a really beautiful space! That backsplash and c-top makes me drool! Love your banquette and your hood--it ALL looks fab!

    Congrats and enjoy!

  • suzanne_sl
    13 years ago

    Pip - I'm looking hard at your cabinets because that is a very similar style to what we're looking at. Did you chamfer the inner edge of your stiles and rails or just leave them at 90 degrees to the panel? I can't really tell. We have concerns about the bottom ledge collecting gunk.

    It looks like your old cabinets were the same style, so maybe you have some experience here.

    Merry Christmas!

  • chinchette
    13 years ago

    Am I the only one who noticed how well your dog,Pip coordinates with the kitchen color: contrasts with the floor, and picks up the tones of the backsplash?! Perfect!

    I love your kitchen. The new table sounds great. Could you tell me anything about the fabric on your Parson's chairs in the dining area? I love that.

  • NewEnglandgal
    13 years ago

    Pip.
    I LOVE your new kitchen!!! Can I ask the name brand and color of your cabinets???? I am looking to get white or cream colored cabinets and love yours. I was thinking of doing my island in a blue grey cabinet but not sure how it would look. Love your dark wood with the white. Any info is much appreciated. How long did it take you to decide on everything?

  • Pipdog
    13 years ago

    Hi there, my pip log in is giving me problems so I had to create a new screen name!

    thanks Sammy62 - our cabinets are custom by a local cabinet maker. The white ones are painted "Whisper" by Dunn Edwards and the bar area ones are stained in espresso. We considered doing all white but I am glad we chose dark to give some contrast. A blue grey island with white cabinets sounds lovely! There is another recent kitchen on here that has a fantastic blue island with soapstone and white cabs. I'm blanking on the name right now, but it was within the last 2 weeks. It took us about 2 months to pick out our finishes. The counters and backsplash were the hardest selections.

    suzannesl, our cabinets are shaker style and have the ledge at the bottom. I've noticed that debris and Pip's dog hair does collect there, but it's nothing that a quick wipe down won't fix. It would be great if there was a slope, but I do like the square shaker style.

    chincette, the coordination with the dog wasn't accidental ;) We just bought the Parson's chairs and I asked about the fabric and was told it was discontinued. I call it the "Enron" fabric because it sort of looks like the logo of the failed energy giant if you squint at it. They were found at a furniture store on La Brea Ave -- not sure of the brand or manufacturer. I'm sorry I can't be of more help!

  • Pipdog
    13 years ago

    chincette, here's a better pic of the chair fabric

  • chinchette
    13 years ago

    Thanks Pip. I was thinking of getting two Parson's in a similar print that has the exact same colors. This gave me more of an idea that they will look really nice. However, my Calico that carried it closed. But I can see how the bold geometric in that color works. In your case, I also like the view of them through the kitchen, and the flow of how its all coordinated room to room.

  • sillybilly5
    13 years ago

    Congrats! I love all of the elements that you chose, but my favourite is the banquette. I love it when I can turn a design roadblock into something better than was originally planned. You definitely did that with your banquette. Hope you, your family and Pip enjoy this space for many years.

  • kitchen1921
    13 years ago

    Did you have the portable island made, or did you buy it separately? I really need one of those.

    Your kitchen is stunning.

  • imlebby
    13 years ago

    Your kitchen is beautiful. I am drooling over your range and hood. How do you like both? I want your range and my hubby wants a cooktop....but I am thinking of your hood no matter what we go with...

    Is your hood their flourescent or hallogen version of the 36" (I am assuming it's a 36"). Why did you go with your choice? All comments and suggestions are welcome! Thanks! Beautiful Beautiful Kitchen!!

  • marthavila
    13 years ago

    Please forgive me for being so late to the party but do know that I come bearing gifts of all kinds of praise! Of course, I fall in line with those who are especially struck by the gorgeous backsplash and banquette and color scheme. But I also just want to throw in an extra dose of praise for the layout! What strikes me most about that kitchen is not only the openness of the center but also the choice of so many "drop" zones beyond the standard task zones! As I look at that room and the all the potential locations to quickly deposit things, it made me think of my own cooking style and how I typically navigate my space -- which is often roaming in circles and zig zags while holding something in my hand LOL! Especially with the added option of the moveable work table, I find your kitchen to be a wonderful example of how one can go about creating a highly functional and "open" cooking space. You have truly done a marvelous job. Enjoy!

  • islanddevil
    13 years ago

    Pip. Your kitchen is exquisite! I love all the tone on tone creaminess! Never heard of quartzite until I started lurking at Gardenweb. I'm in San Diego and haven't seen it in any stone yards, but maybe they're hiding it with the marble slabs?? Love yours and that onyx blacksplash and I could easily go with both without looking any further!

    Got a few questions for you....

    Do you find quartzite to be as durable as granite? Any worries about etching like marble or chipping like soapstone?

    What type of paint did your contractor use, how many coats and were your cabs painted in your home or elsewhere? The reason I ask is just about every local contractor or designer tries to discourage me from going white/cream paint finish. Says CA environmental laws prohibit CA custom cab builders from using of a paint that's durable enough to hold up and purchasing from cab manufacturers elsewhere presents another set of paint match problems. Would appreciate an opinion from another Californian.

    Also love your banquette. We have the same design issue with low windows that will probably have to stay. A banquette would be perfect and I love them, but wonder about comfort. Is your's comfortable and who manufactured it? Any banquette design tips?

    Please post back when you get the table in there. Would love to see that! And like others said; I can't believe you pulled this off in 5 weeks. Amazing. How long were you in the deciding and designing phase?

    Thanks!

  • Pipdog
    13 years ago

    Hello, happy New Year to all! Thanks for the nice words. I've been traveling so just getting back to checking in here.

    kitchen1921, the base of the movable island is actually from IKEA. We searched and searched for the right piece and contemplated having a custom one made, and one day I was wandering through IKEA and it caught my eye. It was the exact shade of our cabinets and has stainless shelves. We just had our fabricator cut a piece of stone to fit right on it. I like that it rolls out of the way and we can move it around if we need to.

    imlebby, our hood is the 36 in version of the VAH. We love the look of the hood and it's quiet and seems to work very well. It's the halogen version; I didn't know there was a florescent option.

    island, so far the quartzite has been very durable -- not one scratch and no etching or chipping, and we have done quite a bit of cooking, spilled pasta sauce, banged pots and pans on it, etc. My fabricator warned me that some quartzites are more fragile than others, but I think Madre Perla is known to be durable. In terms of finding quartzite, we found that some slab yards just group it in with the granites and mislabel them. They also change the names frequently to make things extra confusing. If you find a particular quartzite you like, I'd call around to various slab places and ask what they have.

    Our cabinet maker used Dunn Edwards "Whisper" paint. I believe he primed and then used 2 coats, but I will double check. That's very interesting that you're being discouraged from using white cabinets. I've never heard anything about the CA environmental laws posing a problem in this situation. Frankly, it sounds sort of suspect to me. You might want to post and see if others have encountered this same issue. My contractor has done a ton of custom white kitchens in the LA area and I believe he (his cabinet maker) always uses Dunn paint.

    The banquette was custom made. We had a banquette in our old kitchen and used the basic design as a template (a carpenter used wood as the base, then a layer of cushions covered by fabric).

    In terms of timing, we did this reno pretty quickly -- we just moved in the house Sept 1. We had a designer help with the layout (and I got some excellent ideas here) and we changed the layout 3 or 4 times, but by Oct 15 we had the final plan. We picked the cabinets first and shortly after that we bought the appliances. Several weeks after they started building the cabs they demoed our old kitchen. As we went along, we selected the fixtures, counter top, backsplash, flooring, etc. The contractor kept things running very smoothly and there was not one single delay.

    I hope I've answered all the questions -- if not, please let me know and I'll be back in a few days. Cheers!

  • islanddevil
    13 years ago

    Thanks again pipdog! Yes we were routinely discouraged from doing paint finish when we first remodeled 10 years ago so I chickened out and now that we're looking to remodel again, same story.
    I swear I've been in limbo for 4 years afraid to pull the trigger on it not sure which way to go since just about every contractor and designer we've contacted trys to sway us against it. After so many negatives I worry the couple who say "no problem" are just trying to make the sale. Many are pressed to give us more than 1 homeowner reference because white kitchens are not popular here, but this original East Coast girl loves em!

    One more Q. Were yours painted elsewhere before installation or painted afterward in your home?

    That varies here too. Some designers only use national cab manufactures, others (usually design build)only use local custom cab makers and some of those only paint before install and others only after so just that alone makes it difficult to decide which designer/contractor to go with!

    Thanks for your time!

  • rockybird
    13 years ago

    I just love your kitchen also. It looks so inviting, warm, yet modern! My question is: where did you get the chandelier? It's lovely!

  • abananie
    13 years ago

    Love your kitchen, everything matches beautifully. It even matches Pip!

    Will you post again when you get your kitchen table?

  • Pipdog
    13 years ago

    island, our cabinets were painted at our cabinet manufacturer's showroom but he did some tweaking and touch up at our house after they were installed. Hopefully you'll be able to find a contractor that makes you feel comfortable about going with white cabinets. My contractor is out of the country for another week, but I'm going to ask him about your concerns and see if he has any input.

    Rockybird, did you mean the chandelier in the dining room? We picked that up at a store in LA called HD Buttercup. They have some really funky pieces.

    I'm now contemplating what color curtains to use in the dining room. The chairs are black and cream - fairly neutral so I'd like to bring in something that has some color. I found some orange fabric that I love and I'm thinking of getting some throw pillows for the banquette made. to match. I'm not sure if the orange would be a fun pop of color or if it would be too much for that space. I'll post some photos when I get a swatch of the fabric.

    Still searching for that table... :)

  • oldhouse1
    13 years ago

    Pip's your kitchen is just beautiful! Classic elegance with a modern twist. It just looks so clean and fresh. Congratulations on such a beautiful job. Would you happen to have the style # of your hood? I have been looking for something just like it but can't seem to find it on the ventahood website. TIA

  • islanddevil
    13 years ago

    Pip Thank you for the additional info and for offering to ask your contractor more specifics about the paint when he gets back in town. I appreciate that, thanks!

  • lisatrav
    13 years ago

    Beautiful kitchen...hope you are enjoying it! What is the brand name/manufacturer name of you tile. I love it!

  • brianadarnell
    13 years ago

    Pip,

    Your kitchen is beautiful!

    We are doing a kitchen and looking at the KitchenAid 36" Pro Range but are having a problem with the specs: KitchenAid says that the minimum clearance from the range top to the hood needs to be 42", however our appliance sales-person, kitchen designer, AND other manufacturers such as Monogram and Wolf say that 36" clearance is all you need. The KitchenAid pro range has the same total BTU output as the Wolf and Monogram so we are confused about the fact that KitchenAid requires 42".

    Was this an issue for you? How much clearance do you have?

    Thanks!

  • ecdiskin
    13 years ago

    Beautiful! I'm so glad to finally see a pic of that counter with a backsplash I love! We put those counters in and I've been so indecisive about the backsplash choice--but I love the look of yours--just reflective quality and color that's still very subtle. Can you tell me where you bought and exact name? I must investigate for my kitchen!

    Thanks!

  • jcranberry
    13 years ago

    Beautiful! I would love to hear how you like your Kitcheniad range. We're building and have been looking at those. I like the look of them and the price.

  • TC44
    13 years ago

    Stunning! Can you please tell me if your ceilings are 9 feet and if so how tall your upper cabinets are.

    Thanks :)

  • SBkitch
    13 years ago

    What a beautiful kitchen! Can you give me the brand/finish of your cabinet pulls?

  • scrappy25
    13 years ago

    Hi Pip, wonderful kitchen! Are these frameless cabinets? If so, this is a GREAT example of "frameless inset"! Would you mind posting some closeups of the details of the light rail attachment (doors open and closed)- is it offset to the cabinet so that it is flush with the doors? On the sides, do they extend beyond the cabinet just a little? Similarly, is that piece of wood holding the crown molding attached forward a little also? Do you know how your cabinetmaker attached those- is there a wood piece under those providing support?

    Also, on your side panels, are those strips of wood attached to the sides so that they are flush with the door fronts? Or is that an actual door that is mounted to the side?
    thanks in advance for your help!

    What are the measurements of your banquette? It's lovely!
    thank you,
    Nancy

  • flwrs_n_co
    13 years ago

    Thank you so much for the info on where you purchased your beautiful BS. In looking at your pics again, how tall are your ceilings? Although your layout isn't quite like ours, I think I can glean lots of great ideas from yours since you don't have an island or penninsula. I love your little portable worktable, BTW--great idea and one I may try to use. Thanks again for sharing!

  • cbonebt
    13 years ago

    Absolutely beautiful... you must be so proud... color schemes are just perfect! Quick question... what type of heat do you have? I noticed a vent in the ceiling and was wondering how the heat flow is?

  • formerlyflorantha
    12 years ago

    Pip, there's a lot in your kitchen for us to study and learn from. What a successful and attractive kitchen you have made. Thanks so much for posting it.

  • jenberry7
    12 years ago

    Pip, would you recommend your contractor in Los Angeles? I'm in need of one.

    Thanks!

    Jen

  • cindyinct
    12 years ago

    Hi,

    What a beautiful renovation. Not sure if anyone has asked you this already, but I'm curious... what you did between the sink and the stove. Do you have a blind corner cabinet, or did you leave that corner unused?

    Thanks, Cindy

  • Pipdog
    12 years ago

    Jen, I am so sorry I am just now seeing this. My contractor was Dannick Design and we were thrilled with them.

    Cindy, the cabinet between the sink and the stove has a skinny cabinet for cookie sheets, then a pull-out trash/recycling bin and a lazy susan/half moon contraption.
    Looking back on these old photos before all the decorating, banquette table and rugs makes me realize i need to post some new photos!

    Here is a link that might be useful: Dannick Design

  • thornhill
    12 years ago

    I apologize in advance if you have been asked this already, but what kind of edge is on your granite? It looks like it may be an eased edge. I have been given the attached options. I would imagine it is closest to U3, but haven't seen any physical samples. Just hoping this is not too square. Any help would be appreciated.

  • Pipdog
    12 years ago

    Hi thornhill, you are correct, it's closest to U3. It's very slightly eased.

  • thornhill
    12 years ago

    Thank you so much!

  • susanlynn2012
    12 years ago

    I love your kitchen and the way your backsplash goes so well with your counters! The cabinets are that look I love and the white you chose is warm but not too warm and really goes perfectly in your space. I love your hardwood floors and the hardware used on your cabinets. I love the added darker wood. Thanks for sharing.

  • clvransom
    12 years ago

    Simply Stunning! What a beautiful backsplash and counter top!

  • catlettuce
    12 years ago

    Absolutely lovely! I'm saving this inspiration for sure!
    The darker floors and and cabinets on the other side are such a nice contrast. Unbelievable you got this done in 5 weeks, that is fantastic. I just had a small bathroom redone which was supposed to be a 2-3 week reno that turned into 6 months. However my husband did it and since he does it for work, well not so motivated at home-ha.
    Congrats on your beautiful kitchen!
    ~Cat

  • jirpel
    11 years ago

    Pip - Love your kitchen. I saw in another thread you mentioned that you have 8' high ceilings. Can you tell me the height of your wall cabinets. Are they 42" or 39". Thank you.

    This post was edited by jirpel on Thu, Jan 24, 13 at 20:25

  • Pipdog
    11 years ago

    Hi jirpel, thanks for the comments. Including the moulding and trim at the top and bottom the upper cabs are 44".

  • Pipdog
    11 years ago

    And, for anyone who is interested, here's the link to the updated photos I posted a while back - these are much better photos that I didn't take with my camera phone!

    Here is a link that might be useful: Pip's Kitchen - updated photos

  • amandapadgett
    11 years ago

    Pip - It's so beautiful!!! Makes me want to gut my kitchen and start over.

  • zobbie71
    7 years ago

    What is the brand of Vent Hood you used? I love it and looking for one very similar. Is it GE as well?