Kitchen Remodel

[Duchess]

My question is, are you an appliance snob?

Maybe a tiny bit. My range and dishwashers are Viking. My fridge and two drawers in the island are Sub-Zero. I don't want to have to use any of this stuff but I do want it to look nice.

I think your project sounds like big fun. I have a folder someplace filled with pix I tore out of magazines and that's how my kitchen was designed, a little of this and a little of that. I remember how much fun that was but some anxiety too.

[Maggot]

I once sold a guy the same exact thing for 2x list just because I knew he thought the higher priced item was better. It was even manufactured in the same plant, It just had another distributers logo on it. Of coarse it was veered off the line for a new skin. But it was still the same. It was 280% mark-up.

There.............I've said it.

Sometimes as a distributer they even give you a cool looking logo to replace the old one I've changed furnace logo's from RUDD to RHEEM. Then back again just so I could sell them to the proper contractors. Its all legal ya know. They tell you its OK. They own the plant.

Home depot does it all day.

[username]

My question is, are you an appliance snob?

Maybe a tiny bit. My range and dishwashers are Viking. My fridge and two drawers in the island are Sub-Zero. I don't want to have to use any of this stuff but I do want it to look nice.

I think your project sounds like big fun. I have a folder someplace filled with pix I tore out of magazines and that's how my kitchen was designed, a little of this and a little of that. I remember how much fun that was but some anxiety too.

I am having some fun with it. A little more challenging/interesting that serving as a taxi driver for my kids.

You are a snob. After exhaustive research, I finally learned today that the upper brands don't sell counter depth refrigerators...only built-ins. My designer told me you lose a little cubic space (although they tend to be taller) and it would add roughly $6-9K to put in a built-in (not sure if that is just his/contractor costs or additional costs for the fridge or hopefully both). I have concerns about cubic feet since we're already losing space with the counter depth and I wonder what's involved if the refrigerator dies if it's built in. I seem to recall they tend to build a small surround around the refrigerator so provided the cabinet material is available, I would think they would have a plan in place to make that a fairly minimal repair/switch but again, it's something I have to check in to. I'm going to look at some built in's. Otherwise, my fridge is either going to have to be LG, Samsung, GE Profile, Kitchen Aid or Electrolux.

I found 3 matching pieces that I like though in the Thermador line: double oven, counter top range and dishwasher. Their dishwasher is really well rated (I was planning on a Bosch) but it turns out the stupid thing is made by Bosch anyway. Which brings me to Maggot's post.

[username]

I once sold a guy the same exact thing for 2x list just because I knew he thought the higher priced item was better. It was even manufactured in the same plant, It just had another distributers logo on it. Of coarse it was veered off the line for a new skin. But it was still the same. It was 280% mark-up.

There.............I've said it.

Sometimes as a distributer they even give you a cool looking logo to replace the old one I've changed furnace logo's from RUDD to RHEEM. Then back again just so I could sell them to the proper contractors. Its all legal ya know. They tell you its OK. They own the plant.

Home depot does it all day.

It appears that very few things you buy as far as kitchen appliances are made by the company who's plate appears on the damn thing. I went to Sears to look at Bosch appliances (they had none on the floor) but ended up going through their "elite" series (which is actually what I meant when I said I looked at Kitchen Aid up thread). Despite being "Kenmore", the refrigerator was made by LG, the double oven was made by Electrolux, the dishwasher was made by Whirlpool.

Anyway, unless I find out something to convince me otherwise, I've picked out 3 of 4 appliances. This pleases me.

[Duchess]

It appears that very few things you buy as far as kitchen appliances are made by the company who's plate appears on the damn thing.

I discovered that with a Jenn-Air grill I bought at Lowes. When it began having issues I found out it wasn't made by Jenn-Air, it simply carried their name. I was pissed! That sorta thing needs to be disclosed up front.

[Maggot]

I think I may have said this before but, when I replaced my cabinets they came in boxes so when they went in not one cabinet was part of another one. Half the things didn't fit anymore because behind the cabinet doors was not a long shelf anymore. I lost a lot of space because they were separated and a pan handle would get in the way of anything else. Cabinet doors should open to 3 long shelves that continue to other cabinets or you lose half the area and nothing fits any more.
It still pisses me off because I want to rip them all out again and build shelves then face them without the sides separating each shelf.

[Blindgreed1]

I think I may have said this before but, when I replaced my cabinets they came in boxes so when they went in not one cabinet was part of another one. Half the things didn't fit anymore because behind the cabinet doors was not a long shelf anymore. I lost a lot of space because they were separated and a pan handle would get in the way of anything else. Cabinet doors should open to 3 long shelves that continue to other cabinets or you lose half the area and nothing fits any more.
It still pisses me off because I want to rip them all out again and build shelves then face them without the sides separating each shelf.

Yeah, they don't give you all of the drawbacks when they are selling you on how easy it is to install yourself.

[username]

So here are some pretty recent plans (not including the family room/fireplace area). Somewhere in the beginning of this thread, I posted some pics of our kitchen as it is. I can't fucking wait...Although it's still U-shaped, I'm picking up at least 3, maybe 4 feet between the peninsulas and the layout is a thousand times more functional.

Now I'm wondering what the hell took me so long...













By the way, if any of the pics appear upside down, sideways etc., they will eventually show in the correct orientation. If you haven't experienced it, there's a nice long delay between the time you make a change to a picture (or delete an image out of a post) before the image appears correctly or is actually deleted. PB quirk.

[Maggot]

I make those prints all day long. Looks good.

[username]

I make those prints all day long. Looks good.

It's been helpful for me...he uses some program that enables us to see everything in 3D. I've caught some things that I might have missed. For example, originally the refrigerator and the oven were switched. I read (and it's true for me) that u need counter next to ur oven to immediately place hot dishes on). Right now my range is next to my oven and if it's not occupied, that's where I put things. So I had him switch the two.

I might have noticed it w/out the 3D but for someone like me who has problems visualizing, it's been very helpful.

[Maggot]

I can draw in 3d quick, they always send people to me because of it. No computer necessary. Have you checked out the space behind the doors to make sure they are one shelf and not compartments like I told you?

[username]

I went to a fairly small countertop showroom yesterday. They had mostly marble and quartzite. Very few slabs of granite. Found this piece of quartzite that was spectacular (although I can't imagine it as a counter top...then again I can't imagine ANY counter top).

That's our cabinet/different style though. The pic does not do the quartzite justice IMO.

[HairOfTheDog]

That's a cool color scheme and pattern, user.

[Donovan]

I like the look of the countertop, but those cabinet doors are way too tiny. You'll never get your pots and pans in there.

[username]

That's a cool color scheme and pattern, user.

I thought it was "wild" but then my husband showed me a picture of the granite slab he chose for our cabin and that looked like the work of a group of kindergartener's with buckets of brown, gold and white paint so...I think the counters at our cabin look lovely so I guess it's the nature of the beast.

[blueberryhill]

I like the look of the countertop, but those cabinet doors are way too tiny. You'll never get your pots and pans in there.

I do love the "waviness" and colors of countertop....Is that Maple for cabinets?

[Donovan]

Reminds me of trees.

[username]

I do love the "waviness" and colors of countertop....Is that Maple for cabinets?

Yes, they're maple but I didn't like the natural or even the lighter color maples (they had wheat etc.). It's stained butternut with a coffee glaze all over.

That's good because I read later that natural, maple cabinets are totally out. Fucking trends. If I followed trends, I should be making my kitchen white and gray.

I'm STILL working on floors. I think everything I'm liking is going to be shockingly dark in this house. I'm having a hard time finding a rich, warm albeit medium colored brown floor. They get blah in medium.

[username]

Reminds me of trees.

It does. And I liked your comment about the tiny cabinets. Made me think of tiny houses....I might like to live in one of those some day. All.by.myself.

I found that floor at a sort of ritzy floor dealer in Berkeley. I've been told (and I'm going to go there soon) that I have to go to the skanky bowels of San Francisco (i.e., HotD's hood) to find the best selection/prices on counter top materials.

That quartzite is available elsewhere if I choose it. The ritzy place? $75 a SQUARE FOOT. I wonder how many sq. ft. we'll need (come to think of it). 80? 100? I have no idea. Actually it's either more or I'm missing something because at $75 sq ft., $7,500...I don't think so. But then again we're paying the contractor separately so maybe that seems low because the install cost has already been built in to the contractor's bid. *scratches head* Fuck if I know.

[HairOfTheDog]

There's a really great counter and cabinet place right around the corner from me in the skanky bowels, only about ¹⁄₄ mile from the skateboard park.

I don't know if it's any cheaper than elsewhere, but I've gone in there a couple of times with a friend and they've got a yuge selection.

It's called Gilman's, across from Lowe's on Bayshore.