A Kitchen Odyssey: The New Year Brings New Decisions

The new year brings me that much closer to renovating the kitchen. With a cabinet delivery date of January 25th, I have a whole lot to do between now and then, including setting a schedule, applying for permits, choosing flooring, appliances, countertops and backsplashes.

Every time I look into a different aspect of the design, 27 questions pop up. I have a whole long list for my realtor and contractor. That’s probably first on my TO DO list. Meanwhile, here is an update on what we’ve been doing since the last post:

Kitchen Sink: As much as I would love a farmhouse sink, we are going to pass, both due to the higher cost and the install issues it can cause (modification of cabinet). I have decided on stainless steel and I want it to be a one-bowl sink. I’m pretty much sold on the Ticor SS3510 Undermount 16-Gauge Stainless Steel Kitchen Sink. It is a 30-inch square edged sink that comes with a rinse grid and the option for a cutting board and prep bowl. It will be perfect for my canning needs, cleaning veggies from the garden, and bathing babies!

CAD Layout: Brilliant daughter has been attempting to figure out the Sunset Kitchen designer CAD program to do a layout of the kitchen (incl electrical and plumbing). I bought a good book, Kitchens: A Sunset Design Guide, which came with a CD of a CAD program to layout your kitchen with cabinets, etc. and even do a 3D rendering. It has perplexed me, so daughter took over. Part of the problem was the loading of the CD the first time, so she reinstalled and is having an easier time of it. Hopefully we will come up with a usable plan that I can share with you.

Range: We are searching for a 36 inch, dual fuel, professional style range. I was shocked at the difference in price between a 30-inch range and 36-inch range, but the cabinets are ordered and I know that it will be a selling point, and that it will be well used by me. I’ve been reading reviews and have done some in-store browsing. The model currently at the top of our list is a Bertazzoni. I haven’t decided definitely and want to take a look at some others, but need to keep in mind my budget (it always seems to come down to budget!)

Countertop: If I were doing this kitchen for myself I would do anything but granite. But my realtor has strongly suggested that it is the wisest choice. Grand Tile, where we bought our cabinets, has some good deals and I brought home samples. The Giallo Fiorito granite from Brazil is the frontrunner. It is warm enough to tie into the praline maple cabinets but will also go with the existing black appliances.

Flooring: We made a quick trip to Lumber Liquidators this week to look for hardwood for the kitchen and dining room. So many to choose from! I should have brought the cabinet door so that we could find a complementary wood choice, but I forgot. That means we will have to head back in the next two weeks to make a decision and get the wood ordered.

I guess that’s it – which is actually a lot given that we‘ve had two holidays, one death, overnight guests, and multiple dinner parties since I last wrote. But time marches on and so will I.