I agree about hardwood in kitchens. I've had tile, laminate, sheet vinyl and wood. Wood is the best looking and easiest to keep clean. Bona Hardwood spray cleaner is fabulous--cleans and no rinsing required. No residue either.

I'd change out the tile in a heartbeat, as well as the counters. The white backsplash is fine, but I would replace the glass mosaics over the cooktop The cabinets are beautiful, and Omega is a very high-end brand.

Ok so I guess if I can find the same hardwood like the formal living room can try that ? Through the whole downstairs instead of white porcelain tile ?

Omega - I love Omega cabinets! I had them in my previous Kitchen and even at 17 years old they looked new! The buyer was so excited when she saw them - I miss that Kitchen! (Yes, they were all drawers - designed with help here. I wish I could have taken the Kitchen with me 😊)

My current Kitchen has Schuler and the changes I'm making are using Medallion. They're nice enough, but nowhere near as nice/good as my Omega cabinets were! (If I was gutting this new Kitchen I would have definitely gone with Omega, but I'm only redoing the very dysfunctional island. They're also painted, which I'm not thrilled with - I prefer stained or natural wood.)

Wood does seem to be making a come back.

Well good thing I asked here I guess ! I was hesitant about trashing perfectly good cabinets but wasn’t sure how to spruce up the kitchen. Will try to post measurements here and see what the pros say ! I would rather save money on cabinets and spend it on the bathroom downstairs

The cabinet color is on the darker side, which gives a bit of a vintage feel.
Since the appliances are stainless steel, you might consider adding a hood cover in copper or stainless steel—it could help make the overall color scheme look more consistent.
Something like this might work well 👉

Thank you ! My good cover is stainless steel currently

She said..........

"Will do all 1 floor either LVP or bigger porcelain tile every where except the formal area where it is New hardwood we put in"

You bought it, you liked it. Yes?!

One flooring to a living floor UNIFIES, is smoother, makes spaces feel larger and much more connected. If you don't/didn't love it enough to carry into a kitchen? You didn't think through, or ? you do a different tile, anything but a wood look, and you don't know on that either, because you don't know exactly what is happening or not happening in the kitchen.

You don't butt LVP to any wood....faux against real.

Want a bathroom redo, a fire wall redo, exploring kitchen redo.....?

Slow down, prioritize these, measure........

Or begin a trail of tears , in regrets and mistakes that results from no overall plan for the living floor , budget, and over what period of time.

Does flooring matter?Yup. Everywhere.

As you said to Diana B said above?

Yes.......right down here

"Ok so I guess if I can find the same hardwood like the formal living room can try that ? Through the whole downstairs instead of white porcelain tile ??.............."

Yes....: )

I like the cabinets and the granite. Hardwood throughout, a new backsplash and a new hood would make your kitchen really nice.

Jan Moyer I really appreciate your detailed answer! I just don’t know how to measure and plot etc on graph paper! Also work all day so it has been hard but will definitely do that and post here for answers.
When we first moved into the house the formal area had a worn out carpet so changed that put for hardwood as shown in picture . Had no plan on replacing the whole downstairs at that time as too expensive and had no plans. Now want to do it along with the downstairs bathroom fire place wall and freshen up kitchen . Reading here seems like most ppl agree Cabinets look good and the backsplash and counters could be changed out along with hardware for a better look. Thank you for taking time and replying I truly appreciate it

The kitchen looks great. What's your problem with it? LVP is called "luxury" but it's really just vinyl with another name. I would not replace tile with LVP.

You have...essentially this

"I just don’t know how to measure and plot etc on graph paper! Also work all day so it has been hard but will definitely do that and post here for answers."

Just do this as below. ?? NOT HARD

EVERY THING INSIDE THE WALLS

We don't care about the peninsula. We know it's there

Each piece of every solid wall

each and every window including casings left to right

The opening to dining including casing.

It's a simple version of what you don't know how to do: )

Just look at the details on the example...and do this simplified version

Your granite is beautiful -if its in good shape leave it? I agree to change the backsplash behind the stove, the hardware and the flooring. The hood looks a tad modern for this kitchen too. But I am biased as I hate that style of hood lol

Here’s the thing. It’s your house and you live there and need to enjoy it. If you don’t like the kitchen you can change it. It doesn’t matter at all that folks here think the cabinets and granite might be great. They don’t live in the house. Jan is right though. To get real help on layout etc you do need to post a plan. Most people work all day, including those replying and offering support.

" Change peninsula to island ? "

From what I can see, you do not appear to have enough room for an island - especially one with seating. So, I would say that's out. Of course, if you want to know for certain, we need that fully-measured layout others have asked for. (See the Featured Answer in the "New to Kitchens? Read Me First!" thread.)

Measure...Get a tape measure (a metal one that is at least 10 feet is best) and start measuring. Ideally have someone help you.

Pick a corner to start at and measure from that corner to the next wall or window/door, then measure the window/door and keep going, measuring each individual item - all windows (including trim), doors/doorways (including trim), walls. Don't worry about the cabinets or appliances, just measure walls, windows, doors/doorways, and anything that cannot be moved (e.g., a post).

Then, take a piece of paper, draw a picture of the room and put measurements on the picture for each wall, window, etc. Make sure the writing is dark and legible. Look at Jan's sketches - that's all you have to do.

Take a picture and upload it here. Make sure it's big enough to read, not a small thumbnail.

If you really want help and you want it to be the best help we can give, then take the time to do this. You should be able to take measurements in less than an hour and it should take no more than an hour or so to draw the picture and add measurements.

And, yes, most of us also work a full-time job and help out here around work and family/friends.

------------

Cabinets, floors, etc. - what's your budget? Replacing cabinets, especially if you want the same level of quality as the Omega, will not be cheap. Ditto changing out the floor.

However, if you want to change to get a better layout (e.g., try to get more prep workspace b/w the sink and range), then you will likely have to get new cabinets. Another benefit is that you can also take advantage of newer storage solutions and ideas as well as get a better layout!

Like others, I, personally, recommend not going with LVP - we had it in part of our previous home (replaced carpet) and have it in a couple of rooms in the new house (a 3-season sunroom & "spa room"). I don't like it. The feel is not great, especially if you don't wear shoes in the house. It also looks like vinyl, especially when up against the wood and tile in the rest of the house.

Thank you so much for your detailed response! Really appreciate you taking the time ! Will measure it tonight and upload measurements! Yes I think and not going to do LVP since it will be juxtaposed with the hardwood . We do it have in the stairs and all of the upstairs . I dislike the current tile floor , grout looks dirty and the surface looks uneven so thinking replace with smoother porcelain tile. The island measured by a contractor will be 6 ft long and 3.5ft wide to leave atleast 3ft clearance on all sides and this would be without seating . I like the look of an island but maybe not super practical in my situation.

The contractor is not your designer, ever.

"The island measured by a contractor will be 6 ft long and 3.5ft wide"

"NO point to a 42 " width with no seating..

Also, 36 inches is not adequate clearance aisles..... But please do the measure? : )

Fill it in! Its all you need to do, for now.

It's as above, just a simple version of below!!

Pen and ink....bold?Fine!

This is what I got

So basically 14 ft by 11 ft with 2 openings on 2 sides to family room and dining room the window by the sink is wide 6 ft . The peninsula is 3 ft wide and 8 ft length

Here’s the fireplace wall and bathroom looking to do in this project

Summary:

First this " "Kitchen remodel" ?......

Then......

"Yes definitely redoing the fireplace tv wall . Getting quotes ( based on what reasonably accurate design information ) for that, along with kitchen" .

As to the ongoing KITCHEN question, island and ALL forward:

She said..........

"So....."basically", it's 11 x 14......"

No. To the w.a.l.l.s, it is an 8' peninsula, a 3' opening to family room, AND the depth of the space on the wall that contains the fridge and we'll GUESS that is 2' so the kitchen wall to wall is 13" wide if emptied of all cabinets and appliances..

It's this below, unless you move a wall.....it's math. I suppose I must trust it is 14' in length...and this is what you get for an "island", assuming the peninsula goes to a dumpster..

What is behind the fridge wall? Stairs? A hall passage to the garage? We've no clue. But unless you find a couple more feet? It's a pretty skimpy island with minimal clearances and zero seats.

You have a contractor in there.......to do what? Design? Quote a multiple area redo? You don't know what you want , and the contractor can't draw or use graph paper. Look below....? His drawing of peninsula near window? The approx 3' of wall at left of the sink window IS the peninsula depth! There is no wall and THEN a peninsula!

You want a redone fire wall, where the first fix is to tear those " built ins", right off the wall!!

The fire box is too small, the mantel should be anything but white, the tv is nearly at the ceiling and IF you could have anything, what would you want it to look like? Bigger fire? Linear fire? Keep the rocks? Get rid of the rocks?

Not every fire demands built ins to collect doo dads. What would be the design for this fire wall, and what materials ?

Second fix in family room. Rip the carpet and change flooring to what? The hardwood you already installed in the "formal" spaces? I sure hope so, because the last thing any home needs is three conflicting floors, and can see no reason for tile unless climate - which is what?

Part 3 of " The Project" . Bathroom. Probably 6 feet wide, 9' long?

What do "we" want in there? Who uses the shower or is this on a different level of the home as it is in a basement?!.

It's a guest bath ? Is it "just" change the vanity, or paint the vanity and just get rid of granite countertop, just rip all the shower tile and floor tile?

At the ( very usual ) risk of being beaten over the head for brutal truths stated bluntly? They are these:

You aren't ready for any contractor, and NO contractor on this earth is your designer. You are the designer, unless you hire a designer. I'd send the contractor packing.

Then?

Sit down and figure out a remodel budget that considers the length of your stay in this home. Forever? Less? Five, ten years?

Get yourself an interior designer, local to your site. One who has a pro K.D in her speed dial, who owns her very own 25' tape measure, and has a contractor in her back pocket on same speed dial..

If you have enough resources to even remotely CONSIDER all three of these "projects" in the same time frame? You have enough resources to pay someone who knows what they are doing. At this point? Neither you nor your contractor.... knows.

Most importantly/ last of brutal truths? Houzz may be the best place on the internet for advice that comes with a few thousand years of combined experience, Pro and homeowner at zero cost.

To take advantage of that FREE expertise, a homeowner has to do their homework when asked. Inches, and fractions of those COUNT in a kitchen. To provide anything less, is to waste your time, and all the contributors as well.

That's the "island" down here...: ) really just a run of cabinet boxes and a top = 26 wide.

^^^

Based on all I said above?

Change the cabinet hardware

Clear all the counter tops of any clutter, clear the walls of doo dads.

Nothing wrong with the granite, and what IS wrong is the flooring WITH the granite.

Don't like the backsplash? Fine, change it.

Your very first task is to unify flooring. EITHER rip what you installed to something you can live with everywhere, or REPEAT what you installed.

This would be among the very first questions asked of you in a brand new build!!

Unless you show an opportunity to move the fridge wall, unless you show the dining room , the entire floor plan for the house and wall and window dimensions for all the "beyond" .....you have what we can see here. Keep the peninsula.

Jan Moyer I truly appreciate your brutal honesty 😀 I am laughing because I am a very straightforward person myself ! Ok to answer few things
Yes stairs behind pantry and fridge wall so
The window over sink is very deep because box window . It is a lot of wasted space behind the sink but cannot really use . I will be ripping out the built ins and want a lower tv and an accent wall .
Good idea about getting a designer. Couple contractors suggested paying 900$ to get a 3D design . Should I measure more accurately ?

My budget is 100K

Formal dining. Living and stairs behind the fridge wall

100k totally for bathroom and fireplace as well as kitchen?

I measure minus fridge kitchen depth is 13 ft 3 inches and length is 14ft 2inches

Random thoughts:

- First things first, love your window!

- No to changing the cabinets. You say they're solid, and they're lovely. No, changing them would be expensive and wasteful -- especially if they went to a landfill.

- Those over-sized pulls were expensive. I wouldn't want to let go of them. A detail, yes, but one that does add up.

- If you're just looking for a change, consider having your cabinets professionally painted.

- Solid no to changing to an island. Yes, islands are trendy and a #1 desire of many builders /remodelers, but you have eto work with the space you have. And you don't have the right space for an island. If you kept it where your peninsula is, you'd have a tiny, short island. If you turned it 90 degrees, your dishwasher would be across from your sink -- talk about disfunction. You don't say whether you're on a slab, crawlspace or basement, but if it's a slab, moving the dishwasher would be real money /real effort. And for what? You have a very functional layout; in fact, U-shapes are my favorite layout.

- While I don't outright love your granite, it's already purchased /installed /would be a lot of trouble to change -- and it's not bad; just not top-shelf.

- I don't care for your floor -- to my eye, it has that "ever-dirty" look, though I doubt it's actually dirty. I'd go for a simple linoleum that'll allow your cabinets to remain the star. I say linoleum because it's softer underfoot /kinder on knees and joings, especially as you age -- and because things you drop on it won't break. It's also warmer underfoot. I much prefer the linoleum in my kitchen to the tile in my bathrooms.

Now for smaller things:

- I'd start by decluttering some of the stuff on your countertops. Would some in-drawer organizers help things move off the countertops?

- I'd like to see a color as an accent -- linens, artwork, a colorful tea kettle, etc. We're talking accents here, so no more than 5-10% of your room. But that color -- all one, matching would make your room look polished /put together.

"Couple contractors suggested paying 900$ to get a 3D design . Should I measure more accurately ?"

I'm restraining myself - in some effort not to scream aloud. A "couple" contractors as lost as we are? Were any of them capable of even an measure?

A virtual 3 D design of W. H .A. T? Do you believe that could be accomplished without every foot and inch available in the kitchen? Without every detail of what you want for storage, or anything else?

Even AI has to know what you w.a.n.t.!!

You're "lost" in a lovely home . You've a lovely living room ( lower the art about a FOOT, please )

....... You have a flooring you just did, and a stair behind your kitchen wall.

Unless you are bumping the sink wall out two or three feet? Wrecking the formal dining? You are 100% "landlocked".

Do what I said. Get a local designer, figure out what is most important to you. Forget the bath!! You have a 100k. You want a whole new more modern look in the kitchen, within the same foot print? New cabinets, counters, lighting, all flooring unified kitchen and family room?

Unless sacrificing quality, call your GUT to the kitchen and all flooring both areas not less than 90K. with materials and labor.

What about the fire wall? You don't even have an inspo pic for what you might like!

Repeat............

Local Designer, Budget, Refine the wish list. Create the plan.

It isn't via a crowd source, here via hundreds of posts and voices.

You really should run the hardwood throughout the kitchen and family room. That will make a massive difference. Multiple types of flooring generally looks cheap.

We put that hardwood floor when we bought the house about 8 years an ago so even if we found the same wood probably won’t look the same. Also hardwood in kitchen scares me about water damage

Why would there be water damage? A kitchen isn’t inherently wet. We’ve had hardwood in our kitchen for seven years. The occasional spill gets wiped up and that’s the end.

Put a rug at the sink and you’ll be fine. You’ll notice that the majority of higher end homes feature hardwood throughout, including the kitchen. I’d install hardwood and refinish the older hardwood if it doesn’t match - that’s the beauty of hardwood!
I

I'll repeat what I said previously about hardwood in kitchens.

"I've had tile, laminate, sheet vinyl and wood. Wood is the best looking and easiest to keep clean. Bona Hardwood spray cleaner is fabulous--cleans and no rinsing required. No residue either." Laminate is the WORST flooring if there's any water. It swells and buckles and there's no way to repair it. If you don't want wood (which I totally disagree with) then go with sheet vinyl in a stone pattern. Nothing that will try to look like real wood.

We live in SoCal have a pool and ppl track water through the family room too so if I ripped out that carpet as well and did the same hardwood chances of water in the entryway by back sliders.

Put a mat at the door, teach people to dry off. Not hard. Or leave carpet in family room only if you want.

I have a home in a resort/beach area too, with a pool, and there is hardwood in every room. The house is 32 years old, we have 8 grandchildren and dogs. We've also rented the house for about 15 of those 32 years. The wood flooring is just fine.

Short list of things we don't know:

How many live there?

Is it near a hurricane potential ala Florida, or a mudslide opportunity like So Cal. South EAST elsewhere on a coast?

How many do you entertain? and how often? How much other family is nearby, and do you host a large group?

Do you cook a lot or a little?

Do you bake?

What is the most serious storage flaw?

Do you use the dining room? How often?

Where do you enter with groceries?

Is there a garage and mud entry? Where?

There's no basement? It's a crawl space ?

It's on a slab?

What's the dream kitchen, dream fire?

What if anything, do you love, and.....hate?

Was the plan all along to have a tile in the kitchen? Was the kitchen even a thought 8 years ago?

Would you WANT tile in a family room? and unless this is hurricane central, maybe not!!

Take a cabinet drawer face to the hardwood. Does it look good with the existing hardwood? Do you know you can refinish engineered hardwood, or is that really an LVP we're seeing?

What water? From a dog and his paws? From pool traffic in the yonder?

There's more. But I'll stop .: )

White oak solid hardwood, site-finished, in kitchen after 14 years of use:

Red oak solid hardwood, site-finished clear coat, installed in beach home kitchen in 1993. Never refinished.

We live in SoCal not next to beach but have a pool. Yes cook a lot Bake not so much . No dog only a rabbit 🐇 that roams free in house and 2 kids and husband. Slab not basement. Enter through garage with stuff . Entertain often I just a book club meeting and invite ppl over for dinner often . No seriously storage flaw other than maybe finding a place for the kitchen aid stand mixer that I very rarely use.

When you say find a designer , are they associated with a contractor? How do I look for a designer? Are these interior designers who do furniture and stuff ? I used one for the formal dining and living . What do I look for ?

Well.........

You can do reverse searches?

You can look for a professional KD in your area, and ask her what interior designers she loves to work with. What contractor does she have on speed dial? Or her talents were limited to the decoration and styling of a space, procuring, sourcing furniture, rugs etc.. and she has no experience beyond that.

You can ask the interior designer with whom you worked before if you worked well together.. How did you find her? Was she proficient..has she designed a kitchen , does SHE ever work with a pro KD.

You can ask a good friend in book club whose kitchen you love.....someone who remodeled or built.

Flooring?

Some things are not hard. I really doubt, even in SoCal, that there aren't a million new builds with a hardwood floor everywhere but baths.. Nothing is hard about toweling off at the pool. Or at the door to family room.....and using a thirsty mat. Outside AND inside.

When is the last time you dumped a pot of pasta water all over the floor and what would you do if you DID?

You'd wipe it all up before the house bunny ran through.

Even with all of this? It isn't a case of "tell me what to do!"

You first have to have an idea of what you want. Long term. What is the feel......?

If you don't love the kitchen cabinet stain and finish? You don't. Or you do. Or you THINK YOU MUST change it ....or you need to get on the internet and think and dream a bit. Letting go of the island concept, at the same time.

If The goal is a hang round in here with me kitchen, and lean on my island? Not happening: )

PS...... There lots of water here, there have been storms of rain/ flooding right to the doors,No problem.

Yes there was a team. Me. My KD and TOGETHER we refine my wish/vision, and a contractor to build the whole thing...with one client. Within the very tight waterfront foot print/ walls..... we had....

Process is same, no matter the size.

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Omg 😱 that’s amazing !! I would something like that but obviously that’s not what I have 😀! Professional KD meaning kitchen designer? I worked with a furniture store who also was interior designer. When I searched for kitchen design here they are all contractors so not sure there is another category . But will look . However right now iam thoroughly confused disappointed 😕 and will just take a break . Don’t know what to do feeling overwhelmed

Furniture store designers are often not actually interior designers

Take a beat! It’s a lot to consider a big renovation and you don’t Jace to do it on the timeline of Houzz. Do it when you are ready but take the comments here into consideration when you are. You’ve got this. Maybe it doesn’t happen next month but it will, when you are ready

Thank you ! Maybe I just don’t have good ideas and no clue what to do about this situation. I have had a few contractors come in and give me estimates all are around 100K for the 3 projects . Iam leaning towards keeping cabinets in kitchen and not add island keep peninsula . Maybe there is a way to change a few small storage things like putting trash and recycling together side by side . Change backsplash and counters . Change flooring to either wood or tile . Fireplace wall etc But I am feeling overwhelmed 🤦🏽‍♀️😟

When you get three contractors in there, FROM what conversation do they all deduce 100K

What and how do you actually give them something to quote?

You bought the house 8 years ago, and my guess is somewhere in the house may lurk an actual rolled up set of floor plans? Unroll and take good pictures. Let's see the entire thing!

No offense, but you take lousy pics. Go show us where you enter. Garage and foyer... show the rest of the living room. You can't pick a flavor, neither can we. We can't see enough .

Were any of us in there....we'd see it ALL. : )

THIS:

Still love the palette? What exactly IS the floor?

The floor is engineered hard wood

Yes......it had a brand. a name...... a color

Bonny lots of this depends on how much you want to do. You don’t need to spend 100k on this if you don’t want to. You need to fine tune your priorities and what you really want changed and or updated.