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We heard from our contractor today! It looks as if work will start on our kitchen--and rest of home remodel--either later this month or in June. We have had another delay, as we must go back to the town, which is claiming expiration of the previous permit for the bedroom extension over the rest of the front of the house extension. That may drag into late June, but we are hoping that the kitchen remodel, which is all within the footprint, can start earlier.
Want to come along on this ride? I'll keep track of it on this thread and welcome your insights!
General Background: we have a narrow, long house, which is typical of the older houses on narrow lots on this lake. The original house was built over the summer of 1907, It suffered a remodel in the mid-1960s, and let's just admit that 1960s style is never going to stand as an architectural highpoint. During that remodel, a wall was taken out that led to the porch in front, which was expanded and enclosed. The wall was replaced with large sliding glass doors. That violated the laws of physics, as the support was inadequate. In our first renovation phase, those doors were removed, more wall restored, and the porch area became the front living space on one side, with the other part still an enclosed porch. That part of the house is now in accord with the laws of physics. The planned front bedroom extension upstairs, over that, will put the weight where it should be at the end of the house, rather than in the middle of the ceiling, and will give us more room.
During the 1960s renovation, the back part of the house was removed, and a new part added, that was extended about four feet on the side where there was room on the lot. However, the addition is two steps up from the original house level. (That may have been a style choice, or it may be that they did not want to dig down further.) The 1960s' addition consists of a downstairs bedroom, a bathroom, and a narrow, galley kitchen. There was a huge utility room and huge bathroom mid-house. In the first phase of the renovation, we were able to shrink the utility closet (I really wish those 1960s' people had put in a basement!), and we also shrank the bathroom, which was ridiculously large and wasted space. In doing so, we gained a dining room area, on the one side, although there is still an area of "dead" space on the other side that leads into the kitchen, with a hallway on the side leading to the bathroom and downstairs bedroom before the kitchen starts.
Lake homes are supposed to be built with the front on the lake, although construction over the last twenty-five years or so is dubious about that in some cases. Essentially, that means that people will show up at the back, not the front door. In the case of our house, that means everyone will be walking through this galley kitchen on the way to the rest of the house. As the house is open concept, the kitchen has to blend; you can see from one end of the house to the other. In the kitchen as it is now, there are some non-supporting walls that narrow the access in order to create a bit of a laundry area. So, when we enter the house, we have washer and dryer on our right, and a large closet with sliding doors on the left. It's tight, especially with packages or the dog. The back door also lets in strong winds in the winter, although we like the breezes other times of year.
The Plan: We are moving the door so it will be on the back right side as the house is approached. That side opens onto the neighbor's house wall. (Don't get me started on the idiocy that means most of the house next to us is solid wall that was built too close to the property line.) It does have the advantage of dealing with the wind issue, and we will put a window where the door is now, and a bench under it, so that we have a better mud area. We will remove the closet on the left, and the matching area that is closet in the bedroom (which still has the rest of wall as closet). That will allow us to put the washer and dryer against the back house wall, and to put pantry cabinets across from them. Another possibility is a closet with shelves. Originally, I was just going to do shelves, but my husband does not like the idea of people entering and seeing open shelving. So, cabinets or shelving it will be. We will also put cabinets over the washer and dryer. The area should accommodate our dog's crate in the center, when necessary. The walls that divided the kitchen and the entryway will be removed. So, what we have is an "L" shape, with the small part of the "L" being the laundry/pantry area.
The kitchen has soffits. I hate soffits, as they take up space that could be used for storage. Those will be removed and air ducts put into the ceiling instead. We will donate the cabinets to Habitat for Humanity and start afresh. The sliding glass door that leads on the right side to the patio will be replaced with a regular door, and the kitchen will be expanded out about three feet, which will gain more cabinet space, and more room to work. It will still have a peninsula at the end, with a 6-8 inch overhang, where I can work, and can continue enjoying the view from the window in front as I do now (with stairs leading up on its left), but it will also be an extension of the dining area (remember, it's a small footprint).
If I were designing a kitchen from scratch, this footprint would not be it. However, we need to stay in the footprint on this narrow lot, so I am making it work.
We went through kitchen design with Lowe's, and we came up with a pretty nice plan. After I got the estimate for the cabinets--and only the cabinets--I picked myself up off the floor and suggested to my husband that we take our friends' advice and go to a kitchen store. We did that last week, and the estimate is half of the Lowe's estimate, even with the 10% upgrade for wood rather than particle board shelves. It will be less if I do the closet with shelves rather than cabinets in the laundry/pantry area. That will depend on where the rest of the remodeling estimate comes in. We are doing tile in the back entry and laundry/pantry area. The kitchen floor will be ash from a local company. (Ash has had to be logged out due to the Emerald Ash Bore.) My husband loves wood (his first degree was in forestry) and wants it natural, which is fine with me. Ash is hard, and it will have a coating that will protect it from my baking excesses. The cabinets will be maple, again natural, and the light color will help in a kitchen that does not get as much light as I would prefer. We are going with a white quartz countertop that has small specks of grey and tan--quite neutral. I have vetoed any blind corners, so we will have a corner cabinet with a lazy susan that has the fold out door, rather than the pinch-the-fingers one we have now. There will also be a cabinet to accommodate my cookie sheets and racks on their sides. Although I thought of doing pull out shelves with some cabinets, I am leaning towards not doing so, as they cut down on space on either side. However, I might consider having one near the range.
I'm looking at a composite sink. We cannot do stainless steel because my husband wants raw cold water, and our water has a high iron content. Rust will show up on stainless steel. Porcelain can chip or stain. Stone composite seems to be a good choice, possibly in a tan. One of our friends chose composite and reports that the two kids have not managed to damage it over the past eight years. I want one large sink rather than a double, divided sink, as it is easier to fit large pots into it, but I'm looking for one that will not be the 32 inches of the large ones out there, because I want to have the counter space. We will continue to have a window over the sink, although it looks onto that wall of a house next door, because it does let in some light. There will be no dishwasher. Most of my dishes would be ruined by dishwasher soap, and I can wash them up as quickly by hand. The space it would occupy can be devoted to more cabinets. I've not decided on faucets yet, but I'll probably do the single stick one, as it is easier to operate with my elbow when stuff is on my hands.
The current kitchen has the stove and the refrigerator directly across from each other, which is VERY inconvenient when two people are working in the kitchen. In the revised plan, the refrigerator will be on the left, as one enters from the back of the house and past the laundry/pantry area, and moves into the kitchen proper, which is where it is now. The range, will move 5-6 feet further into the kitchen, so that it will be closer to the peninsula, but with counter space on each side, and the sink on the same wall but more toward the back of the house, probably about where it is now. Although one friend has commented about my "triangle," the kitchen is small enough, that I don't think that is an issue. On the wall with the refrigerator, will be more cabinets, as well as a counter area where the microwave can go on one side. The cabinet above it will have glass insets, so that I can show off some of my dishes. (There is, alas, no room in this house for a china cabinet.)
Note: glass does not come with cabinet doors. Glass is ordered separately and installed by the contractor.
I've not worked out lighting yet. I'd like some under the cabinet "task" lighting, as well as good overhead lighting.
The range will be a 30-inch Thermador dual-fuel, with four burners. I will get the 6-8 inch backsplash for it. The stove hood will probably also be Thermador, and it will be the regular jut out one, not one of the fancy "statement" ones and will have cabinets over it. Both will be stainless, as that is what Thermador makes now.
The refrigerator will be freezer on the bottom. I was considering French doors on top, but I've heard that the catches tend to go bad quickly. The refrigerator will jut out a bit, but we will live with it. Although they make ones that are less deep, they are pricy. I plan to get a white refrigerator, as neither my husband nor I are keen on the stainless look, and too much stainless may keep the kitchen from blending with the rest of the house.
I think it is easier to have a kitchen that is closed off, but I have what I have, so I must take into account how it all will tie together, while at the same time trying to get practicality and functionality.
That sums up where I am right now on my kitchen planning. If you have any suggestions, please let me know! I still have time to make changes.
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