kitchen design help

16 years ago

Hello all,

I am a longtime lurker who is now in desperate need of some design advice. I closed on the purchase of a new home on Thursday and Friday my contractor started demolishing the old kitchen. I am on a tight budget and tight time line since we need to move in in a month (I am now renting back from the person who bought my condo.) The basics are that I plan to install oak floors to match the rest of the the house and natural maple cabinets with shaker style doors. A local cabinet maker is doing the cabinets. The kitchen is galley style and I am keeping water and gas in the same place to save money.

Here are some questions for which I would love some advice:

1.There are two built in pantries on either side of the kitchen which have white bi-fold doors. They are original to the house. I had originally thought I would keep them and just have maple doors built or maybe refaced. Now I am wondering whether I should rip them out. Do you think they will look too much like remnants? I find pantries so useful for storing small appliances, etc.

2. Any suggestions for a granite counter top? Most pictures I see of maple kitchens seem to feature black counters, but are there other options.

3. I am wondering what paint colors would look good with the natural maple. There is only one window on the northside of the kitchen, so while I'd like contrast with the light wood, I worry about anything to dark.

4. I am trying to figure out what to do about venting the range. I was going to install a hood, but I am wondering about the microwave/hood combos. Does anyone have experience with them?

5. Any thoughts on the stain of the oak floors? My teenage daughter insists that tile would be better, but I have had two knee surgeries and prefer the wood.

Thank you!!!!!

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Comments (4)

nuckphoto
16 years ago
When we remodeled, we used natural maple cabinets as well. Although we couldn't afford granite counter tops, we used a dark gray laminate and it looks really nice. We have only one window too, but the kitchen doesn't seem dark.

As for paint, we went with a type of light pastel type green (I know, it sounds awful) but it worked well. If my wife was here I'd be able to give you the exact HD color. An accent wall and patio door molding was a different darker shade of green.

As for venting, we went with an LG 2 c.f. 1100 watt over the range microwave/vent. When we took it out of the box, we just stared at it. It looked HUGE! Now that's it's installed it looks fine but I swear you could cook a 20 pound turkey in it. And with the rack, you can micro two things at once. We vented it straight out through the wall (I don't like room venting) and it seems to work fine but we don't do a lot of grease cooking and fish is baked.

For flooring, we went with ceramic tile.
bmorepanic
16 years ago
Do you have pictures or a floor plan? Posts including those generally get the most replies.

Generally speaking, you need to collect some pictures of kitchens you like - on the internet or from magazines or books. Decorpad has a lot of search-able photos and kitchen galleries. Try searching for maple. Change the type of thing to search to photos!
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desertsteph
16 years ago
you don't want tile floors with those knees! it'll kill ya!

can you post a layout of it as it is? pics too would be good - especially of those pantries.

and lots of granite will go with your cabs. many will be much lighter and pick up the color of your wood.

there are granite sites online that will show pages of different ones - of all colors - even purple!

that'll give you some ideas!
Buehl
16 years ago
1...Pantries...can you combine them into one? It will gain you at least 8" or 9" on that wall (eliminate two walls). I agree that pantries are more useful than pantry cabinets...fewer things get lost and they're much more flexible. This holds true regardless of pantry type - walk-in, step-in, reach-in.

4...OTR MWs generally do a pretty poor job of venting...they aren't deep enough to cover the cooking surface and the venting itself isn't very effective.

If you do any high-heat/high-smoke/frying/stir-frying/etc., you will definitely need a real range/vent hood. If all you do is boil water, then it may not matter that much.

As a MW, OTR MWs are really too high to be used safely by anyone under 6'. Additionally, the fact that you have to reach over a hot cooking surface, hot foods, smoke/grease/steam/etc. adds to the safety issue.

I'm 5'10" and I hate working in my sister's kitchen...she has an OTR MW and at 5'10" I find it a little too high for ease of use. Oh, and you can see where it's been stained w/smoke, grease, etc. on the front b/c it can't vent the front burners.

They're better than downdrafts, but that's about only positive thing I can think of them right now.

If at all possible, try to fit a real range/vent hood over your range/cooktop and a MW elsewhere (drawer, countertop, under-cabinet mount, under-counter mount).

For the remainder of your questions, we will need to know your "vision" for the kitchen as well as the layout of the kitchen & surrounding rooms. Take the "Sweeby Test" in the "Read Me" thread...it will help greatly!

Here is a link that might be useful: Read Me If You're New To GW Kitchens!