I would go with the shorter cabinet on top of the fridge

I've never been a fan of staggered cabinet heights. I vote for the cabinets all being the same height, but not necessarily by shortening the fridge cabinet.
Why not increase the height of all the cabinets 6" for more storage?

What is beyond the peninsula? Can you overhang the countertop to make a breakfast bar?

Kill that idea. It would look better with a stainless chimney hood too instead of the wood hood. The kitchen is too small to really carry that look off.

Unless you have a specific reason (i.e. something in particular that you plan on storing in there that you need those cabinets to be taller), I would keep them the same height.

I vote cabs all the same height and like another poster already mentioned, I also would increase the ones on the wall by 6" for more storage space.

Thanks

I don't think I can go 42" on the sink cabinet side due to the crown molding. I would have to measure it. I didn't want to have shorter cabinets along that wall and the rest be taller.

If I were going to make one higher or more decorative it would be the one over the stove. The higher cab on the refrigerator will only make it seem more massive, IMO.

There will be an overhang on the back of the peninsula. It is just difficult to add it in the program.

What are you opinions on going with this type of hood? Please keep in mind that I am limited in the selection of hoods with this program. You may have to use some imagination as far as the wood vs stainless. The wood one is just a front panel.

This post was edited by front on Thu, Mar 20, 14 at 23:16

A refrig is tall and massive enough without adding to it.

Thanks

I'll stick with the shorter cabinet over the fridge. What are your thoughts on the vent hood? If I go with the wood one it will be pricey. It's 780 for the front and about the same price for the blower insert.

On a side note, I can't believe how much cabinets cost for such a small kitchen. I'm already over 15k installed. I'm trying to figure out ways to cut the price without sacrificing too much.

I like the stainless. It's a more modern look if that suits your style. The wood, as it is shown, looks more like an apartment kitchen, imo, but looks fine if your taste is not modern. The vent helps break things up. Feels more open.

I agree that is a lot for a small kitchen. Are you getting inserts? What brand?

The image with the stainless hood makes the room feel lighter. It draws your eye upward and expands the space. The comparison with the original drawing jumped out to me. The wood vent hood makes the cabinets feel like heavy eyebrows over the nose of the hood! :)

PS--also vote for not increasing the height over the fridge.

Skip the wood hood. It's a budget buster first of all. If you need to cut $$, cut out the all ply, the integral decorative panels on the sides of the cabinets, and combine cabinets into larger cabinets instead of multiple small ones. Also, the door style and finish chosen have a HUGE impact on the pricing. Moving to a less expensive door, maybe partial overlay, or forgoing any glazing can save you quite a bit. Or move to a less expensive cabinet line all together.

You can still use the cabinet hood, but make it stainless, instead of wood. This is probably less expensive too.

How high are your ceilings? I'm not understanding the issue with crown molding on the sink side.

You don't have a lot of storage space - I would get those cabinets as tall as possible, and put an extra shelf in the uppers. You'd be amazed how much more room you'd have!

Listen to LWO!

To me a refrigerator is usually nothing sexy enough to highlight. So I'd go with same height cabinets all across. Sometimes it can provide a nice design element if you have raised cabinets other places in the kitchen to provide some symmetry and balance. In this case, to me the fridge would just feel like it's looming over the space.

If you use a chimney hood, leave at least 2" between the hood and cabinets. Not sure you want to lose that cab space.

Thanks

I'll stick with the shorter cabinet over the fridge. What are your thoughts on the vent hood? If I go with the wood one it will be pricey. It's 780 for the front and about the same price for the blower insert.

On a side note, I can't believe how much cabinets cost for such a small kitchen. I'm already over 15k installed. I'm trying to figure out ways to cut the price without sacrificing too much.

Snookums

It is Schuler. The items that cost a lot are the back paneling, sink base with legs (about $1000 (250 per leg), super susan corner base (850), hood front ($780).
The cabinets are Morel Vintage.

You really think it looks like a cheap apartment kitchen???

annkh

It is 8ft at the sink wall. This leaves me no room for crown if I go with 42" cabinets. I could cut the crown to match the ceiling slope I guess.

Is my kitchen really that small?

The cabinet runs with base and walls are 7ft + 9.5ft + 9.5ft. Then I have 5 ft on the peninsula. This isn't accounting for the 2ft of the corner. That is a total of 31 linear ft of cabinets. Is that considered small?

It would look more like this:

The wood hood would look like this without the extended crown.

This post was edited by front on Fri, Mar 21, 14 at 17:59

What about a mantel?

>

Average amount of kitchn counter space is 60 square feet, so yes you have a small kitchen. Too small for any of those overpowering wooden hoofs shown

If you are trying to cut cost, a mantel is not for you. I got it priced out with kraftmaid and the cost was crazy. I also like the stainless hood, and think you could get away with a stainless bottom and wood upper also. I think the all wood looks a bit clunky, especially with the large open space above the cabinets.

Hollysprings

I was quoted as having 85 or 89 square ft of counter space. That is above average. Isn't the average kitchen 20 linear ft?

KTJ

I nixed the mantel. It probably is expensive. Plus, the smallest width is 36inches.

Well I had a crazy idea. Do you really need a peninsula? Your DR is right THERE. It seems to create more problems than it solves, unless not eating in the kitchen is your number 1 problem. I know you are taking down or changing walls, so what if you extended the range wall out and just ended with a nice drawer bank and additional wall cabinetry? You'd have a nice open U (interrupted by the laundry door) which would be very pretty and showcase your sink and hood better. You'd also save on countertop, especially if you need two slabs. If you need more dish storage, could you fit something into the DR?

When do you need to order cabinets?

"You really think it looks like a cheap apartment kitchen???"

Lol, I think maybe with all the "sameness" and 30" cabinets it gets an apt kitchen feel to it. The stainless chute opens it up and connects the soaring ceiling so it looks more stylish in the overall scheme of things. Fits into the whole rather than seeming plunked in. ? Not sure, that's just the feel I get from it. Someone else says "clunky" maybe that's a better description. A bit heavy.

Didn't mean it isn't a nice kitchen. You have all the details in your head, we just have a simple and chopped off drawing.

What's the overhead layout look like? Maybe there's room for improvement there. Also if you're looking to cut costs have you thought about framing behind the cabinets between the kitchen and other room, and putting up beadboard on the side opposite from the kitchen?

My U-shaped kitchen is 10' x 11', so about the same size as yours. Instead of an open peninsula, I have upper cabinets all around. My uppers go to the 8-foot ceiling, and I still added a wall of pantry cabinets.

I consider my kitchen to be on the small side, so yes, I think you have a small kitchen. The proximity of fridge to range makes it feel even smaller. I don't think you have a lot of storage, so you should make the best use of what you have.

That said - I think you are really working toward that end, asking good questions, and carefully considering suggestions (early on you might have been taking things a little too personally). I am so glad that you didn't rush into ordering cabinets a week or so ago! You've made improvements since then.

Back to the cabinet height question - lots of people have cabinets to an 8-foot ceiling, with crown molding. Maybe 39" plus crown? I don't think you'd want a huge crown molding in your kitchen - it would be out of proportion.

Her cabs are 36", not 30". Mine are 36" with a 5" crown. They feel tall with my 8" ceilings. In a small kitchen, those tall cabs can loom overhead, so that's why I went with a SS chimney hood to break up the cabinetry. But my kitchen is a little more contemporary than front's.

Your kitchen is more shallow than small. The peninsula makes it look even more shallow by squeezing the stove. I have 87" from countertop to countertop inside my U. That's why I'd think about opening it up w/o the peninsula.

Mayflower

I'll have to plug in some inputs to see if that would work. I could enclose the wall further. I'll have to see if it would cutoff too much of the walkway.

I wanted to order the cabinets 3 weeks ago. I've just been so indecisive.

Snookums

The cabinets are 36" tall. The program I am using only lets me add so much.

annkh

I would need to go 39" in order to have the crown flush with the back wall. If I go 42inches, it would touch the ceiling without any crown. My other option was to go 42" and cut the back of the molding to the slope of the roof.

I'm not sure how I would use the higher cabinets. I would need a stool to reach the top, so it may have things that do not get much use, or I will end up putting things up there that I forget about.

So do you have adequate storage elsewhere in the house for stuff you use infrequently? Roasting pan, fondue pot, canning jars, extra paper towels? I was thrilled to get kitchen things out of the basement when I remodeled my kitchen.

I have a stool tucked under the sink - it's easy to use and store. I'm only 5"4, so I had to use a stool to get into the top shelf of my 30" uppers!

annkh

I think I have space for everything. The kitchen renovation adds a lot more cabinets than my existing setup.

What are your thoughts on mitering the ends of the crown to the slope of the roof? That's the only way I can get the taller cabinets in. I guess I could go with 39" uppers.

I'm still thinking about ways to reduce my price. I've taken some suggestions by livewire. I could reduce the cost by doing the following.

-Creating a 9" full door base for my cookie sheets, cutting boards, etc. This would eliminate a costly all drawer base cabinet. I will, however, have to extend the easy reach corner base cabinet 3inches. I don't think it would add that much cost to it. (potential savings $200)

-Go with a chimney vent. (potential savings (700-800)

-Go with a blind cabinet in the wall corner. The blind corner and larger wall cabinet will add some cost, but I will save around $600 on the square wall corner. I will also need to order a trim piece for the other wall cabinet that butts into the blind corner. What is the normal size trim that goes there? (potential savings ($300)

-The sink cabinets will cost around a thousand dollars.
$450 sink base, $500 for the legs. Finished flushed ends added to the sink base $60. two trim pieces $80
I really like the look of the apron sink with the legs on both sides. I may be able to look at a spec book and come up with a similar look. Half legs would save a little bit of money.

-DIY paneling for the peninsula. This could save me anywhere from $700 to $1200 depending on the tier discount I receive.

-Raising the cabinets will add to the price.

I wouldn't raise the cabinets when they are already 36". How high is the range wall?

I'd keep the legs for your farmhouse sink. You love the look, and you need at least one splurge. Maybe you could save on them by not using Schuler's--my cabinetmaker uses Osborne legs, but I would want a catalyzed factory finish on sink legs.

I wouldn't use a chimney hood with your farmhouse sink. Entirely different look. If your ceiling is 9' on the range wall, the chimney will extend past the cabinets, and while that's a good look for a pot-bellied stove, it's not so good for a range hood.

Maybe you could cut out the 12" pull-out on the peninsula and use the 9" tray cabinet there. Pull-outs cost $! You won't notice the 3" loss of that leg of the U compared to the other leg. But that means relooking at the fridge wall base cabinets.

My filler on the cab butting to the blind corner is 2 1/2".

I'm sorry, looking for that sink I see this is only the far right of the kitchen. I thought you had rearranged the whole thing and moved the refrig! That's what made me think apartment look being so small in a corner with 30 cabinets (originally).

Is that a ss apron sink or just a software limitation? What style legs? What style kitchen? The house looks very modern.

mayflower

I don't know how high the ceiling is on the range hood. I know I would have to buy an extender for the chimney vent. I'm planning on going with a 30 and 18in drawer on the peninsula side. I decided against the pull out. It was around $600 for a 12in.

I was trying to go with a vintage type look, but I wanted stainless steel for my appliances. I already purchased the dishwasher and my fridge was recently purchased as well. I am planning on going with a stainless farmhouse sink as well. I just don't want to risk chipping a fireclay sink.

I was originally going to go with the heirloom line. It has a glaze and is randomly distressed. I decided against the distressed look, so I am planning on going with the vintage line. It just has a glaze on it. The glaze finish costs $1300 (2600 before the 50 percent promotion). I'm hoping I can get these cabinets ordered tomorrow. I'm just trying to decide on the paneling, cabinet height, and range hood.

Snookums

I was going to go with a vintage/distressed/heirloom kitchen. I just like stainless steel appliances. All of my appliances are stainless steel. I recently purchased a range, refrigerator, and dishwasher. The cabinet style is a raised panel.