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scrappy25

scrappy25 renovation Part 4, final reveal, white inset/soapstone

scrappy25
9 years ago

Finally got some "completed" pictures, please ignore the small green notes to the contractor for the very small punch list yet to be done.

It has been quite a journey! I have included many details in previous posts so won't go into them again. This is truly a gardenweb kitchen, a collective effort. THANK YOU!

Location: North Baltimore, Maryland
Contractor: R Solomon (coordinated demo, subfloor, electrical/plumbing, floor installation. drywall, hood/appliance installation, painting.
Flooring; Marrazzi Gunstock Oak porcelain tile, Home Depot
Cabinetry and installation- Inset style with Shaker door, White Dove color, Dutchwood Custom Cabinetry, Myerstown, Pa.
Backsplash: Saltillo Sunflower Ming Green, small size. Bright white grout. Special thanks to mpagmom and justmakeit for their inspiration and esp. to mpagmom for answering all my questions.
Pulls: Belwith Studio Pulls from Amerock. On the drawers I have the P3012-SN (satin nickel, 6 inches long).
Paint: Walls: Wickham Grey, Benjamin Moore. Trim: White Dove, Benjamin Moore.
Countertops: Julia Soapstone, Stonemasters, Kennett Square, PA. Roundover edge profile.
Stainless countertop in toaster nook provided by Dutchwood with the cabinets.
Sink: Kohler Stages 45, Home Depot (tipout tray hinges installed but tray is still not installed).
Faucets: Hansgrohe 06128000 Swing C (bought from ebay to match my existing faucet since it is discontinued).
Under cabinet LED lights: environmentallights.com, Premium Modular lights with diffusers and transformer, soft white.
Can lights: CREE soft white LED inserts from Home Depot.

Appliances (all craigslist or ebay display or new units unless otherwise stated. Most of them were purchased as part of an aborted kitchen expansion during the recession and have been in storage for 5 years. I am relieved that they all work well. Amazingly the Subzero/Wolf warranties start on installation and I was even able to get an extra year by using their "official" installers.
Subzero 642 large fridge (panelled), still needs panelled toekick
Subzero 700BR undercounter refrigerator drawers (panelled)
Wolf L Series SO30 Convection oven (panelled)
Gaggenau induction cooktop, C491-610
Bosch 800 dishwasher (gently used), still needs panelled toekick
Miele DG4080 steam oven (gently used)
Thermador PHH36DS Hood
Panasonic Inverter microwave (existing)

For more information, please also see my other posts
Part 1: Layout evolution and cabinet installation
Part 2: Julia soapstone installed
Part 3: The kitchen cockpit (Kohler Stages 45 sink)
I have linked to Part 1 below which will have links to the other posts.

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Before and after
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Layout of new kitchen
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Storage pictures
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Some additional details:

My "Trader Joes" loading shelf (for loading lunches into bags or unloading groceries)
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Baking and flat pan storage using Ikea variera pot lid organizer.
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Pullout shelf which has been useful for refrigerator/microwave/toaster loading and unloading.
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Cuisinart pullout shelf- the cuisinart is plugged in and I use it right on the pullout shelf. Accessories are stored behind it on the same shelf.
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Handy magnetic hidden knife storage for my most used knives (there are more but they were used today, the other less used ones are in a drawer). In this picture you can also see the USB ports on the charging outlet above the shelf. You also get a look at the undercounter LED lights from environmentallights.com. The lights are a perfect soft white and dim beautifully, I just wish they had white wires instead of black.
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And lastly, replaced the kitchen window because it was such a bear to open. This ones ends lower, close to the counter, and I had my contractor extend the windowsill to 5 inches depth for my overwintering herbs. They are not so pretty but I am happy to have a friendly place for them.
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Here is a link that might be useful: scrappy25 renovation Part 1: layout evolution and cabinet installation

This post was edited by scrappy25 on Fri, Dec 12, 14 at 22:17

Comments (99)

  • scrappy25
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thank you liveomseattle and happyallison!

    Dietitian, I didn't see your comment until now- sorry. I have two pullout counters, one is above the blind susan pullout on the right of the window wall, the second is above the steam oven/under the toaster counter on the fridge wall. You don't really notice them since they blend right in to the cabinets. However, they, especially the one under the toaster, are really handy! Here are closed and open pictures for you.



    The "trader joes" pullout is a shelf around knee high that is perfect for bagging or unbagging groceries or lunches..


  • Lily Spider
    9 years ago

    Just want to second what everyone else has already said. Great kitchen! Great use of space. Wish I'd seen these pics before I ordered my cabs! Such good ideas. Enjoy it!

  • susanlynn2012
    9 years ago

    Scrappy25, Oh how I wish I saw this post and put off doing my 2 room home office and waited for my kitchen tile to be installed. I prefer my tile over my wood floors and wish I used what you used that looks so realistic and will be so easy to keep clean and wears better than wood. Your kitchen is gorgeous with amazing storage and beauty and the floors are amazing!


  • scrappy25
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    thanks Lily Spider and Susanlynn!

    I see that the transition to Houzz truncated some of my original pictures in the thread.

    Here are some missing ones

    Baking and flat pan storage using Ikea variera pot lid organizer.
    Cuisinart pullout shelf- the cuisinart is plugged in and I use it
    right on the pullout shelf. Accessories are stored behind it on the same
    shelf.





  • susanlynn2012
    9 years ago

    Scrappy25, what great storage your kitchen has. Not only is it beautiful, it has such great use of space with amazing floors. Thank you for sharing the additional pictures.

  • wifeoferp
    9 years ago

    This is a really, really beautiful kitchen. Thank you so much for all the pictures and the other process posts. You layout is similar to ours, except at the moment we have an island rather than peninsula and I have been telling my husband that I think a peninsula would help traffic flow better. When I sent him the pics of your kitchen he suggested I just send this post to a KD and have them follow it! :-)

    So beautiful-- I hope you have many happy memories within.

  • scrappy25
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    thanks susanlynn! Wifeoferp, glad if my posting can help you. This is such a gardenweb kitchen, almost all my ideas are from here.

    I just noticed that my previously missing pictures that I reposted above recently just popped back up in the original reveal post- very strange. Is Houzz going back through to fix these missing pictures? If so kudos to them for doing that.


  • Gemcap
    9 years ago

    Scrappy25 ; love your kitchen! Would you kind enough to share dimensions of your drawers / cabinets. Total height of your cabinets (floor / top of cabinet excluding stone) : Face height and inner height for the toe kick and the top level of the upper cabinets (the relatively shallow ones)

    Many thanks

  • feisty68
    9 years ago

    Thank you so much for sharing your lovely kitchen. I really enjoy the ingenuity of how you used the space, as well as the finishes.

    I think my favourite thing is the backsplash. Neither blah nor a screaming focal point, it complements the rest of your kitchen beautifully.

  • scrappy25
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Gemcap- total base cabinet height 34.75 inches

    In general you can subtract about 1 inch height from the face front height for the interior space of the drawers.

    Face height of top drawers 5 inches, inside height about 4.1 inches

    Face height of full height door below top drawer 21.2 inches; inside height about 20.2 inches

    Face height of two drawer stack below upper drawer- about 10.5 inches; inside height about 9.5 inches

    Toe kick drawer (recessed) face front 3.5 inches; inside height 2.75 inches

    Also, for my pots and pans drawer to the right of the cooktop (see 6th picture that has the hood and cooktop closeup), I specified that the interior height of the bottom drawer was 13.5 inches so the face front became 14.5 inches. That works great for large frying pans and lids stacked vertically. Above that is an 8 inch face front drawer (7 inches interior height). Above that is the 5 inch face front top drawer. That is the only drawer stack where all intermediate rails were eliminated, to maximize interior space (I didn't notice it in the drawings since I thought I still had a rail below the upper cabinet. but I like this better) . I kept the rail below the top drawer in the other drawer stacks; sort of wish I had eliminated the intermediate rails on all the drawer stacks


    feisty68- thanks, I love the backsplash too- found it here on gardenweb.

  • Gemcap
    9 years ago

    Thanks very much for the details Scrappy. :-)


  • swatyreno
    9 years ago

    Thanks for the toe-kick inspiration and also so many smart thoughts about storage as I start to work with Lorna at DW for our kitchen!!

  • dietitian
    9 years ago

    scrappy25, how do you pull out the under microwave pull-out counter? it appears not to have a handle.


    @swatyreno I am using DW also!

  • mpagmom (SW Ohio)
    9 years ago

    I'm only 3 months late commenting on this, but I want to tell you how much I love your kitchen! You obviously thought through every detail, and your soapstone is just gorgeous. The backsplash looks great, and I it is even more beautiful in person. Enjoy!

  • lawjedi
    9 years ago

    Scrappy25 -- I have a flooring question for you. I have chosen the same tile, but a different color. What grout width did you go with? Any tips? Your floor looks fantastic. (& so does your kitchen!)

  • scrappy25
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    thanks lawjedi. I used sanded polyblend grout, Sable Brown. It looked really dark when being installed and I got worried briefly before they wiped away the excess. After that it looked great.

    sable brown polyblend sanded grout

  • User
    9 years ago

    A few things...... Wow. Your kitchen is overwhelming in the sense that I can't even put a finger on what makes it so perfect. It just... Is. You solidified my desire to do a small tile backsplash. I really was thinking a white hex tile with white grout, but was told it would look too busy. I think what I love about yours is the texture it adds. So gorgeous. I don't have words for your organizing. No words...

  • claudiase
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Your kitchen is adorable! I found it because I am getting Marazzi gunstock installed in 2 days and I couldn't decide between sable brown and tabacco brown and sable and I really liked yours so I will go with sable! Thanks for your help on that! One more thing, did you do 1/8 on the grout or...? Also, where did you buy that beautiful backsplash? Tnx!

  • scpalmetto
    8 years ago

    I watched this kitchen for months and I am so envious of your skill and forethought in planning your space. My soapstone seems dull by comparison that in with your pictures. Would you please share how you finish it? Oil ? Wax? Thanks

  • AvatarWalt
    8 years ago

    Happy to see this pop up again--I searched for (and found) it yesterday so I could take a photo of your grocery bag shelf and toe kick drawers to the cabinet maker today. Your awesome storage designs and many photos are a huge help!

  • scrappy25
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    thanks everyone for the recent comments, surprised to see it pop up again. So glad if my posts can "pay back" for all the help that I got form this forum.

    I realized thatt I never replied to mpagmom who was SO helpful with my decisions about the tile, thank you again!


    The tile is from Caledonia Tile

    http://www.caledoniastoneandtile.com

    It is made by Saltillo based in Toronto, and Caledonia is the only American supplier . The funny thing is that my sister lives less than a mile from Saltillo in Toronto and actually brought me my sample tile, but it was easier to order it freighted from Caledonia than to deal with customs and have my sister bring 100+ lbs of tile from Canada. There are large and small versions of the Saltillo Ming Green sunflower tile, mpagmom and I both used the small version but the larger version (used by justmakeit) is just as nice.


    scpalmetto, I use a wax mix that Stonemasters left for me, it has not been re-waxed since installation 10 months ago and still looks great. Mine does not look dull, but it is definitely matte - the pictures make it look shinier than in real life. The matte finish is very forgiving and I have to use my fingers to be sure that the surface has been wiped down sometimes. That would drive some people crazy but it is a positive feature for me.


    lawjedi, my contractor (who is not a tile specialist but likes to lay tile) saws that he eyeballed the installation of the Marazzi tile (gulp) and doesn't like to use spacers. I can't complain since it looks great and very even. It looks somewhere between 1/8 and 1/16 to me. I had told hum, "narrow as possible" . He did the same with my sunroom porch floor tile and that is also laid very evenly. HTH.

  • sdchica
    7 years ago

    scrappy25, I imagine you're off enjoying your amazing kitchen, but I just finished reading your 4-part opus and feel like I've finished a graduate study course in kitchen design (I've been taking notes like a madwoman). I don't know how I've haunted GardenWeb so long and missed this series as you hit on so many things I want for my kitchen: Kohler Stages 45 sink (mine in an island rather than a peninsula), tapmaster, porcelain wood-look tile, toekick drawers, window seats (you've given me some totally new ideas here), careful budgeting of materials and space. Really the perfect example of function coming together with form. I'll be reviewing my kitchen processes again after reading through your wonderful and thoughtful design. If you were a little closer to San Diego, you'd be in danger of finding me waving outside that lovely box bay window and begging to see it all in person...

  • scrappy25
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    sdchica, what lovely comments! thank you!

    I am so glad that you got something out of my epistles, almost every idea I had is from this site so it is great to "pay back". I have been enjoying my kitchen very much and my sons love showing off all the features to their friends, especially operating the Tapmaster surreptitiously while pretending to conjure the "Aguamenti!" spell from Harry Potter. That always generates great puzzlement and then a lot of laughs.

    Best wishes on your kitchen! It is worth it all in the end.

  • sdchica
    7 years ago
    hah! We had tap master in our last house, but the boys were too young then for Harry Potter...I'll have to try your trick this time. It'll definitely earn me cool mom points (which I desperately need).
  • ohemgee211
    7 years ago

    Scrappy25 I love your floors!! I'm looking to install the very same tile throughout our new home. After some time, do you still like it? Any advice?

  • scrappy25
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    Txs! The floors have been great. Easy to clean. Previously, I had vinyl tiles over sheet vinyl floor, and laminate countertops, and nothing ever broke when it fell. Now, with the soapstone, and the tile floor, everything breaks. But the soapstone and the tile floor have stayed intact with no problems.

  • dataw1127
    7 years ago

    I have learned the hard way that there is soapstone and soapstone. I bought one for the awesome veining and streaks of pale green marble throughout. Sadly, the dark part is unusually soft and we get divots easily. My husband just dropped a salt shaker, only about 3", and there is a large gash where it landed. These holes are white and talc like. I don't mind the scratches and tested the slab for that before I bought it but these divots catch crumbs and are hard to clean.

  • ainelane
    7 years ago

    Scrappy25 - I'm hoping you'll see this. I thought I remembered you talking about a foldable thing that you sometimes used to protect your backsplash, and when not in use you kept it in the drawer.

    I'm trying to buy something like that and not having any luck! You were so helpful to me before re: the box bay window seat so I'm hoping you'll be able to help again!

    Hopefully I remembered right that it was you and not another gardenwebber


  • scrappy25
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    Hi ainelane! Here ya go. I havn't been on as much- did you do the box bay?

    3 sided splatter guard

  • ainelane
    7 years ago

    Thank you so much Scrappy!! I just ordered it :)

    Yes, I did a box bay window seat! I showed my contractor the pictures of yours. What I ended up with is not exactly the same, but I love it, so far. It's not totally finished yet.

    This design will allow me to push my kitchen table up against the window, giving me room for an island. So thanks again, I wouldn't have come up with this otherwise!

    I should be finished my Reno in about 3-4 weeks (it's been over 4 months, aghh)

  • scrappy25
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    Ainelane- that looks awesome!!! I can't wait to see your final product! Thanks for following up.

  • lindsaymarie79
    6 years ago

    Scrappy25,

    I LOVE your kitchen so much and have referenced it so often in designing my own. I was just coming back as my husband and I are discussing the possibility of mirrored doors, and I discovered that your photos are no longer available. I feel like they are such an asset to these forums, I hope that you will be able to make them available again. Thank you so much!

  • scrappy25
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    txs lindsaymarie79!


    Too bad about Photobucket. I just googled and it looks like Photobucket wants $400? I don't use it enough to pay that. I guess that means a lot of gardenweb photos will be missing. You can find the picture of my mirrored doors towards the end of this post (and several other as well).

    http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2450012/mirrored-upper-kitchen-cabinet-doors-anyone

  • lindsaymarie79
    6 years ago

    I think you can upload photos straight from your computer without third party hosting if you wanted to keep them here, but I realize that editing your post could take time you don't really have.. Thanks for directing me to the post about the doors.

    That is frustrating about photobucket. I know that a lot of the kitchen pics that have been here a few years were hosted there. So sad to see the collective here be diminished in that way.

  • Ivan I
    6 years ago

    Holy cow, scrappy25, I love the pics of your kitchen from that other thread. Count me in on the request list for bringing back your old pictures somehow. Darn photobucket.

    Your backsplash is one of my favorite all time backsplashes. In pictures it looks like it has a "powdery" surface that I'd like to run my hands over and make bread near :-).

  • AvatarWalt
    6 years ago

    scrappy, if you collected $1 from everyone here who loved your kitchen and copied at least one of your ideas (myself included) you'd cover the photo bucket bill many times over!

  • Ivan I
    6 years ago

    What is the next best free option, now that Photobucket is charging a fortune?

  • User
    6 years ago

    You can upload anything you want to to Houzz, in any number of albums.

  • eam44
    6 years ago

    You can absolutely, as others have said, upload images from your photo library. I would add that for me, I can do it on my iPad, but not always on my phone. On occasion the bar that runs along the bottom of the text box allowing me to upload images does not appear on my phone.

    Scrappy, I love your kitchen, always have!

  • lisa_a
    6 years ago

    I've wanted to link to this thread at least twice in recent days, Scrappy, to show others your absolute gem of a kitchen. I'm so bummed the photo links are broken. Dang photobucket.

    If you have time in the near future, please upload them again in this thread (I upload photos straight from my computer, no third party needed). Your kitchen is an amazing example of what you can do in a modestly sized kitchen with a peninsula.

  • BenjiBoi
    6 years ago
    Any chance you can send me some photos of your kitchen since many of the links are broken?
  • BenjiBoi
    6 years ago

    Thank you!


  • lisa_a
    6 years ago

    You're welcome! I often refer people to her kitchen because she did a great job designing a very functional and beautiful kitchen in a small space. I was really disappointed to find the photo links broken so I'm glad I found them on-line and was able to save them to my computer.

  • scrappy25
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    Happy 2018 and wishing everyone happy kitchen adventures! i have been away and was surprised to see this thread resurrected but am very thankful to lisa_a for finding and posting my pictures. I find the new format of the message board difficult and am not around much any more, but am grateful to this community every day when I am in my kitchen that is perfect for me thanks to all of YOU!!

  • lisa_a
    6 years ago

    This community helped you and now your kitchen is helping others. = ) Happy New Year to you, too!

  • dataw1127
    6 years ago

    Happy 2018 to all. It is nice to see those photos again.

    I would be interested in learning how satisfied you are with your soapstone as mine has been a big disappointment. I don't mind the scratches, they generally disappear quickly but the edges chip easily so the edge is rough, all my tee shirts have holes where I lean against the counter and sink. It just seems softer than some soapstone I have seen. Other than that I love it. BTW, I did buy the slabs from a reputable stone dealer and I picked it because of the veining.

  • dietitian
    6 years ago

    Sorry to hear you aren’t happy with your soapstone. I am loving mine. I have only one or two very minor dings, from when I smashed a cast iron pan against it. Perhaps you got a softer soapstone? I remember there were all different kinds. I opted for the hardest.

  • dataw1127
    6 years ago

    I picked mine for the gold flecks and the pale jade green marble veining. It really is beautiful but it must be the softest out there. A slight bump from a dish or even a utensil along the edge will cause a chip. The edge is a mess.

  • scrappy25
    Original Author
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    OP here. My Julia soapstone from Stonemasters in Kennet Square, PA, which I picked for the hardness, has only one tiny chip on the flat counter that you can't see unless you look for it. I had the fabricators round over all the edges and there are no edge or corner dings. It has only had three applications of the oil wax mixture on it in over three years and is truly a no-maintenance counter. We put hot pots on it, have had lost of spilled juices and sauces, tomato and red wine, and continual coffeemaker drips, but all clean up without problems. Sorry to hear that dataw1127 did not have the same experience. Stonemasters had given me 2x2 inch samples of all their soapstones and I took them home and experimented before choosing the one with lowest maintenance. Maybe that is a key to selecting soapstone?

    PS I also had my overhanging counter corners rounded and did not realize what a difference that made until this past week when I stayed at my sister in law's home and banged my hips several times on her very sharp 90 degree granite counter corners. Apparently her 4 year old grandchild had a bad run in with them earlier also but with his head. Thankfully he is OK.

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