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nash_stanton

Kitchen Remodel Ideas. Let's get serious

4 years ago

Hello everyone. Please, help me with the ins-and-outs of kitchen remodeling.


First, I have researched design guidelines for kitchen remodeling. I have spent some level of effort with research, although I'm sure a professional could smite me hard.


First set of photos is current kitchen. It's a 90s built home, so it should be no surprise to anyone. 1800 Square foot house in a prime location.





I live with my fiance, and if you asked us what we'd like to improve we would say:


1) We cook multiple times a day, so we need good ventilation. A mircrowave above the stovetop doesn't cut it.


2) The kitchen bar is set at multiple angles where two-draws cannot open at once. This is annoying with you have the cutting board extended and you need to open an adjacent drawer.


3) As always, like every person in the world, more storage and counter top space is welcome.


Let's get to my fifth and final design. I won't bore you with showing you additional designs, this is just the one that we both think is a winner. However, we break the workspace triangle rule because the fridge to the stove does overlap with our idea of the kitchen island. Take a look at what we think is the best possible thing that we could make up:








Future Changes:


1) A "block" style island is added that has accessible drawers/storage from both sides.

2) Gas Stove is moved to large island, which requires a gas line extension (I already have a gas line running to the fireplace on the other wall, so I assume this isn't a big deal.

3) Hood ventilation is added above stove.

4) Granite slabs added on all counter tops.

5) Cabinets/Bar extended a little against window wall

6) Pantry is knocked out and replaced with pantry cabinet.

7) Position of sink, fridge/water remains the same.


All looks and sounds good, right? However, There is a violation with the triangle rule. Believe me, I explored all other options, but I still feel like this is the best. How serious is this obstruction between fridge and stove?


Yes, I've looked at moving the fridge further north, but it creates way too much break in the counter space, adds wasted space.



Thanks all!


I'm hoping to spend $25k-30k. Curious also on what you guys think about what I may expect to pay.


All appliances will be reused (they are 6-years old and are current), MINUS built-in microwave (which is going into island) and island hood range.

Comments (305)

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    For what it's worth we're probably going to go without door casings and baseboard trim for 6-12 months due to the absurd wood prices. It's not so bad with trim, but I want to get craftsman style doors. Right now pre-hung painted solid interior doors are $350 or something stupid-like. With 12 doors, it adds up, and that's ignoring the closet and pocket doors.

  • PRO
    4 years ago

    why don't you get the MDF primed baseboards? why do you need real wood? you don't want to paint them white?


    this is what I used in my house. it's like, .35 a foot. pre primed mdf about 5 1/2" or so


  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    MDF Primed baseboards is the plan, but only a fool would paint/cut/install baseboards/casings, then decide to change doors out 6 months down the road. That means doing the casings twice.

    Doors -> Casings -> Baseboard is the correct order in a perfect world.

    I have colonial style doors right now. I don't find them terrible. They are still somewhat OK to still use. But a 3-panel craftsman door style is better. Plus an upgrade to solid doors for the bedrooms sounds kinda good.

    5 1/2" is the height I like too. I'm not a beveled fan like what you showed, but yep, 1/2" thick, slightly rounded on the top, all good. But casings come before baseboards. And before casings come doors.....or plan to redo some things during a tear down.

    I'm OK with living without trim/casings honestly for 6-months or when wood prices go down. Wood prices that I refer to is doors.

    Solid wood casings come apart easier than MDF casing and probably can last through a re-do.....something to think about. Prices on splintered pine vs MDF shouldn't be that much different for casings.

  • PRO
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    i hear ya. what I did w/mine is install the baseboards, but stopped short to were the door casing was going to be. At least this way I had my baseboards in and done! (am I a fool? lmao)

    On this one, all I had to do was trim back the board to where the door casing was going. This room had been under construction for a year. I was tired and wanted things done!



    I got solid alder doors on my bedroom. wished I would have purchased two more for the other rooms

    these were only a few hundred.


  • 4 years ago


    i simplified 3 switches back to a single switch in the house for easier operiation. this is boring stuff that the boys do :$

  • 4 years ago





    because i can

  • PRO
    4 years ago

    omg, he's fixing himself a drink! that's funny

  • 4 years ago

    All the doors on our 1960 ranch home are original solid wood. We sanded and sanded and preped and painted them so we could keep them! Love the Kitties!

    Nash Stanton thanked Becky H
  • 4 years ago

    Kitchen is finished, but rest of house to tie in isnt. Need to finish some patching work and paint a wall. Have more outlets and switches to replace to decora style.



    backsplash could hold its horses. we are now operational after 36 gruesome working hours of flooring


    look ma, no transitions.


    i did the cabinet molding as well









  • 4 years ago

    (Flooring looks red in below pic)






  • 4 years ago







  • PRO
    4 years ago

    wowser! you guys did great!

    don't be like me and wait a year for the backsplash!

    Nash Stanton thanked Beth H. :
  • 4 years ago

    Looks awsome! Congratulations!

    Nash Stanton thanked Becky H
  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Thanks! I'm just happy that it's 100% functional. Minus the make-up air system...controller board was bad, so I'm waiting to hook up another one. Then I have to calibrate it, make sure that damper opens when it should and that incomming air is successsfully being brought in to support high-octane cooking. :)

    @Beth H. :, I know that you and Cathy outweigh me, but I think the backsplash needs to be choosen very very carefully. The floor is noisy and the cabinets are noisy--both in a good way. There's something very clean and modern with the way it is right now. I think the last thing you want is to create noise on the wall...


    I'll duck before I get torched, but just my $.02. :)

  • 4 years ago

    Patience will serve you well especially since so many backsplash options are unavailable right now. You've done so well so far it's smart to wait for what you want.

  • PRO
    4 years ago

    Nash, young man, you will learn, soon enough. LMAO


  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago





    New window finally installed after a 8+ week wait!

    Kitchen designer even found a spare quartz remnant to use for the sill.

    Took awhile, but only just a small amount of things remain.

    1) Trim out window w/ craftsman. I've finished the exact craftsman design, so I'm ready to rock and this should go by quickly.

    2) Backsplash. Ugh. We need to start getting samples. Cathy's job. :)

    Outside of the kitchen, we still have the colonial style doors installed without trim.

    Oddly enough, colonial style doors have not gone out of style yet....there are new houses that even still use this style. Our local home depot and lowes also stock 100% colonial. I'm still debating if it's worth the $4,000 expense for 9 doors, or however it will cost...I'm sure it will cost more than that since I may not care to dispose and install the new ones myself. This doesn't include closet doors either. Just the bare minimum needed to start retrimming.


    I've also heard that in our area, doors have not taken a hit when it comes to wood prices, but trim has taken a huge time lead hit.

  • 4 years ago

    Nash I am not a pro but totally agree re quiet backsplash. Great job so far!

    Nash Stanton thanked Susan Murin
  • 4 years ago

    Looking good! Personally i could find better things to do with $4K right now. I'd wait on the doors. You can always do them next year.

  • 4 years ago

    @tozmo1, the problem though is that you really don't want to be replacing doors (if it really hits your nerve next year) after spending all that time/money on the trim/casings! The most optimal way/time is to replace doors first.


    Do people generally buy interior doors already painted, so they don't have to mess with painting doors? It's already annoying enough to have to paint trim, so I'm hoping to just buy the doors in "white", and then my "White flour" S/W interior trim paint should already look extremely close enough (hoping) to match.


    Right now my doors are kind of an off-white cream.

  • PRO
    4 years ago

    doors usually come primed, not painted.

    window looks great!


  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Thanks!

    I am definitely going to get pre-finished interior doors if I can. Screw painting 9 doors + the closet doors. No way, Jose! Jeld-Wen interior doors come pre-finished at an $80 upcharge /ea. To me, that is well worth it.

    https://www.homedepot.com/p/JELD-WEN-30-in-x-80-in-Craftsman-White-Painted-Right-Hand-Smooth-Solid-Core-Molded-Composite-MDF-Single-Prehung-Interior-Door-THDJW137100050/203618067


    BTW, check out those lead times.

  • PRO
    4 years ago

    oh my! so, like 400+ a door??

    wow. I'd look around. try BuildersSurplus

    try craigslist too. sometimes you luck out and find people selling doors. I know you can get a better price than HD

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Well, to be fair, those are pre-painted and also solid core (don't need them all to be solid cores). At HD, solid doors primed $235, with the few hollow core doors that I'll get are probably $200 or something.

    I decided today that it would be better to just get them ordered pre-primed only, then just hire a painter for a day to take care of that. It's probably actually cheaper.

    Yes, I will go to a local store to order them.

  • 4 years ago

    The kitchen looks great. Wait to do the backsplash if you’re out of good decision making energy.

    Re:interior doors - I wanted to replace all the doors in my previous house (it was a neglected rental and we were doing a ton of work). I thought solid doors would be better but my contractor talked me out of them. Nice hollow core doors inside the house are fine. Buying them primed is definitely worth the money.

    Your floors are stunning! I love that color..

    Nash Stanton thanked RedRyder
  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Thank you @RedRyder for the comments!

    the only reason we are considering to have 6 out of 9 solid is because:

    1) post covid, we both work from home in our own offices.

    2) the master is next to the kitchen so any additinal help is always better.

    3) the laundry room door is next to master. seems like another good candidate.

    4) halway bathroom is next to living room and its probably just a good idea to give it some extra protection.

    5) my theater room. well....thats just a good idea by itself!

    The rest are closet doors and they can be hollow. the price difference is $60 a door. In my mind, if I get only a 10% improvement then its money well spent.

    Curous what you think?

    Thanks about the floors! I think we even won Beth over. Its a really good laminate that ive used before, otherwise it would be a gamble. :)

  • 4 years ago



    here is the side and top proportions for casing/trim

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Trimmed a couple more windows today








    the bay area is not really an architectural that accepts craftsman well, but thars the only questionable area in the house. turned out better than i thought

  • PRO
    4 years ago

    looking good Nash.

  • 4 years ago

    Beth H: do not want to hijack this thread, but quick question. Love the black/gold/white tile you showed as a sample above. Can you share details?

  • PRO
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Sue, sure, Tilebar, Fitz Classic Brass.


    https://www.tilebar.com/fitz-classic-brass-marble-mosaic-tile.html

    comes in a few diff colors too


    Here's the entire page of similar tiles.

    https://www.tilebar.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=brass+inlay+marble+tile

  • 4 years ago

    Beth H, Thx!

  • 4 years ago

    Cathy got more backsplash to review with you all!


    For now, more windows!








  • 4 years ago

    Cathy got more backsplash to review with you all!


    For now, more windows!








  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Been busy installing new doors, trim, baseboard, and finish work. All new hardware and locks, 100% adjusted.





  • 4 years ago

    We added a door over a little nook in the pantry too.




    New rear and front door and trim treatments. Need to schedule a straining/finishing for those.





  • 4 years ago

    Those are really nice doors. I like the style of the interior doors and that wood and glass one is really pretty. The wood doesn’t fight with the color of your floors. You’re doing such a great job with every little detail. I’m assuming the doors are solid core.

  • 4 years ago

    Yep! doors are unstained for now. were going to match the inside with the cabinets and the outside will just stain with a little pop!


    all solid cores on doors!


    thanks for the kind words

  • PRO
    4 years ago

    nice job nash. love those doors!

  • 4 years ago

    Nice looking doors and trim!

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Here's the three backsplash options. The tone of all three work. We're thinking the one in the center. Cathy's going to make another trip to see if there's some more colors available.



    Basically, the one in the center is darker than the wall paint. It's basically a blue-grey, that's on the warm side.

    The lightest one I feel would conflict too much with the other "white" stuff. Like it's trying to be matched, but it's not quite there. The others are different enough to stand on their own.

    Vertical orientation all around.

    Here's some more pictures of just the darker two:





    We went to Ikea and 95% of kitchen displays had vertical subway. It looked pretty clean and contemporary.


    The darker one would look cool, but our vote is leaning on the lighter one (not the lightest one, that one is a "no")

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    BTW, tonight we complete led all the finish work in the living room. Painting, caulking, trimming, everything. The living room is 100% remodeled!








    We utilized the foam roller method on all flat surfaces. SW "White Flour" color.


    Here's the before pic (move in pic). Don't laugh.




  • PRO
    4 years ago

    either one would work. i like the vertical too.

    I have to comment on the TV tho. it's hung way to high. looks 'Off'.

    can't you mount it on the other wall and hang a nice piece of art over the fireplace? would look a lot better.

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Its covering a hole which leaves a nice place to hide AV equipment and shelving for vinyl that i made in the back. We dont use the space much for movie watching since i have a theater room for that. more for casual use or watching spots while making food when youre standing up.

    i thought about hanging an 85” which will allow me to lower the TV. if i lower the current 65”, then the hole will appear.

    the nice thing about the room is that there isnt AV ewuipment visible. its really clean.

    the other wall has a turntable. i built the MCM stand for it a couple weeks ago.


    i prefer that to be the star of the show, not an entertaining cabinet with amps, stereos, wires, consoles, etc



  • PRO
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    oh the niche is still there? just patch it over it. or do a board and batten type of trim work on the wall.

    not quite as detailed as this one, but something like this


    or a type of shiplap

    bring it forward a bit and try something like this, or just do the entire wall









  • 3 years ago

    I painted everything over the past couple weeks. Cathy helped too, although I don't trust her to do any of the cutting. :)


    Backsplash is next, and then it wraps it up.


    I farmed out the front and rear door for staining. The staining isn't exact to the cabinets, but it's close enough.


    The interior doors are still primed. Going to have my painter take them in the spring and spray them. For now, enough!















  • 3 years ago

    Wow. Looks really good! Those interior doors make a nice statement. Love the hardware choice.

  • 3 years ago

    How are your Alder cabinets holding up? I love the look of Alder but keep reading that they can ding and scratch easily.


  • 3 years ago

    Very durable for us. we have no kids or dogs but were not easy in things. still look new