Do’s & donts of kitchen renovations

↑ bzmommy ↓

Sun, Oct 13 2024, 8:49 am

Bnei Berak 10 wrote:

No lower cupboards, you need drawers! This is something I would never skimp on. Lower cupboards are cheaper but extremely annoying as they are deep. You will send up with lots of unused space in them and it's impossible to keep them neat.
No open shelves. Unless you love to dust, clean and organize shelves every week.
*Always* practicality before style and estethics.
Neutral colors, unless you plan to renovate every few years. Trendy things are in and very soon they are out of fashion.

Def do not like to dust so this is a great tip .
Would like to make a cabinet type of thing with glass so that I can put my silverware there

amother

Blueberry ↓

Sun, Oct 13 2024, 8:54 am

Bnei Berak 10 wrote:

Lower cupboards are made as pot drawers. They’re big deep drawers. The door opens like a regular cabinet but inside the shelves are on rollers and you can pull them out. You have access to the full depth, they stay neat and organized and another plus you don’t need to bend down and stick your head inside the cabinet. Just if you get them, make sure they’re good quality so they don’t fall apart. In my kitchen they get a lot of use and I keep heavy pots in there.

Amarante ↓

Sun, Oct 13 2024, 8:57 am

amother Blueberry wrote:

Actually the best for lower cabinets are actual drawers.

Your configuration requires a door to be opened and then something is rolled out. You then have to push it back in and shut the door.

The action of opening up a drawer is open and then shut. You can even nudge with a hip if you have good soft self closing hinges.

Generally your configuration is done as a retro fit when someone is trying to make their kitchen more functional and they replace the shelves with pull outs.

amother

↑ Clover ↓

Sun, Oct 13 2024, 9:02 am

bzmommy wrote:

Wow!
So many responses .
Thank you all
A little background - kitchen is small and outdated . We’re thinking to break down the wall and make it an open kitchen , with an island in the middle , and right across will be the Shabbat table/dining room . My kids and I love to bake lots for Shabbat /chagim so will def be making use of our oven and need space to accommodate my little ones I use the oven mostly for dinners every night .
Thinking to go with a white kitchen as I think it’s classic but I’m hearing white is out . Is that really true ? Any other color ideas ?
I do like to keep the kitchen area neat and clean .
Looks like form all the responses here I’ll add dishwasher .
Also what counter is easy to kasher for pesach ?

If you want to remove a wall and open it up you are probably looking at a $50,000 or more renovation. Removing wall is expensive. Then you have to deal with flooring.

Islands are expensive - the cabinetry alone is expensive and even more so if you want a prep sink plus electrical so that you can use appliances. FWIW do NOT put a stove in an island as it decreases the functionality significantly .

I am not suggesting you don't do this but you have to figure out what your budget is for this renovation

As I posted, figure out your budget - add 20% for contingencies and then determine what you can realistically do.

↑ bzmommy ↓

Sun, Oct 13 2024, 9:15 am

amother Clover wrote:

Wow , that sounds like a lot of money .
We’re really only focusing on redoing the first floor as that is where we mostly live and hang out - Shabbat/chagim/after school hw time etc .
Upstairs rooms will get a basic coat of paint to refresh and make it look nice so we’re really only focusing on the first floor to make it functional and pretty .
Have a family member helping out so costs will be much less for taking down the wall and electrical/plumbing .
I spend a lot of time in the kitchen and really want it to attract my kids to join me - spacious , fun , lit up well so it’s important the kitchen be functional and neat /organized.
True about leaving the island without stove - ty!

↑ bzmommy ↓

Sun, Oct 13 2024, 9:16 am

tweety1 wrote:

If you have the space for an appliance garage or appliance lift.

For like a kitchen aid stand mixer ?
Do have one and it’s crazy heavy to take out . Have always been eying something like this
Thanks for reminder

↑ imaima ↓

Sun, Oct 13 2024, 9:19 am

bzmommy wrote:

Maybe cream colored? Like white but more sophisticated

↑ bzmommy ↓

Sun, Oct 13 2024, 9:19 am

amother Raspberry wrote:

For airy look but practical coloring, keep vertical surfaces light and horizontal surfaces darker and more practical. So floors keep dark, avoid glossy. Counters get something that'll be easy to clean/hide dirt, but cabinets and backsplash should be light.
I never had a dishwasher till we redid our kitchen and DH Insisted on it. I preferred more cabinet space, so dh said worst case if I don't like the dishwasher, I can use it to store stuff in it. Suffice it to say it washes a full load a minimum of twice a week.
Depending on your baking/cooking style, I preferred a huge pareve section and smaller milchig. I use it for baking. I also enjoy my two full size ovens, one parve and one fleishig.

Can you elaborate more on this ?
I find this too complicated as I don’t have that eye for styling .

↑ bzmommy ↓

Sun, Oct 13 2024, 9:22 am

amother Hosta wrote:

You want to know the reason people like or don't like what they are recommending so you can know if the same applies to your lifestyle.

I have 2 dishwashers and use them all the time but I knew that I would. I rarely use disposables. Others told me to put in a 2nd oven instead, but I rarely bake. I buy all baked goods.

Do you want less counter space and more table space? How many people will realistically be eating at the same time?

On deep sinks, I personally like them not as deep. I broke a few dishes from kids putting in stuff in a deeper sink and that hasn't happened in my average sized sink.

Yes to more counter space that’s why we want to add an island with a sink to have a place to prep foods /baking activities with kids

↑ bzmommy ↓

Sun, Oct 13 2024, 9:23 am

tf wrote:

Depends how meticulous OP is with cleanliness. Dishwashers don't really scrub pots well. I also love love love my dishwasher but I'm not as meticulous as some people I know and they actually hate the dishwasher for the above reason.

This is why I don’t want to get a dishwasher . You have to scrub the pots /dishes first and then load in - which all take time . Might as well finish fully washing my dishes myself .

↑ tweety1

Sun, Oct 13 2024, 9:24 am

Op, white is never out and never in. I live in my house now 5 or 6 years. I did white formica with a taupish grain. I'm still getting compliments on it. If I have to redo my kitchen now the only thing I'd change is the backslash. The backslash I did the same as the counter because I wanted a clean look. But I like the subway tile look better. Cabinets I would do the exact same. I love a white kitchen especially in smaller kitchen.

amother

↑ Blueberry

Sun, Oct 13 2024, 9:30 am

Amarante wrote:

It’s a matter of preference. Actual drawers you can’t see what’s in them until you open them. I like to be able to open the door and see two or four drawers at a time. It makes it easier to find things and put things away. I like the openness of it. Mine was done in a new kitchen, it wasn’t a retro fit of old cabinets.

↑ bzmommy ↓

Sun, Oct 13 2024, 9:31 am

tweety1 wrote:

That’s pretty together.
Thinking subway tiles as well as it’s easy to clean

↑ imaima

Sun, Oct 13 2024, 9:43 am

bzmommy wrote:

This is why I don’t want to get a dishwasher . You have to scrub the pots /dishes first and then load in - which all take time . Might as well finish fully washing my dishes myself .

No
Not really
You don’t need to scrub to perfection. Remove whatever falls off and load it in. Then do other things. It doesn’t require your full attention lnce you load it

↑ Amarante ↓

Sun, Oct 13 2024, 9:56 am

You should have the finishes in your kitchen which appeal to you. Trends come and go but if you like something, the chances are you will like it in ten years. I remodeled six years ago and still love the way it looks.

Mine is caramel stained a quarter sawn oak with copper sink and ceiling with other copper accents. Nit trendy but my taste. 🤷‍♀️

FWIW, wood stained cabinetry is increasingly popular but not the dark very finishes of 15 years ago.

There are loads of pictures of kitchens in line. Save the ones that you like and you will get a good sense of what you find appealing instinctively

amother

Jade

Sun, Oct 13 2024, 10:50 am

amother Clover wrote:

Depends on the type of wall. I was quoted 2000 shekel for a wall in my apartment, but it's a thinner wall not made of cement.
Best call a contractor and get a quote instead of assuming

amother

DarkCyan

Sun, Oct 13 2024, 11:11 am

Bnei Berak 10 wrote:

Disagree, this is another kitchen design item that really depends on you and your needs. We intentionally went with base cabinets (a drawer and then a 2 shelf cabinet) and are very happy with them. We find they have much more storage and can fit taller items than drawers can. With drawers, you are constrained to its dimensions. With cabinets, you can place (or not place) the shelf wherever you'd like.