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Kitchen Before and After with thanks

AtelierQ
last year
last modified: last year

After 18 months of planning and work, our total gut job kitchen renovation is finally finished. I spent many hours scouring the discussion forum for suggestions and answers and learned a lot. So here are some before/after photos as a thanks for all your help.


It’s a relatively constrained 13x13 space in a 1920s Dutch Colonial. We removed a badly placed partition wall and moved the basement door to an adjoining room. That opened things up a lot.

-Homecrest shaker cabinets in alpine white. We went lower-middle range for cabs to save money for the counters and appliances. They’re…fine. Would have been nice to have the flexibility of a more custom line but couldn’t justify the expense.


- Hanstone Montauk quartz counters. We are really pleased with how they turned out. The most depth and translucence we found in quartz. Looked at everything: granite, soapstone, marble, and this is where we ended up. No regrets.


-Sonoma Dakota tiles. We really like the rustic edges. The grout is a bit whiter than anticipated but getting used to it.


- Red oak floor. So much nicer than the old tile.


- Kohler Whitehaven sink + Artifacts faucet (both great!)


- 36” Wolf DF range with griddle (I am completely smitten) and speed oven, which works really well as convection oven and micro, although it’s a bit quirky. Really wanted double wall ovens but didn’t want to give up the counter space in such a small room.


ETA update on speed oven: I've been using the 24" Wolf speed oven for about 4 weeks now. There were virtually no reviews when we purchased (apart from the few comments in this thread), but I've been pleasently surprised. In terms of aesthetics, it looks lovely although the touch buttons can be difficult to see--have gotten used to that. I'd prefer knobs, but it seemed that most other SOs were likewise touchpads or screens. It's surprisingly spacious inside (same interior dimensions as the 30" model I believe)--can easily fit 2 9x13 trays/pans. As a micro, it's excellent, fast and efficient. As a convection oven, I've found it works extremely well *provided* you precisely follow the somewhat quirky interface: select temp, select time, allow to preheat, open door, insert items, close door, press start, etc. Fail to do one of those things and it just sits there. Not sure why it's designed that way. It took a few weeks to get used to it, but now that I know what to expect, I find that it preheats quickly and cooks really well. I use it all the time. Haven't used the combo micro-convection modes and not sure I will. We really wanted a second oven but didn't have much room, and wanted to avoid taking additional space for a separate micro. For our purposes, this was a great compromise. The rotating glass platter did crack in half last week, seemingly spontaneously--no idea why. Wolf immediately shipped a replacement.


- Broan vent hood with inline blower in the *basement*. Also incorporated a Fantech active MUA system. Ventilation was the most complicated part. Had to vent through the wall down to the basement and then out. Ducting needed to be bigger than anticipated (10”) so had to make the wall about 3.5 inches thicker. The setup has worked well so far, even with high smoke cooking, and is amazingly quiet.


- Bosch fridge and DW. Love them both.


ETA update on the Bosch 800 series counter depth fridge (B36CT80SNS): I have nothing but good things to say about it. Spacious inside and the organization (esp. in the freezer) works really well for us. Seems efficient in its temp regulation and is completely quiet. Love the internal water dispenser (no issues with leaking). And no issues at all with the stainless finish. All in all, we couldn't be happier...at least 6 months in.


Now on to the pics:















Good luck to everyone still deep in the weeds!

Comments (34)

  • Bluebell66
    last year

    Very nice! I really like it - so much lighter and brighter. Nice job.

  • JDMCCL
    last year

    Just lovely!!!

  • Kay p
    last year

    Beautiful update

  • anna_682
    last year

    Light and airy. Very nice.

  • Connecticut Yankeeeee
    last year

    It’s bright and very pretty! You’ve made great choices - enjoy your new space!

  • iroll
    last year

    Just lovely, great job!

  • Lynn Lou
    last year

    Everything looks great! Nicely done!

  • PRO
  • mxk3 z5b_MI
    last year

    Looks great! I'd love to have all that counter space, especially under that nice expanse of window.

  • enajasereht
    last year

    Much better!

  • PRO
    Nicetown Curtains
    last year

    Beautiful upgrade! I didn't help you but I'm glad someone did. The overall change is a huge improvement, enjoy it!

  • arcy_gw
    last year

    Love the crown molding and the way the cupboards reach the ceiling. Your kitchen is all about the appliances! You are now equipped to feed an army.

  • ShadyWillowFarm
    last year

    Beautiful!!! I bet you are happy with your fridge too.

  • AtelierQ
    Original Author
    last year

    @arcy_gw Thanks. Appliances front and center. And yes about the tall cabs--need the little step stool to reach the top. But our storage space easily doubled.


    @ShadyWillowFarm Fridge is fantastic. Highly recommend

  • PRO
    FrameMyMirror
    last year

    Wow it looks amazing! Great job!

  • AtelierQ
    Original Author
    last year

    Thanks and of course now the reno is spilling into the adjoining rooms. Does it ever end?

  • lgriff
    last year
    last modified: last year

    Beautiful. do you find the montauk to pull more white next to the cabinets? i saw the slab today and have two small samples in my house right now, without the new kitchen cabinets in yet, and I swear its yellowyish

  • Kendrah
    last year

    Love the angled cabinets in this space. Smart choice.

  • PRO
    Evolution Group
    last year

    The new kitchen looks really perfect!

    A very good choice of a new color for kitchen cabinets.

  • susan49417
    last year

    So, I guess I am in the minority when I say this is a miss. The cooking utensils above the window just ruin everything and appropriate storage for these should have been incorporated into the design. This is not a commercial kitchen!

  • Connecticut Yankeeeee
    last year

    Susan - It makes sense to design a room for one’s needs. I use the office in my home as my craft room and have my yarn all in view. Because I like to look at it. Because I’m inspired by it. Perhaps AtelierQ is inspired when he/she sees the pans.

  • AtelierQ
    Original Author
    last year

    @lgriff I don't see any yellow in our Montauk (either in daylight or under 3k lighting). The background is a creamy light gray with undertones of white and cool gray "veins" (and a bit of brown here and there). I really like it next to our very white cabinets (stock color called alpine white)--just a bit of contrast. We went dark with the tiles to match the veining.

  • AtelierQ
    Original Author
    last year

    @KendrahThe steps create a complicated bottleneck. I wasn't sure about the angled cabs in the design phase, but very happy with them now. And there's a surprising amount of storage inside, and we were really trying to maximize storage.

  • AtelierQ
    Original Author
    last year
    last modified: last year

    @susan49417I appreciate your opinion but couldn't disagree more. There are pristine show kitchens where pans should be tucked away from view, but not this one. I want them at the ready, waiting for action, out where I can see them as I plan my next move. I personally hate fiddling around in the dark lifting stacks of pans to get at the one I want. You're still invited for dinner tho.


    ETA: I am, however, *thrilled* to get all the spices off the counter and neatly stowed in top drawer organizers. That my have been worth the price of the whole thing. And I suspect that the Penzeys gang likes to get up to no good when the drawers are closed and the lights are off.


    @cupofkindnessgwHah, I grew up in a house with a kitchen just like that (I used to get in trouble for playing drums on the pans and broke many wooden spoons that way). JC made a space for vision and work and the aesthetics flowed from there. I worked in some professional kitchens too, so it must be ingrained by now. I still regret not buying some fancy copper items at Dehillerin to hang on the wall.


    @Connecticut YankeeeeeIndeed! I used to stare at my pans, but honestly I think they are jealous of the new range since it's getting *a lot* of attention right now. (And I'm even worse with the books in my office.)

  • ShadyWillowFarm
    last year

    Beautiful!! So glad you are enjoying it.🙂

  • PRO
    Norwood Architects
    last year

    Much brighter and better!

  • RedRyder
    last year

    Love the new kitchen. Glad you’ve figured out your new stove. It’s a beauty!

  • AtelierQ
    Original Author
    last year

    Thanks @RedRyder. This range is amazing--I'm completely smitten. Will write up a full review soon.

  • RedRyder
    last year

    Totally jealous. My sister - who rarely cooks - inherited a Wolf stove when she bought a condo. I love using it when I visit. I don’t think it’s as complex as your new one. They look so nice….

  • Lisa Cain
    last year

    I love the pots in front of the window- where did you get the pot rack?

  • AtelierQ
    Original Author
    last year

    Thx @Lisa. It’s the simple 1 bar rack from Enclume. Had a larger version with a shelf previously (see the “before” pics) but it was too bulky for this location. I like their materials a lot. Apparently pots racks are pretty controversial on this site—see the comments above lol.

  • Lisa Cain
    last year

    Yep I saw those comments lol. I have had ikea pot racks in my last few houses and find them so functional and I think they let you know that the person who lives there actually uses their kitchen for cooking!! Thanks for the source info. Hoping to do my kitchen remodel this year!

  • AtelierQ
    Original Author
    last year

    Good luck! Enclume has a wide range of options. Lots in hammered steel. Very sturdy and look good too.