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Author Topic: The kitchen thread  (Read 25879 times)

Offline masalamama

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Re: The kitchen thread
« Reply #15 on: July 08, 2008, 09:16:00 AM »
How did you decide on the design and materials? 
--We got lots of inspiration from Home Expo, the HGTV shows and from just window shopping.  We wanted a European sleek design that was neutral for resale.  Granite and stainless were our priorities.  We ended up with Ikea cabinets which cost $2220 in entirety and look better than most "fancy" cabinets, the hardware is fabulous and sturdy.  We added an island which gave more storage and seating.  It gets lots of wows from visitors.

Did you visit many showrooms first or head straight for Ikea/Home Depot? 
--IKEA and HOME EXPO and HOME DEPOT, Tiles from MARINO on Northern
--Lights from Flushing Electrical behind home depot in Flushing

Did you get a general contractor or just hire invidual jobs out (electrician, etc.)
--We priced LABOR only with General Contractor and bought all materials.  Worked in our favor.  Most contractors that buy their own materials pad the numbers.

How difficult/expensive was demolition (esp. if you had an original kitchen)?
--Demo labor was priced in, I remember construction material trash cost us $900 extra, probably to bribe the garbage guys.

How did you determine your budget and did it change in the middle of the project?
--We budgeted and went 20% over. 

TIME committment-- you need @ 3 mos to research and 4 mos of renovations where you will be making last minute changes and picking details.  keep your work schedule light --no big projects at work.  you need lots of runs to home depot for last minute stuff.  We trusted our contractor who bought many items for us and gave us receipts, so we had less running around.  It turned out to be a bigger job than we both expected.

Spending--We invested in middle to upper mid quality for tile, fixtures and appliances.  In most cases we didn't buy anything designer.  We are probably transitioning through JH so we didn't want to overspend and not recoup our costs.  If you are staying in your apt forever, the sky's the limit, but if you are transitioning, better to spend with resale in mind.
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Offline spanishfish

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Re: The kitchen thread
« Reply #16 on: July 08, 2008, 10:44:11 PM »
Greentea-

Concerning the bolts showing on the bottom, I assume you are referring to the bottom of the upper cabinets. The thing that IKEA may not have told the previous owner is that you can purchase blank panels to cover all of those exposed bolts (essentially it's the blank side panels you would put on the end of a line of cabinets, you just install them horizontally isntead). We did this with our cabinets and it looks great. No bolts are exposed at all underneath our cabinets. Our contractor did a great job clamping these all together and screwing them in from the inside so nothing is exposed. It looks like a high-end Italian kitchen for a fraction of the cost.

See, there is a reason to consult with an architect...

 :)
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Offline KC

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Re: The kitchen thread
« Reply #17 on: July 09, 2008, 07:11:28 AM »
I bought a sponsor unit, and they did gut renovations before I moved in.  They did not use high end materials, by any means, but I really think they did a decent job.

I have the typical JH long galley kitchen, with the dining area at the end, but I have only one entrance, and it is not adjacent to the dining area, so it would not have been possible to open it up.  Actually, I really love workig in a galley kitchen.  Everything is in reach.  I do not need to take a step to empty the dishwasher or put away groceries. 

There are a couple of things that I would have done differently.  First of all, I do not like that the fridge is right across from the stove.  I would have staggered them.  Secondly, I really wish I had a broom closet....... or some full length storage.

Maybe some day I'll put on higher end counter tops and backspashes.  And I plan, very soon, to buy a better fridge.  But overall, I do love my kitchen. 
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Offline buddy

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Re: The kitchen thread
« Reply #18 on: July 09, 2008, 03:46:03 PM »
Quote from: KC on July 09, 2008, 07:11:28 AM
I bought a sponsor unit, and they did gut renovations before I moved in.  They did not use high end materials, by any means, but I really think they did a decent job.

..... Secondly, I really wish I had a broom closet....... or some full length storage.

Maybe some day I'll put on higher end counter tops and backspashes.  And I plan, very soon, to buy a better fridge.  But overall, I do love my kitchen. 

They did a better than average job considering my Sponsor apartments here. I love white or bisque kitchens myself. When I redid my kitchen, I designed a broom, mop, vacuum closet at the far end of the counter.  I love having it.  I redid my kitchen in two stages:  first one after living here for several years and second one last summer when I went all out with the granite countertops and undermount sink, over stove microwave etc.  It helped to spend money broken up like that because last summer I didn't have to redo the floors or replace the Fridge or dishwasher.  I just have to do a tile back splash and it's done!  I haven't decided what I want plus I don't dislike the kitchen with painted walls so it's nice to take break from workmen.
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Offline buddy

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Re: The kitchen thread
« Reply #19 on: July 09, 2008, 04:12:52 PM »
I have two photos over in the Home Improvement thread but this thread is just about kitchens so I'm posting one here too.   ;D   REMEMBER I haven't done the tile back splash so it looks very dull and beige in the photos. HA.  Oh and the window treatments... I don't know what to do there??? Wooden blinds (I have in L.R. and B.R.) or ????   Any ideas?
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Offline 718mom

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Re: The kitchen thread
« Reply #20 on: July 09, 2008, 09:42:03 PM »
I have never felt so jealous in my life as I did looking at these gorgeous kitchens, they are soooooo nice! I love to cook and I can't wait to have a nice kitchen one day.
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Offline buddy

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Re: The kitchen thread
« Reply #21 on: July 09, 2008, 11:34:40 PM »
That's very cute.  I hate to cook but I love nice kitchens.  I enjoy being in them while I make coffee and cereal.  Martha Stewart I'm not.

I like your avatar 718mom.  It looks like a 50's housewife.
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judibean

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Re: The kitchen thread
« Reply #22 on: July 10, 2008, 01:39:38 PM »
I would love to replace my cabinets and counters one day!  I've already replaced the fridge and stove and removed a breakfast bar that was unnecessary.  My problem is with the backsplash.  The previous owner tiled the backsplash over plaster walls.  When I do go about replacing the cabinets and counters, I'd like to replace the backsplash too.  It's a putrid pink and I honestly believe they were meant for a bathroom.  Hubby and I plan to do most of the work ourselves using IKEA cabinets and their butcherblock counters (yes, I know wood isn't good near water, but we do plan to seal and maintain them with oil); however, we know just by having tried, that these tiles are going to be a @#$% to take off.  They will most likely take chunks of plaster off with them.  Has anyone encountered this problem and figured out a solution that saves the plaster walls?  I don't want to put up drywall as a solution but that's what it's looking like...
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Offline spanishfish

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Re: The kitchen thread
« Reply #23 on: July 10, 2008, 10:36:06 PM »
I would just take it out and put up greenboard or tilebacker in it's place.

It's best to put in new studs along side the old to level and even everything out before you put up the greenboard. If you don't, your wall will probably be out of alignment and you'll have a weird condition between the wall and your countertop.
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Offline NYC Native

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Re: The kitchen thread
« Reply #24 on: July 12, 2008, 10:19:17 AM »
FYI

If you look at magazines and choose 2 or 3 different options just show them to your contractor and ask for two prices.  A price for labor and a price with labor and material.  You will want to hire the countertop separately so you can get exactly what you want.  If you are lucky you can get the contractor to take you to view some of his work.  If you like something a lot simply have them duplicate it with a few personal touches like choice of lighting, countertops and the like.  If you are not sure don't start the job otherwise a 1 - 2 week job will become a 2 month project. 

Take care to measure properly and order the cabinets and if possible get the "off the rack" kind to avoid the delay and expense with manufacturing custom cabinets.  Choose all of your items like floor tiles, color of walls, lighting and once you have this items start your demo and do all of your electrical and electrical modifications if applicable.  As your electrical and plumbing is completed initiate any drywall work immediately and without delay. Prime all the walls and level and install your floor tile or any other flooring you may have chosen.  By this time you should already have the countertop people schedule since a good contractor will know exactly when the cabinets will be up.  Once the tile is grouted and cleaned you can either give the walls one coat of paint of both coats.  Install your cabinets and run your under cabinet lighting (by this time your countertop people should be in).

Here is my take on a full kitchen renovation.

Day 1...Demo, garbage removal and electrical rough(if applicable)
Day 2...Plumbing rough (if applicable), drywall work commence
Day 3...Drywall completed, prime walls and prime and paint the ceilings (schedule delivery of cabinets for day 5 in the AM and countertop contractor for the later PM)
Day 4...Level flooring and install flooring
Day 5...Grout tiles and install cabinets including crown and base moldings if possible
Day 6...If you have not finished the moldings and lighting/fixtures detail work you may need this extra day to complete it.

Now you wait for the granite contractor to have it ready. It should take between 3 to 5 days before they are ready to install.  In the meantime your General Contractor (GC) can install a temporary plywood top and workinf sink while you wait.

Day 7...Countertops and back splash are installed.  If you are tiling the back splash make sure your GC is there the day of the installation so he can install the backsplash immediately.  Also, your faucet will be installed ans well as an caulking as well.  You may need 1 man for a few hours or even 1 day for touching up the paint and odds & ins


If your kitchen project is less involved it can take as little as 2 or 3 days but regardless of how involved the kitchen project is it really should not take longer than 10 work days if you plan properly.
« Last Edit: July 12, 2008, 10:36:34 AM by NYC Native »
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Offline buddy

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Re: The kitchen thread
« Reply #25 on: July 12, 2008, 11:25:49 PM »
God, my kitchen took forever.  Okay so my cabinets were custom and then there was a problem with one coming in the wrong size and waiting all over again for just one cabinet.  But I had other problems also with electrical work and the granite installation guys scratching my maple floors so then my floors had to be refinished (granite people paid). 

All in all I thought it was a hellish experience.  NYCNative too bad I didn't know you last summer.     :'(
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Offline spanishfish

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Re: The kitchen thread
« Reply #26 on: July 13, 2008, 11:32:28 AM »
I've never known anyone to have a kitchen completed in 10 days, buddy; especially in an existing building. Sure, it could happen if nothing goes wrong and if you're highly flexible with finishes and details and decision making, but when is THAT ever the case!
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Offline buddy

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Re: The kitchen thread
« Reply #27 on: July 13, 2008, 09:05:26 PM »
Quote from: spanishfish on July 13, 2008, 11:32:28 AM
I've never known anyone to have a kitchen completed in 10 days, buddy; especially in an existing building. Sure, it could happen if nothing goes wrong and if you're highly flexible with finishes and details and decision making, but when is THAT ever the case!

Me neither.  And everyone I know has redone their kitchen.  The planning alone takes over a month just to pick out everything and order it.  I count that as part of the process.  The messy part could go that quickly but that's if NOTHING goes wrong.  And again, when is THAT ever the case!   I'd love to see it happen. 
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Offline carrefour_ny

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Re: The kitchen thread
« Reply #28 on: July 31, 2008, 06:16:33 PM »
Fascinating reading the kitchen thread, thanks for posting.

I am planning my renovation and am wondering if anyone has moved their gas range from one wall to another.

Who did the job?
how much did it cost (I got one estimate that seems pretty high)?
did you get a DOB (ARA) permit, was is extra, how much was that?
did you run into any unexpected issues?

Thanks a bunch,

Julia
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Offline buddy

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Re: The kitchen thread
« Reply #29 on: July 31, 2008, 10:54:29 PM »
Nope, I left my kitchen appliances where they were so I can't help you there.

On a side note, I did move my tub from one wall to another when I redid my bathroom.  Made the room larger.  If you're moving the stove for that reason, do it. 
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