Total kitchen reno, help please!

15 years ago

Hi everyone,

I am totally re-doing my kitchen for the first time, never done this before and have obsessed for MONTHS over the new layout. But now that we are actually moving forward with it I am scared of overlooking something that I will regret later! My GC is nice but he is a builder mostly and not very good at walking me through this process/hand-holding a nervous first-time remodeler!

We are gutting our current kitchen, turning it into a mudroom/laundryroom entry (right now you walk from my front door straight into my kitchen), and pushing the kitchen straight back into the back half of my DR. The future mudroom is 13x12ft with a built-in pantry. The pantry must stay and I am just changing the shelving to make it more usable. We'll be putting in a stacked washer/dryer set, a utility sink where the current kitchen sink is, and a big coat/boot rack area. The future kitchen will be 15ft7" x 12ft and I am putting in an L-shaped island which will house the range. One arm of that island will be USABLE butcher block (as in, can cut right on it), and the other kitchen countertops will be quartz, Dupont Zodiaq in Savory. Sink backaplsh will be Chateau marble tiles, and the hood will be the centerpiece, in Antique Copper by Modern-Aire. Fridge will be counter depth Samsung, range is 36" DCS, and sink and DW are not picked out yet but will be stainless. I am still waiting on the range hood quote and investigating butcher block sources (waiting on samples from Hardwood Lumber Co.), and need to find a place to get soapstone that I like! Cabinets, as per GC recommendation, will be Omega/Dynasty. I have a door sample ordered in the Bellehaven style on Knotty Alder in Nutmeg stain with Coffee glaze.

Pics and details are linked below.

So, what do you all think so far? I would love some input on what I have so far, and some help in what NOT to overlook! Thanks so much for any help you can give me!

Here is a link that might be useful: Current kitchen and plans

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Comments (7)

winomama22
15 years ago
I am right there with you. Doing this for the first time and scared out of my mind! For some reason, your link isn't working. Can you repost? I'd love to see what you have in mind!
NatalieChantal
Original Author
15 years ago
Yup sorry about that! Here is it is again below.

I have every pic titled and an explanation of the plan along with it! Let me know what you think, ok?

Here is a link that might be useful: Working Link for current kitchen pictures!
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blfenton
15 years ago
I can't comment on the actual kitchen plan as I am having trouble reading it.
However, I, personally, would not want my mudroom/laundry room open to my kitchen that much. A door way is fine but open that much, no. It means I would have to keep it neat and not smelling. Our mudroom/laundry room has ski stuff, smelly shirts and cleats from ultimate, my wet running shoes and dripping running jacket, long underwear and running shorts etc drying on the rack because they can't go in the dryer. Not a pleasant picture and one I wouldn't want to look at when cooking or eating dinner.

Just one "form" thing that I don;t like and that is the cabinets that come across from your fridge. They look like they are going to fall over. Oh I think you are removing those -yes?
NatalieChantal
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks blfenton. Yes, all the cabinets are coming out. So you think I should build a wall between the rooms? The thing is, I can't change which door is used for the front door, and it leads straight into my current kitchen/future mudroom. So, should I just accept that it will look awful when in use and at least block it from view from the kitchen, if not to incoming guests?

I'm sorry the plans are hard to read. The pics of the plans are kind of fuzzy, but the last pictures are just photos of my space so maybe those would be easier to read. If I could I would make those the first pics in the album, but I couldnt figure it out - maybe I'll goo play with it some more and try to solve it.

Thanks for the input - good point to consider!
houseful
15 years ago
I think you will regret keeping the mudroom that open from both the front door and the kitchen. If you made a 42" hallway from door to kitchen and closed up the kitchen side, you would still have an 8 foot wide mudroom.

Are you trying to avoid moving doors and windows? If you made one large window in the kitchen, you could put your frig on the end by the other door, the sink in the middle, the range against the mudroom.

I love your wood ceiling, btw!
dancingsams
15 years ago
Overall, I really like what you are doing. I have a ModernAire copper hood and love it!

If you want a bit more division between the mudroom and kitchen, instead of a hallway, and instead of an open shelf, you might consider making that a set of hanging cabinets with glass doors on the kitchen side.
NatalieChantal
Original Author
15 years ago
Awesome thanks for the feedback everyone! Houseful, yes I am avoiding structural changes as much as possible. We have a log home and are unwilling to cut it up too much, so whatever doors and windows and major walls are there, are there to stay and none will be added. DH refuses to even consider making more. So that's why my current layout took me months to plan, also because I really want the range in the island so I can look into both the LR (there is a door at the far end of the DR looking into LR) and the mudroom while I cook. I was keeping it open because DH will want to bring it small projects to work on in there, and we might out in a small table for the kids' arts & crafts, and that way I can keep an eye on everything while in the kitchen.

Dancingsams what copper finish is on your hood? After getting samples we are going with the Antique Copper, it looks so pretty in person and does NOT show marks as the brushed and polished samples do. Can I ask you for your hood specifics? Size, island/wall, blower etc? I've only seen these online but fell in love before even planning the rest of the kitchen. There is a picture online of a brushed copper wall hood with lip band, "straps" and rivets, and I want that exact design in an island hood and the Antique Copper. Quote so far is 6k and I have nothing to compare it too... Does that sound right to you?

Thank you so much for all the feedback!