Kitchen reno--fave features/overrated updates?
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Anonymous
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It's all so personal!
One thing I haven't seen mentioned - combi steam oven. Life changing. Mine is plumbed. We have induction. So much better than gas. No pot filler. Think they are both ugly and kind of pointless. I like a clean island. Fielder's choice on that one. Walk-in pantry of some sort if you can fit it in. This was my biggest game changer. A lot easier to store and access your dry goods and a lot easier to store and access your small-medium appliances and serving platters and bowls. I started using things again I forgotten I ever had. |
Anonymous
The styles of the cabinets look dated over time, not the material or even as much the color. There are very dated looking white cabinets. High quality, real wood cabinets are not going to age any more poorly than anything else if you get then in a current door style. |
Anonymous
How do you dump the water out of the pot when you are done? I don't get the convenience of the pot filler if you have to drag the big heavy pot to dump the pasta water anyway. |
Anonymous
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OP here--these are incredibly helpful. Please keep them coming! Curious how folks feel about appliance barns, hot water dispensers (sink), toe kick cabinets, and which appliances need to go where. Also would love fridge and diswasher recs.
We'll do stainless sink--single and as big as we can, per the wonderful suggestions--and quartz countertops. We have a sink water filter and love it and leaning towards an ice making inside the fridge or freezer (not through door), as we've had so many break. We have the option to have a small table with a banquette, but tradeoff is a smaller island, so not sure what to do. The smaller table won't fit us all really, but might be useful for breakfast/snack--we're going to have to use the dining table for family meals either way. Thoughts welcomed on that too! I realize it's all super personal, as pp mentioned, but it's still helpful to hear about others' experiences as we think it all through. There are so many choices to make--it's overwhelming (I know, very fortunate, 1st-world problem 
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Anonymous
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I have an appliance barn for my toaster oven and coffee maker and I like having it. They are the biggest ugly things I used to have on my counter.
I chose no water/ice through the door I have water inside the fridge. I've had both and find the outside the fridge ones too messy. A lot of errant ice cubes by kids that just melt in a puddle on the floor. I personally don't think any space needs three eating areas and a lot of houses do this. Island seating, a table near the kitchen, and a formal dining room. Just a lot of real estate for the same function. So if you skip the formal dining room (my personal preference), I'd just do a bigger island. I would never use a hot water dispenser. If you drink tea though, sounds great. Google kitchen design principles and you'll see a lot of guidelines about how to place your appliances most efficiently and things NOT to do as well. Things like don't put your island in the middle of the work triangle, how much space you need around different appliances and the sink. |
Anonymous
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-Under cabinet lighting
-Large Franke single sink (and then you can purchase drop in acccessories if you feel like you need a double sink sometimes) -second faucet in sink with water filter -Extra wall oven -Deep drawers (one of which has peg system for dishes, easier for kids to reach) -powerful hood that vents out -corner lazy Susan -huge island with no appliances or second sink on it -built in vertical storage for cookie sheets, oven pans, etc. -I made sure that several freestanding appliances were on their own circuit (like our Breville oven and coffee area) -Quartz counters (these are indestructible) |
Anonymous
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Some of the things I'm really glad we did -
- corner lazy susan - slow close doors/drawers - extended the island an extra two feet beyond the original design - got rid of the planned pantry and put in two huge pantry cabinets instead - five burner induction cooktop - vertical cabinet for storing cookie sheets, etc. - pull out spice rack cabinet - cabinet with pull out mixer shelf Things I'm ok with but could have lived without - - huge double sink (DH wanted it, I don't care either way, the larger side is fine for soaking my roasting pan or washing cookie sheets) - in-cabinet trash cans (I like the cans being hidden but it's hard to clean the cabinet to keep it from smelling) I originally wanted a pot filler. DH (correctly) refused to install plumbing right behind/over an electric stove/range. It was a novelty; looking back, I don't ever wish he'd agreed to one. He also keeps talking about under cabinet lighting and honestly, I don't see the point. |
Anonymous
and what is with the side mounted faucet on the sink under the window? |
Anonymous
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I have an appliance barn and like it. We make waffles at least twice a week, so it holds a waffle iron, smoothie blender and toaster.
My friends did the toe kick drawers and I wish we had done that. I second the PP's suggestion for the magic corner cabinet shelving. We store all of our baking supplies in our's and it holds a lot. Having a vertical cabinet is a must. I have undercabinet lighting and I only turn it on when grandparents are visiting as a nightlight if they get up in the middle of the night. I must be missing something for the usefulness because everyone else loves it. |
Anonymous
We had this set up in our small DC rowhouse kitchen, it was great. I still miss having 2 sinks. I'm a germaphobe, the second smaller sink (which was a Blanco, because of the space allotted)it was the perfect place to wash up when you came inside. Also, when we did have guests, good place to put the wineglasses that needed to be washed by hand without worry of them getting broken in the big sink with everything else. |
Anonymous
I wouldn't suggest storing your medicine with an appliance that vents out hot air. |
Anonymous
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Speed oven. We rarely use the microwave but use a toaster oven constantly, so this combines those two functions into a cabinet mounted unit.
We got the large sink, but I know one of the Property Bros likes double sinks -- other than large baking sheet, I though double might be more useful, especially as you pile dirty dishes on side and prep on the other? Thoughts? |
Anonymous
Agree. When we redid our row house kitchen, I think the sink may have been the most expensive thing I bought. It was the biggest sink that would fit the space, which wasn’t huge, but the best thing about it was that it was very deep. |
Anonymous
| Lazy Susan is a big space waster. Not just itself but on either side as well. We purchased a fold out kind of shelf on hinge and in the space left we put the kinds of large pots and pans and unusual items we only use in Holidays. Tucked away nicely and yet easy to get it when needed. Behind the Lazy Susan is where who know what lives ! |
Anonymous
| Single but large sink. |