[joeclothing]

Well, after quite some time we finally finished our Abstrakt White Kitchen. There were some painful months and alot of small problems here and there but in the end we have the kitchen we wanted and couldn't be happier.

Initially we started off working with a planner on installing a Poggenpohl Kitchen. We even lost a deposit we put down, but decided to cut our losses when we saw the $60K bill we were staring down. Instead we decided to go with Ikea cabinets, which would leave us some extra money to go with some of the top of the line upgrades we wanted.

Even though we do have nice appliances and fixtures, I cannot stress how important it is to be resourceful in order to save a few dollars. Almost all of the appliances we have (aside from the fridge) were either purchased as floor models, or through sources like craigslist and ebay. Doing it this way is an excellent way to save tons of money, but it is important to start planning ahead of time. Eventually what you are looking for will end up on one of these sites, but it may take a few months to make it happen. It's not for everyone, but again, if you want to save a few bucks I say go for it.
Here is a list of what we were able to use in our kitchen;
Espresso Bamboo Flooring
Lightolier Haze Alzac recessed lighting
Philips Natural Light Halogen bulbs
Xenon under cabinet strip lighting
Samsung 20" LCD
Custom Mix Benjamin Moore Paint
Architectural Ceramics glass tiles
Design Within Reach Stools
Doug Mockett Cabinet Pulls
Blanco SteelArt Double Sinks
Dornbracht Tara Classic Faucet with Side Spray
Kohler Soap Dispenser
Insinkerator Hot/Cold Water Filtration System
Liebherr 30" built in Refrigerator
Miele Dishwasher
Miele Microwave Lift Door
Miele Warming Drawer
Miele Vented Hood
Gagganeau 36" Cooktop
Jet Mist Granite Countertops

Hope you guys enjoy it
Flickr: Photos from bethesdascout

[zeuss]

Absolutely stunning! I also love your use of colour and texture in the rest of the space. Wonderful.

[jgsearls]

Wow! Give yourselves a big pat on the back and put your feet up. Really phenomenal job! Your kitchen is very sleek and uncluttered - really beatiful.

[dcmerger]

What a transformation! I love it!

[Blkymom]

Gorgeous!! Your whole home looks like it's right out of a magazine! Terrific job!

[madp67]

Awesome, awesome job. It looks so nice.

Would it be possible to have these pics uploaded to your gallery here for others to see the beauty you've accomplished? Thanks!

[MLS99]

It looks fantastic! Congratulations!

[GardenOfDarwin]

Wow! I totally agree with all the comments here. You've done a wonderful job and I'd LOVE to have your photos in teh galleries here, not to mention a before and after article! Are you up for it?

Susan

[laurie]

Beautiful job on the entire house!!!!

I have a couple questions for you, if it's ok. When we redo our living space, we're going to open up two rooms to make a combined living/dining area, since we don't have a breakfast room. The space is 19' wide by 28' long, and then turns left into a 12'7" x 12' kitchen. I like your use of space in your living area with the walls framing out the separation between the living and dining. I was wondering how tall your ceilings are? Ours are only 8ft, and I was wondering how it's going to look having the living/dining all in one space with the lower ceiling. Yours looks fantastic!

[joeclothing]

Originally Posted by laurie

Beautiful job on the entire house!!!!

I have a couple questions for you, if it's ok. When we redo our living space, we're going to open up two rooms to make a combined living/dining area, since we don't have a breakfast room. The space is 19' wide by 28' long, and then turns left into a 12'7" x 12' kitchen. I like your use of space in your living area with the walls framing out the separation between the living and dining. I was wondering how tall your ceilings are? Ours are only 8ft, and I was wondering how it's going to look having the living/dining all in one space with the lower ceiling. Yours looks fantastic!

Laurie-
It sounds like you have a fair amount of space to work with. Our ceilings are 8.5 ft. tall. I don't think the height of your ceilings will play too much of a factor into whether or not opening up a space will look good. The key I think is to frame out the space. If you have a larger room with tall ceilings, pillars work. For your space though I would recommend opening it up, framing out the space and if you have room for it install a system like shoji screen doors or pocket doors in case you occasionally need privacy. Best of luck