Need Help Finalizing Major Kitchen Reno

5 years ago

Hello all, just wanted to shoot you guys a well deserved update and ask for further advice. With COVID I decided to just dive into this project at the beginning of March 2021 taking bits and pieces of your advice and turning this kitchen into something comfortable and usable. I did unfortunately go from two incomes to one income at the beginning of the year so I had to be a little more frugal than initially expected, on the flip side, I had much more time to donate to the project. The project has been dragged out longer than anticipated as I've been busy with work and trying to have a social life as best as one can during a pandemic. I had been quote about $25,000 excluding appliances for everything I wanted in the kitchen which was obviously out of budget. The only compromises I made were going with DIY laminate countertops in Carrera Marble instead of real marble/granite and keeping the plumbing as close to existing as possible (I wasn't able to put it under the new window like I had wanted). All said and done I am in less than $1,750 so far (again, excluding appliances) and am nearly complete with the project.

I ended up blocking off the rear exit door from the kitchen, building a wall, and drywalling over it in order to limit the three entrance design of the original kitchen. To maintain access to the newly built deck on the rear I removed the massive window and put a 72" sliding glass patio door with in between the glass blinds (a God send with two big dogs). I also removed the non-load bearing wall in between the dining room and kitchen to again increase efficiency, flow, and open concept feel. The awkward jut out on the exterior wall proved to be a little difficult to plan around. I ended up keeping the cabinets inline with the lazy susan all the way across which produced a 12" gap behind the cabinets. This actually worked very nicely as the countertop is 36" deep here and allows me to have all my appliances without sacrificing prep space. I was able to make all three of my separate cook, prep, and dishes stations as I had originally wanted while maintaining appropriate spacing in between stations and keeping the flow triangle in mind. The kitchen cabinets are nearly complete, boxes are done, face frames just need to be sanded and painted, then it's just a matter of making some Shaker cabinet doors, which should be the least tedious of the three steps.

I'll attach photos of the before and current. The countertop and flooring are the only set in stone updates, keeping those in mind, what I'd like from you guys is to help pick out cabinet door/face frame color, wall color, and backsplash texture/color.I am going for kind of a farmhouse/rustic/industrial vibe. Leaning more towards the farmhouse look while keeping resale in mind. If there is anything that people don't like please let me know, everything is still in the return period, just trying to make the place liveable in the mean time. I anxiously await to hear from you guys, until then the project is at a stand still.

Thanks in advance! Zach

Before: