[Shadowkat]

For all of you that are finished with your kitchen remodel,

If you had to do it all over again, what would you have changed from the time you had your design on paper to how you are living in your kitchen now.

I think this would be a big help to all of us who are at the design stage to make sure we learn from your experience.

For example,

Would you have added more drawer units and less shelf space?

Would you have moved the refrigerator, stove, or garbage closer to the sink?

Would you have been braver in your color choices and gone for the dramatic countertop or backsplash?

Help us out.

Kim

[DesignDiva]

Most of the issues have to do with making a choice between one design or another, and since I had to choose one, I am of course wondering "what if" about the other! Things like a peninsula instead of an island, which wasn't possible because we wanted the second aisle in the kitchen; a pro range and vent hood which was not in the budget; more wall space for hanging rails and magnetic knife rack which just wouldn't work with our layout.

But there are a few "little things" I've discovered now that I am using (and LOVING) my new kitchen.

I think I would have gone for a 36" drawer unit with a 12" pullout instead of the 30" drawer/18" wire basket in my island. I just don't like the wire basket, it seems inefficient.

I would have done a full 30" drawer instead of the two 15" drawers on top of my two 30" drawer units. And a full 30" drawer front for the sink cabinet instead of the two 15"ers, since I have the tipouts with a single handle it would be easier to tip out one continuous length. I will probably fix this next time I go to IKEA.

I would have put in a 36" drawer unit where my desk is, and created a sliding shelf instead of the top drawer, to hold my laptop. But, we needed a place for the extra dining table, so that's where we put it. I just can't help feeling we lost two big drawers!

I might have put a light rail under the coffee bar cabs. I may still do that.

I probably would have investigated how hard it would be to run electric under my slab to get electric to the island. I thought it would be cost prohibitive and disruptive, and probably would have made the flooring an issue, but I'm thinking now maybe not! I have a solution which involves a plugmold style strip that is plugged in when needed (which isn't often) but it would have been cleaner to have the electric run underground. We don't use electric there enough to justify the cost, and it would have meant using a plinth instead of the capita legs, which I love.

I wish I had a way to make the little bar fridge look more built in.

I wish my dishwasher was quieter, but we had bought it only two years ago and didn't want to replace it. When it is time, I will replace it with a Bosch or Miele.

I wish there was a way to make the left door of my sink cabinet a slide out trash holder. There might be...I just haven't figured it out yet. That would be extremely cool.

I would have liked to have water to the coffee bar, and possibly a small bar sink and icemaker, but that was cost prohibitive as well.

Making the dining room the kitchen...which was never an option because we didn't have a dining room, and couldn't permit what we have now for a kitchen. But it would be a fabulous space and I could have vented, run electric etc.

Wishing I had more kitchens I could remodel!

[Lisa]

In my half bath, where I have IKEA cabinets, I should have planned for a filler beside my tall pantry even though I didn't need it initially. I didn't and at first it functioned perfectly, but then my electrician damaged the wall and the drywallers had to do a patch...and despite sanding, etc. the pullout function was compromised by the very minor wall adjustment.

I ended up dismantling the drawer based pullout system (recycling them into my main kitchen) and replacing the drawers with the 15" wire baskets.

Of course, then I had to install the hinge assembly - which I initially installed on theleft. But because of the wall (*grr*) I had to eventually put the hinges on the right.

Other than that, my design(s) and my function have followed my (finalized) original vision.

[GardenOfDarwin]

Shadowkat -- good idea for a thread! I'm still in the planning stages for our main kitchen, but we've done the breakfast room, so I'm in between. I have a few, though.

• I would have fashioned a way to bring the middle cabinet in our "hutch" forward to allow for crown moulding on the tops of all 3 cabinets.
• I would devined that IKEA was coming out with 12" deep drawers drawers and I would have had the patience of a saint and waited an entire year to have them in the bottoms of my 12" wall cabinets. (this is ok, right? I mean, it is a hypothetical situation....)
• I would have known better than to allow Tigger (sorry Tigger, but spatial relations and planning aforethought are not your strong points) to plot out the holes on the back of the sink base for the plumbing. Need I say they're larger than usual?
• I don't think we actually need the GFCI outlet (any outlet, that is to say) above the sink, seeing as how we have one under the sink (garbage disposal and instant hot). A second one under the sink would have been nice to keep the Dustbuster plugged in.

Things I'm very glad we thought of:

• We planned ahead forthe eventual installation of an Instant Hot and garbage disposal in the original plumbing and undersink configuration. We also predrilled the holes through the subbase of our counter, leaving only the holes through the actual counter surface to be cut when it was time to install new items.
• We put an electrical outlet high on the wall above the cabinets for the transformer(s) for in/under cabinet lighting.
• We planned the under sink cabinet space very well and can fit more than previously thought humanly possible under there.
• Using IKEA doors with plywood boxes (thanks to suggestions here) for our wraps cabinet, and using a Scherr's custom drawer with a IKEA front for our silverware drawer.
• Customizing our end panels and trim with plain ole' plywood and off the shelf trim and a bit of color matched paint.

I'm sure I'll think of more, but half my brain isn't here today. Tigger had to go to his "big office" and won't be back until this evening. Tomorrow too. Waa!

Susan