Remodeling our Kitchen

**jas** · 01-24-2010, 06:23 PM

Finally we are taking the leap and doing our kitchen. Yes we will be on a budget. We have ordered the cabinets from Lowes. They were running a special promotion and we got 500.00 instant discount for ordering 10 or more cabinets. We also got an upgrade on the finish we are now getting a glaze on the cabinets no extra charge. They will be maple with a mocha glaze. Also we got an upgrade to the cushion close drawers, no extra charge. My dh will be installing them. Saving even more there.

Of course we would love to have granite countertops (the slab kind) It was not going to happen on our budget. We have been out looking at all our options and we have decided to go with a granite tile. My dh was reluctant to go that route only because he didn't know how he would finish off the edges. In our hunt we found an edge that will work great with the black granite tile we found almost can't tell they don't come together. When they are done it will look very close to what they do to the edges of the slab.

Right now I don't have any before pics to put up, but I will be getting them to show the before and the project underway and then
the kitchen when it is done.

The budget for the kitchen is 5000.00 and with dh doing the labor we think we will make it. We bought new appliances just a few years back so they are not included in the total. We bought them at a discount appliance place. They were brand new though. We got black with stainless (or what looks like stainless accents).

**pollypurebred39** · 01-24-2010, 06:27 PM

Jas, That's wonderful! A new kitchen, what a blessing! Enjoy!

**AnW819** · 01-24-2010, 06:31 PM

Awesome!!! Congrats and enjoy it! I am sure you will be able to stay within your budget!

**Nana2two** · 01-24-2010, 07:02 PM

Thats our next big project. The kitchen!!! We figured around $5000. Very happy to see you pics.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 01-24-2010, 07:19 PM

We've been redoing our kitchen for a while. We're looking at about $400 for the countertop and then some money for new paint and a closet door.

We inherited a stainless steel microwave that'll be installed.

We decided on stainless steel appliances, which we're going to purchase when they're on sale. Right now, we're looking at spending $3100 on the fridge and the oven. I think they'll be purchases next year with our taxes as this year's taxes are going towards a new countertop and beds.

It's nice to see someone else is joining in on the remodeling train.

**frugalwarrior2** · 01-24-2010, 07:21 PM

Sounds exciting. Hope it all goes smoothly. I did ours at our first house. Although I loved it when it was done,the process was neither exciting or smooth. Be sure to allow about 5% for "OH MY'S. We pulled down our cabinets (nailed) and found there had been a fire at some point.(surprise).

**alotofgooddeals** · 01-24-2010, 07:48 PM

getting it ready for sale....(not sure when) however i only wish i had a $5,000 budget....We are putting down new vinyl tiles that match the color of the walls that we painted... our appliances are roughly 10 years old however i don't want to purchase new ones to leave here if we do sell in the near future....i have painted the cabinets again...and the last thing that we will do is put new countertops on.... we are just going with formica.....which will give it a nice clean look but not break the bank.....if things change and we do not sell... then there are things that we will do...

**jas** · 01-24-2010, 08:06 PM

We looked at formica for the counter top also. At first dh wanted to do the least amount of work himself. I say at first. He is really handy and can do almost anything he puts his mind to. The cost to have the counter tops made with a nice edge is not cheap either. Of course it is a less expensive option than a granite slab or some of the other solid surface options. All which are very nice.

Even with dh making the formica countertops with one of the granite or stone look a likes was not cheap. I looked on line at a site where you could buy sheets of the nice lookin stuff. Some of it was over 100.00 a sheet.

At one tile place (the first one we went to) we told him we were looking at the granite tiles and he was like oh go to this place ( the stone, granite place and get a real nice slab of it) yeah, we already knew it was out of our price range no matter how nice it is. He made it sound like it was cheap, we knew better. We saw a nice sample that was pretty expensive, but cheaper than a slab. The guy was going on and on about how there is nothing you can buy in tile that will match the granite for the edge. Had dh seriously rethinking doing it himself. Well, this weekend we have been out looking and have found what will work for us. The granite tiles are at Home Depo and they are 4.50 a tile and we need 65 of them so that will be 292.00 for the counter top tile and the backsplash. The big edge trim will be 7.00 each ( worth it for the finished look) and we need 40 of those 280.00 we need three sheets of the cement board that will be about 60.00. Then the thin set and grout. (didn't price those yet)
292.00 tile
280.00trim
60.00 cement board
--------
632.00 plus tax and thin set and grout.

**jas** · 01-24-2010, 08:12 PM

Originally Posted by frugalwarrior2

Sounds exciting. Hope it all goes smoothly. I did ours at our first house. Although I loved it when it was done,the process was neither exciting or smooth. Be sure to allow about 5% for "OH MY'S. We pulled down our cabinets (nailed) and found there had been a fire at some point.(surprise).

those lovely surprises!! We did the kitchen at our last house too and yep there is always something. Plus the cost of eating out some during construction. We will try to minimize that as much as we can. We can use the grill some. We may have to do it in sections. The stove side and then the sink side.

**NewLeaf** · 01-24-2010, 08:47 PM

I'm still in the "dreaming" stage of remodleing our kitchen. It is tiny and old, but serviceable for now.I'll be looking for those pictures....

**jas** · 01-24-2010, 09:03 PM

http://www.shenandoahcabinetry.com/products.asp?id=54

This is the color of the cabinets we are getting.

We are going with black counter tops though.

**frugalfoster** · 01-24-2010, 09:35 PM

your cabinets are beautiful....and you are lucky you have a husband who can do the work.... we need a kitchen....but it's not on the agenda right now...

**jas** · 01-25-2010, 07:45 AM

Originally Posted by frugalfoster

your cabinets are beautiful....and you are lucky you have a husband who can do the work.... we need a kitchen....but it's not on the agenda right now...

I know what you mean. It was not on our agenda for eight years!!! It was always something else.. They look okay at first glance I suppose, but in reality they are falling apart if you look a little closer. They are laminate and all the edging is peeling off, the bottoms are sagging, they smell bad, ect....

**Josephhgoins** · 01-25-2010, 08:13 AM

I always wanted the solid stone counter tops. I have lusted after them for years. I am a cook and it woudl be ncie to not worry about hurting them. My Ex neighbor built a really nice house and got the quartz couter tops, which are just awesome. My best friend did the tile like you are getting.

The tile was about a tenth of the price and is just as good as the quartz. I believe the granate takes special cleaning procedures and certain chemicals can hurt it. It can also be scratched.

When I do my kitchen I am going to do tile, its just sillly to waste the money on the slab when tile looks just as nice and costs so much less.

A friend at work built her house about 10 years ago. Her father built houses for a living and so he used his discounts for her. They decided on formica, because it was inexpensive and if they wanted to change to a different color in the future it would be cheap to do.

Good luck on your renovation! I am sure its going to look awesome, not to mention be great fun to cook in after.

**nancycg56** · 01-25-2010, 08:22 AM

We redid our kitchen about 3 years ago ~ we gutted it down to the subfloor.

New cabinets, appliances, wood floor, put in an island, all the lighting we could, quartz countertops, dedicated hot water tap. It was the best thing we ever did.

We had a couple of surprises, too, but nothing major.

Have fun with your new kitchen!!!!!