I love this question. My budget has been arbitrary from the start.

Once I decided that my kitchen needed a complete overhaul, I visited the local IKEA, Home Depot & Lowe's. I asked someone at HD what an "average" kitchen remodel costs. What the hell did I know? The knowledgeable seeming HD rep told me something to the effect of $10-$15,000, and that the most expensive she's worked on was $20,000, but they had high end everything. OK, well, I knew I probably wanted to add at least one window, so, if I wasn't really going with high end anything, but I was doing this structural change... and I had a big bay window added to my house years ago... and the new window wouldn't be so big... and the big bay cost $3,000...

Then I decided that not only do I want a new window but a big sliding glass door with a transom over it taking up nearly an entire wall of my house.

My budget is a moving target - sadly, it's only moving in one direction and it's moving pretty fast. Also, my budget is based on the slippery concept of what I deem "reasonable." Now, I don't have a lot of money, and I certainly don't make a lot of money. But my dad died some years ago & left me some money. Again, not a lot of money, but money. So, now I'm faced with trying to decide how much of dad's money to spend on a kitchen, and how much will help me survive retirement? How the heck do I know? How long am I gonna live? Maybe I'll get hit by a truck in three years and that money will go to waste - I don't even have kids to leave it to.

(Edited to add) In an open floor plan that includes kitchen/dining/living, a large, new sliding glass door (with transom above) at the very back, visible from the entire first floor should not be included in the KITCHEN remodel budget & cost, right, because that is a HOME remodel/improvement and not specific to the kitchen, right???

Budget creep seems almost inevitable. Doesn't it? Dh keeps saying, the last he wants is to spend a ton of money and regret not just getting what we want. But we agree that we also don't want to overspend for the value of the house nor do we want to spend more than we are comfortable with from savings. Doesn't help that we live in a very HCOLA. Labor here is pricey.

Also, my budget is based on the slippery concept of what I deem "reasonable."

Not to mention the fact that the sticker shock starts wearing off.

I suspect that my budget will not be what I originally contemplated.....

For both of our major updates, the kitchen and a gut job on the master bath, as well as all of the projects we do, our budget was and always is very tight. The choices we make for any upgrade are all made from a very practical perspective and I research the h*ll out of every little thing before we choose what to do. We prefer natural materials, wanted stone counters, wood floors and middle of the road appliances, though they are oak, the cabinets in our kitchen are in great condition and work (for us) so they stayed. The bathroom cabinets are all new. They're great quality and beautiful but because of persistent research, we got them at a discount.

Most important to us was paying for quality workmanship and having a contractor who not only understood our perspective but he agreed to do the work on our schedule; and this was key. We didn't care how long it took, we would let project(s) drag on for as long as necessary, we just wanted to pay cash for all of it. Even all of the materials. Our guy worked on our job in between other jobs and that was perfect for us.

I also tried not to buy into some of the notions that EVERYTHING had to be of the best quality. I'm not a professional chef, so I didn't need or want to pay thousands for a stove. But I was very careful about items that could be costly to redo. I got a stove with the functionality I knew I would use at a price that was reasonable. The same held true with our other appliances. I refused to pay hundreds or worse thousands for a lighting fixture, instead I opted to add canned lighting and middle of the road decorative lights that were affordable. We are so happy with the results. Just because something is expensive, doesn't mean it's the best option. I spent a lot of money on handles for our bathroom and the finish wore off within months. The handles in the kitchen are more of a budget level and are holding up great. I think for us more than anything (even sticking to a budget), it has been more important to keep true to what we really like and not get suckered into some of the fads or what a trained eye might say is good design; even if that means that something we do may be considered (by some) as dated, like keeping our oak cabinets.

Completely OT, I would love to see pics of that original icebox! And what, pray tell, is an exterior hatch? Good luck with your project!

You know, having to stick with the "plain white tiles" may be a blessing in disguise. Friends of ours built a custom house about 20 years ago. They spent a fortune on their master bath with a whole custom mosaic over the tub with trees, mountains, deer. At the time, it was the height of fashion. There was not much money left for the second bathroom, so they just used plain white tile.
Guess what?

I would guess that the exterior hatch was there so the iceman could deliver ice directly into the icebox.

Our budget will also be spent mostly on structural
things, too. Raising a too-low ceiling, opening too-closed walls that force all the
house traffic right through the corridor kitchen. We think these are things
that would adversely affect the saleability of the house, if we left them as
is. Generally we try to fix the worst things in houses first; the less scary
things/less difficult things can be left to future owners, if they want to do
them. Or, we could do the easier improvements at a later date ourselves, if
we decide to make this our forever home.

And I agree, “saving more” isn’t a solution
for the problem of wobby neighborhood values, which we have.

I think there is “cheap” (poorly made, destined to fail
soon, unsafe, waste of money) and there is “basic” (standard, no frills, serviceable
but not fancy.) Workable, basic things really don’t
bother me...although I do wish I could get those sexy big ledge sinks with walnut cutting boards out of my
mind! Sigh.

For example, I suspect new cabinets with awesome storage features
might be a life-changing upgrade for us, but we’ve honestly never had cabinets with
all the cool features I see here. So it’s not hard for me to save the budget by
keeping our original cabinets. (Besides, they fit the house.) So, keep the cabinets, choose laminate or DIY wood countertops, and maybe splurge on a cool sink.

To be honest we have always been very frugal; budgeting is almost a
game with us. We ran our business the same way; it's just how we are wired. How much can we do, with some work, creativity, research, and a little money? That’s one reason I love the free flow of creative ideas here.

Interesting thoughts. If you can't have everything you want (and money isn't always the only reason), I'd put things in this order:

- Good layout -- costs essentially nothing, but so many of the layouts I see just aren't functional. This includes plenty of good storage, preferably in a pantry. If you need help with the layout, pay someone for it. If the layout isn't right, nothing about the kitchen will ever work.

- Quality cabinets -- these are going to get hard use, and they are difficult and expensive to change out, so they're the #1 thing upon which I wouldn't skimp. However, I mean I'd want quality BASIC cabinets, meaning simple drawers. I would not spend big on speciality cabinets like spice pull-outs and lazy susans, which cost big and store little in a not-so-convenient way.

- A real workhorse of a sink -- you'll probably use your sink more frequently than you'll use your stove or dishwasher, so buying a good one will save you effort. Also, since your fabricator will cut out a hole for your specific sink, it's unlikely you can change your sink without significant other changes later, so get it right.

- Countertops -- I know, people like to say they'll change them out later, but later often doesn't come, and buying something you plan to throw away isn't a way to save money in the long run.

- Good lighting -- like most people, I prefer some natural light, and I want plenty of good lighting in the right places

- Plenty of outlets -- self-explanitory.

Things upon which I would not splurge, if money were an object:

- Flooring -- Linoleum may not be fancy, but it wears like iron and is cheap.

- Prep sink -- while this may be nice, it is a repetative item, and if the budget is tight, you don't pay for two of the same item.

- Fancy faucet -- I'm amazed at how expensive these can be, and for little purpose. I had to replace my faucet when I moved in -- can it really be 14 years ago? And my faucet was under $100.

- Upgraded appliances -- these are pretty much for show, and standard appliances have worked fine for ... well, essentially everyone forever.

- Backsplash -- while backsplashes are definitely nice, they're something you can add later without much cost or disruption to your life.

- Knobs -- again, very nice, but fancy ones don't really do anything that simple ones don't. When we re-did our kitchen years ago we saw some fancy-fancy ones that we liked, but we simply weren't willing to buy ... my husband came home and found them online for something like 20% of the store's price. We've been using them a decade now, so clearly the quality was okay.

In closing, I agree with Lukkiirish in saying that not EVERYTHING must be THE BEST. It's easy to feel that way as you look at Houzz and Pinterest, but most of us do have limited resources, and kitchens aren't our only wants -- especially, we also want to be able to send our kids to college and be able to retire one day. To make those things happen, most of us need to say NO to some things that don't really matter along the way.

The ice box was taken out in favor of a dishwasher. As my across the street neighbor said, those ice boxes are charming, but a dishwasher is more charming. I was trying to hold out for the remodel but when we had been in the house for six months and it became apparent the kitchen remodel was at least another year away for a variety of reasons, I had our GC put the dishwasher in while he was here doing the master bathroom remodel (that shower had a leak so it came first.). Sadly I neglected to take pictures first. And yes, the exterior hatch was for the ice to be delivered directly into the ice box. The hatch is boarded up but still there. It will go away in the upcoming remodel.

Thanks for the thoughts everyone!

Nosoccermom, I'm going to guess that the fancy tile bathroom has been remodeled and the plain white tile bathroom is still fine? I'm telling myself this as well. That with all the color in the room coming from paint (and possibly fabric curtains), it will be very easy to change the room down the road if we want to.

We budgeted by getting mostly good "value" products, and a couple splurges.

Viking range or Sub Zero built in? No.

The granite we wanted? Yes.

Let's face it, there are people who can go crazy and spend gobs of money on the "best" high-end everything, but that's not most of us.

You choose wisely, think smartly, do your homework and hope for the best!

Great topic, budget is so hard.....

I really wanted a 6 burner range top and double ovens. I cook a lot, from scratch, all the time. I would use them. But they are a lot more money. I realized that my mom, and grandma cooked for larger families with less and I should count my blessings. I got a lovely Bosch slide in range. Its been two years. Its great, it was an 'I want' not an, "I need".

I set a limit. Hardware- Drawer pulls can be outrageously expensive. Lighting- egads some of the things I fell in love with cost more than my wedding(which was frugal and small)

I said no. My kitchen would have been AWESOME, if I replaced a double window with two singles and centered the range between them. But, I still love my kitchen.

I waited. We needed to redo our entry, first floor Powder/Lanudry and kitchen. The kitchen is done, the entry is scrap carpet over subfloor, the powder/Laundry is a work in progress. The kitchen was done 2 - 3 years ago and this summer is their turn.

More waiting.... the backsplash was done a year after the kitchen was finished. The window treatments were done 6 months after the kitchen was done.

I did not get the Kohler stages.

I pretty much agree with lukkiirish, mudhouse and mrspete. Structural issues should always be addressed first and are the most important places to spend good money. For most things, I'm hard-wired to be frugal. I enjoy something more if it works well, looks nice, and I know I spent a pittance on it. If I spent more, I don't enjoy it more. In fact, if I spent more, I fuss about it more so I tend enjoy it less. I also tend to have modest, simple taste with a few quirky elements thrown in so I don't have a problem getting what I need and like in my price range. Nor do I mind buying and using gently used items. And I've learned over my many years that a higher price tag really doesn't mean that something is going to last longer or function better so I don't believe that's a good way to gauge quality. Function is the most important item in a kitchen so get that right first.

I find this topic interesting as I make decisions with my new build. I have a very limited budget for upgrades, though fortunately the standards are decent (granite, cabinets, recessed lighting etc).

Prioritizing upgrades is very difficult. Especially when combing through the finished kitchens here. So many GW's have fancy kitchens with so much high end stuff.

Here are a few upgrades I hope to include, but some won't make the cut in the end I'm afraid:

painted cabinets-I'd really like a two tone kitchen with white uppers and stained lowers. Also, I'd like cabinet drawers and useful cabinets accessories like super Susan's etc

lighter granite with movement- pretty sure of the granite selections I can choose from the one I like will be an upgrade

fridge surround to make a standard depth fridge look more built in

large expensive sink like the kohler stages/indio/prolific

pro handles on my appliances- I think I found a budget way to to this Maytag has them!

A hood vs OTR microwave- I detest the OTR microwaves I want a real hood and a built in microwave elsewhere

ressepbuttercup

*******

Your upgrade priorities mirror what ours were. The think I'd add was a bit of a splurge on the tile backsplash.

This budget priority will probably be considered strange, but I would have vinyl flooring, laminate countertops, inexpensive knobs and pulls (but not hinges and hardware), no backsplash at all (or laminate) and a basic range and then spend $6000 on a fridge, true counter depth, built in or integrated.

I had one in one kitchen, and even though it was a Subzero and I had a fair bit of service on it, I have hated normal, freestanding refrigerators ever since. I've hated the ones I've had, I've hated both of the ones in my sister's house. The one in my dad's was okay, but that's because he kept hardly anything in it. They all seem like bulky, poorly fitted and finished clumsy pieces of junk that make food go bad and burn everything in the freezer. I would probably avoid Subzero as a particular brand since I had some trouble with mine, but I doubt I would remodel another kitchen without coming up with the money for a built-in fridge.

This is a great thread! I am just beginning my kitchen remodel and this is so relevant. I'm struggling to balance the budget with the idea that "as long as we are doing x we might as well do y."

I agree with some of the priorities people have mentioned so far, and yet I have some different ones, too.

Originally I just wanted to update my flooring, counters, and sink.

I fell for the Stages sink, and decided that could be my splurge item. Naturally I also fell for the Karbon faucet, but at this point I am not sure if I am going to order it. We bought a perfectly fine Hansgrohe a year ago that is still in the box, and could easily be used.

Any flooring would be better than the 1980 sheet vinyl that we've had since we moved in, but I found there wasn't much difference in cost between linoleum, rubber, cork or engineered wood floors, so I'm going with the wood.

I researched counters to death, before finally realizing that soapstone was it for me. And we picked out a slab without any problems. Fingers crossed that the installation will go as smoothly.

Those were my 3 original priorities, but after much thought and research, we've decided to improve the layout of the kitchen by moving the range, and adding/modifying a couple cabinets, along with tiling the wall behind the range (at least I am choosing inexpensive whit subway tiles!) And we need to replace the rest of the appliances as well, so I find myself researching dishwashers, refrigerators, and contemplating the Wolf range that I have always wanted. It's amazing how it just creeps up on you.

My goal is to stay true to what I really want and need in this kitchen. I remember when we redesigned our garden several years ago and it ended up costing more than we had planned, but it was so worth it. We were so glad we did it. I think that's the way it will be for our kitchen.

ps: I thought this was a pretty good article on ways to keep the budget down in the kitchen: how to save $ on your kitchen remodel.

I would be much more likely to be able to stick with theoretical decisions like using vinyl flooring if they still made vinyl flooring that came in light-ish colors and had an allover pattern that wasn't trying to mimic something. Tile or sheet, there is very little out there that isn't overly colored and patterned faux something. The most plain and simple options are now for commercial applications and they are not that easy to access by the consumer, they often require different types of maintenance, and are at price points where they are no longer a budget option.

This is a good question. We never set a specific budget that we were going to spend X on our renovation, but have looked to use "less expensive" options when we can. We bought a fixer upper house that had great bones and are working our way through it. We love the location (x100), and knew that no matter what house we got, we'd probably do a lot of renovating to meet our large family's needs. So we bought a house that was less expensive than many in our area and are in the midst of making it our own.

A lot of the things that we got for the kitchen to help keep costs down now seem like standard advice. We bought scratch and dent good quality appliances with warranties that I'm hoping will last us a long time. We ordered a paneled dw off of ebay. Our large single sink is from a bargain building supply store. Our cabinets are ones that we found on Craigslist. We are doing the renovations ourselves since my DH is gifted in that area.

We chose to use laminate counters that we really like. We only needed straight runs, and were able to order them pre-formed and install them ourselves. We could replace them many times over if we wanted to, and still not approach the cost of granite our other solid surface pricing in our area. Laminate is also standard fare in our location, so it's appropriate for here.

Our flooring was inexpensive (Trafficmaster Ceramica frome Home Depot) , but it has been wonderful to care for in the 7 months we've had it. I'd put it in again in a heartbeat. It looks like tile, never appears dirty, and sweeps and mops up great. We've had minor issues with the grout flaking out, but I'm pretty sure that it can be easily repaired.

Some of our lighting was a splurge for us. This kitchen faces north and tends to be dark. We invested in LED can lighting and under-cabinet lights. I'm so glad we did! We have many gloomy days, but the lighting feels like sunshine in the kitchen. We went a lot cheaper on the chandelier and wall sconces, though. We are reusing the chandy from a former house (which was a closeout bargain buy back then), and inexpensive sconces that I recently found online to match. These are fixtures that are easy enough to swap out later if we decide we want something different, but the can lights should stay put for a good, long time.

I spent about a billion hours trying to nail down the layout for this place. This weekend I threw out literally stacks of layouts that I had sketched out and thought through in the planning stage. Those drawings were expensive in terms of time, but I wanted this kitchen to work well for us. GW was invaluable for teaching me the ins and outs of kitchen layouts and how to think through our family's use of the space.

When DH was working on the cabinet installation, it hit me that it takes just as much time to put in "junky cabinets" as it does to put in good quality cabinets. (It takes just as much time to install everything whether the layout is a good one or a poor one, too!) Now, our cabinets are not junky, but I did give up a few things by reusing someone else's cabinet choices (I gave up some drawers, for instance.) I'm trying to say that doing a reno of this scope is intensive, so it's worth it to examine the quality of what you are installing in light of what your budget can handle. I would not have wanted to put in cabs with particle board sides, for instance. The labor cost is going to be the same, it takes just as much time to make sure the cabinets are plumb, level, and in plane, whether they are high or low quality. But the higher quality ones are going to hold up much better. I'd rather have used cabinets with plywood boxes than brand new ones made of particle board, for instance.

Lots of great points, including that labor costs are often the same regardless of the quality of the product and that people have very individual priorities.

Thank you!

I keep to a tight budget with all home improvments. I agree with mrs pete, we had 3 kids to put through college and we want to retire next year. These things force us to make some concessions in our home renovations. We do everything that we are able to do DIY. We did our kitchen refacing job ourselves, bought blum hinges but didn't over spend on the knobs. Got simple, inexpensive brushed nickel knobs. We figure these are easy enough to change out if we get tired of them. We did buy blum hinges though, quality hinges are a necesarry expense. We chose laminate counters, mostly due to the durability and ease of care. We did choose quality refacing materials (Conestoga) because it is never cost effective to use junk, it ends up costing more in the long run. Now we are remodeling our bathroom, again DIY. But, chose a moderate priced tile, keeping and painting our bath cabinets. We are using Laticrete thinset and grouts though - these are a bit more pricey, but adhesives and cements are things that we felt were worth spending the extra $ on, to ensure a good bond to the wall and floor.

One problem with doing things over time, or piecemeal is that the things you are planning on using get discontinued. If you are going to hold off on doing X Y or Z, you might as well not even choose it until you are ready to actually do it.

The problem is, that with a tight palette or very specific sort of scheme, then you might have trouble finishing the project as initially intended or you may be completely out of luck when the time comes.

Then, there is the potential issue of things having aged at different rates, so the newest elements sometimes point out the wear of the existing elements. If everything is about the same age, the wear may not be as apparent. Sometimes this doesn't matter, sometimes it does.

ediblekitchen

That Kohler Karbon faucet is a mythical Siren, calling consumers to wreck their budget! We were enamored, too, but alas, it really wasn't in line with our overall design aesthetic.

Kitchen creep is a great term! It's true-you do find yourself saying, "might as well, now or never!".

In the renovations that we've done in hour current home, DH and I have pushed the budgetary limits a bit, but I'm glad we did.

Last year, we had our deck torn down and redone, but also decided to address the adjacent patio, which was in terrible shape, and ill-conceived to begin with.We are so happy we just got'er done, and never have to face construction of or improvement to, as long as we live here.

Whew!

Many years ago, we bought a house that was then around 70 years old. Soon after, I saw a cartoon whose punch line was something on the lines of "The most expensive words ever spoken are "while we're at it, we might as well..."

I can't tell you how many times in the intervening decades, I've had that point reinforced!

I don't know that we're frugal but we don't spend a lot of money. We knew that we had to do some work on the house and so before and after we no longer took holidays or went out for dinners/movies, etc. We simply cut back on spending. When we started our big renovation which was a gut job to our house, we didn't skimp on things.

We moved out and put our stuff in storage. I really wanted to vault our ceiling in the family room, did it need to be done?. no but I really wanted it and so we did it. I really wanted to extend the kitchen and dining room out, did it need to be done?, no but I really wanted a bigger dining room. We did without things before and after so that I didn't have to be frugal when we did our renos.

Just a different way of budgeting.

That Kohler Karbon faucet is a mythical Siren, calling consumers to wreck their budget!

I laughed at this, because I just asked DH to watch a video about the Karbon...but I don't think it's gonna happen. I do hear the siren song though (and I can see the functional advantages.) (Putting fingers in ears, lalalalalala....)

lori_inthenw_gw, that is so true about those expensive words "while we're at it, we might as well..." They are sneaky words because there is usually some truth in the sentiment. But it always costs us more money than we had originally intended.

@ ressepbuttercup, what are "pro handles" if you don't mind my asking?

beth09: if the picture function were working I'd post photos. Pro handles, as I understand, are commonly found on the higher end appliances. They are straight and hefty with the bar ending in two bracket/bolt things. If you look up a Wolf range this is the style of handle you will see.

Most lower end to mid range appliances have curvy handles, think GE profile. I've never been a fan but until recently there was no other option unless you were willing to spend big bucks. However, it appears that Maytag now has pro style handles on many if their appliances. I'm looking a bottom freezer fridge for around $1,000 with the pro handles. A built-in microwave/wall oven combo for $2,500. Much cheaper than the high end stuff. Of course not as many features, lower build quality, etc. but I just want the darn handles so I'm happy.

Yay, picture function is working again.

Wolf pro handles

Maytag's version

Typical curvy handles-non pro

@blfenton - It always amuses me how different we all are. I'm frugal on things like remodeling projects, rarely eat out, go to movies that we can watch later on TV or Netflix or whatever, just so we can have money for vacations and things like plays and concerts. In fact, I wouldn't do any remodeling at all if it meant I had to forego vacations for a few years. That would be torture for me. Neither way is right or wrong, just funny how we all have such different priorities.

This is such a timely discussion, because we're truly at the beginning of all this, and so we're really having to think "what is most important."

I think probably the biggest priority for us is structural/layout. Because once that's done, it's done. There's no going back. Well, unless you really want to go through the whole process again in 20 years, but I doubt most of us do! We want to get the layout right, and are willing to spend to make that happen.

After that, comes the things that are either going to take the most abuse/use, or will be most difficult to change in the future. That means cabinets, sinks, and counters.

Appliances can be changed, and even backsplash tile can be torn out and redone if you hate it after awhile, though again, who wants to do that? We will probably wait a while to do the backsplash. Our current kitchen doesn't even have one...

Lighting is fairly important to us, though I doubt we'll go with anything super extravagant.

To echo what many people wrote, here's my philosophy on budget, after several different remodels:
a. things that are hard to change and most permanent, you put money into (e.g., cabinets, wiring)
b. Address infrastructure (wiring, lighting, strengthened joists, etc) and functional layout (including construction)
c. Draw a dividing line between style and function, and then determine what you can spend, on everything.

Thus, on something like cabinets, I like to buy good quality construction from reputable sources, with the right features. But, there is a point where things start adding up, where it's simply decorative and costs continue to escalate (glazes, distressing, integrated wainscot, continuous face fronts, etc). So, it's not an unlimited pass to the cabinetry in the budget.

Some things are easy to swap out but also can be very spendy (pendant lights, hardware, window treatments) or you can drop a lot of cash without a lot of functional benefit (fancy tile, the aforementioned built-in fridge).

But, I also think it is important to splurge or get things that reflect your personal style -- otherwise, we'd end up with some that ultimately wouldn't make us very happy. A very generic space could be the ultimate in function, but would leave many of us dissatisfied. This last go around, we kept a tight rein on budget, but busted it for a hood. A perfectly functional hood would have cost <$1000 and that was what I budgeted. But ultimately we spent more than 2x that on a Modern-Aire that better fit the design. Functionally better? Yes somewhat, but the bigger impact was on form and therefore our happiness increased with the end result.

It's interesting that sometimes we prioritize things that are a change from what we've had. I loved my black laminate counters edged with wood and the orange sink and walls when we first moved it. But now I really want a cooler and more neutral color palette and natural materials. I've seen new laminate counters in other people's kitchen that look great, and I could certainly do them in a color that worked. But after so many years with laminate, I'm just ready for a change.

Same with vinyl flooring. When someone above mentioned Trafficmaster Ceramica, I had to google it because I had never heard of it, and it looks and sounds great. But after so many years of my vinyl flooring, I just can't bring myself to do it again. I'm not sure that change for change's sake is necessary, but I really want that feeling that the kitchen will be different.

@ressepbuttercup, thank you very much!

Great topic! We are pretty much done with our kitchen refresh but ended up spending a lot of time thinking about our priorities. We could have spent a lot more, but its so true that cash is finite and we have other priorities (vacation in Hawaii!). Although I could have embraced an entirely new kitchen, the price tag just wasn't worth the 'fixes' it would have allowed. I'm glad we didn't redo the whole thing. The existing cabinets are solid and have vintage charm IMHO.

We maximized the 'payoff' of our refresh with kick ass appliances : (Lacanche range, Gagg steam oven (ebay), stylish Ventahood ) and a few cabinet modifications, new single deep sink and touchless faucet, undercabinet lighting and a pretty backsplash. Lots of elbow grease too with a full paint over of cabinets and entire kitchen inside and out. I don't feel like I missed out by not redoing the cabinetry, flooring, etc. Our kitchen is fun to work in and makes me very happy. Here's a pic.

Our Updated 1950s Kitchen with French Inspiration · More Info

we are "going for broke" in this reno because:
1. there were many structural things that needed to change - our home was built in 1901 and very clearly had the kitchen as a servants' space. virtually zero natural light and horrific layout with lots of doors and twists and turns. we had to do a lot to open things up, including relocating one set of stairs and totally removing a second.
2. i plan to never do my kitchen again because I cannot stand living through this kind of mess...so i wanted to get the best we could swing and be happy/thrilled with it for as long as possible.

we set a conceptual budget but knew that no matter what we planned for, it would end up creeping up in various ways, so we accounted for that by setting our ideal budget at a bit less then we could ultimately swing.

I forgot that my biggest budget priority is that the renovation be done with cash-in-hand. No loans or tapping into retirement funds or anything. If I can't write a check for it, or pay my credit card bill in full at the end of the month, it doesn't get done.

I'm with you palimpsest, we pay cash for all remodeling.

I agree that layout comes first, then consider the house/neighborhood when deciding what level of materials to use. For example, mine is a small older house in a so-called "starter", yet in demand neighborhood. "Starter" but there are many who have lived here for decades (including myself). Homes are well-maintained and most have been improved to some degree. So high end really wouldn't be suitable for the types of houses here, but bargain basement also wouldn't quite fit.

Going in, I had no clue how much I could, should, or would spend on the kitchen. Of course, I knew the finite amount of $$ I had to spend.

My goal was just to spend as little as possible to get an attractive, good functioning kitchen. How I defined attractive was the big variable (and the factor that most increased my expenses), and how much alteration was enough to meet my definition of "good function".

I actually enjoyed the shopping and research -- except when I did get stuck for a while on deciding on the counter -- and am satisfied that I got the most bang for my buck that I could, for both the necessities and for the "splurges". I shopped sales, outlets, used coupons, and some things were bought well in advance of starting the project (like the hood) because a deal was available. The only thing not bought at some discount was the cabinetry. Oh, and the floor refinishing -- although I had purchased engineered hardwood on clearance, not knowing we would find a salvageable wood floor under 3 layers. I always started by looking at the least expensive options, then worked my way up.

I could have saved money on the counter (by not getting granite), faucet (by not getting a pull-down), sink (by getting a traditional inexpensive drop in), cabinets (buy buying Ikea or off-the-shelf which would have sacrificed some storage, or by not getting a painted finish), appliances (by not replacing the functional albeit chipped stove, and by buying cheaper models even though they were very cheap by the standards set on GW!), lights (by getting a large fluorescent fixture instead of the LEDs)....you get my drift. All would have been workable, but I don't think the outcome for function and definitely for looks would have been as good.

Wow, Jillius, great design manifesto. I think I could happily live in any home you had a hand in designing or remodeling. I've never thought about defining my likes and needs like that. I just do random "oooh, I like" and "I don't like" without thinking about why. Since I agree with about 95% of what you said, I may have to steal this and use it to help guide me.

I agree Jillius, what a great post. It really clarifies a lot of things for me, in our own home. Thank you for taking the time to do it.

And thanks crl_ for this good thread and discussion, it's really very helpful.

Ha, thank you! "Manifesto" is probably the right word. :) But it was definitely really helpful to sit down and do!

I am curious what is the 5% is where you differ?

Edit:

@mudhouse -- No problem! At the time, I wondered if it was so long that I was essentially just ranting into space, so I am glad you both found it helpful!

A great list! However, I disagree with #4 - for me, with no room for a prep sink and for the way we cook/clean up, a double sink is much more functional and #6 - nothing on the counters looks sterile and unused; I guess I prefer a more "homey, cottagey" look. These may be a must for others.

As for #1, moving walls, windows, etc., as a GC told me, "We can move anything you want if you can pay for it." In our case, the costs far outweighed the improvement in layout we would have had. We will have a better layout keeping the same kitchen footprint, but it will not be the absolute optimal floor plan.

I've already saved your post jillius, for my NEXT remodel (having already done it a few times, I think I could do it again, but it's good to have a handy list). Not all of my priorities are the same as yours, but still, it's a great list to have.

Couldn't agree more - a good layout is tops, but if you are unable to move walls, making the best of what you have becomes the priority. In our case a small kitchen can't be made larger because of where it is situated in the house. But I can utilize part of the family room and make the most of what we do have, i.e., large window, ample storage wall.

Jillius - you very succinctly wrote out what we followed on our reno. We added windows for natural lighting and because I spent 21 years with counter work space that measured 4' long and 2' of that was in the corner, it all became about the uninterrupted counter space and we never considered an appliance garage or cabinets to the counter. It was all about natural light and lots of counter space.

Jillius, just a few little things in this paragraph.

Also, this is not quite a top priority as a good floor plan and natural light are to me, but I am also willing to invest in preserving or adding architectural interest/personality so everything is not all boring squares and rectangles and basic moldings. High ceilings, interestingly-shaped windows, interestingly-shaped doorways, non-90-degree angles, curves, cool molding, etc. -- all the stuff that real estate agents call "character." (As long as the character doesn't impede function.)

And, really, all of those things are good things. And I'm all about preserving architectural integrity. But after living for 26 years in a Craftsman house, built in 1908, with a lot of those features, I'm kinda enjoying my simple MCM/ranch with virtually no moldings, lower ceilings (stays warmer), and the simple rectangles with emphasis on horizontal lines. Maybe it's because I'm older and lazier, lol. I can dust my whole house in about 25-30 minutes a week instead of about two hours. And not because it's smaller; because there aren't intricate moldings, tons of built-in shelves, plate rails, and such. And, of course, less shelves means less things out on shelves requiring their own dusting and occasional cleaning. It helped me unclutter! Not to mention the several days a year I spent oiling all the woodwork! Do I still like the looks of those types of things? Sure. But I don't want to spend anymore time caring for them. So my personal manifesto would include easy-care surfaces, minimal dusting and polishing, easy-cleaning. I guess I would call it the Lazy Addendum. :)

ETA: I'm totally with you on the natural light. I would add as many south-facing windows as possible to that. Our previous Craftsman was dark. Partially due to the main windows facing north and also because the neighboring houses were quite close which blocked light to other windows. I know I've written about this before but I suffered with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) for years during the winter months. Some years this sunk me into deep depressions. Even sitting in front of a full-spectrum light and taking anti-depressants didn't alleviate it. After moving to this home with tons of huge south-facing windows that we don't need window coverings on for privacy so we have great natural light all year, my SAD went away. It's been a miracle for me. I will NEVER live in a cave again!