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Kitchen Remodeling


Heather

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I am less enthusiastic about the Thermador. It is essentailly a Bosch, but I found the build quality and fit and finish to be better. However, when the beep sounds to indicate the oven is preheated, you still have to wait about 20 minutes for it to actually reach the desired temperature. And then it often overheats. We already had the temperature controller replaced, which led to a slight improvement. Still, it is a very feature-rich oven, with good convection settings and a rotisserie. I also wanted something with knobs and not a glitch-prone pushbutton control panel. Thermador is one of the few high-end companies that make them.

Knobs/control panel was the issue that made me decide to go with the Thermador, and boy do I regret it. I have the same problem with heating and maintaining temperature. I keep the ovens meticulously clean and yet one has developed a hot spot. I can't stand the way the broiler works. The fact that the light automatically turns off if you open then close the door is just stupid - especially in conjunction with the stupid broiler. I would be happy with fewer features but a more usable design.

The Bluestar stove is great, though.

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I have Mag-bloks, too, 4 of them, my favorite part of my kitchen ( & I also have 2 IKEA knife magnets for the beaters)- I love how they freak out my kids' friends when they come over- 'OMG, why do you have so many knives?' I'm glad my kitchen was slightly upgraded before I moved in, because I've never done a reno ( other than floors), & I think it would be challenging....

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My fantasy is to move to a place that has a professional kitchen (all stainless, pro plumbing, ducts & electrical, someone else who comes in to clean (real fantasy)-not going to happen, so I have to live vicariously through you folks who are creating better kitchens...

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How did you mount the Mag-Blok on tiles? And how did you customize it? Did you send them the wood? I would love something that matches my cabinets?

My cabinets are cherry, so I ordered a Mag-Blok in cherry (one of their standard woods), which I then stained with the same stain used on our cabinets and finished with water-based food-safe polyurethane. (Benchcrafted puts a light wax on the Bloks, so I wiped it down with mineral spirits before staining and finishing.) The custom part was that I ordered a specific length and no screw holes as I planned on using double faced tape to mount the Blok to the tile. I used 3M VHB (very high bond tape) which is used in industrial applications. It is a rock solid bond, even better than screws but also reversible (albeit with a special tool and some elbow grease). I have tape left over if you need some.

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Thanks, I tried to stop buying knives awhile ago because I have more than enough, & I'd have to get more mag-bloks. I do try to use all of my knives, but as much as I try to rotate them, I have favorites. And if anyone tries to pull a home invasion on me, I'm ready...my big problem in my kitchen right now is that my drawers are breaking (the tiny plastic piece at the back of the cabinet that holds up the support), & I can't seem to find that little, specific .50 piece of plastic at any hardware store...makes me crazy!

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I am going to take a full read through this topic later, but for now - I am planning to renovate my condo this year and, at this point, have two specific questions. (But anyone's tips and suggestions are welcome!)

First - does anyone have a general contractor they recommend? I've got a couple of names, but want to get a few estimates.

Second - I am considering replacing my wood-burning fireplace (never use it, and it's in the middle of my condo, precluding an open floorplan) with either a bioethanol fireplace or an electric fireplace (more practical, more likely to use, and can move it to a different location in my condo, allowing an open floorplan). Any opinions on bioethanol or electric fireplaces (or other options)? Any suggestions?

Thanks!

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I am going to take a full read through this topic later, but for now - I am planning to renovate my condo this year and, at this point, have two specific questions. (But anyone's tips and suggestions are welcome!)

First - does anyone have a general contractor they recommend? I've got a couple of names, but want to get a few estimates.

Second - I am considering replacing my wood-burning fireplace (never use it, and it's in the middle of my condo, precluding an open floorplan) with either a bioethanol fireplace or an electric fireplace (more practical, more likely to use, and can move it to a different location in my condo, allowing an open floorplan). Any opinions on bioethanol or electric fireplaces (or other options)? Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Mike Stoll is our general contractor and his work and pricing is right on. Fine Custom Kitchens did our design, taking over after we dumped The Kitchen Guild.

http://www.finecustom.net/contractor.html

We have a wood burning fireplace and a gas fireplace and we adore both.

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Second - I am considering replacing my wood-burning fireplace (never use it, and it's in the middle of my condo, precluding an open floorplan) with either a bioethanol fireplace or an electric fireplace (more practical, more likely to use, and can move it to a different location in my condo, allowing an open floorplan). Any opinions on bioethanol or electric fireplaces (or other options)? Any suggestions?

If this is a masonry fireplace, the project may range from more-expensive-than-you-realized to impossible. Even if there is nothing above you but the roof, taking out a masonry fireplace is a major project. If OTOH it is of the modern metal type, there is hope.

I know nothing about bioethanol. My instinct is that this might not be the ideal place to make a green statement. We have a direct vent gas model and that seems to be a good solution, if you have gas. Electric "fireplaces" seem tacky to me, but YMMV.

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First - does anyone have a general contractor they recommend? I've got a couple of names, but want to get a few estimates.

My wife and I just redid our kitchen and family room. We used Total Living Construction in Springfield and we couldn't be happier. We chose them becuase they did a lot of work in our neighborhood and everyone raved about them. We didn't get any other estimates because they did the design and build work so I figured it would be hard to compare other offers, but the real reason was all the satisfied neighbors. The quality of the work was fantastic and the owner (and designer) was completely trustworthy and the opposite of a fly by night organization. He did a lot of hand holding with us including trips to the granite warehouses and trips to the cabinet distributors and a lot of discussion about options and fixtures and paint color, etc, etc. He even had us over to his home to look at some paint color options he used. We were unsure of a lot of things and a bit overwhelmed by the options so the extra time and care was very much appreciated.

I imagine they were more expensive than some places, but to me it was worth it. About price - - they came in exactly where the estimate said they would (excluding extras we added after the fact). Here's how they do their pricing.......they tell you what the materials cost, they tell you what the labor is and they tell you what their profit is. All up front. If you like it, you go with them, if you don't you don't. But it's all honest and up front.

The only negative is that the entire project took longer than promised, but some of the blame was on us for not picking the granite or cabinets quick enough. But I've heard enough horror stories about crappy work, blown budgets and blown schedules to know that two out of three is pretty damn good.

I'm not affiliated with them in any way, just a happy customer.

http://www.totallivingconstruction.com/

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You may want to look into your HOA docs on the fireplace, just to see and make sure you don't need any of the work you would like to approved (friendly reminder). Also as a note we have a gas fireplace, we never use it because it heats up a two bedroom condo to sweltering in a matter of minutes. So something to think about.

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We have an old wood burning fireplace at the end of the kitchen, my husband talked about switching it over to gas, but I'm kind of glad we didn't. We pick up wood every other year, & we all (kids & puppies included) like to camp out in front of it....

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We're planning our kitchen remodel now for construction to start in September. We're changing our 40 year-old kitchen into a modern, two-cook style area (with counter space!!!) We have lots of question and I know people here can give me some answers...or at least educated opinions...or off-the-cuff smartass remarks.

-I think we've decided that the floor will be a thick linoleum/urethane in sheet form. Our designer says wood is used more often now and that wood will connect with the rest of the area better, but I don't think I won't stop worrying about water damage from the cat fountain, flour dust getting between planks (eventually), grease/oil damage, dents, etc. Newer sheet flooring can look very nice plus it has some cushion to it. Do those of you with wood wish you'd done something else? Do those of you with linoleum wish you hadn't used it? Tile is right out for us, FYI.

-I asked this in the current dishwasher thread too, but what are your thoughts about where the dishwasher should go relative to the sink. There are differing schools of thought, apparently, but our designer says it should go to the left of the sink if the user is right-handed. Currently, ours is to the right of the sink and I think that seems fine, although I can see the advantage of piling dishes to the left of the sink and having the dishwasher right there.

-How important is a warming drawer? It seems like a frivolity to me, but I've never had access to one, either, so I'm naive.

-Bluestar, Wolf, Viking, KitchenAid, GE. Which is your preference for a cooktop/rangetop? I'm pretty jazzed about Bluestar after reading some of the above comments and checking out their web site. We'll go to a showroom soon. There are several in the area.

-Do you have a brand preference for wall oven?

I'm sure I'll have more questions, so please stay tuned. Thanks for your help!!

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-I think we've decided that the floor will be a thick linoleum/urethane in sheet form. Our designer says wood is used more often now and that wood will connect with the rest of the area better, but I don't think I won't stop worrying about water damage from the cat fountain, flour dust getting between planks (eventually), grease/oil damage, dents, etc. Newer sheet flooring can look very nice plus it has some cushion to it. Do those of you with wood wish you'd done something else? Do those of you with linoleum wish you hadn't used it? Tile is right out for us, FYI.

I don't regret doing wood at all and love the look. Though make sure to get the kind where the planks butt directly up against each other. with no bevel. Our previous house had the bevel and yes, flour does get caught in those grooves! Different types and humidity will all be factors in how much the wood expands but a good product and installer will be able to steer you right in that regard. (I know someone if you need a rec) We don't have a cat fountain (yet) but we do have the food and water bowls contained within a boot tray, just in case one of the cats decides to be messy ;)

-I asked this in the current dishwasher thread too, but what are your thoughts about where the dishwasher should go relative to the sink. There are differing schools of thought, apparently, but our designer says it should go to the left of the sink if the user is right-handed. Currently, ours is to the right of the sink and I think that seems fine, although I can see the advantage of piling dishes to the left of the sink and having the dishwasher right there.

DW in our previous house was to the right and I did not like it at all. (I am right handed) When we remodeled our current kitchen we put it on the left of the sink.

-How important is a warming drawer? It seems like a frivolity to me, but I've never had access to one, either, so I'm naive.

Frivolity to me as well, but that is because we have warming lights over our stove. Even if we didn't I don't think I would use it except as a storage drawer.

-Bluestar, Wolf, Viking, KitchenAid, GE. Which is your preference for a cooktop/rangetop? I'm pretty jazzed about Bluestar after reading some of the above comments and checking out their web site. We'll go to a showroom soon. There are several in the area.

If you've read the comments then you know I'm partial to and very happy with our BlueStar. If you have time, it's definitely worth taking a trip up to the factory in PA.

-Do you have a brand preference for wall oven?

We had purchased something that was on sale at Sears (who could turn up a closeout for $500) and are very interested to hear what preferences others have--dreaming of replacing it some day...

I'm sure I'll have more questions, so please stay tuned. Thanks for your help!!

Keep us posted!

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We're planning our kitchen remodel now for construction to start in September. We're changing our 40 year-old kitchen into a modern, two-cook style area (with counter space!!!) We have lots of question and I know people here can give me some answers...or at least educated opinions...or off-the-cuff smartass remarks.

-I think we've decided that the floor will be a thick linoleum/urethane in sheet form. Our designer says wood is used more often now and that wood will connect with the rest of the area better, but I don't think I won't stop worrying about water damage from the cat fountain, flour dust getting between planks (eventually), grease/oil damage, dents, etc. Newer sheet flooring can look very nice plus it has some cushion to it. Do those of you with wood wish you'd done something else? Do those of you with linoleum wish you hadn't used it? Tile is right out for us, FYI.

-I asked this in the current dishwasher thread too, but what are your thoughts about where the dishwasher should go relative to the sink. There are differing schools of thought, apparently, but our designer says it should go to the left of the sink if the user is right-handed. Currently, ours is to the right of the sink and I think that seems fine, although I can see the advantage of piling dishes to the left of the sink and having the dishwasher right there.

-How important is a warming drawer? It seems like a frivolity to me, but I've never had access to one, either, so I'm naive.

-Bluestar, Wolf, Viking, KitchenAid, GE. Which is your preference for a cooktop/rangetop? I'm pretty jazzed about Bluestar after reading some of the above comments and checking out their web site. We'll go to a showroom soon. There are several in the area.

-Do you have a brand preference for wall oven?

I'm sure I'll have more questions, so please stay tuned. Thanks for your help!!

We have wood and it's fine, including having dog bowls on it so it gets slobbered on. But I wanted cork and my wife said no, and if I had it to do over I'd fight harder. Even wood is hard, and if you cook a lot your feet and legs, which aren't likely getting any younger, will notice.

We have two dishwashers, one on each side obviously. I've never noticed any difference -- I've never even thought about that before. But I do STRONGLY recommend two dishwashers. I would never again not have two. You just can't comprehend how convenient it is to have two unless you do. Trust me on this. It's also very cool. And of course piling the dishes on one side or the other of the sink becomes a non-issue. BTW, assuming you can get by with $500 DW(s) and not fancy schmancy $1200 types, the extra DW really doesn't cost much more than the base cabinet that would otherwise occupy the space.

I remain perfectly happy with our 6 burner Bluestar rangetop. We installed an electric Jenn-aire double oven because it was the cheapest I could find that had true convection and hidden heating elements in both top and bottom. IIRC it cost about $3000. You can pay a lot less of course, but me I'd go budget on the DW(s) and go for quality in the oven. YMMV.

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^I put in wood (actually bamboo) because I spent too much money on appliances, and I regret it. It's gotten dented and there are oil stains that won't come out, though they aren't too visible. If you go with wood get something truly hard. I adore the Bluestar cooktop and silently thank squidsdc every once in awhile for writing about it here. Think carefully about the burner configuration, though. I would change it now if I could. Look upthread for bitching about Thermador ovens,

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^I put in wood (actually bamboo) because I spent too much money on appliances, and I regret it. It's gotten dented and there are oil stains that won't come out, though they aren't too visible. If you go with wood get something truly hard. I adore the Bluestar cooktop and silently thank squidsdc every once in awhile for writing about it here. Think carefully about the burner configuration, though. I would change it now if I could. Look upthread for bitching about Thermador ovens,

What would you do differently, Porcupine? I was thinking about the 36" with either 6 burners or 4 with space in the middle. No griddle.

This brings up another question I had. Griddle or no griddle? Seems very cool, but will I use it long-term and is it worth taking up that space? Is a cast iron two-burner griddle better/more flexible?

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We have cork - it's been 8 years now and it has held up well.

2 people, multiple cats. No dogs.

http://www.corkfloor.com/pics-2.html

My floor is the alabaster and scarlet, right end of the middle row of pictures.

Wow! Cork can look like THAT?! Are these square tiles? All cork floors are cork on laminate tiles, right? They're laid like a floating floor, right? Beauty of a floor, regardless.

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What would you do differently, Porcupine? I was thinking about the 36" with either 6 burners or 4 with space in the middle. No griddle.

This brings up another question I had. Griddle or no griddle? Seems very cool, but will I use it long-term and is it worth taking up that space? Is a cast iron two-burner griddle better/more flexible?

The 22k btu burners are on the front left and front right (36" 6-burner stove). I find that I use one all the time, but seldom two, and the way I use them I don't need to tend them often (I don't use a wok often). So I would put one of them in the back, and in the center, and use that one for searing, because the hood I have captures smoke from the rear much better than from the front. The very low but burner is left rear; I like it ther, but a friend once said that for the type of cooking she does (delicate sauces, for example), she would want it front and center where she could fuss over it more frequently.

No opinion on the griddle. I had the grill option in the old house and boy was that a waste of space. It didn't work well and was impossible to clean. Much happier with six burners. But then I'm a minimalist. I don't buy spice mixes, either.

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Wow! Cork can look like THAT?! Are these square tiles? All cork floors are cork on laminate tiles, right? They're laid like a floating floor, right? Beauty of a floor, regardless.

Yes, square tiles set at a 27 degree angle (I think - it's been a while). Here, have another http://www.corkfloor.com/pics.html top row, third from the left, is a good friend's floor. It was done about 6 months after mine. They are also still quite pleased with it. (As you can see, our personal styles differ tremendously.)

I don't know about floating floors. Mine was:

Install new subfloor, as the old floor was in VERY bad shape. (You could see the basement through parts of it.)

Lay tiles on floor with glue.

Seal tiles with special sealer.

Walk on lovely new floor.

Re-seal every year or two.

Ah, looking at the website, it can also be done as a floating floor.

I think the tiles are cork all the way through. They certainly look and feel as if they are. I can't find that on the website.

If you look at the picture of my kitchen again, you will see that the cabinets match the scarlet inset tiles in the floor.

We could NOT find the colors that we wanted for the cabinets, so we bought the cabinets unfinished, and then my kitchen dude bought scarlet stain from Globus to exactly match the doors to the tiles (along with ebony stain for the boxes).

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I like my dishwasher to the left and I am right handed, I wouldn't like it the other way around. Which reminds me that Hubby needs to switch my hot and cold because it annoys me hot isn't to the left.

No opinion about the floor as we have had tile/granite in all our kitchens. I will say though my MIL has hardwood in the whole bottom floor of her house including kitchen. They are dark so you notice some crumbs etc, but no stains, flour, anything like that. But it wasn't laminate or anything cheap I am sure. Their kitchen is beautiful. In our home we had some water damage to our wood floors, which is because they are cheaper laminate (I personally really dislike them but we will be living with it for a really long time) and I don't think we would have had the same reaction with real wood floors, which I have a strong preference for.

I will say she has KitchenAid wall ovens and her particular ones just don't work very well, I really dislike them. And they installed them fairly high so she burns herself on the upper one a lot.

I have a warming drawer that I have used once for that purpose, it stores my roasting pan otherwise.

My Mom had a large griddle on her Viking range and loved it, but she played short order cook a lot for us when we were kids. I would love a griddle, if I could have a real kitchen with a real hood so I didn't set off the smoke detector all the time.

We don't have a separate range. Just our bosch oven/range.

Good luck!! Post pictures when you are done!

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Here's a Flickr slideshow of our renovated kitchen. Major appliances and such include:

Stove top-- Wolf 5 burner

Double ovens- KitchenAid Architect II convection, 30-inch

Refrigerator- KitchenAid Arhcitect II with Pro handles

Dishwasher-- Bosch

Sink-- Kohler cast iron enamel in Sea Salt

Faucet-- Delta

Microwave-- KitchenAid built in

Granite-- AJ Brown

Cabinetry-- Hagerstown

Hood-- Vent A Hood

Here's the old kitchen. For orientation, the backsplash was mirrored so you're seeing a reflection, not into another room.

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We're planning our kitchen remodel now for construction to start in September. We're changing our 40 year-old kitchen into a modern, two-cook style area (with counter space!!!) We have lots of question and I know people here can give me some answers...or at least educated opinions...or off-the-cuff smartass remarks.

-I think we've decided that the floor will be a thick linoleum/urethane in sheet form. Our designer says wood is used more often now and that wood will connect with the rest of the area better, but I don't think I won't stop worrying about water damage from the cat fountain, flour dust getting between planks (eventually), grease/oil damage, dents, etc. Newer sheet flooring can look very nice plus it has some cushion to it. Do those of you with wood wish you'd done something else? Do those of you with linoleum wish you hadn't used it? Tile is right out for us, FYI.

-I asked this in the current dishwasher thread too, but what are your thoughts about where the dishwasher should go relative to the sink. There are differing schools of thought, apparently, but our designer says it should go to the left of the sink if the user is right-handed. Currently, ours is to the right of the sink and I think that seems fine, although I can see the advantage of piling dishes to the left of the sink and having the dishwasher right there.

-How important is a warming drawer? It seems like a frivolity to me, but I've never had access to one, either, so I'm naive.

-Bluestar, Wolf, Viking, KitchenAid, GE. Which is your preference for a cooktop/rangetop? I'm pretty jazzed about Bluestar after reading some of the above comments and checking out their web site. We'll go to a showroom soon. There are several in the area.

-Do you have a brand preference for wall oven?

I'm sure I'll have more questions, so please stay tuned. Thanks for your help!!

We just finished a very extensive kitchen remodel this fall- doubled the foot print of the kitchen and moved it to a different part of the house.

Because the floors are continuous- we did hardwood and have kitchen mats in front of the range and sink. We have a large brown dog and the blonde floors match the rest of the house, it is what it is.

Appliances are KitchenAid, which after extensive research we thought they were a good mix of price and quality. Thus far we are very happy with them. Instead of a second oven we got a combo convection/microwave. We also have a small wine fridge that is in the butler's pantry. No warming drawers- we knew we'd rarely use them and didn't want to trade off the storage space.

We went big time on the range getting a 36 inch- 6 burner Capital Culinarian and a commercial hood. It has changed our lives. We love it. No built in griddle- instead we purchased a griddle that spans two of the burners and it just sits on the range at all times. We use it a ton and it allows for flexible use of the stove top. It also has a wok ring that we've never used.

Something to think about when picking appliances- do you need or care about all of the handles matching? Some people do and some people dont. If you are going to get a high end range you will need a high end exhaust hood. There are permitting and building code issues with them that you should sort out with your contractor ASAP. They can get really expensive.

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-I asked this in the current dishwasher thread too, but what are your thoughts about where the dishwasher should go relative to the sink. There are differing schools of thought, apparently, but our designer says it should go to the left of the sink if the user is right-handed. Currently, ours is to the right of the sink and I think that seems fine, although I can see the advantage of piling dishes to the left of the sink and having the dishwasher right there.

Coming from a family of six split evenly between lefties and righties, a statement like "it should go to the left of the sink if the user is right-handed" raises my eyebrow because lots of homes have mixes of lefties and righties.

That being said, as a lefty who has dealt with dishwashers on both sides of the sink, I think the bigger question with respect to dishwasher placement is whether you have a double sink and how you will use it. For example, if you have a double sink with the disposal in the left basin and you're thinking of putting the dishwasher on the right side, do you want to reach past the right basin to get to the dishwasher? If you don't have a double sink or don't care about whether you have a short reach to the dishwasher or a long one, then it doesn't matter. But if you have a double sink and one side will get most of the regular use, you may want to position the dishwasher based on that. I've never renovated a kitchen, so this is just my opinion based on years of washing dishes.

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Coming from a family of six split evenly between lefties and righties, a statement like "it should go to the left of the sink if the user is right-handed" raised my eyebrow because lots of homes have mixes of lefties and righties.

That being said, as a lefty who has dealt with dishwashers on both sides of the sink, I think the bigger question with respect to dishwasher placement is whether you have a double sink and how you will use it. For example, if you have a double sink with the disposal in the left basin and you're thinking of putting the dishwasher on the right side, do you want to reach past the right basin to get to the dishwasher? If you don't have a double sink or don't care about whether you have a short reach to the dishwasher or a long one, then it doesn't matter. But if you have a double sink and one side will get most of the regular use, you may want to position the dishwasher based on that. I've never renovated a kitchen, so this is just my opinion based on years of washing dishes.

This is a great point and more important than one would think. We initially were going to go with a free stainless sink from our granite company, but then I decided to explore different configurations and finishes. We have all stainless appliances and i thought perhaps a different color and texture would work with the sink.

That darn sink took more thought than all of the appliances put together. Function is such a big part of the sink. Double? Single? Depth? Finish?

I'm very happy with our Kohler single bowl (with DW to the left).

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This is a great point and more important than one would think. We initially were going to go with a free stainless sink from our granite company, but then I decided to explore different configurations and finishes. We have all stainless appliances and i thought perhaps a different color and texture would work with the sink.

That darn sink took more thought than all of the appliances put together. Function is such a big part of the sink. Double? Single? Depth? Finish?

I'm very happy with our Kohler single bowl (with DW to the left).

Our old kitchen had a totally non functional tiny sink in the kitchen. I joked with the contractor that I wanted a sink so big and so deep that I could bathe in it. We ended up with a 30 inch extra deep single basin 16 gauge stainless one. Basically we took 2 of our biggest bulkiest pots with us to look at sinks. We wanted to be sure they would fit. We also test drove them on stovetops, in ovens, and in refrigerators. We don't have a built in Liebherr fridge in part because it wasn't deep enough to fit what we needed to fit in it.
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Does anyone have cork or the rubber type flooring seen in office kitchens? I've always been curious about those.

I put in the cork click-lok flooring (the 1ft x 3ft floating floor boards). The construction is a cork, fiber core, and cork sandwich, I installed it over a thin foam underlayment. It comes pre-sealed but it should really have another layer applied after install. I love the feel of the cork, but it really needs a more level floor than what I have. (old school house. floors tend to change direction at major beams.)

The cork appears to hold up well if installed well; I ended up getting it off of craigslist, it was the overage from a yoga studio install. I went to the yoga studio after they'd been using it for a year, and it was in great shape. My office has glue-down cork in the kitchen, which is in disastrous shape. But it doesn't look like it was installed well, and it certainly isn't cared for well.

We laid about 90 sf of cork; it took me and Nick about 14 hours to install from layout to final click, including "discussions" and various breaks. I still haven't put in transitions, because I'm hoping to win a prize for the longest remodel over.

The extra padding does make standing in the kitchen a lot easier. And fragile items are less likely to shatter if dropped. It's hard to get a good idea of how the floor will look just from a tiny little square; I recommend going to a showroom and asking to take home several large boards of ones you are interested in to get a better idea of light/color/texture interplay.

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Wow, you all have been a valuable resource!! Thanks to you, we've decided to go with a BlueStar rangetop (with griddle, although the consensus is that it's not worth it) and a Vent-a-Hood. Also, I think we found the sweet Delta faucet from monavano's picture above and we'll be getting that. I really like that particular design and the heft of it was much better than others we looked at. We're probably going to get a convection microwave/oven combo and the Bosch seems to be winning out over the KitchenAid at this point. We're still undecided on the flooring and the fridge.

Next questions:

-Do all wall ovens pump hot air into the room or do they just radiate heat like a typical range? Several reviews of the KitchenAid combi-oven complain about a fan blowing heated air into the room which made for uncomfortable cooking outside of wintertime. No one bitched about this in the reviews for the Bosch version

-Do you have a thought about Bosch oven reliability?

-Does anyone have a pushbutton switch for the disposal? This seems to be the new "hot ticket". Useful? Meh. If you have it, is it better than a wall switch? What happens when water gets into it?

Thanks for all the help!!

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I'm loving the Delta faucet and I chose it over a similar Kohler because of the magnetic docking system. Our previous pull down nozzle got lax over time and drooped, so I think we'll be avoiding that problem.

The KitchenAid ovens do blow hot air even on thermal bake, whereas our old double GE thermal ovens didn't. We'll see how that pans out in the summer and with knocking out a wall, the whole air flow thing is different, so that might work in our favor.

We thought about installing a bubble plunger button to turn on the garbage disposal, but why put another hole in the granite? Definitely happy we went with the wall switch. We even decided against a hole for a soap dispenser to keep the look as clean as possible. And, it helps a bit with clean up-- less gunkage to wipe.

We love our french door fridge with gallon-holding door shelves. This design beats our old built in side by side by a mile. Just no comparison when it comes to space and visualizing your food.

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It seems like a lot of modern ovens do more active venting to prevent hot doors/glass. By which I can only suppose that people have been suing when they discover that hot ovens are... hot.

My gaggenau doesn't seem to, but the door is pretty massively over-engineered.

I really liked the look of the Bosch double-ovens when I was shopping for a replacement for my mom; she refused to consider them because she couldn't see the markings on the knobs as well as she liked. (I think she just didn't want to use a knob.) We ended up with the 30" convection kitchenaids, which she has been over the moon happy with. Well, except for me forbidding her to use self-clean, but that was a condition of any oven purchase. (Tends to fry the control boards.)

As for faucets, I adore my Chicago faucet with pre-rinse, but admit it might not be for everyone ;-)

My 12-year-old SZ is likely going up soon; the compressor mounts have failed. Trying to decide if I will replace the compressor or just replace the fridge. Bah. (I'd be more upset if I hadn't paid only $1000 for it on craigslist.) Would likely go with a french-door for better clearance, if so. Not looking forward to making the rounds of appliance shops.

On sinks, I love love love the utility of my deep single-bowl apron-front sink. (30x22x8.5) All of the pans fit. But it's vitreous china, and I worry about cracking it. Again with the craigslist.

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Wow, you all have been a valuable resource!! Thanks to you, we've decided to go with a BlueStar rangetop (with griddle, although the consensus is that it's not worth it) and a Vent-a-Hood. Also, I think we found the sweet Delta faucet from monavano's picture above and we'll be getting that. I really like that particular design and the heft of it was much better than others we looked at. We're probably going to get a convection microwave/oven combo and the Bosch seems to be winning out over the KitchenAid at this point. We're still undecided on the flooring and the fridge.

Next questions:

-Do all wall ovens pump hot air into the room or do they just radiate heat like a typical range? Several reviews of the KitchenAid combi-oven complain about a fan blowing heated air into the room which made for uncomfortable cooking outside of wintertime. No one bitched about this in the reviews for the Bosch version

-Do you have a thought about Bosch oven reliability?

-Does anyone have a pushbutton switch for the disposal? This seems to be the new "hot ticket". Useful? Meh. If you have it, is it better than a wall switch? What happens when water gets into it?

Thanks for all the help!!

I need to replace my crappy hood. Are you getting your Vent-a-Hood locally or is the contractor taking care of it? I am wondering if this can be a DIY.

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We got our Vent A Hood at ABW Appliances. We worked with Blake.

I don't know if I mentioned before, but I initially bought an Ancona hood from Costco. The cfm's were really high for the price, but after installed, I hated it and we had it removed and replaced. I wish I would have consulted with an expert first when it came to hood ventilation. Fortunately, because we bought the Ancona hood at Costco, we were actually able to haul it back to our store and get a refund.

Paying more for the VAH was well worth it, and we're happy.

Our contractor will be here this p.m. to do some final touch ups and I'll ask him what he thinks about the VAH* and DIY.

*The VAH is hard wired into a junction box, not plugged in.

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Does anyone have a pushbutton switch for the disposal? This seems to be the new "hot ticket". Useful? Meh. If you have it, is it better than a wall switch? What happens when water gets into it?

Otherwise known as an air switch. We mounted one of these on the sink deck next to the soap dispenser. Mountain Plumbing makes nice ones. The point of using an air switch is that it's safe for a wet location like the sink: it doesn't short if water gets into it. It does require a receptacle for power under the sink, however. Overall the look is much cleaner than a toggle on the cabinet or the backsplash, which we wanted free of any receptacles or switches.

Re: Bosch wall oven. We have a Thermador Pro, which is essentially a high-end Bosch clone. (Bosch bought Thermador some years ago). We have had people out to work on it three times in the first year of ownership. Beware. Porcupine has the same one and also is less than pleased (see upthread).

You will love the Bluestar.

Sinks: We have a 16 x 27 SS Julien, single bowl undermount, 8" deep. I thought about a deeper one but it will make you stoop to reach the bottom, which can be a problem for a taller person over time. Eight inches is usually enough, especially if you get a welded sink with tight radius corners instead of big rounded ones. The Julien is 16ga and it is one of my favorite things in our kitchen. You use a sink more intensively than anything else in your kitchen, so I didn't skimp here. Same with the faucet: a KWC which looks and feels great, with very clean lines, pull out sprayer.

In my opinion, the place to save money on appliances is on the fridge and the dishwasher. Kenmore Elite is an excellent brand for both. We liked our old Kenmore DW better than our new fancy Bosch. Our Kenmore 31 cu. ft. fridge is a dream. A do-it-yourselfer can also easily replace a DW and a fridge down the road if need be.

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In my opinion, the place to save money on appliances is on the fridge and the dishwasher. Kenmore Elite is an excellent brand for both. We liked our old Kenmore DW better than our new fancy Bosch. Our Kenmore 31 cu. ft. fridge is a dream. A do-it-yourselfer can also easily replace a DW and a fridge down the road if need be.

+1 on where to save.

All Kenmore is manufactured for Sears by major manufacturers, and the guts are typically the same. It can pay to look closely to see what the actual product is, and compare prices to see whether it's cheaper to buy it in the name brand or the Kenmore version, which of course can vary from day to day. And if you buy from Sears, wait for a good sale.

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+1 on where to save.

All Kenmore is manufactured for Sears by major manufacturers, and the guts are typically the same. It can pay to look closely to see what the actual product is, and compare prices to see whether it's cheaper to buy it in the name brand or the Kenmore version, which of course can vary from day to day. And if you buy from Sears, wait for a good sale.

Right. Our 31 cu. ft. French door fridge, for example, is made by LG for Kenmore Elite. I looked also at the original LG but ended up preferring the Kenmore-built version because of slight changes in design and features.

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Wow, you all have been a valuable resource!! Thanks to you, we've decided to go with a BlueStar rangetop (with griddle, although the consensus is that it's not worth it) and a Vent-a-Hood. Also, I think we found the sweet Delta faucet from monavano's picture above and we'll be getting that. I really like that particular design and the heft of it was much better than others we looked at. We're probably going to get a convection microwave/oven combo and the Bosch seems to be winning out over the KitchenAid at this point. We're still undecided on the flooring and the fridge.

Next questions:

-Do all wall ovens pump hot air into the room or do they just radiate heat like a typical range? Several reviews of the KitchenAid combi-oven complain about a fan blowing heated air into the room which made for uncomfortable cooking outside of wintertime. No one bitched about this in the reviews for the Bosch version

-Do you have a thought about Bosch oven reliability?

-Does anyone have a pushbutton switch for the disposal? This seems to be the new "hot ticket". Useful? Meh. If you have it, is it better than a wall switch? What happens when water gets into it?

Thanks for all the help!!

We have a pushbutton switch for the disposal. I like it a lot more than the wall switch. Never had an issue with water getting into it. It is totally a "wow factor" toy, but glad we invested in it.

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Regarding the Vent A Hood installation, our contractor said it's a 2-person job physically to put it in and you'll need knowledge of how to wire it electronically since it doesn't plug in. I think the duct work would be pretty straight forward.

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Regarding the Vent A Hood installation, our contractor said it's a 2-person job physically to put it in and you'll need knowledge of how to wire it electronically since it doesn't plug in. I think the duct work would be pretty straight forward.

Thanks for the info. I will most likely get in professionally installed, but was curious. What cfm does your new hood have? I need to call your guy up and get some info.

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Thanks for the info. I will most likely get in professionally installed, but was curious. What cfm does your new hood have? I need to call your guy up and get some info.

Model # NPH9236SS

(here's info from the AJ Madison site)

300/600 cfm (equivalent to 900 cfm with "magic lung" blower).

Contact:

ABW, Ashburn, VA location

Blake Willi (VAH maven)

Basically, there are 2 blowers (fans?). One works constantly when on, and the other turns on and has a heat sensor that will react as you're cooking. It will turn off when not needed and kick back on once x level of heat is sensed. Both can be on at the same time.

2 level halogen lights.

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