Kitchen Reno

[NorthernRedneck]

We aren't changing the cabinets or flooring as both are in good shape but months ago we started the process of swapping out the countertop with a quartz top with new sink and faucet. The old one was ceramic tiles which trapped all the dirt in the grout groves.

The company had to come in and take measurements etc then order it.

Today we had a worker/friend come in and tear out the old countertops in preparation for the new ones on Friday.

We also decided to change the dishwasher while we're at it as the old one was missing parts of the racks inside. I picked one up a few weeks ago on sale. The stove is also new and the refrigerator is 2 years old. We are having the dishwasher moved over to provide a better kitchen layout. Right now, when you open the dishwasher there's a foot of space between it and the counter we have to squeeze into in order to access the cabinets above to put dishes away.

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[NorthernRedneck]

So here's the current dishwasher and cabinet setup on that bank of cabinets. What we're going to attempt is swapping the dishwasher and cabinet spots to allow for more room standing in the kitchen.

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[NorthernRedneck]

The dishwasher isn't that old. It's just missing parts of the racks inside. So rather than spend money on it, I found a $1400 dishwasher on sale for $499. The new one has a 3rd tray on top for cooking utensils.

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[NorthernRedneck]

We couldn't move it over as the electrical wouldn't reach. To do it properly would have required a half a day work and ripping apart the ductwork in the basement so it was decided to leave it where the old one was.

It's doing the first load now. Everything was going good until it started draining. Nothing with the dishwasher itself but we now have the kitchen sink removed. In the process, the bottom inspection cap was also removed from the pipe. So when the dishwasher drained, it proceeded to empty out all over the kitchen floor. After mopping up a full bucket of water from the kitchen floor I reinstalled the cap on the pipe. Oh well. No damage done. It's fixed now.

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[NorthernRedneck]

Here's the progress so far.

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[NorthernRedneck]

That's as far as she goes today. We have to let all the silicone sealant dry before installing the new faucet.

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[NorthernRedneck]

We're doing the last part of the kitchen Reno today. We had a couple of cabinets built to match the current cupboards. One will go under the overhang on the counter. The other is replacing the current cabinet over the microwave. The one that's there now used to have drawers that were totally useless being that high up. So we removed the drawers and tracks and were just using it as a makeshift rack for pans and cutting boards.

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[NorthernRedneck]

I was looking at this thread and saw that I never did post a finished product. Nonetheless, we have begun talks about a full kitchen reno installing all new flooring cabinets and counters as the current kitchen layout sucks for more than 2 people in the kitchen at the same time. We also plan on moving the refrigerator over and removing the peninsula sticking out and creating an island 3x6' in the middle.

 

[NorthernRedneck]

Here's the refrigerator. We have room to move it over and tucked back into that opening to the left. The house was poorly designed with that opening there. We plan on a half wall with a sitting bench and Hooks to hang coats in the entrance. This will give us a slightly bigger kitchen with more storage in the island.

As far as color, we are undecided but I have been voicing my dislike of the painted white look. Growing up, most of the houses were 1950s bungalows built after the war. They all had brown paneling of some sorts. Over the years many people painted over it along with the trim. So painted paneling walls with white trim. After about 5 years, the freshly painted white trim was full of brown handprints and dust. And most white cabinets were faded yellow from the sun.



 

[NorthernRedneck]

Here is the current layout.


Here's the planned layout.

 

[NorthernRedneck]

This is kinda the look we're going for. Because we have tall ceilings, we can go taller with the cabinets. We plan on a nice range vent going outside as the current one only recirculates the interior air. The handles will be brushed nickel to match the rest of the house. It's looking like we'll be able to salvage the slate flooring as a local flooring company can match our current tiles. We may need about 8 tiles installed. Way easier and cheaper than ripping up the current flooring and possibly replacing any plywood underlay that gets damaged.





















 

[NorthernRedneck]

So we're thinking of of a lighter cream cabinet with a sage green island and a white marble counter as our walls are a sage green. If we did the cupboards green, they would get lost in the walls and would darken it up too much. We definitely don't want bright white cabinets though.











 

[m1west]

What year was your home built, the first pictures with the small square tiles looks 90's, my home was built in 93 and looks similar. I did kitchen remodel similar to what you are planning in my original home I rented out for 10 years then sold it. It came out nice as yours should also. Nice clean look. I plant to do a similar kitchen in my current home about retirement time in 2 years then the bathrooms, then I'm done till I die.

 

[NorthernRedneck]

It was built in 2002. Every counter upstairs was those square tiles. Very hard to clean. The entire upstairs was done with the same exact cabinets in all the bathrooms matching the kitchen. We did all the counters already with quartz when we redid the ensuite bathroom last year. I think this kitchen will complement the rest of the house as the floors upstairs are all hardwood and dark slate. We originally replaced only the counters in the kitchen as we were thinking shorter term of having them for about 10 years then remodeling the kitchen. After dad was killed in 2021, I started looking at things differently. We're only alive once. No sense hoarding cash to die rich and give half of it to the government. We can swing it now and be comfortable so why not invest into our home as we don't ever plan on moving. We're both in our mid 40s and aren't getting any younger.

 

[m1west]

I agree 100%, as you get older your interests also change as you go, what was fun in you 40"s may not be so fun in your 60's+. Have all the fun you can have, your not going to get a redo in life. I just paid my home off about a week ago and am looking forward to doing what I want when I want. Plans are to finish the work cabin then the redo here. After that spend money, if at some point I run out of cash, start selling assets and spend that too. ( he who dies with the most toys wins ) BULLSHIT. He who spends it all before they die wins.

 

[NorthernRedneck]

We met with a home renovation company yesterday to plan the layout and which cabinets we want. Just a couple of things they're looking into adding and we should have a quote. They originally created a layout with standard 36" upper cabinets. We have 9ft ceilings in the kitchen so they are adding additional cabinets above for more storage. We can't do much to expand it out so may as well go up if we can. Lol.

 

[m1west]

We met with a home renovation company yesterday to plan the layout and which cabinets we want. Just a couple of things they're looking into adding and we should have a quote. They originally created a layout with standard 36" upper cabinets. We have 9ft ceilings in the kitchen so they are adding additional cabinets above for more storage. We can't do much to expand it out so may as well go up if we can. Lol.

I would say you are going to spend north of 30K for that but its going to be very nice. May even get something special from the one that must be obeyed.

 

[NorthernRedneck]

We kinda set a budget of 35k to allow wiggle room. That should take care of it but we definitely don't want to cheap out on finishings as this is most likely our forever home.

 

[m1west]

We kinda set a budget of 35k to allow wiggle room. That should take care of it but we definitely don't want to cheap out on finishings as this is most likely our forever home.

Thats good thinking doing a remodel like that, with contractor prices what they are going cheap on the materials would be like ordering a new corvette with a v6 to save money.

 

[NorthernRedneck]

Precisely. No sense cheaping out on finishings

 

[NorthernRedneck]

We've settled on a sink similar to this one.

 

[NorthernRedneck]

We talked about a fancy motion sensor faucet but decided against it. My wife was wanting a fancy pot filler over the stove but really, the sink is only a few feet away. Plus, with a house full of adhd teens, one of them would surely turn it on to fill a pot and walk away flooding the kitchen.

We've been in constant discussions with the designer about various things we need for storage for cutting boards,cooking utensils etc. There will be way more storage than we currently have. Presently, we have stuff stored both downstairs in our pantry and upstairs in our laundry room.

Instead of the sitting bench idea in the space behind the refrigerator, we will put up another door creating a nice size storage space for brooms, vacuum, carpet cleaner, hose for central vac etc. This will be perfect as it is centrally located in the house and maximizes the use of space. We already have a matching oak door and matching trim.

 

[NorthernRedneck]

Question for you guys. First off, I admittedly suck at wiring. In our hallway, we have a single light. That light has one switch at the end of the hallway near our bedroom and 2 separate switches at different locations near the front entrance. One of the switches is in the opening where the refrigerator and closet will be going right where I plan on building the wall between the refrigerator and closet. How do I eliminate that switch from the circuit so I can build the wall? Do I just connect the back together and red together?

 

[chowderman]

currently you have a "three way switch" setup.
you want to go to a "two way switch" setup.

good news: you have all the wires you need....
it'd be best to search for the wiring diagram for both 3-way and 2-way - because a verbal write out would take pages and a diagram is like way more instructive.

then check the colors on all three existing so you can re-hook properly to 2-way -
you'll need a multi-meter to identify same-color wires by continuity.

bad news: you'll need new two way switches.

note: careful with terminology . . . 2 way switches have "3 ports" so sometimes get labeled as "3 way"
and . . .3 way setups get labeled as "4 way"
it's easy - but be sure the guy you're talking to knows what he's talking 'bout . . .

 

[NorthernRedneck]

So it begins...

 

[m1west]

So it begins...View attachment 162006View attachment 162007View attachment 162008

always gotta get worse before it gets better, good start. What is the timeframe for completion.

 

[NorthernRedneck]

Estimated 8 weeks from the time we order the cabinets till they come in. Then the wait for counters as we're going with quartz. But we still haven't ordered anything.

 

[NorthernRedneck]

In the meantime, I've been busy today framing the wall, door frame, and closet ceiling this morning. I still have to tweak the roof a bit to make everything nice and straight but it's coming along

 

[m1west]

I did a kitchen remodel a rental in 2018 before I sold it, similar what you are doing, your time frame is about right. Looks good so far.

 

[NorthernRedneck]

I never said anything about being a carpenter. Lol. This is my first solo attempt at a reno this extensive. We hired a contractor for the bathroom last year. I'm just doing the preliminary work to move the fridge over then let the experts take over. I'm making this up as I go along. 😆 I've helped my dad do renos in the past and I paid close attention to what was going on with the bathroom reno.