laxsupermom's Kitchen

Walnut-Pegged Cherry Kitchen w/ Soapstone Counters & Custom Organization

Details from laxsupermom on 9/19/2012
Link to laxsupermom's Gardenweb finished kitchen post
Link to laxsupermom's Blog with Finished photos

Introduction:
This was a DIY labor of love that spanned 4 years.  We broke out the sledgehammers in 2008, and I finally declared it done in 2012.  It isn't the white shaker inset "one true kitchen," but it is MY one true kitchen (excepting the french range in my someday when I win the lottery dream kitchen.)

Kitchen Highlights:

• Kraftmaid Cherry Shaker cabinets with Walnut Corner Pegs 
• Soapstone and Cherry Butcherblock counters 
• Custom mosaic backsplash including Interstyle Barcode glass tiles
• Sharp MW drawer
• Custom storage solutions

KitchenDetails:
1. Kitchen Basics
Type of Remodel:    Kitchen Remodel/Existing Footprint/All New Items
Kitchen installation:     All Do-It-Yourself: 90%-100%
Budget:    Middle Budget
Location:     U.S. Northeastern
Location Type:    Suburban
Basic Other Information:     We're in Upstate NY.  We purchased our soapstone from M. Texeira in NJ, but fabricated and installed them ourselves.

2. Kitchen Design
Kitchen Design Family/Function:    Small Children, Entertain Frequently, Pet Accommodations
Kitchen Designer:    Self-Designed
Kitchen Size:    Medium (151-350 sq.ft)
Kitchen Dimensions (WxL):    10.5' x 24'
Kitchen Height:    Height 8 feet or less
Kitchen Shape:    G-Shaped Kitchen (U-shaped plus Peninsula)
Kitchen Style:    Transitional Style 
Kitchen Peninsula:    Peninsula With Seating, Peninsula with one level
Kitchen Seating:    Peninsula Counter Seating
Kitchen Ceiling:    No Special Ceiling Design
Design Special Features:    Beverage/Bar Center, Built-in Pantry, Bay/Box Window, Message Center, Multiple Prep Areas, Pet Area

3. Kitchen Cabinets
Cabinets New/Reused:    New Cabinet Doors and Boxes - Custom Sizes
Cabinet Manufacturer:    Kraftmaid
Cabinet Manufacturer Details:    Kraftmaid Lynchburg Cherry Mission
Cabinet Door Composition:    Solid Wood Cabinet Doors
Cabinet Door (Wood):    Cherry Cabinet Doors, Walnut Corner Pegs
Cabinet Box Composition:    Wood Veneer Cabinet Boxes
Cabinet Framing:    Framed Cabinet
Cabinet Door Overlay:    Partial Overlay Cabinet Door
Cabinet Door Style:    Square Cabinet Door, Recessed Panel Cabinet Door
Cabinet Color:    Medium Wood Cabinet Door
Cabinet Finish:    Stained Cabinet Door
Cabinet Height:    Cabinets to the Ceiling
Mixed Cabinets?    Mostly Cherry with some Walnut
Cabinet Special Features:    Wall Cabinet greater than 36in high, Full Extension Cabinet Drawers, Soft-Close Cabinet Drawers, Cabinet Inserts of Unusual Glass
Cabinet Other Information:    The liquor hutch at the far end of the kitchen was designed by me and built by my husband, because eliminating that cabinetry knocked $4000 off our cabinet total(custom depths.)  We built it for less than $200 using leftover soapstone for the counter.  Here's a link to details: http://sugarnspiceinthelandofballsnsticks.blogspot.com/2011/04/featured-at-atticmag.html

4. Kitchen Countertops
Countertop New/Reused:    New Countertops
Countertop Composition:    Soapstone Countertop, Wood Countertop
Soapstone Countertop:    Black Venata
Wood Countertop:    Cherry strip
Countertop Color:    Black Countertop
Countertop Finish:    No Countertop Finish
Countertop Edge:    Eased Edge Countertop
Mixed Countertops?    Cherry on the sink run, Soapstone everywhere else
Countertop Supplier:    We purchased our Cherry butcherblock from Lumber Liquidators and the Soapstone from M. Texeira in NJ.
Countertop Fabricator:    DIYed fabrication  
Countertop Other Information:    We use a mixture of beeswax and mineral oil on both the wood and soapstone counters to maintain their beauty. 

5. Kitchen Backsplash
Backsplash New/Reused:    Mix of Old and New Backsplashes
Backsplash Material:    Glass Backsplash, Ceramic/Porcelain Backsplash, Marble Backsplash
Backsplash Type:    Mosaic Tile Backsplash
Backsplash Pattern:    Mosaic Backsplash, Accent tiles embedded in backsplash
Backsplash Tile Size:    The glass barcode tiles are 2x10.  All other tiles were cut down to 2 inch height x random width
Backsplash Size:    Backsplash all the way up the wall, also wrapped into window well
Backsplash Color:    Black Backsplash, Gray Backsplash, Red Backsplash, White Backsplash
Backsplash Manufacturer:    Interstyle
Backsplash Details:    Barcode tile in Dragonfish(color)
Backsplash Supplier:    Purchased the Barcode tile from Vestal Tile in Vestal, NY.  Also picked up some random grey clearanced tiles from Vestal Tile.  We picked up more random tile from the Habitat ReStore in Rochester, NY, and some salvaged marble from ReHouse in Rochester, NY.
Backsplash Special Features:    Unusual Backsplash Design, Mixed Materials in Backsplash
Backsplash Other Information:    After falling in love with the Barcode Tiles, we amassed random tiles which we cut down to 2xrandom width tiles.  The mosaic was pulled together by pulling randomly from the piles of cut tiles.  We grouted with Delorean Grey.
 
6. Kitchen Appliances
Appliances: New/Reused?    All New Appliances
Refrigerator Manufacturer:    Whirlpool
Refrigerator Color:    Stainless Steel Refrigerator
Refrigerator Special Features:    French Door Refrigerator, Regular size frig inset into wall to counter depth
Refrigerator Details:    Whirlpool Gold french door refrigerator with ice through the door.
Range/Stove Color:    "Stainless Look" Range/Stove
Range/Stove Special Features:  
Range/Stove Manufacturer:    Whirlpool
Range Hood Max CFM:    601-1000 CFM Range Hood  
Range Hood Color:    Stainless Steel Range Hood
Range Hood Special Features:    Under Cabinet Mount Range Hood
Dishwasher Manufacturer:    Whirlpool
Dishwasher Color:    Stainless Steel Dishwasher
Microwave Manufacturer:    Sharp
Microwave Color:    Stainless Steel Microwave
Microwave Details:    Sharp KB6524PS stalked this particular model on eBay for months.
Microwave Special Features:    Built-in Microwave in Drawer

7. Kitchen Plumbing
Plumbing: New/Reused?    Mix of Old and New Plumbing Lines
Main Sink Manufacturer:  
Main Sink Material:    Stainless Main Sink
Main Sink Shape:    D-shaped Main Sink, Extra-Deep Main Sink
Main Sink Bowls:    Double Bowl Sink
Main Sink Width:    Main Sink 35 to 40 inches
Main Sink Cabinet Size:    Main Sink Cabinet 36 inch
Main Sink Mount:     Zero Reveal Undermount Sink
Main Faucet Manufacturer:  
Main Faucet Color/Material:    Bronze/ORB Main Faucet
Main Faucet Finish:    Satin Main Faucet
Main Faucet Type:    Pull-Out Spray Faucet, Single Handle Faucet, Gooseneck Faucet   

8. Kitchen Electric and Lighting
Electric Special Features:    Plug inside cabinet
Lighting Special Features:    Pendant over Sink, Recessed Lighting, Under Cabinet Lighting, Pendant over Peninsula
Lighting Details:    Undercabinet LED strip lights use existing wiring.  I never even realized that we had flourescent undercabinet lights before the sledgehammers came out.  Over sink pendant purchased on clearance from Belacor online.  Over Peninsula pendant was a plug in lamp that we rewired for direct wire.  Recessed lights by the liquor hutch are eyeball lights for positionable lighting.

9. Kitchen Hardware
Hardware Type:    Both Knobs and Pulls
Hardware Knobs Manufacturer:    The fancifully shaped knobs are Emenee.
Hardware Knobs Material/Color:    Black Knobs
Hardware Pulls Manufacturer:  
Hardware Pulls Material/Color:    Black Knobs

10. Kitchen Flooring
Flooring New/Reused:    New Flooring
Flooring Manufacturer:    DuroDesign
Flooring Material:    Cork Floor
Flooring Color:    Multicolor Floor
Flooring Details:    Duro-Design cork tiles in Cocoa and Praline.  Soft flooring that is easy on the back for all day marathon baking sessions.
Flooring Other Information:    Easy to install.  Installed over a couple of days during son's naps.

11. Kitchen Pantry
Pantry Type:    Reach-in Pantry (Built-in), Tall Cabinet Pantry
Pantry Size:    The reach-in is 36"x42" the Tall pull out pantry is 15" wide.
Pantry Depth:    20" along the back wall, 12" on the side wall
Pantry Cabinet Features:    Tall pull-out pantry
Pantry Shelving:    Adjustable Open Shelving in Built-in Pantry, Ventilated Open Shelving in Built-in Pantry
Pantry Door:    Swing-Out Door on Built-in Pantry
Pantry Shape:    L-Shaped Pantry Shelves
Pantry Items:    Bottled Goods in Pantry, Boxed Goods in Pantry, Broom/Dustpan in Pantry, Canned Goods in Pantry, random large things that I don't want to store in the main kitchen, like chocolate fountain, coffee samovar, etc.

12. Kitchen Special Features
Eco-Friendly:    Includes low-energy or low-water-use components, Includes recycled components, Includes reused components 
Convenience Items:    Appliance Garage, Bookshelf, Drawer Dividers, Recycling Pullout, Spice Rack, Trash Pullout, knife pullout
Special Features Other Information:    Knife pullout was a custom design, inspired by another KF member, built by my husband. Sideways foil/wrap pullout drawer also designed by me, and executed by my husband as a way to make the most of the space when retrofitting the cabinetry for the MW drawer.

13. Kitchen Decor
Decor Wall Color Details:    Valspar Heritage Tea Room Yellow.  Words above the french doors painted in regular craft paint in black.
Decor Special Features:    Chalkboard / Chalkboard Paint, Wall Words
Decor Other Information:    I swap out decorative cookie jars depending on mood or season.

14. Kitchen Additional Comments
Opinions:    I love how our kitchen turned out.  Ideally, I'd have had a wider space to work with and unlimited funds to afford both the $$$ and the space for a giant french range, but overall, I'm very happy with the kitchen.  I do have plans to swap out the range for a double oven range, though.

Kitchen Cost:

• Kraftmaid Cherry Lynchburg Mission cabinets - $14169.54 but we received $2500 back in Lowe's rebate gift cards that were used for anything that doesn't have a dollar figure.
• Whirlpool Gold french door frig - $892 clearanced at Lowe's
• KB6524PS Sharp Microwave Drawer - $597 ebay
• 900cfm range hood - $190 ebay
• Ticor stainless steel undermount sink - $145
• Price Pfister Hanover pullout faucet - $70 ebay
• Glass pendant light (over sink) - $47.08 clearanced at Bellacor.com
• Pendant over peninsula - $49 clearanced at Pier 1
• Durodesign cork floors - $1586
• Black Venata Soapstone counters - $2688.80 M. Texeira
• Cherry Butcherblock counters - $356.39 Lumber liquidators
• Insinkerator Garbage Disposal - $118.05 ebay
• 13 Glass Barcode tiles - $1027
• The rest of the tile - $60
• Drywall, saw blades, drill bits, recessed lights, uc led lights, garden window, french doors, caulk, paint, wood for additional custom projects etc. all out of the Lowe's rebates.
• For a grand total of approximately $21695.56. Not quite an under $20k kitchen, but pretty darn close.

Thank You's:    I found the KF a little late in my journey, but I wouldn't have come across the MW drawer without the forum.  Reading posts from other TKOers helped to keep me sane during the long process when all I wanted to do was talk kitchens, and nobody in real life wanted to hear any more about it. 

Before Photos:  Yes
Floorplan Photos:  No

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