Kitchen Cabinets?

[minnie56]

I come here for soooo much help and the answer to all me 'weird and wonderful' questions so why not this?

We are redoing our kitchen. Top to bottom...

I am between a few manufacturers of Cabinets. Anyone have any experience with Thomasville or Craft -Made?

I am leaning towards Granite counters? Pros and Cons?

Want Hardwood flooring....Oak...is it a bad idea in a kitchen?

THANK YOU as always!

 

[Ranatra]

We put in a new kitchen almost 2 years ago. My first recommendation would be to get a good kitchen designer. It makes all the difference. It took us at least 3 sit down meetings with our designer, but I got everything I wanted and more. I went there with a list of things I positively wanted. (a spice drawer, shelves for cookbooks and an appliance garage.) I also wanted glass doors on the small 18" cabinets that were mounted above the 36" cabinets. (We have cathedral ceilings in the kitchen as well as the LR)
Make sure you get what you want so you have no regrets!
I'm not familiar with the cabinets you mentioned, ours are Kitchen Craft.

I love the granite countertops. You don't have to worry about setting anything hot on them and they're like one big cutting board. I think they're easy to keep clean. I use Stone Care International Products on them. (Home Depot carries it, but i get them online) They have a cleaner, a disinfectant cleaner, a polish and a sealer.

I also like the hardwood in the kitchen. I think it's very easy to wipe up and not hard on the feet. I would never consider tile in the kitchen as I'm on my feet too much in there and didn't want a hard surface underfoot.

Good Luck with your project!

 

[clarabelle]

I just finished a kitchen remodel a few months ago
I would go to http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/kitchbath/
There are loads of people there to answer your questions
I will tell you that I have red oak floors in my kitchen. They are a little dinged but they do fine. It is a very attactive look. I have cherry Wellborn Cabinets and Baltic Brown granite counter tops. I love the granite
Good luck!

 

[poohluvrs]

Is there anyone in your area that does custom cabinets, sometimes it's the saem cost in the long run & cant beat custom. We've also used Omega, they are wonderful cabinets.

We've always done granite, the black is hard to keep clean, a nice sand/stone granite is pretty. Some do marble which is clean looking but messes fast!

I love hardwood in a kitchen., Good luck!

 

[ducklite]

We had Craft-Made in our old house. They were OK, nothign special. Nothing I would ahve chosen for myself, but they never gave us any trouble in the nine years we owned the place, so I guess I can't complain. I used Murphy's Oil Soap on them every few months to clean them and give them a bit of a shine.

I agree with the earlier poster about custom kitchens. Mine in this house was custom. I've got a pill out spice rack, tip out under the sink, glass fronts in some of my doors, a lazy susan in the corner cabinet, pull outs in some of the lower cabinets, etc.

I decided against granite because it needs to be sealed and polished--and I'd still be uncomfortable cutting on it. I went with with a silestone product instead. It needs NO special care at all, and is repairable if it's damaged. I use Clorox Wipes to clean it.

I have tile in my kitchen, and love how easy it is to cleam. I have thick throw rugs in fromt of the sink and stove though. I would think that standing in front of either without them would be hard on the feet.

Make sure you've got a LOT of light, including under the cabinet fixtures.

Have fun with the planning!

Anne

 

[clarabelle]

You don't have to seal all granites- some of the darker ones need very little care. I wouldn't cut on granite either -it is not good for the knives!
There are lots of good counter top options -all with different pros and cons

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Everyone will have a different opinion....

Hardwood...never again. I had it and hated it. TOO MUCH care for a kitchen. I love tile. Takes a licking and keeps ticking. Esp. with the dogs.
Unless you can get the fancy hardwood that is installed, sanded, stained & sealed. Not the pre-prepared stuff.

Granite, of course. Love it, holds up very well.

Biggest tip I can give you is to put in the range with a nice stove/oven and have the hood above it instead of the microwave if you can.
That is something I want.

Of course I want Wolf/Sub Zero appliances....maybe next house. I will get the stove/oven I want in my next place.
I want a gourmet stove. Nice range top with a warming drawer.

 

[FreshTressa]

I have dark granite which I LOVE.

I also have oak flooring, which is nice, but I would prefer tile as it is so much more durable. With tile, yes, if you drop something, it breaks, but with wood, if you drop something, you dent the floor!

 

[annegal]

Granite is $50-80 a square foot

Solid surfacing (Corian) is $40-50

Find a cabinet shop in your area-I find my custom made cabinets to be more durable than the brands at Home Depot and Lowe's.

 

[Galahad]

We are re-doing our Kitchen right now. We are putting in Craft-Made cabinets. Check out the Craft Made Warehouse near Warren Ohio (actually in Lordstown). They are only open on Saturdays and you have to get there about 6:00 a.m. But we got cabinets that would go for $30,000 at Home Depot for $4800. It's a 5-plus hour drive from here but it was really worth it.

We're going with a Quartz countertop. And Travertine floors.

 

[DawnCt1]

I have dark granite which I LOVE.

I also have oak flooring, which is nice, but I would prefer tile as it is so much more durable. With tile, yes, if you drop something, it breaks, but with wood, if you drop something, you dent the floor!

we added on to our kitchen 12 years ago and since we couldn't find the same laminent cabinets in for the breakfast nook side of the kitchen, we coordinated oak cabinets that matched the trim. we used uba tuba granite for the buffet in the nook and for the divider over the sink. i love the look but i do find that everything from water spots to dust shows. i would like to go with the lighter granite when we actually remodel the kitchen in a couple of years but i love the look of the uba tuba and i hate to consider throwing away perfectly good granite. its a dilemma that we have a couple of years to think about. our oak floors in the kitchen are 21 years old. they have been refinished about 3 times. i don't think that there will be enough surface left for a forth time and they don't really need it now. i am guessing in two years they will need replacement. on the other hand, what other material can last almost 25 years, hold up well and not look dated.

 

[PlutoPony]

We gutted the kitchen earlier this year and put in StarMark cabinets and granite - very very pleased so far. The cabinets are high quality wood with a good warranty, and care has been minimal. I've had Corian and granite, and I'm now sold on granite.... IMHO it's a more natural look compared to the man-mades and our particular granite does not need annual sealing, etc. (but be aware that some do). I had more problems with my Corian scratching and even had a big crack develop from the heat of the range (this was repaired beautifully under warranty however).
There are two things I can't recommend enough with a kitchen redo... Get pull-outs in lower cabinets and pantry - they are wonderful . And look seriously at Sil Granite sinks mounted under the counter. They're from Blanco and are made of ground up granite. Definitely heavy, but don't scratch or nick up and have a bit of a textured type finish, not smooth and shiny like stainless or porcelein. We have a black one that's just gorgeous (not a dark black, it has little shiny flecks in it-hard to describe but beautiful). Sounds funny to rave about a simple kitchen sink I know
Good luck!

 

[Jeafl]

We have Thomasville cabinetry in our basement and I love it. No problems at all.

 

[mickeysgal]

I also wanted glass doors on the small 18" cabinets that were mounted above the 36" cabinets.

This is exactly what I want too. Do you have a picture you can post? We're remodeling next year and would love to see anyone's pictures.

 

[mickeysgal]

I am between a few manufacturers of Cabinets. Anyone have any experience with Thomasville or Craft -Made?

We once had a kitchen done entirely with KraftMaid cabinets (I think this is the brand you're referring to - sold by Home Depot). Actually I never had a problem with them and overall we were very pleased with them although I will say that we had to upgrade a lot of things on them to get them to a higher standard of quality. Your installation will be key. If you don't have a good installer that will shim them right, trim it out nice, etc. then no matter what cabinets you buy they won't look and perform right. A good kitchen designer is a must. Thats the part we struggled with the most. Just because they work in the kitchen department at Home Depot doesn't mean they're good at designing.

I have no experience with Thomasville - although I love some of their door styles. Some of them are very intricate - and expensive.

Good luck!

 

[minnie56]

We once had a kitchen done entirely with KraftMaid cabinets (I think this is the brand you're referring to - sold by Home Depot). Actually I never had a problem with them and overall we were very pleased with them although I will say that we had to upgrade a lot of things on them to get them to a higher standard of quality. Your installation will be key. If you don't have a good installer that will shim them right, trim it out nice, etc. then no matter what cabinets you buy they won't look and perform right. A good kitchen designer is a must. Thats the part we struggled with the most. Just because they work in the kitchen department at Home Depot doesn't mean they're good at designing.

I have no experience with Thomasville - although I love some of their door styles. Some of them are very intricate - and expensive.

Good luck!

YES, you're right! It IS Kraft Maid! I couldn't be bothered last night to pull out the brochure!

At Home Depot KM is their top-of-the-line and Thomasville the Mid range. They want $10,000 more for the KM line and I an trying to decipher if it's worth it? We have a Designer...then HD will do the ordering and Installation.
I am told they have 1 guy that is trained to install the Kraft Maid line due to the preciseness of fit that is required should we choose that line.

We added an addition onto our existing kitchen so it is now 20 x 20 and as it's been awhile since we have done a remodel this extensive I am overwhelmed to say the least!! Basically, it will be ALL new with the exception (though now I wish it were those too!) of Appliances as they are not so old! Drag....

I am told that the darker Granites are harder to keep clean...and that resealing is a must though I don't think I have had the same time frame given for that twice!! Every kitchen showroom I visit for ideas tells me something different!


Thanks to you all for the tremendous views and for sharing your experiences and choices!!!!

 

[MareQ]

You don't have to seal all granites- some of the darker ones need very little care. I wouldn't cut on granite either -it is not good for the knives!
There are lots of good counter top options -all with different pros and cons

Yup - I have Ubatuba Granite. I don't seal it - I certainly don't polish it - I clean it with a sponge and soap and water or Windex.

 

[jonestavern]

In re-doing our kitchen, I mentally went thru the exact steps I take while preparing our favorite dishes/baked goods. I inventoried not only all the motions, but the utensils pots, pans etc I use. I got together my utensils, pans etc measured the smallest to largest to determine how much drawer/shelf space I'd require.
for us, the over the stove micro/fan is a waste. Very expensive & when the micro goes, so goes the fan. Having a DBIL as a long time electrical contractor he has some invaluable tips. Those units do die & are overly expensive. I do use a micro/convection & need to stir & look; so up so high is impractical. I chose a small (big enough to heat up a dinner size plate) microwave to place on the dining side of the kitchen, that way for a quick re-heat, folks are out of the kitchen. The workhorse unit is in the island, kitchen side.
I, too, wanted Wolf/Subzero appliances, but nixed the Wolf when 2 friends, both very excellent & experienced cooks had trouble with their new Wolf ranges, both within a year. Both women said the Wolf customer service was excellent, but why should this happen within a year's time? One lady required 2 housecalls, the other 3 They purchased the Wolfs a little less than 2 yrs ago. Go to a high end appliance shop, ask them re: repair rates. also, tmany of those places, usually, have a program where you can bring in your own pots, pans & food & try out the cooktops, ovens etc.
If you decide to go the designer route, find out if the designer is obligated to sell or design with certain applaince lines.
as for contractors, lots of recent references, check their insurances--available through the state--& check out if your insurance covers you if a worker should get hurt on site. Also, stipulate a completion date in contract, as well as a need for you to be informed of, in an itemized written list, any changes the contractor deems necessary & stipulate you must sign on such before any work is undertaken.
Another poster offered the very wise suggestion of checking out local cabinetmakers. Of course, this is all very local, but people would be surprised how very economical this can prove.

It's an exciting project, have fun!

Jean

 

[MareQ]

I am told that the darker Granites are harder to keep clean...and that resealing is a must though I don't think I have had the same time frame given for that twice!! Every kitchen showroom I visit for ideas tells me something different!

From my own personal experience - this is incorrect!! I have had my countertops for over 5 years. I sealed them when they were installed - which took all of 3 minutes and that was that as far as maintenance

 

[mickeysgal]

Yup - I have Ubatuba Granite. I don't seal it - I certainly don't polish it - I clean it with a sponge and soap and water or Windex.

What is Ubatube granite? A color? Pictures, please!!