Pictures: https://ift.tt/2CSt33E kitchen!I finally completed our kitchen remodel. (Well, it's 99% done, if anyone wants to cut some cabinet filler panels, hit me up)Edit: To all those saying "this is small???" this is a 10x13 kitchen with 10x10 of functional space. The other 3 feet are the path of travel from the door to other rooms. I guess 100 square feet is on the top end of "small" kitchens and the bottom of end of "medium" kitchens. It's definitely not large by any means.Timeline: 8 weeks (not including a month or two hiatus in the middle for the birth of our daughter!)Cost: about $20,000Labor: $6k (demo, window installation & wall repair, electrical & plumbing)Appliances: $5.5kCountertop: $2.2k (incl. installation)Backsplash & Materials: $300Cabinets: $3.4kFlooring: $400Lighting: $600Materials & Tools: ~$1.5k. Wood for shelves & trim, screws, circular saw, power drill, osc. multi-tool, random orbit sander, miter saw box, clamps, levels, pocket hole kit, angles/guides, sawhorses, wood glue & filler, caulk & sealant. I basically had nothing but a hammer and screwdriver.Story: We bought our first house in June, as we were expecting a baby in August and needed more space than our 1-bedroom apartment could offer. We started looking in March/April, but the market in our area was (and still is) crazy. We initially looked at houses that were fully done, but we lost a few bids since everything went way over asking.Since I'm in the architecture industry (but not much practical construction experience...) we decided to broaden our search and agreed the kitchen would be the best compromise. We found a small-ish Cape Cod style house in a good area that was perfect except for a dated and bare kitchen. We budgeted out a kitchen remodel and put in a bid for 9% over asking. There were 15 other offers and ours was only the 3rd highest, but we won because of the good terms, etc.Planning: From contract to closing, I made a lot of measurements and spreadsheets, and thoroughly researched all of products, down to what type of screws I would need. We chose IKEA for the cabinets, mainly due to cost (and their great kitchen sale events) and I made multiple designs using their excellent online planning tools. We ended up with a U-shape layout, as the kitchen was too small for an efficient L-shape layout and we couldn't fit an island or peninsula.We decided to remove the window on the back wall as it was too low to run counters under. To keep natural light and a view of the backyard (and to keep an eye on our future kids while preparing dinner) we added (2) new windows on either side.For the sake of time (and safety, I didn't want to injure myself in demo when I would be a dad soon) we opted to use a General Contractor for the demo and window construction, and for the electrical and plumbing. I was the project manager and coordinated everything. The DIY work included the cabinets, flooring, backsplash, shelves, and details.Design: I'm more of a modernist while my wife is into the farmhouse style, so we compromised. The left side would be more farmhouse-y and the right would be more modern. We're basic in that we love gray and white, subway tile, and clean lines. These decisions will also help resale value when we decide to sell later on.We initially ordered the IKEA LERHYTTAN Gray cabinets (shaker-style) but half the stuff was backordered and they ended up pulling the entire line for QC reasons. We had to return it and settle for our 2nd choice, BODBYN Gray. I heard the LERHYTTAN is coming back early 2019.Construction: Overall it went pretty smoothly, but lots of issues arose, as they always seem to. See photo descriptions for more info on tools and materials used.We closed on Wednesday and scheduled the contractors to start on Friday. They didn't actually start until Monday. Demo was done in a few days. The window took the longest, and wasn't done until one month later. This delayed our cabinet installation as we needed finished walls to hang the SEKTION rails.Electrical scope was small, just some GFCI outlets and a few hardwired power locations. The pendant above the sink used to be a hardwired flourescent tube with a pull-chain, and no hard switch. It was more cost-effective (and better for me since I'm making a Smart Home) to use Hue bulbs and a wireless dimmer switch instead of having the electrician wire up a new switch.Plumbing was relocating a gas line, moving a drain and h/c water lines, and adding a cold water line for the fridge. It was easier to run things up through the floor, but made it more challenging to get some of the appliances in properly.Products:Fridge: IKEA NUTID 36" counter-depth (it's a re-branded Whirlpool)Microwave: IKEA NUTID built-in microwave w/trim kitOven: GE JGSS66SELSS 30" gas rangeHood: GE JVW5301SJSS 30" range hoodDishwasher: Bosch SHVM63W53N panel-ready 3-rack dishwasherSink: LaToscana LTW3018W Farmhouse Fireclay Kitchen Sink - White (we ordered a 27" but they actually shipped a 30")Faucet: IKEA ÄLMAREN detachable-head faucet (not spray-head) w/ KNIPEN detergent pumpGarbage Disposal: Insinkerator Evolution Cover Control PlusCabinets: IKEA SEKTION with BODBYN Gray fronts and BAGGANÄS Black hardwareCountertop: Quartz - Emerstone Vanilla WhiteLighting (Pendant): Margaux Island Pendant Lamp w/ (3) Philips Hue bulbsLighting (Ceiling): Philips Hue Cher Semi-FlushmountLighting (Under-shelf): IKEA UTRUSTA (discontinued)Backsplash (tile): Daltile white subway tile (flat)Backsplash (stainless): KOBE SSP30 30-Inch Stainless Steel Backsplash PanelShelves: custom-built w/ oak plywood, classic gray stain, satin polyurethane sealFlooring: Home Depot's LifeProof Sterling Oak LVTWindows: ThermaStar by Pella Vinyl New Construction White Double Hung WindowAsk me anything, and thanks for reading! via /r/DIY https://ift.tt/2ETa1Nd
