I'm Getting A Kitchen Remodel & New Flooring Throughout

OneEyedDiva

SF VIP
Location
New Jersey
After the leak in my kitchen that came from the wall and cabinets and the consultation with Noel, our co-op contractor, we decided it’s best that I get new cabinets. I had put off the kitchen remodel for years. At first I couldn’t decide what I wanted. When I finally found what I liked, COVID hit. After that died down, the money allotted for the remodel, plus much more went to paying a good part of my granddaughter’s college tuition and campus housing. Now she and my son will be paying the entire tuition for her Masters, so it frees up my budget. I had intended to add to my savings for a few months before starting the remodel, but it must be done now.

I checked with the co-op manager and found out that the interest free loan program is still available to us stockholders. I wasn't originally intending to go that route, but I will borrow the money for the remodel. The kitchen will be done first, then I’ll get new flooring throughout the apartment, except for the bathroom. It was remodeled 25 years ago, the matching wall and floor tiles still look new and I still love it in there.

I was not a fan of gray decor; IMO it’s a current trend that is so overused. Even our timeshare used gray decor in their last remodel. But I have my heart set on getting white granite countertops with the sparkly speckles in them. Noel recommended getting cabinets and countertops from Sam, a man who he’s coordinated kitchen remodels with for years. My son took me to Sam’s shop yesterday. While viewing the cabinet choices, which weren’t plentiful, I realized that I don't like that countertop with the maple wood. Mahogany is too dark for my small kitchen and I definitely don't want white cabinets. The gray cabinets matched my chosen countertop better.

The cabinets with soft closure draws, undermount sink (pictured), faucet and very nice brushed stainless steel door handles are included in the price of $4,600. Though my kitchen is small, I have a lot of cabinets in there to replace. Noel had given me a cabinet estimate before I went to the shop and told me that it's a very good price. Sam confirmed that price. The labor will be $4,300. I think I may have paid the same or even more when I had my kitchen remodeled 25 years ago.

I wanted wood look ceramic tile flooring with the long planks, but Noel said laminate would be better. Although I didn’t want to do it this way, the kitchen flooring will be a slightly different color than the rest of the apartment because what works in the kitchen will not work throughout the rest of the space and vice versa. The apartment tiles will be the same pattern but a warmer color.

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The sparkly speckles aren't showing up well in this picture.


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Here's the kitchen nightmare I was faced with most of last week. This is from Friday when the plumbers were working to fix the leaking hot water pipe. Turns out they had to also replace pipes in my storage closet. They removed the two cabinets that got really wet. Noel is coming to repair the ceiling and wall today. He may put back the old cabinets until tne new ones come in. I don't have to pay for any of those repairs. I'm going to check with my insurance company to see if they'll give me something toward the new cabinets. I'm also going to ask the board if the co-op will reimburse me at least in part for the new cabinets.

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@Jules
 
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I'm torn, sad this happened or happy that you're getting a new kitchen.

I've never signed on to the everything grey trend either. Have you chosen the grey cabinets because that's the only other color he offers? I painted my wood cabinets a green/blue color. It brightened the area a lot.

You're right, the Mahogany would be a bad choice. It would have darkened your space and really sucked the life out of your countertops.
 
Gonna feel so nice when it's done Diva! Bet you make a song for the feeling ;)
They do push the gray on a person, I think it's rare not to see a gray even in materials for area rugs,
curtains and other stuff. I was a bit disappointed when they were repainting my home before I moved
in and told me a light gray throughout. You just can't escape it unless you go full rogue.
 
Wow Diva! What a MESS!! At least you get the fun of a new kitchen out of it. I also hate trendy white or grey. This is simply the rage right now and is replacing all the beautiful woods. You have great taste...I am sure you will figure it out.
 
I'm torn, sad this happened or happy that you're getting a new kitchen.

I've never signed on to the everything grey trend either. Have you chosen the grey cabinets because that's the only other color he offers? I painted my wood cabinets a green/blue color. It brightened the area a lot.

You're right, the Mahogany would be a bad choice. It would have darkened your space and really sucked the life out of your countertops.
Thank you Robin. 🤗 I chose the gray because it looked nice with my desired countertop. He had maple, white, gray shiny, white shiny, mahogany and some weird color that I don't know how to describe. I didn't like the grain of the maple cabinets either. The only other colors that would work with that countertop would be an off white, white or black, none of which I'd want. Other home store are offering this cheap looking particle board stuff, which is now even being used in "luxury" apartments. I don't like it. Wood cabinets cost an arm and a leg.

It dawned on me that my fridge and stove, which are very old, probably won't look right with the new cabinets. :sneaky: I hate to get rid of my refrigerator because it's one of the best that was made back then. I've never had a problem with it and we know that things aren't made as well now as they used to be. I don't even use a stove anymore, but use 2 induction cooktops that sit on tile that's on the burners. Maybe I'll get an induction stove, but they are expensive. I'll just have to see how it works out.

@Muskrat The gray was chosen by process of elimination. At least the gray cabinets are sturdy wood. They'll look much nicer with the handles on them. I also have to choose a backsplash from another store, because Sam no longer sells them. Thank you for the compliment about my taste.

@IrishEyes I will be glad when its all done. Don't know if I'll get a song out of it, but at least I can get to my instrument today. The two cabinets they took out were set in back of my instrument's stool, an already narrow space. They are here as I type to repair the gaping hole in the ceiling and wall and put those cabinets back.
 
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The comment about what cabinets are made of now is why I painted mine. They're solid wood. No way could I afford to replace them with new wood unless I was a millionaire, which I'm not.

I'm really looking forward to the new and improved and repaired kitchen when it's done.
 
The comment about what cabinets are made of now is why I painted mine. They're solid wood. No way could I afford to replace them with new wood unless I was a millionaire, which I'm not.

I'm really looking forward to the new and improved and repaired kitchen when it's done.
Well thank you for your interest. This may be a process because with my OCD about esthetics, if I don't like the way the remodel looks with my old appliances, with trepidation, I'm sure, I'll likely get new ones. :rolleyes: I'm already thinking that a large charcoal drawing I did of Bob Marley which has slate blue matting and silver frame should look nice in there. It's been stored away for decades.
 
Not a fan of grey either. :sick: The first order of business when we purchased this house was transform the exterior from off white and grey to green. Then came the inside.
If you don't have pets, then laminate will do. However, be aware that it scratches kind of easy. Ceramic is way more durable, but, it's a lot more work intensive to lay down.

Just occured to me that I don't have a recent picture of our kitchen. Have to remedy that... after it's cleaned up og course. :)

house before.jpg house after.JPG kitchen before.jpg
 
Thanks for sharing your kitchen's story with us, @OneEyedDiva! I understand what happens when leaking occurs and the damage it causes. Sorry you had to go through this, but at the same time, it gave you an opportunity to renovate your kitchen!

Although I don't like gray by itself, adding the white sparkle counter tops to the gray cabinets provided a nice contrast. It was well done!
 
Not a fan of grey either. :sick: The first order of business when we purchased this house was transform the exterior from off white and grey to green. Then came the inside.
If you don't have pets, then laminate will do. However, be aware that it scratches kind of easy. Ceramic is way more durable, but, it's a lot more work intensive to lay down.

Just occured to me that I don't have a recent picture of our kitchen. Have to remedy that... after it's cleaned up og course. :)

View attachment 502409 View attachment 502410 View attachment 502411
What a cute house SD. I like the color scheme. Nice kitchen too. I like that you have the patio door with a nice view out. The townhouses in our complex have the patio door in their kitchens, but unfortunately they look out onto a parking lot.
 
What a cute house SD. I like the color scheme. Nice kitchen too. I like that you have the patio door with a nice view out. The townhouses in our complex have the patio door in their kitchens, but unfortunately they look out onto a parking lot.

The view gets even better when we sit on the screened lanai and watch the world pass by. Buying the lot next to us gave us about an acre and a half to enjoy. :)


lanai.JPG after the cut.JPG
 
After the leak in my kitchen that came from the wall and cabinets and the consultation with Noel, our co-op contractor, we decided it’s best that I get new cabinets. I had put off the kitchen remodel for years. At first I couldn’t decide what I wanted. When I finally found what I liked, COVID hit. After that died down, the money allotted for the remodel, plus much more went to paying a good part of my granddaughter’s college tuition and campus housing. Now she and my son will be paying the entire tuition for her Masters, so it frees up my budget. I had intended to add to my savings for a few months before starting the remodel, but it must be done now.

I checked with the co-op manager and found out that the interest free loan program is still available to us stockholders. I wasn't originally intending to go that route, but I will borrow the money for the remodel. The kitchen will be done first, then I’ll get new flooring throughout the apartment, except for the bathroom. It was remodeled 25 years ago, the matching wall and floor tiles still look new and I still love it in there.

I was not a fan of gray decor; IMO it’s a current trend that is so overused. Even our timeshare used gray decor in their last remodel. But I have my heart set on getting white granite countertops with the sparkly speckles in them. Noel recommended getting cabinets and countertops from Sam, a man who he’s coordinated kitchen remodels with for years. My son took me to Sam’s shop yesterday. While viewing the cabinet choices, which weren’t plentiful, I realized that I don't like that countertop with the maple wood. Mahogany is too dark for my small kitchen and I definitely don't want white cabinets. The gray cabinets matched my chosen countertop better.

The cabinets with soft closure draws, undermount sink (pictured), faucet and very nice brushed stainless steel door handles are included in the price of $4,600. Though my kitchen is small, I have a lot of cabinets in there to replace. Noel had given me a cabinet estimate before I went to the shop and told me that it's a very good price. Sam confirmed that price. The labor will be $4,300. I think I may have paid the same or even more when I had my kitchen remodeled 25 years ago.

I wanted wood look ceramic tile flooring with the long planks, but Noel said laminate would be better. Although I didn’t want to do it this way, the kitchen flooring will be a slightly different color than the rest of the apartment because what works in the kitchen will not work throughout the rest of the space and vice versa. The apartment tiles will be the same pattern but a warmer color.

View attachment 502352
View attachment 502356


The sparkly speckles aren't showing up well in this picture.


View attachment 502353

Here's the kitchen nightmare I was faced with most of last week. This is from Friday when the plumbers were working to fix the leaking hot water pipe. Turns out they had to also replace pipes in my storage closet. They removed the two cabinets that got really wet. Noel is coming to repair the ceiling and wall today. He may put back the old cabinets until tne new ones come in. I don't have to pay for any of those repairs. I'm going to check with my insurance company to see if they'll give me something toward the new cabinets. I'm also going to ask the board if the co-op will reimburse me at least in part for the new cabinets.

View attachment 502355

@Jules
I know that's a real pain in the rear but it will be so nice when done!!
 
Thanks for sharing your kitchen's story with us, @OneEyedDiva! I understand what happens when leaking occurs and the damage it causes. Sorry you had to go through this, but at the same time, it gave you an opportunity to renovate your kitchen!

Although I don't like gray by itself, adding the white sparkle counter tops to the gray cabinets provided a nice contrast. It was well done!
It's not done yet. The remodel is scheduled to start on May 18th. I decided to wait until after my granddaughter's graduation, so as not to be stressed when we go down there.

Well, you forced me to straighten up the kitchen a little and take a picture of it. Hope you're happy. 🤣
The kitchen looks pretty pristine in the first one you posted SD. But being given a reason to clean and straighten up seems to make us more efficient, doesn't it? :D Also, very nice lanai. You and the Mrs. were smart to buy the lot next to your house. I've seen people do that on the home buying shows and most of the time it's so they can keep the beautiful view and/or have more privacy.

Well, being an old Navy man, I kinda like grey....well Haze Grey anyway. I look forward to following your project.
Thank you for your interest Llynn. 🤗
I know that's a real pain in the rear but it will be so nice when done!!
I pray it will be Hearlady!

Now I will fess up. We are currently buying a home with...white kitchen cabinets. I am not a domestic queen.........
Good luck with keeping those cabinets clean. Even our contractor said he doesn't recommend me getting the white cabinets (when I said I hadn't quite made up my mind) and thinks I'll wind up being quite pleased with the gray ones, citing that they'll look a lot nicer in my kitchen than on the showroom floor. He said a lot of customers have chosen the gray and are happy with them. He put my mind at ease about something else. The modern faucet I was shown does not have a place for the countertop dishwasher's adaptor. Noel said he installs the sink and faucet and will get one that has a place for the adaptor and trade with faucets me. As mentioned before, the faucet is part of the package price.
 
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@OneEyedDiva - Right now, it's a nightmare
affraid
, but it will soon be over. It will look wonderful; you'll love it
s0317.gif
and be glad you did it. Then you can relax and enjoy it!dance3
 
@OneEyedDiva ....my post made it sound like I did't like grey cabinets. That is not true...it is all the grey walls. My sister has grey cabinets and they are beautiful. My new (to me) home has white cabinets. We walked thru a dozen or so homes before settling on this one...and white cabinets are the current thing. Hate them.
 
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