Can you swap out the stainless steel panel for your new backsplash?

Why not continue your backsplash behind the oven ?

Or continue the stainless steel around as a backsplash.

Yes, I was thinking about that. I wish the stove was enclosed...but unfortunately it is not. My cabinet painter is also going to make me an end piece to enclose the microwave, and we will be able to push the stove over so it is flush with the cabinets. The tile guy from years ago made a mistake and put the bull nose piece there. It has always bothered me. Not sure how far up/down to put the back splash. I was also thinking about possibly using the same counter top quartz for the back splash. Here is a picture of the kitchen from the house entrance.

The house is a small beach cottage originally built around 1919....980 square feet.

The quartz I am leaning towards is Polarstone Calacatta Vagil. I also like Calacatta Manhattan...but it looks a little busier.

I️ would typically say go the floor with I️t behind the stove. Just a few issues come up with your setup.

There is no room for an end panel to cover the side of the stove.... and running down to the floor will push the stove fwd 3/4” to 1.25”

One way to do I️t , would be to have the fabricator leave a recess for the over to slide into partially and that would eliminate the unsightly angle that makes I️t possible to see behind the oven.

If you want to do something out of the box with this install , how the fabricator recreate the door molding in the same countertop material and you can use that to transition from the countertop back to the painted area.

I would really like to just tear out the cabinets above the stove which is hiding the venting, lose the microwave and get a new hood...but my DH says no. :/

the main thing I'd do is relocate the microwave. It would open up the stove area greatly and be safer to use too

We actually had one on the counter years ago and moved it over the stove for more counter space. This microwave has vents and is made to go over a stove. We had a stove vent previously that was attached to the cabinets above the stove. I would like a more finished look...It just seems the stove is in an awkward position. We thought about relocating it, but that would be a whole new level of renovation that we decided we did not want to do.

This is an old picture from nearly 20 years ago which shows the vent. My husband in the midst of a remodel after purchasing the house. I do agree it would look better without the microwave. ..I just don't know where else to put it.

Here is a photo from about 19 1/2 years ago without the microwave....picture is from the past remodel process.

looks much better! I think sacrificing some counter space is worth it here. Can we see the frjdge side too?

Putting a back splash behind the stove would give the area a finished look.

OK. here is a picture. that is not a beer keg...LOL....my husband just bought a kombucha kegerator for his upcoming birthday.

My cabinet maker/painter is making finished end panels for me. The doors and drawer fronts have all been removed for painting.

So do you think the backsplash should go all the way to the door frame? I am thinking the classic subway tiles...or using the same counter top quarts as the back splash.

I had the counters and current backsplash demoed (sp?) this morning.

What do you think about getting rid of the cabinet above the stove and the microwave and getting a new stove hood?

Do you need a microwave? When we gutted and re-did our kitchen I bought a countertop microwave. Never used it, so took it to our lake house. Haven’t missed it.

I went to a glass and shower door place and have large sheets of back painted glass for my back splash. very few seams, and cheaper and thinner than quartz.

We do use the microwave quite a bit for warming up leftovers. I have an 18 year old high school senior. He eats a lot.

Could you maybe put the microwave on the refrigerator side and have a nice hood over your range? You can have a box, not a built in. The microwave would be $200 or so at Lowe’s or HD.

Maybe...the opening is 14 1/2 inches wide, but then we would have to run the electrical. Maybe I should just put a smaller microwave back under the corner counter where it was before.

Well what started out as a small project to replace our tile countertops (because I could not take the grout any longer) has turned into an entirely different animal...LOL. But I guess that is the way of things. You upgrade one thing and then you want to upgrade something else. I am kind of wishing that I would have just torn out the cabinets and went with something new and what I really wanted...it just seemed so wasteful since there was nothing wrong with them. Oh well. We also have to change out the flooring in the back half of the house which probably means all of the flooring throughout the house. I have no doubt that this will lead to other too. Good thing I have a small house! ;)

a smaller microwave under the counter sounds good. You could possibly have it on the issue wall too, but I like the counter idea here, close to the peninsula.

I am going to ask my cabinet maker/painter if he can make something like this for the end of the stove and cabinet...in two pieces...one for the top cabinet and one for the stove. Then the stove and cabinet can be enclosed. Any thoughts?

leave the stove open on the side, as is. closing it off would give you a closed off impression of the space, be a physical obstruction when cooking, and possibly a fire risk, and cause damage to the cabinet that's continually exposed to heat. To judge just the impression and obstruction aspect, cook something with a board there closing it off

Hi. I did not mean to enclose from the top down...I meant from the stove counter level down

I can’t really tell, but do you have a pantry you could put the microwave in?

Ah I see what you mean.
That would possibly work, bit it's still not something I'd do. Mainly because it adds little space/benefit for the effort involved; you could possibly store recipe books, canned foods or mugs there, nothing much else. The doors may be something of a bother too if they're left ajar, as they'd be in the walkway, there's less space to the walkway compared to the inspiration picture. It's all right as is. If you do want to close it off, just put a panel next to the stove and leave it be. This also allows you to stand there to work on the stove if you need to, without handles at your knees and such.

I'd also have a cab shop build a bulkhead, and add a narrow ledge of counter top, to put on the opposite side of the range. Might be more attractive than the edge of an appliance. If you're replacing the fridge, counter depth would look nice, too.

Hi! That is what I was planning...to put a counter top on the small piece. That is the plan for the refrigerator also...cabinet depth.

Hi bargainhunter. I could probably purchase a small microwave that would fit into a pantry. We would just have to do the electrical wiring.

OK...microwave has been taken down. My husband will not be too happy...he said he was never taking that thing down...LOL...but he is out of town and I made an executive decision. I had to remove that piece of stainless steel anyway for the backsplash.

I cannot believe how my relatively small kitchen project to just change out my counters keeps growing and growing....sigh. The counter demo, which I was concerned about being a big deal, now seems so minor.

The idea of the sheet of stainless steel behind the range came from Viking. Ours just never really looked balanced though because the range was not enclosed between cabinets.

The green kitchen has the microwave hood. It is smaller than what we had, and I like the look of it better.

I like the look of this chimney wall hood.

Projects just grow, right? They MUSHROOM before your eyes!

Have you considered putting the stove on the peninsula?

That would free the current space for any number of options and give you a great visual. Note the microwave cabinet in this image. You don't get to do this type of reno often make it something you are pleased with. Happy cook, happy life.

We did talk about that...and thought it was a great idea. That was where my husband ( we were not married then...just dating so I was not really too involved with the renovation back then) originally wanted the stove. I don't remember why they (contractor and architect) decided againt it. Something about the kitchen triangle? I did not care about kitchens back than...LOL. But the we thought about the fact that moving the stove would involve opening up the roof for the hood ventilation, running gas lines etc . We just did not want to do anything so major. ..but it is turning into a different animal.

But that is really where it should be. it is the best and most social place for it.

Yes...I see that you are making a deeper stab at this project.

When considering the placement and aesthetics you have to take into account the people that are using the space. Putting the microwave away from the stove would be a win for me with a teenager. You still have your triangle as the stove is only flipped to the other side.

Venting could be a major obstacle or a no-brainer. You need to allow your contractor and your finances to make that call. This option would also require a hood and a rework of the stove area. In the end, alleviating the current vent stack eyesore and conundrum with the current stove placement would be a huge bonus.

I would think that making structural changes to the roof for the venting and running new gas line would take everything to a substantially higher cost level. That was why we decided against it. In my dreams I would tear everything out and start from scratch# lol. Now no comments on the bright yellow. I did not choose it. About 5 years ago my husband thought I would like this! But it will changed soon....but I digress. I would love to open up the walls and turn that window into glass doors that open out onto the deck.

Then I would like to tear out the floors and install the same flooring all the way to the back of the house and in the two bedrooms. I also want to renovate our one...yes only one... bathroom...and laundry room...and eating area...I want built in benches under the windows...I want to redo the entertainment center and fireplace. ..I could go on...

Love your yellow house, really cheerful.

So happy you made the executive decision to pull out the microwave. That was going to be my suggestion: wait until your husband is on a business trip. Learnt that from an old neighbor - she would buy goats, build a barn, paint, etc. so her husband was presented with a fait accompli when he returned!

Your husband will realize you made the right decision. When we moved to this house three years ago, I finally found a decorator. For window treatments, we chose silk gingham to go with some antique French fabric I had been hoarding. Had them installed and my husband didn't like them. Decorator said "wait, men need time to adjust to change." She was so right - now my husband loves them.

Your husband will come around to your kitchen changes, and you will be cooking in a space you really enjoy.

Get several estimates...you may be pleasantly surprised...or shocked. Pricing depends on so many factors. At least you will accept or negate the possibility in an informed way.

By the way...the yellow is awesome!! Just needs a navy or royal blue door.

I love the yellow! By the way, it seems there's a lot you'd change here. As projects tend to mushroom... consider whether it's better to gradually work on this house, and how long gradually takes, and whether circumstances might change in that time, etc. or whether you're better off selling and looking for a house more suited to you, or even eventually building.

We have no desire to move or sell. I just would like to change things....but after this experience with the kitchen.....starting to change my mind. LOL. Very dusty and messy!

lucidos the blue door is pretty. The house was originally a light yellow like the surrounding stucco. Here is an old picture from nearly 20 years ago.

My husband completely remodeled the house after he bought it.

The house is stucco down the sides and the front fence/wall also. I don't want to stucco everything in that bright yellow.