chiflipper - I love galley kitchens as well and your appliance solution sounds great.

“For those that love drawers(which I plan to have) how many drawers in a stack? I’m thinking of doing all 3 drawer bases a small on top and 2 larger. Or should I mix it up and have at least one 4 drawer base?”

We have a mix of 2, 3 and 4 drawer cabinets. I love the diversity! We house all our dishes and silverware in one bank of 4 drawer cabinets. It works great because there is no stacking different size dishes on top of each other so it is easy to get them in and out. The other 4 drawer bank has foil, sandwich bags, cat and dog bowls, etc one too drawer is a charging drawer For electronics.

Thank you all for your comments so far. I’m reading another (old) thread about laminate counters vs quartz. Does anyone regret choosing laminate?

I regret not replacing the microwave over the range with a nice vent hood. It would have been a lot more work and increased the budget but would have looked so nice to have a vent hood and tile to the ceiling to break up all the white of my cabinets. But I am glad that I stumbled upon my black composite sink which I absolutely love, and that I splurged on Cambria quartz countertops.

orangecamera - If I was going with a man made countertop I would definitely consider laminate over quartz. Some of the new laminates really look good and many of the quartz countertops look plasticky and are super expensive. My fabricator recommends that all white quartz be sealed also. She says people are having issues with staining. Some of the best granites are the cheaper ones, bullet proof and never need to be sealed (ie black galaxy, absolute black).

Countertops, I prefer granite and have never sealed any of them, as said they're bulletproof. In a past kitchen I "lived with" with plywood, with vinyl flooring glued over it, until I could afford my preferred granite (18 months!). While some quartz patterns are very pretty, I am the World's Sloppiest Cook and didn't want to stress over possible staining etc.. Laminates have come a LONG way in terms of appearance and are very cost effective.

Two things... I wish we did a pull down under counter microwave instead of the drawer one. I also regret not going with a 36" range, we did 30" and should have gone bigger. If you have windows in your kitchen make them as big as you can.

I regret not sticking to my guns on some of the things I wanted. “Real” cabinets, where I could choose drawer sizes, etc, rather than the cheap unfinished ones from Menards. i Did all drawers in the kitchen and can store nothing in them. So, even tho we just got done with it, I’ve decoded When our youngest graduate, cabinets will be changed. Money down the drain but that’s how it goes I guess.

I did get the much bigger window over the sink and we do not have uppers, so two things I wanted I got.

@itsourcasaI’ve been struggling with where to put the microwave. We decided in the island doing a drawer. Mostly for a clean look over function. What don’t you like about yours?

I have a thread about my layout would love feedback from those who’ve been thru a remodel! Thx!

Although i do good in all prospective in my kitchen remodeling like good combination of colors, arrange every tiny thing like sitting stuff e.i chairs, tables arrange all the things sort out like homzic recommend and Houzz members too but i miss lightning in kitchen that's was very bad.

And now sealing is also done so there is no hope.

@Becky H - I am not itsourcasa, but I can tell you what I do not like about the drawer microwave (and, I need to note, many people adore theirs, so it is individual preference). First, the cost. I ended up with a countertop Sharp MW on a shelf in my pantry, and it cost $110, and you just plug it in, done. Second, it uses up a drawer, which is up to individual's kitchen whether this matters or not. Third, I do not like the soft-open and soft-close of the drawer microwave. I just want to stick my item in my MW and slam the door, and then quick open when it's done.

@Becky H - Please post a link to your thread. Thanks.

Regret not moving out!

One thing I would fear with light colored quartz is that it will yellow over time. All white plasticky stuff eventually turns yellow so not sure why quartz would be any different. I agree with chiflipper...granite is great and cheaper than quartz.

@Becky H I like the microwave location in the island under the countertop so I wouldn't change that, we have a ton of other storage so it doesn't take up valuable space. But it's just waiting for the door to open and close each time you're heating something is a pain, if you have to check and turn a few times it's just annoying to have to wait for it to open and close on its own each time. Also there is no spinning plate inside so it does not heat evenly and you have to turn things at least once. Lastly, ours completely stopped working after 1 year of use (bosch). Fuse blew, we got it fixed and they extended our warranty to cover it (great of bosch!) but after living without it for a month while it was broken we just realized it was not a great investment.

@Becky H - we have a drawer microwave and I will say I really like it. It is far easier for the kids and my mom (who is short) to use, I like that it is waist level rather than up high. I like that it doesn’t take up counter space. It works well but I do agree that even though it says the technology doesn’t need a turntable, it really does. You need to turn the food and stir it at least once. I get what itsourcasa is saying about the slow open and close but honestly that just doesn’t bother me. It is a matter of seconds.

I have a big enough kitchen for a drawer microwave but chose to go with a small microwave on a shelf next to the fridge. The price of a drawer microwave is not worth it for what we use it for. Then of course if something happens to it you need to replace with another expensive drawer microwave. I like my small cheap microwave that is over 8 years old and still going strong.

Regrets:

Narrow pull out spice racks on either side of the stove. I use them but they are not as functional as I thought they would be.

Should have done all drawers for my lower cabinets. I have pull outs in every lower that isn't a drawer but they are not as convenient as the drawers.

GE Advantium Oven - I had this installed becauseI thought we were going to continue as empty nesters and I used the previous speed oven quite a bit when cooking for the two of us. I find we use the Advantium infrequently and only for microwaving as it is too small to cook a meal for the 6 of us. Though I will admit having a third oven is darn handy when entertaining.

Absolutely love:

GE Cafe French Door Oven - No more burns on the arms and other body parts.

Bertazzoni 36" induction range - I am in love.

Huge pull out pantry with lower drawers for small appliance storage.

Under cabniet lighting. Actually all the lighting in my kitchen. I can finally see to cook and clean.

Not sure how I feel about:

The mixer lift. The advantage is I use the KA mixer more because I don't have to wrestle it out of the closet on to the counter. The disadvantage is it takes up a whole cabinet. Also a mixer lift is not the greatest setup for when I use the pasta roller attachement.

Painted cabinets. Ours are cream colored and I find I am wiping them down several times a day. They show everything. I had natural birch cabinets before and they deifnitely hid the mess better. LOL

We were going to go with a drawer MW and ended up with a countertop Panasonic that we put built in trim around. Very happy and much cheaper. The final thing for me was seeing a MW drawer in the store and trying to (fake) clean it. I’m pretty nimble for my age, but uffda, that was not for me.

@Mary Elizabeth, good idea, thank you!

I regret not taking the window behind our sink all the way down to the counter. See the linked thread for some examples. https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2682239/kitchen-window-starting-at-counter-height-crazy

moosemac--

I am contemplating the 30" Bertazzoni induction range. Obviously, these are different sizes, but can you please give me more feedback about the range?

I regret installing a TV. I thought we had to have it based on habits from our old kitchen. We did a swing arm mount under a cabinet. We drilled through the tile backsplash for the mount and installed a large cable/plug combo too. We never, ever watch it and now I have holes in my tile and a giant, useless media plug. Ugh 😖

Following with interest.

About the only thing in our current circa 1960 kitchen that we like and will be replicating is the giant double sink (19*16 each side so each side is big enough to soak half sheet pans).

"Thank you all for your comments so far. I’m reading another (old) thread about laminate counters vs quartz. Does anyone regret choosing laminate?"

My only regret with laminate is I chose a solid colour (again, my "unique" colour palette) and didn't school everyone on its vulnerability to heat. Otherwise, totally fine with laminate. Cost effective option. If resale is on the horizon though, a good idea to see what's currently done in comparable houses. Neighbours redid their 15-yr old kitchen last year (painted their dark cabinets white) and felt forced to work around their expensive dark granite. Easy to underestimate how quickly we'll "want" changes in a kitchen and the budget required for those changes.

About drawers and storage: absolutely essential to inventory every kitchen item and figure out where and how you want to store it. (Looking at kitchen storage on Ikea website can be helpful for ideas.) This is where an experienced kitchen designer saves you time.

Sure, you can soak it, but it's still annoying af to wash/rinse/etc. One of the things I love, love, love about our renovation is the 36" single basin sink. I underestimated how much impact it would have on how we cook/prep/clean/live in our space.

@moosemac can you post a picture of the inside of your pantry? We are going from a corner walk-in to a reach-in wall unit and I'm trying to figure out how to lay it out. I'm also happy to hear you like your Bertazzoni. I'm trying to decide between that and the GE Cafe.

@wiscokid that hasn't been our experience, and having one basin for soaking and one for hand washing has been helpful. We do hate having prep and cleanup co-located so on the advice of members here we will be adding a prep sink.

@hatethecold_gw I did just that, and it works well :) The room feels so open and my counters bounce the light around the kitchen. I did an extra deep countertop on that wall, no water spot problems (kitchen faces north...very forgiving). I'm just adding this here in case anyone wonders if it is a good idea.

I have a very small kitchen and could not change the footprint. I have very few regrets, but I did have to remind myself from time to time that this kitchen in this house is a functional space and "looks" and various ideas gleaned from reading Houzz weren't necessarily practical here (for the space or my budget!) I went down those rabbit holes a few times!

I do wish that I had looked into toe-kick drawers - found out about them too late. I wish that my 35" 3 drawer stack had a shallow drawer -in-drawer within the top drawer, for more efficient organization of all my silverware, cutlery, & utensils. I might have liked to have made the new window a bit bigger and sacrificed a bit of upper cabinet to do so. I wish I had figured out a better solution for the pet feeding spot (but I am not sure that I could have without sacrificing something that I like equally well).

Love my undersink pullout trash, recycling and compost bins in my 30" sink base. Love my pull down faucet and the 28" single basin sink. Love my 3000k LED ceiling lights! Love my painted, made by local cabinetmaker, frameless cabinets. Love my velvety honed granite counter (no sealing needed either!) Love my 24" deep cabinet over the fridge with pullouts. I do like my 9" spice pullout - works as planned, and used otherwise wasted space. Love my wood floor. Like my MW on a shelf in the pantry cabinet.

Making all of your choices, assuring availability and getting them ordered or reserved before starting work is very good advice.

I don't regret spending so much time getting the cabinet and wall colors just right, that really elevates the space for me.

“I wish that my 35" 3 drawer stack had a shallow drawer -in-drawer within the top drawer”

I would not have that as a regret. Because I had the drawer-in-drawer in a previous kitchen, and disliked it a lot. Always having to push that shallow top drawer back to get to underneath was a PITA. Also, the top drawer made getting to all that is underneath it more cumbersome because you can only push it back so much. The drawer-in-drawer a big Nope for me.

raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio

"Like my MW on a shelf in the pantry cabinet." I too have a small apace, and I am having the cabinets custom made.

Can you post a photo of how you configured the shelf for the microwave in the pantry cabinet?

Thanks.

I am happy we do not use a microwave so I am not putting one in the new kitchen. One less decision to make!

I regret buying an induction range with the controls on the top. It drives me wild that if something spills near the controls, the entire stove turns off, so if you are simmering something, you have to keep checking it is still on.

I also regret deciding on granite rather than soapstone counters. I dislike the loud, sharp sound of china and glassware on the surface. It sounds like things are going to smash. I tend to put delicate things on the cutting board, which drives my partner crazy, because it is a working surface, not a good landing spot.

I decided against soapstone because it can scratch, but I should have just bought that, knowing it would need refinishing periodically. Laminate would have also been a better choice for me. I am not sure if I am just particularly sensitive to the sound, but I really regret spending thousands on something I actively avoid using.

@Marigold - that is interesting. I have had different granites for years, and never once have noticed the sound of china and glassware on the surface. Everyone is different. It's interesting because I am house-hunting now, and thought I finally found a great house - a layout good for my family, and I liked the town. But it was located not far from a highway - you couldn't see the highway whatsoever, but I could hear it. So it was a "No". Meanwhile the people selling the home had lived there for 12 years, and had never been bothered by the highway sound. Some people on this forum also report they don't like the sound the faucet's pull-out hose makes when it is being pulled out - I never noticed that ever! So people have different perceptions and sensitivities to noise.

@moosemac i’m so glad you mentioned some thing about the pasta roller attachment! I really want a mixer lift just because I do a lot of baking, but now I’m thinking maybe I get a pull out cutting board right next to the mixer lift so that the KA can be rotated, and pasta can fall off onto the pull out board?

@chiflipper why do you regret having a garbage disposal?

julieste -- mine is very simple, it is just a plain shelf in the 21" wide cabinet, and the shelves above are adjustable for flexible spacing. I told the cabinetmaker that I wanted the microwave to sit at about my shoulder level. He put an opening for the electrical outlet in the cabinet back, and I was able to tell the electrician the height of the opening from the floor so that he knew where to position the outlet. The lower shelves are rollout trays: I later changed out 2 of the upper shelves to Ikea drawers (a budget choice, less expensive than buying wood pullout shelves).

I have seen some that have the MW on a rollout shelf - maybe a good idea for a larger, heavier unit to facilitate moving it if needed - like for cleaning up a spill or reaching the outlet.

MMiller - since the lower section would be for the storage of not often used utensils, I don't think I would find it the nuisance that you do. The upper level would hold my silverware, knives, spatulas etc- often used items. As it is now, I have those in one organizer, and another organizer with the knives and cooking utensils stacked on top of that.

Should have kept a peninsula rather than wanting an island -- even wheeled, an island (in my case island cart) in a small kitchen can be awkward.

@Marigold, your comment about the countertop brought me to my senses! I’m going for laminate again. Thank you.

Marigold and orangecamera, it isn't the sound that bothers me, but I definitely did have to learn to set things down more gently - maybe, not so hastily? I have had 2 or 3 things break on the granite from being accidently dropped or knocked over in the past 8 years, and it is true that I don't really remember such incidents with the old laminate (but maybe I just didn't assign much importance to remembering it then...). However, I don't get cut marks or chips on the granite nor need to treat stains, as I did with the (very old) laminate.

I found that granite is harder/noisier than the Cambria quartz I previously had.

Love my:
Pull-up KAid Mixer w pull out shelf below it; same setup for Food processor! I use my pot filler faucet at least 1-2x/day, even if just to wet the rag I use to clean the stove top or to add water to the pan I just scrambled eggs in. Love wide drawers (most are 27-36", with one 4 drawer bank that is 42") and no lower cabinets. Love my frameless cabinets that don't have a horizontal bar between drawers. They fit taller items than either inset cabinets or frameless cabinets with horizontal spacer bars. Walk in pantry w shelves to the ceiling. Shelves are only 9-10" deep in some places,but provide huge amount of space. Love my counter-top garbage disposal air switch.

Hate my: dark Santa Cecilia Gold granite counters. I'm sooo sick of brown and gold fleck counters and sticking my hand in something sticky I couldn't see. Don't use the kitchen TV; it fights with the sound on the family room TV and DH gets annoyed by it.

Wish I had: on demand hot water heater under the sink or in a nearby blind cabinet. Hate waiting til half the dishes are washed for the water to get hot.

Best wishes! It's a crazy, stressful process.

Regret not enlarging my small walk-in pantry and building in my large refrigerator. Both could have been accomplished as we have an available under stairs space.

I have two regrets. Wishing I would have chosen a softer wood just for the crown, to make coping crown an easier task. Instead we have hard maple crown that is impossible to work with. Second, our cabinet retailer was not up-front with recommendations on layout and design details, leaving all the design and product decisions up to me to sort through. Also, the cabinet company offered limited product information to the consumer, so it was kind of a nightmare trying to sort through things on my own with very little help from either the cabinet maker or the retailer. I think I ended up learning more about the product than the retailer, even though the retailer has dealt with this particular cabinet company for more than a decade and has been in business for as long as I can remember. It was a needle in the haystack sort of thing, trying to sift though every detail to try to avoid mistakes. I absolutely hated working with that retailer and it makes me wonder how they manage to ever get a good review. In the end, I'm glad I questioned everything, because it all works beautifully.

I regret not getting soapstone counters and going with quartz instead. I let my husband talk me out of it and, while I like the quartz he/we picked out, I still think soapstone would have suited the house better.

I just had that conversation with my husband regarding soapstone v quartz. He wants quartz, I do like soapstone.

Lisa and Sherry: I chose Silestone quartz, color: soapstone for my kitchen counter. I wanted little maintenance for my countertop. The Silestone looks as good today as the day it was installed ( several years ago). No scratches, no chips, no issues!

Kitchen is being reinstalled now. I regret not getting inset cabinets. Every time I look at the ones I bought I just think - they are not inset. Saving a few thousand dollars wasn’t worth it.

I regret having my microwave over the range - I've gotten a few burns from spilling hot liquids. I also regret not having my stove and sink on the same stretch of countertop. I hate prepping at the sink and then picking everything up to bring over to the stove. Wish I had a wide tray divider cabinet for cookie sheets, cutting boards etc. Regret not having a cabinet wide enough to have plates side by side ( 24" wide is slightly too small for full size plates ). I also wish I would have gotten an insta-hot tap.

Things I love : free standing garbage can, pots and pans drawer, spice rack pullout ( 12" wide ), dedicated junk drawer, pantry, natural hickory cabinets ( very durable ) and appliance garage.

Great thread!