Kitchen remodel advice

[Dove]

I am so excited! We are going to remodel our kitchen! Have been looking at tile, cabinets & granite -- so many choices out there. We will finally have a dishwasher --Hooray!
We've been thinking about this for a while, weighing the pros & cons, & decided it was time. Since two heads are better than one when it comes to ideas & experience, I'd like to ask you all some questions. I would love your thoughts, comments, advice, ideas, recommendations & experience as I make decisions in the following areas:

- Do you have a dishwasher that you recommend? I'm looking for one that runs quietly, cleans well, & lasts a long time. If you are happy with yours, please share the brand name & model. (And if you don't like yours, tell me which ones to stay away from!) I've been researching on line & there seem to be a lot of duds out there.

- Right now we have a single light in the middle of the ceiling & one over the sink. I've been thinking about under cabinet lighting versus putting several pot lights in the ceiling. Which do you prefer?

- I know I'd like some large drawers for pots & casserole dishes. Other than that, do you have any recommendations regarding cabinets? I'm looking to squeeze as much usefulness into this small room as possible.

- What do you love about your kitchen? What do you wish were different?

- Any advice if you've been through the remodel process?

Thank you so much!!

[Emptynester]

I loved my microwave/stove hood built-in. It saved counter space that the mw would take up and I had an exhaust hood over the stove.

I like the pot filler faucet that could be next to the stove to fill pots with water for spaghetti, etc. Always wished for one of those. If you don't go with drawers for pots and pans - at least go for roll out shelves. I almost have to crawl into the cabinet to reach the back.

For ideas, I would watch HGTV and DIY as they have several kitchen remodel programs. I would also visit any open houses that are in your area as well as model homes. Home Depot and Lowes also have consultants.

Don't go too trendy or you could get tired of it Keep fairly neutral and add pops of color with things that are easily replaceable like canisters or other accessories. That will help resale value. I know - I had unique wallpaper in our kitchen and the sales staff suggested we remove it before we sold.

[Harriet]

My Sears Kenmore dishwasher has lasted forever with zero problems. I'm thinking 20 years?

I made a mistake and replaced with a wider width refrigerator and lost some space I want back! So be sure you find out the width of things and really think about it. Appliances aren't "better" just because they are bigger - they may take away from your space needs.

Drawers - don't allow a set of drawers beside a corner, or the cabinet will be so hard to access you'll throw your hands up. Make sure all drawers have the easiest glide and you like them - try them out at the store.

[Harmony]

I have a few suggestions.

Ask about the granite before you choose. Lighter colors need sealing, they will stain; darker ones like the blacks don't, so ask. Quartz products like Silestone never needs sealing and aren't porous. It's usually cheaper to go with tile on your backsplash instead of the granite narrow piece backsplash. Ask about that.

Pull out shelves takes 2 hands. One to open the cabinet door, one to pull out the shelf. Or at least two seperate motions, and if you don't open the cabinet door far enough it will bump the shelf. I've had both types. I like the deep drawer for my pots and pans.

Same with built in wastebasket if you're considering that. Some have a pull out apparatus on the bottom and you must open a cabinet door. I have the one anchored right on the cabinet front and the whole thing pulls out in one swoop.

Do a google for Rev-a-shelf. They have all kinds of cabinet inserts, like double tiered silverware dividers. We bought ours off the internet and cut to fit custom inside our drawers.

I have can lights and under cabinet lights both. Ask about the cabinet lights, some kinds get hot and can damage cabinet or leave dark spots. I think they now come in those little tiny bulbs that may be cooler. If you have different kinds of lights put them on seperate switches.

If you do something like granite, pick a normal (oblong?) type sink. Once the hole is cut, you're stuck with that shape sink forever. We didn't figure that out - if we ever need to change our sink we're basically stuck.

Cabinet doors with glass are pretty but a bugger to keep clean with kitchen greasy dust.

Make sure you use cabinet pulls and door knobs of some sort. Without them you get fingerprints on the doors all the time and finishes get worn.

I'm sure I can think of other things. Ask me anything. One of the things we do is kitchen remodels.

[lucylee]

No advice from me -- y'all know I'm not much use in the kitchen -- but I am so glad for this thread. I'm tagging along for ideas for ds/ddil.

[Nancy]

Way to go how exciting is this for you!
I like smooth doors on cabinets they are easier to clean.
The other things I thought of have already been mentioned.

You might look at kitchen remodel mags. for ideas.

Sinks have really neat sprayers these days have fun checking these out! I like to pick a color theme and stick with it like all copper brushed for hardware handles knobs faucets etc.
Corrian [sp?] or granite one of those has a disinfectant mold preventer in it I for get which one you can ask about that. If you like green I've seen some wonderful concrete counter tops!

[Indiana]

Dove you are getting some great ideas.

My things are the microwave above the stove with a exhaust hood like Empty suggested.

I like my whirlpool dishwasher - not repairs in the 10 years I have had it. It isn't quiet though.

I have a light over my sink. I leave it on all night as a nightlight. I have 5 lights in the ceiling. 3 are can lights and 2 are flat in the ceiling. For my size kitchen that many is overkill. My new place will have a long florescent light, 2 can lights over the sink on either side and under the cabinet lighting. I think I'm going to put a small lamp in one of the corners that I have to be a nightlight. It is a copper teakettle with a white glass top over a clear chimeney.

I wish I had the drawers for pots and pans. I do like the lazy susans I have in two corners of the kitchen. They are in the upper cupboards and lower cupboards. I don't have any dead space. I love my cookie sheet cupboard. It is a very narrow cabinet that I slide cookie sheets, large cutting boards, splatter screen, cooling racks, They are easy to reach.

I have a junk drawer - at least my version of a junk drawer. In the back is a divider the width of the drawer and a little deep. I keep index cards, sticky notes, labels in it. In front of that are 3 long dividers. One has pens, one has mini flash light and a few other things like white out, etc. The last one has some odds and ends. In front of those are 3 little square dividers one if for rubberbands, one is for paperclips, and the last one has packets of flower preserver.

It will be fun to hear about your remodel.

[Emptynester]

Forgot to say I love my one lever spray faucet. I can turn it on to the right temp with one hand and if I need to I can pull it out to spray the sink. I have one in the big RV but not the little one and I miss it. I'll make sure to have one in any new RV we buy.

Another think that I like is a lot of shelves in the top cupboards so that you don't have empty vertical space. I had to put wire shelves in all the cupboards in the little RV as there was just one big space and I couldn't stack things that high.

[Lynlee]

I'm reading and dreaming with all these good ideas.

imo my cupboards and counters are too deep If I was to redo I think I'd go for narrower, with a narrow shelf above for "things" jars/canisters etc. atm I have no overhead cabinets. and one long floresent over the sink/ window. Unfortunately the whole house wiring runs thru dividing wall b/w LR/DR - that stops short of with cathedral ceiling overhead. Worst is the front door opens to DR with K door opposite and I so wish for a different setup. Love a real move around of "things" w a meal/eating counter open to LR side and dining table in the now LR.
maybe one day... or there will be a better layout elsewhere.

Great to read you are getting the renovations done Dove.

When dd did hers she got a low double sink put on the back deck w washing machine (out of BthR) and temporary place for dw. a single hot plate and microwave were for cooking - moved to DR while the K got redone. She went for purchased solid timber furniture -stressed whitewash - 3 door hutch, 3 door counter, central "marble"top island. The Pantry (its a wardrobe w shelves and bottom drawers) is in the DR. It suits her old colonial home. She put bifold windows to deck over the huge porceline sink - it has solid slab varnished wood surrounds with plastic drainer thingo under dish/pot draining area. DW under. Her thing was to keep the inner city bush animals out of her food ... Did later find possum babies in a nest in her range hood flue... took them to rspca. lol. Stove is huge gas/electric & has 2 ovens and was imported at huge price. It does look great. Obviously she does not get her interior design from growing up with me.

I do like the idea of a narrow space for those flat things. And draws for pots and pans. I seen some people have drawers for crockery too. Mine are in a 2door hutch in DR atm.

[DeeClutter]

Forgot to say I love my one lever spray faucet. I can turn it on to the right temp with one hand and if I need to I can pull it out to spray the sink

This is one of the BIG things I'm looking for in a new RV, Empty. Since most of that type of thing I have to do one-handed it's a real plus for me. I turn on our water heater in the morning for 23-25 minutes (I have to turn on my trusty timer or I'd forget ) and then I can just turn on the hot water faucet for shower, dishes, etc. We did buy a new shower head which has a switch on it and that makes it a lot easier for me.