Renovating a kitchen on a budget ?

We have done quite a few DIY projects in our previous house and my husband is pretty handy, but of course also busy with work. We just bought this house in October, one reason because of the large kitchen, but it needs a complete renovation. Don't think the cabinets will be salvageable because we need to change the location of many appliances to make the kitchen work for us, and I hate the cabinets anyways.

So we thought we would just get an estimate from someone who does kitchens....$60,000...no way we can swing that.

I am looking into ordering RTA cabinets online. One question I have is if I get a 33inch stainless steel farmhouse sink, which size of sink base do I need? The 36 inch to have room?

Also would love any suggestions for layout, etc. Here are a few pictures.

 

A 33" sink should fit in a 36 sink base, but always best to verify dimensions with the actual cabinet and sink drawings when you have selected them.

That's a huge space, very nice! I would sure figure out a way to get the refrigerator closer to the sink and stove; it would be a very inefficient work triangle with the fridge way down at the end.

Kind of cries out for a nice island work space/eating area as well.

If there's not a separate pantry, you have room to install some nice tall pantry cabinets too.

I'd ditch the over the stove microwave and put in a real hood.

 

Next to the desk area is the pantry. I currently have a round table in the middle of the kitchen. I think I will probably keep it that way, because sometimes it is nice to have something table height to work at for rolling out dough and such because I am not very tall.

I want to put the dishwasher to the left of the sink, and move the stove down to the long wall. Not sure yet the best place to put the refrigerator. We are considering moving it to be next to the pantry where the desk is. We want to add a bit of a wall in the large opening that goes to the laundry room, so we can put in an actual door there.

 

Generally you want the sides of the work triangle formed by the sink, cooktop, and fridge, to be less than 25 or 26 feet total, and each leg is ideally between 4 and 9 feet. That's been determined to be the most efficient spacing. But it is just a guideline.

You usually don't want the dishwasher inside the triangle as it will always be in the way while cooking if you leave it open for easy loading of used dishes and utensils during cooking. Some cooks don't clean up as they go...others do.

I like big drawers for base cabinets rather than doors and roll-outs. One less step. But if you want doors, for sure get rollouts behind them; they are so much more convenient.

Good luck with your project!

 

I used to flip homes and I found the rta (ready to assemble) cabinets to be the best quality for the money. Most are solid wood now which is really nice.

However, I write because there is a very inexpensive solution. Lowes and Home depot have 20% off their in-stock cabinets at least once a month - it's hit or miss. Once the 20% is on, get a 10% off coupon and you have almost 30% off and they're already assembled. with those discounts, I do a whole 10x8 kitchen for around $800-$1000 for each of my apartments!

Now your choices are limited to what they have:
* Lowes & Home Depot: regular honey oak and white
* Some Lowes: Antique white with glazing called "Caspian" (beautiful and the best IMO)
* Home Depot: Cognac (good looking dark brown).

Of course the sizes aren't as expansive as RTA places, but I always seem to work something out.

I found really good prices for RTA's at:
www.rtacabinetstore.com
www.thertastore.com (20% off coupon on website)
Kitchen Cabinets All-Wood Affordable Kitchen Cabinets Wood Kitchen Cabinetry
(give you 20% off if you ask)

I hope that helps.

P.S. Here are actual photos of my last kitchen I did with lowes cabinets for only $900:
http://www.ad26.com/A.htm

The corner blind cabinet you can make by using a 30x30 and removing the door.

 

With a big room like that, you GOT to put an island in ...for resale value one day.

I also highly recommend an architectural look - with some cabinets higher than the others and some coming out. Here is the kitchen I did at my last residence with RTA cabinets:





Notice the corner cabinet is higher, the left-most cabinet is also higher AND is 3" forward. Also note the fridge cabinet is flush with the front of the fridge giving more architecture. The crown moulding is also a great idea and I put an small inset into the solid black-painted dentil to make it pop.

There's also dimmable under-the-cabinet lighting and on top of the cabinet lighting which is beautiful at night on low.

 

I drew the picture below before reading the above, your plan is good IMO.
The range as it sits is not desirable, nor is the DW and the fridge.

A few options:
- I prefer a 36" square corner base cabinet (with lazy susans) rather than a diagonal. The bi-fold door gives better access.
- Reefer side panel should have an 1-1/2" stile
- Left end of long wall can be a wall oven, or a pantry as Carbide suggested, I would recommend a tall cabinet there either way. If you install a pantry, I would make it at least a 33.

If budget allows you could have some nice cooking appliances and have options:

- 30" Slide-in Range. Slide-in has no back control panel like a freestanding.
The cooktop section also overlaps the counter at the sides, very clean looking.
- 30 or 36" Cook Top with Wall Oven below
- Wall Oven with Cook Top to the Right

Keep in mind that cabinets come in 3" increments.
Those increments plus using fillers will allow you to fill almost any wall length.

 

tony17112acst,
The kitchen looks good, great job

 

I went to Home Depot and had them do a full kitchen layout. I had no intention of buying my cabinets there, but I spend thousands there every year and feel like I'm entitled to a little service.

I had a knowledgeable woodworker turn me on to a really nice RTA cabinet - I'm not going to name them so it doesn't seem like I'm pushing them. I was really pleased. 14 cabinets with crown molding, soft close doors and drawers, no particleboard, solid wood faces and frames, roll out shelves, delivered for $3700. I've put them in a duplex I flipped and liked them enough I put them in my home.

I did tons of research online where the "experts" tell you to stay away from RTA - all I can say is my experience was excellent.

 

Thanks for the suggestions.

I know that I want the shaker style cabinet, either in a white with glaze or a dark wood. I am thinking the white will help make the kitchen brighter and then we may continue darker wood floors from living room through kitchen.

I would love more ideas for layout because I am really cannot come up with a good way to layout the kitchen. I wanted to knock the wall where the stove currently is out and then put an island there that can be walked around on all sides instead of the peninsula, but not sure that is going to be possible because of it being load bearing, and we don't have tons of money to spend on putting in a beam, on top of everything else.

 

I think the design I suggested is a good start. Initially when an island was mentioned in a previous post, I pictured the island straight across from the sink, not where the range is now.

Question: What will be in the island you want? The cooktop and oven?
If the island is only for counter space that might place all your appliances on the sink wall, and that would look too crowded IMO.
If you have a different place for the fridge it might be OK.

 

I have been thinking I would put either the stove or the fridge on the wall where the desk and pantry are now. If I did the stove, I would have to knock out the pantry and put pantry cabinets somewhere.

On the island I want it more for counter space and dining space and cabinet storage underneath, I don't want a cooktop on it because I forsee my kids spending lots of time sitting at the island and don't want whatever they are working on close to the stove while I am cooking.

I currently have a small round table in the middle of the kitchen. I like the idea of keeping that because when I do things like make dough and roll it out, the table height works much better for me than trying to roll it out on a counter because I am short.