Your Dream Kitchen

[Claire]

I tend to think small, and at this point in my life, would never leave this home (gee, I think I've said that every few years, then moved!!). So for now, these are the things I'd do to THIS kitchen, which I love. My home is 150 years old, the kitchen addition probably around 100 years old (just guessing; no one knows). I love the old cupboards, and last year had corian counters & sink put it, and am happy with them. I have a new Kenmore smooth top electric range (top of their line) which, being the person who has to clean up, I'm very happy with (yes, if I was a gazzilionaire, I'd have a maid, so guess I'd go gas and get top of the line then ... ) I hired a carpenter to come in and take my old cabinets apart, put in new drawer boxes and new glass shelves on the open shelf cabinets, and we painted, and am happy with that.

What I'd do now: have dark, old, pine floors. Would have them fixed (someone used a 'portable' dishwasher for years and ruined the floors in front of the sink), then stripped to a much lighter color (have seen it in other similar houses in town) and polyeurethaned.

Have someone come in to walpaper. I only barely know how, and my old plaster walls will literally fall apart when I try to strip the old (plaid!) wallpaper off. I want it done right.

Microwave oven/exhaust fan over the stove. Now I have no exhaust fan at all, and have an appliance cart for the microwave, toaster, etc.

New lighting all around. I'd like under cabinet fluorescent lighting attached to a wall switch (now I've got a couple of single ones), and my overhead fan/light I would like to be stronger light, and I desperately need a stronger light over the stove.

If I could find it, a new fridge that fits where my old one is (under a stairwell between the dining room addition and the kitchen addition). If I could find one that would fit there, I would want it white (instead of the almond this one is), and with a bottom freezer drawer.

So, you see my desires are pretty practical. But I'd go one big one, and I have the perfect place for a great, outrageous, outdoor, wood burning oven for pizzas and bread and cassoulet and ..... What great parties!!! In reality, the kitchen work will all get done in time and budget, but it would be fun to just write a check and have it all now!!

[luvs]

stainless steel!

[crewsk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by luvs_food stainless steel!

I'm with you there luvs! Plus I want someone to clean the kitchen for me.

[PA Baker]

Yakuta's kitchen, with the viking range and burners. But more than anything I'd love extra cupboard space and a huge, walk-in pantry.

[pdswife]

I'm not sure... about materials and such...

but, I'd have an extra large fridge! I'm so tired of my small one.
I'd have and extra freezer.
I'd have three times as much counter space as I do now
and four times the cabnets.
I'd have a Garden window over the sink.
I'd have more wall space ( so that I could decorate some, this kitchen has almost none).
I'd have under the cabnet lighting and dimmer switches on all the lights.
I'd have an island that is made for bar stools.

And I'd have a better quality of paint. I think our builder used the cheapest stuff he could find. I can't clean it at all... any water or anything leaves a huge spot! Drives me nutty.

[Claire]

You know, a little chest freezer only costs under $200. I've owned one most of my life, and do not have one now (I'm not feeding the number of people I used to). But if you can buy food on sale (especially meat), or if you garden, it may be well worth it. Sometimes you can get appliances cheap at a "bumps and dents" sale, so even less, and look at your want ads for resales. My experience is that freezers last forever; the only reason I sold mine was that I was leaving it. A tiny 8 or 9 cubic foot freezer really is worth the investment.

[licia]

I would have a kitchen designed by someone who ACTUALLY cooks and knows how to arrange everything for convenience. My kitchen isn't small, but it isn't terribly convenient either. Whatever I'm looking for always seems to be somewhere else. Also dh empties the dw and it's like a treasure hunt to find what he has done with everything. He says we have too much stuff, but if he put it in the right place, it works.

[daisy]

I've actually HAD my dream kitchen, then I sold the house! Silly me!

I don't like timber in a kitchen, so I went laminate. So easy to clean. I made sure there were no bits jutting out to catch dust and grease, corners were rounded. There were acres of bench space, top-quality European stove (flat-top of course), a walk in pantry, deep drawers instead of cupboards on the bottom, all the knicky-knacky things you can think of. Even a very narrow slide-out cupboard to store teatowels and trays etc. There was a shelf hidden under the top cupboards which pulled out to support a recipe book at the correct height and off the work area - you'd never know it was there if it wasn't pointed out to you. The colour scheme was predominantly off-white, with grey walls and a pink and grey granite-type bench area. It was light and airy, the sort of colours you never get tired of. I also had an appliance hide-away garage thing, in which each appliance had its own power point. It was brilliant.

I liked it so much, I had the same crowd come back and do up the laundry for me - in the same colours, with similar cupboards etc. Including an area for using my ironing press. Wot luxury!

[ironchef]

I would just need three brands: Viking, Kitchen Aid, and Panasonic

[mish]

My kitchen is so small, I have to go outside to change my mind.