New to Kitchens? Read Me First!
Buehl
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
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Buehl
4 years agoRelated Discussions
Help me redesign my kitchen!
Comments (23)The reason many are opposed to glazing is that it isn't done much anymore and the major reason it isn't done is that it makes cabinets look a bit dirty from afar, or tends to look too "faux". Those who do not want you to paint want you to save for new cabinets and that may not be possible. As I mentioned I rarely jump to the idea of painting wood cabinets, but the grain on your doors instead of being a nice feature of the wood, is a little strong because it is probably a veneer plywood panel. (You might be able to see the difference from my solid wood doors which show the grain of discrete wood boards.) My point is that you would not be devaluing these cabinets by painting them. The problem with painting oak is the grain texture shows through - bothers some and not others. The problem with painting any wood cabinet is that wood moves with changes in temp and humidity which can crack the paint at the joints - again this bothers some and not others. I painted some of my original kitchen cabinets - similar to yours and put them in the laundry room. This is a close up sowing grain texture and cracked paint at the joint - note these cabinets were painted a long time ago: Here are the cabinets from a few feet back, and they look OK: [https://www.houzz.com/photos/my-pics-work-in-progress-phvw-vp~48834534[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/my-pics-work-in-progress-phvw-vp~48834534) I did those back in my stenciling days:) The close up shows you what the pics of painted oak kitchens don't show you from afar - so it is a matter of having good info before you make a decision. I recently took the lower cabinets of that same kitchen (which had been stored in the garage) and refinished them for my basement - only to realize the doors were veneer and not in good shape - so I had to get a little creative - my $1000 kitchenette: [https://www.houzz.com/photos/my-pics-work-in-progress-phvw-vp~65270573[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/my-pics-work-in-progress-phvw-vp~65270573) I would approach your kitchen as a chance to get creative, but I have a more cottage type style with a touch of vintage and shabby chic thrown in - it is a little less expensive style and can lend itself to older cabinets. If you want to look high end and modern, you will want new cabinets. While white shaker doors are still big, slab doors are also popular and mid-tone stained cabinets are returning in popularity - but more shaker style white oak then what was big 20 years ago. Anyway, some are concerned that the paint job won't get you the more high end kitchen that your inspiration pics show, that you will be disappointed, and waste money putting expensive counters on the cabinets. The only problem with your layout is the range is a few feet too close to the sink. That space between sink and range is usually the major prep area and stovetop in an island is the worst possible place - so don't go there. If you have the money, just flip the range area with the cabinets next to it and the range would be in a great place. Some reasons to avoid micro over the stove is it is a fading style, it cramps the cooking space and at 5"1" I find them difficult, and sometimes a fire hazard. They do not vent very well. They are no longer considered in style (unless the kitchen is very small) because function is of major importance in today's kitchens. You have a lot of upper cabinets and could retrofit a micro shelf into a different cabinet if you really need it off the counter....See Morenew Kitchen layout design
Comments (33)Dear Typeandrun, You are making the same mistakes, everyone makes, that ends up with a new kitchen everyone else loves, but one that just doesn’t work for you for as long as you’re in this home. You have and continue to do a tremendous amount of work to get, well nowhere. Nowhere close to where you want to end up. You have 2 sets of plans, interior elevations, and perspectives and god only knows how many hours wasted chasing your tail. Your answer to your kitchen design dilemma is so Obvious you don’t see it. Almost everyone forgets the BASICS! The so obvious stuff that will Never occur to you until AFTER your new kitchen is done and you’re moving into it. Moving In is the time when You ‘ll Realize all of the Mistakes you’ve made. They were Always there you just didn’t see them. At this point you will have no choice but to ADAPT to what you got and make do. I know this is NOT what you want to have happen to you! The Obvious Stuff You have a kitchen that doesn’t work for you. You know what the performance benefits are and the performance problems are esthetically and functionally. So you know what benefits you’d like to keep and what problems you need to resolve, fix, or eliminate to get to the world’s perfect kitchen for you and the space you have to work with. That said, Why didn’t you start there with your existing kitchen layout? Did you assume, like everyone else that takes on a new kitchen project, that if you design a new kitchen to replace your old one that all of your kitchen benefits would reproduce themselves, and all of your kitchen problems would resolve themselves? You didn’t think about this and it will never occur to you. If you dig below the surface of what you wrote that’s what you’re asking. Is your new kitchen going to be, in the entire world, the perfect kitchen for you to spend the rest of Your Life Living In for as long as you’re in this home? It is the right question. I don’t know the answer and you don’t either yet, because you are filled with Doubt and Uncertainty. Why? Because you are staring the design of your new kitchen journey at the END, and Not at the Beginning. You’re trying to justify the layout you’ve come up with, because you’ve Started at the END and There is no place else to go. Then after you get some feedback you post another. So you struggle because deep down you don’t know if you’re doing this right. Working on the same layout trying to make it perfect is chasing your tail, you’re going in circles making very little forward progress. Trying a second just makes you more confused and overwhelmed. You begin any journey by knowing exactly where you are, deciding where you want to be, and then getting directions. Getting from your existing kitchen to the kitchen your truly want and expect to be living in AFTER you’re done is No Different. Your Kitchen Design Dilemma is Easy to fix but you’re going to have to start from the beginning. 1. Using your existing kitchen layout analyze it and make two lists, performance benefits you want to keep, and performance problems you want to resolve. Now you know without doubt what you need to do to get from the layout that you know from personal experience doesn’t work for you to one that does AFTER you have created it. 2. Using your entire first floor plan draw in your existing kitchen layout. Get trace paper and a pencil and rearrange your appliances and cabinetry so that you create every unique combination possible. You should have at least 5 different new kitchen layouts. You want to do exhaustive space planning so you can see every new kitchen option possible. Almost No One Does This! The layout you have existing is One, the layout you posted is Two, the second layout you posted is Three...and so on. Keep going AFTER you’re ready to quit until you have exhausted every new kitchen possibility. Draft them all up to scale and by direct comparison and process of elimination you will discover your perfect plan. Eliminating your doubt because you have seen and compared every working new kitchen layout option. You can get DIY Help space planning by using this link. https://www.kitchendesignco.com/diy-kitchen-layout-help/ 3. With the perfect plan interior elevations and perspectives are easy. Once they are done locate all of your kitchen items. So you know you have the right cabinetry configurations and accessories to store and get all of your items efficiently and easily. So your new kitchen will work intuitively. You can get DIY Help locating your kitchen items by using this link. https://www.kitchendesignco.com/new-kitchen-doesnt-work/ Final Note You are NEVER going to redo this kitchen for as long as you’re in this home. I believe you can get a much better layout, and a much better kitchen, dining room, home connection, if you invest your time in space planning. So you can have your existing kitchen Evolve into the kitchen you really want and expect to get to live in. Don’t get hung up on the wall locations, or the openings, or room names. You are Playing on paper, brainstorming to discover EVERY Unique New Kitchen Possibility. Don’t get hung up on what you Think you Can and Can’t do. It’s only paper not construction so don’t be AFRAID to make mistakes. That’s How We All Learn. To get to your perfect plan you need to Finally run out of mistakes and what doesn’t work, so you can discover what does. Hope this has been helpful. Joe Brandao Kitchen Design Company...See Morealmost a blank slate for you to design me a kitchen
Comments (30)*sigh* Corner pantries are not "evil" as so many people are telling you. As with anything, it's the design and location that makes or breaks a corner pantry - in fact, any pantry! I have a corner pantry and love it! It's so much better than my old straight reach-in pantry. Why? Because of the way I designed and located it. First, it's on the perimeter of my Kitchen and is not an obstacle to anything in the rest of the Kitchen. Second, the shelves are not too deep -- 12" is the "sweet spot". All my appliances except my very large toaster oven fit on the 12" deep shelves (Blender, breadmaker, toaster, waffle maker, large and small food processors, slow cooker) Ditto all boxes, containers, etc., including large cereal boxes. The Tupperware pantry containers are a perfect fit - both height and depth (they obviously also know about the 12-inch "sweet spot"!) [It was a serendipitous discovery when I decided to use them. I didn't plan it that way, I just planned my pantry the way that made the most sense.] I can line up 3 cans, which means things do not get lost in the "depths". Yes, there is a deeper corner, but I just put large items in there (e.g., my boxes of Costco-size plastic silverware). I do nave 15" deep shelves on one side b/c I was originally going to put an extra MW in there, but when we had to factor in all my Kitchen Designer's mistakes, I lost a lot of length on that wall and could no longer fit the MW (It fit fine when it was closed, but it couldn't be opened all the way) For the most part, I've made do with it using bins and baskets, but if there was one thing I could change, I would change that set of shelves to 12" deep. I can see everything with a one sweep of my eyes and can find what I'm looking for within seconds! (If your family is anything like mine, they put things away as quickly as they can, which means whatever open spot they see first! But, since nothing can hide, I find things without any trouble.) . BTW...there's a pantry thread that discusses all kinds of pantries, including mine. https://www.houzz.com/discussions/pantry-photos-pics-of-pantries-dsvw-vd~2401919...See MoreNew kitchen design....any thoughts? Advice?
Comments (40)Please trust me when I say that I am looking at and considering all suggestions. I welcome any and all advice. As for symmetry, I gave that up a long time ago. I only wanted the same amount of space on either side of the range hood because of the floating shelves I am putting up and I thought the corner would look odd with it being bare. As for the movement of the fridge, I haven't fully decided on that. I am just having a hard time with moving a fridge that close to the patio door, where it opens up into an island, and will stick out 4-6" more than the oven cabinet into the aisle. We have looked at a large fridge panel for 14 years just on the other side of the kitchen (on the wall that has no cabinets in our drawing). I was trying to avoid this because it has always driven me crazy. Even though it would be a "counter depth" fridge/freezer, it still sticks out quite a bit. I maybe should have given this information from the start, but we are not doing a full gut. We do not want to get into making changes to windows or doors. The vent on the floor at the end of the sink run can definitely be moved, right now it is actually parallel to the wall but it will have to be moved perpendicular as the drawing stands now. The fridge and sink are actually moving closer to each other than they are now. I have never once given this a second thought. It has never bothered me. The fridge will be 4 steps away from the sink (and I'm 5'2" with short legs) As for having to get things for grilling from the fridge, I am happier that the dishes, and utensils are closer to the patio door. There is also room to get by if someone is at the stove top, we have tested this out. Having said all that, I am going to do a second plan today with the suggestions of switching the 2 (fridge/oven) and see how it would look and if it makes more sense for us. Wilson853, thank you for the picture. That IS very similar to our layout and I love it. I will be adding uppers on that wall in the new drawing to take a look. I can't believe I have lived in a dysfunctional kitchen for this long. When I think of the reasons we are doing this reno, changing the flow of moving around the kitchen hasn't entered my mind. One because it is not a huge kitchen and two, because it has never bothered me in the past. My must have changes were: -white cabinets and light quartz counter tops -going from a peninsula to an island -having as many drawers as possible and only drawers in our lower cabinets -not having uppers if possible -a spot to hide our appliances (without using a traditional appliance garage-not a fan) -sink moved to under the window -hopefully having the oven and microwave in a cabinet -2 pendant lights over the island -potlights at the sink, above the 2 sets of shelves on either side of the hood and one in front of the tall pantry cabinet I am willing to make some sacrifices if it makes sense for how our family uses the kitchen on a daily basis. Thanks again for your suggestions....See More
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4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoGOES-R bump!
Ready for launch tomorrow!
(If the picture appears squished, select it.)
sena01
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