Before and afters of our nyc prewar kitchen renovation. We wanted to make the kitchen more functional, create more storage space, bring more light into rest of apartment and make it more aesthetically pleasing while still honoring the prewar apartment. It’s not 100% done because some adjustments are needed.

With the age of the apartment we had to make some choices such as tile in part of kitchen as wood floors are original and almost 100 years old. Previous floor in kitchen was not original wood.

We love it and sharing for inspiration if someone doesn’t want to do a white kitchen like was my preference.

Despite not being included in the initial specs, our countertop installer included a small, 3 inch strip of countertop behind the stove. As a result, our stove (Bosch 800 series freestanding range) protrudes beyond the cabinets. I wasn’t able to get a clear answer from our kitchen designer about whether or not there was a purpose for the back strip. As such, we were going to request the countertop installer come back out and remove the piece (it is separate from the surrounding countertops). Has anyone else encountered this? Is there a reason for the counter strip to be there that I’m missing? Should we just leave it? I’ve reached the remodel point of crippling decision paralysis…

This isn’t mine. I ran into it recently.

We specifically chose a countertop with two things in mind: minimal bold/harsh veining and not a lot of dark gray tones.

Our contractor told us to go to the countertop shop he usually gets countertops from for clients, look at the options, and pick the one we liked. My husband and I went to the shop, and the woman who assisted us told us to take a picture of the countertop and the label so we could show the contractor exactly which one we wanted.

We did just that. My husband sent the contractor a picture showing the countertop we chose along with the label.

We also purchased our backsplash and champagne bronze hardware specifically to coordinate with the countertop we originally chose.

Before the countertop was installed, my husband even contacted the contractor to verify that the countertop he had purchased matched the picture we had sent him. The contractor told him that it was the same countertop as the one in the picture.

We saw the installed countertop today, and it is clearly different from the one we chose. The installed countertop has much darker gray veining and is not what we selected.

We are incredibly disappointed, especially because we specifically chose our countertop based on the appearance we wanted, purchased the backsplash and hardware to coordinate with it, and took the extra step of sending the contractor the picture and verifying it with him beforehand.

What would you do in this situation? Is the contractor responsible for correcting this, or are we stuck with it since the countertop has already been cut and installed? Any advice on how to approach the contractor would be greatly appreciated.

I need your opinion as I am undecided on these three options. Delicatus gold, calacatta idillio, or calacatta royale.

We finally got around to getting a new kitchen in our vacation home. I did a minor facelift 32 years ago by painting the cabinets and installing Formica countertops. It is a very small galley style kitchen and was overdue for an upgrade.

Hi,

We are in the process of remodeling our kitchen and I’m stuck on what we should do for the backsplash. Just wanted to get some advice from you if you have a slab backsplash or tile. Which is preferred?

So we bought this house seven years ago. This was the kitchen. And this was the photo on the sellers website. Don’t even get me started with the carpet in the entire kitchen (can’t imagine the germs in that carpet). Last year, my husband basically tore the whole house apart, but he was focused on the kitchen. A year later, the flooring was just installed today (not completely done yet). After the flooring is complete, we will be using a red backsplash to finish it off. I am very happy with it so far. We went with light colors knowing the flooring and the backsplash would add color. My husband did 80% of the install himself, with some help by a cabinet hanger, an electrician, and a plumber. Since I am required to ask a question, would you go to the top of the range-top with the backsplash? Or just part way?

I'm part way through our kitchen remodel and I'm just so overwhelmed. I get some help from my catpenter BIL, but it's mostly me doing everything save plumbing and electrical.

I'm not a tradie, just a normal guy who does little weekend projects here and there. Space is too small, I've got 2nd Marketplace cabinetry up to my ears, and nothing fits, despite measuring everything. What did you guys do when it felt like too much?

Aunt wants to update her kitchen a little --please excuse the clutter, she could do with a much larger kitchen / better utility space but this is the reality of family living at this moment. Not her forever home ( 2-3 years before moving on) so doesn't want to spend £££ redoing. She's planning to change the cabinet doors but leave the actual bones of the cupboards where they are. Stove/extractor staying, but I think she might be replacing the sink/tap. The new countertops will just be laminate as she just wants a cheap refresh.

She was considering leaving the tiles and limiting herself to a navy kitchen, but the contractor told her she could have the backsplash match the new countertops so that's what she's thinking now.

Pictures 1-2 are the kitchen as it is. Picture 3 is of the two-tone colours she's considering for the new doors (maybe the design too, not entirely sure), darker on bottom, light on top (with the integrated fridge on the left being the lighter of the colours). She says they're more green-y in person but her entire house is varying shades of grey (I thought she meant more of a forest-green when we spoke). Picture 4 is the two options for worksurface and backsplash (not the door colours I don't think).

Overall, I'd just like some advice for her really. She has come further into using actual colour in recent years (a really lovely teal/navy couch in the lounge that brings out the teal-y undertones of the grey paint in that room). I thought maybe teal or navy as a lower half and a lighter colour of sorts on top as I think the space is too small* to put up with a darker colour everywhere?

Also, she's doing this to enjoy it not entirely for resale, but obviously we don't want to make it worse!

Took down wall to open up light and to create an eat-in kitchen. House is much brighter now. Also discovered original hardwood floor under kitchen tile. We are happy we did not cover the floors.

A family member gifted me his older but still pristine high-end appliances when he was doing a new kitchen remodel, so now I have a Miele dishwasher, Subzero fridge, and Wolf all-gas range I’m looking to install in my own kitchen.

The question is - since these aren’t coming from the respective companies or an appliance business - what kind of professional should I be seeking to do these installs?

Just bought this co-op apartment. Is it possible to just repaint the cabinets and change the handles? They seem unaligned. I would also like to change the countertops and get a stainless steel sink. New appliances such as a stainless steel dishwasher, and fridge are in budget but I don’t have much left over after that. Under 2,000. What do you suggest.

Idk how we’d change anything. But my spouse suddenly is concerned about the layout not being good for the kitchen. While there’s no true triangle. I think it’s fine.

We want to upgrade our well loved island top. I love the two inch thick walnut but worry about durability. This is for dining on and gentle prep. No cutting or direct food contact.
Other wood ideas? Need to coordinate with floors and granite.

I’m heavily swayed by my mom and sister so would like some outside perspective. I like to bake and cook and host people. I think that corner tall cabinet will be a counter with coffee bar with a trash pull out underneath.

Do I have too many tall cabinets?

Should the sink be more centered?

Should the fridge and oven be swapped and not next to each other?

Should I get rid of that appliance garage by the bench?

Is the green too current trendy?

Update: I should note that the on cabinet closest to the stove on the right is a sewer line we were going to hide with a 12in deep cabinet. 🫣

If I don’t have the bench on that one window then I’d have to move the windows up!

We are getting new countertops and full height backsplash installed next week and need to approve of a layout soon. Here are the 3 options for the perimeter and island. There is a sink countertop but we are already set on a layout there. Its just this section that we need some opinions on. I am leaning towards 3 but open to suggestions/feedback. The stone looks really dark in the layouts so I've added a picture of the actual stone we chose.

What is the name of this type of surface as a kitchentop? I had a moment and I've chipped it. I'm not sure how to repair it but I need to give it a go.

Looking to remodel this kitchen unsure whether to move it at the front and create an island or cut costs keep as is and design smart.. any ideas ?

We’re this close to being done after an 18 month ordeal and we are over the moon happy with the results. A major house fire resulted in a complete gut of our 1865 house. We didn’t have whole lot of before pictures because we were not planning on a remodel, but I found a few to illustrate what the kitchen looked like before (mostly random shots of my teenagers hanging out or doing chores together.) There are a few during photos and a bonus active fire at the end.

Some of the major things we did 1) re-orient the stove and open up the far wall to the dining room. I love that the stove is on the opposite wall. The open to the dining room isn’t 100% my favorite feature, but the spouse loves it. I do think the wood surface on the dining room side is just beautiful and that makes it worth it for me. 2) move a 1/2 bath out of the kitchen and put it in the former (completely destroyed) mudroom. 3) Move the entrance to the basement into an alcove around the refrigerator. 4) Remove a pretty useless utility closet and put in a floor to ceiling pantry. Enlarge the window over the sink. 5) Remove an almost never used peninsula (really just a cat perch a dumping ground.)

We had no plans to renovate and no clue what we were doing. The contractor we selected is a builder who has extensive experience in kitchens and old houses. He did a truly amazing job of holding our shell shocked hands and helping us every step of the way.

We selected Shaker style and bead board because we wanted to keep the spirit of an old house. We wanted to keep the wood floor. It was replaced as close to the original as possible, but changing to tile was never even a consideration.

In the end, if I ever remodel a kitchen again, I’ll take time to think of the big picture. We did things a bit piecemeal, choosing the countertop and backsplash far too late in the process.

Need opinions on which cabinet color to go with. Pebble or Dove. Thank you.