sfnest Beautiful job on your kitchen! We just finished a remodel as well, so I thought I'd chime in about white Caesarstone, which is what we have - never again. Never. Is it beautiful? Yes, of course - and I have a very large peninsula to show it off. But - it shows every tiny speck of everything. I feel like a bartender, constantly swabbing my bar. And it does stain, in fact - I've got an arsenal of cleaning fluids to do battle with. If I was a rich person, I would rip it all out right now, and replace it with something speckled. When it comes to counter tops, speckles are your friends!

melxtex You are so correct about lighting. I did a kitchen makeover this summer and just about my favorite thing is the lighting. I added additional pot lights, removed the old box fluorescent lights, added under-counter lighting, and three pendants over the island. It makes cooking so much easier and comfortable.

calikym 1 important correction! caesarstone does stain/discolor. My glacier white is yellowing around the sink (installed 2007). Mine has also chipped, as you mentioned. On the other hand, my granite is still in mint condition.

richardparker I have just completed my kitchen and here are a few pointers that really helped me.

If you have short arms or you are short, lower your wall cabinets by an inch or two. You can even order them a little longer, like 2 or 3 inches. You still have plenty of space to use the counters and what a difference reaching for dishes.

If you have a small kitchen, run your cabinets to the ceiling. It gives it a nice smooth look.

If you are a righty, make sure your dishwasher is to the right of your sink.

nalleshouse Nice! I really wish that since the kitchen is so important in most homes that houzz would have some subcategories based on square footage, budget, materials (countertops, appliances, etc). It would really help! This kitchen is so normal and so nice. Thanks for your "real life" advice.

Sheila Schmitz Nalleshouse, so glad you mentioned that! You can find our Kitchen subcategories on the left side of the KItchens page under Ideabooks: http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/Kitchens

Check the "Kitchen Counters" link for pros and cons and cost ranges for many of the top kitchen counter materials. Other links delve into guides to choosing appliances, color and more. I hope it helps!

denise1234 sfnest - thank you for the Caesarstone chipping information! This can save a lot of people a lot of money.
calikym - it's good to know that Caesarstone will show age over time. This is information that you wouldn't know unless you know someone with quartz countertops.
richardparker - I agree with the righty dishwasher on the right of your sink. Mine is on the right and I can't imagine it being on the left!

Tara Framer I'd love to see your kitchen layout - it looks about same size as my space that I want to remodel. ( And I'd love to know yr budget, too! )

Darren Hart Great thoughts, thank you for sharing!

midmodfan Advice #1 is very important. We didn't remodel, but we moved and I had to plan a new kitchen. I took photos of the contents of every shelf and drawer in our old kitchen and laundry room, thought about what worked well, what should be improved and how to work everything into the plan. I even measured larger items to make sure there'd be a fitted place for them in the new kitchen. So far I am really happy with the result. The best thing are 37 drawers of various depths.

Overall, I wished we'd see more real-life kitchens here on Houzz. Good looking, well working, but for the average family. So thanks for this ideabook!

scarbowcow This is brilliant - so practical and helpful. Definitely bookmarking it, because I know I'll forget it all when/if the time ever comes to GUT my horrible kitchen (designed and built by eastern European communist workers in the 1970s) and replace it with something that works - or at least something that takes into consideration what actually happens in a kitchen.

Stone Concepts, Inc. Great job on your kitchen and great tips! Alot of people don't think enough about their specific habits when designing their kitchen. And the Caesarstone looks great!

Tara Framer Can you give the basic dimensions - Just from wall to wall?
10 x 10? 8 x 7? Thanks!

Sigrid I second the comment about the restaurant quality stove. I have one --- and all the burners are BIG. I find it uncomfortable heating up only a few servings of something. It's got a built-in griddle, too, which as far as I can tell, doesn't go in the dishwasher, and the grease drips into a tray (another thing to handwash). I've told my family that if they use it, they clean it. As a result, It's been used once since we moved in.

bubblyjock There's a whole lot of honesty and common sense hidden in this gem of an article: many thanks, Samantha!

sfnest Re the choice of stove: In our remodel, we chose an AGA dual fuel range, which is not quite at the restaurant level, but is powerful, and we love it and use it constantly, although I'm still getting the hang of all of the oven settings. It's very easy to clean as well. So not all of them are hard to deal with. Note, if you are interested in the AGA, that the oven is actually quite shallow - it's wide, but it's shallow. I think baking dishes are sized differently in England!

bethann45 hanks so much for writing this article. my contractor suggested the corner cabinet with lazysusan in area where I keep baking pans now. I think he is hung up on the corner cabinet to save space instead of exploring other layout options. sometimes you do have to go with your gut and experience of what will work best for you.Our current cabinet inthis corner is deep but hidden...but I like your idea off pull out drawers over lazysusan. Your baking pan cabinet and spice rack issue were also very helpful. Have thought about both. Thanks for all ideas!

comfy by design What is most important is what didn't work and this article touches on what would be done differently if one had a do over. It is so helpful to hear what works well and not so well. It will help others make choices that they might regret later. Thanks for your insight and honesty. I have used ceaserstone in many kitchens I have remodeled but don't get the luxury of knowing how it wore for clients. I am retired now but would have loved that bit of information. I would love for more Houzzers to show their remodels and tell what worked and didn't as it is so very helpful for those who are thinking about doing a remodel in their homes. Thanks for the wonderful article.

Wendy Wang i compared two pieces of sink cutouts (for the faucets, airvent, etc) and one of them was marble/resin material and the other was ceasarstone, the marble/resin had much more dense material while the ceasarstone was a very thin material covering pressed together sand? hence why i call it the Formica of stone.

we went with the marble resin, it just had alot more depth and stability. its been 1 yr and our white counters look great, sometimes its even hard to find the spots to clean because it camouflages dust so well.

haleychristinathomas love your ideas and your kitchen, really helpful information! Thank you!

desmad very helpful comments! Thanks to all!

denise1234 Wendy, what is the name or brand of the marble/resin countertop you chose?

Wendy Wang Hi denise, bianco by an italian company called santa margarita. After looking at several Stone yards we ended up finding are countertops thru our fabricator directly. the standard slabs were large enough to fit a 4x9 ft island. We originally wanted marble but couldnt commit to the high upkeep.

11laurie Great choice in backsplash. This is what I would have done differently in our kitchen remodel - I like it, but like yours better - more classic and neutral! Do still love the deep Elkay e granite sink.

tesshiva Two lessons learned the hard way: don't have lower open shelving if you have a dog! And, don't fall in love with an appliance if it's difficult to install and therefore, to replace. We regret the downdraft range we installed on our center island. It required special venting, and now replacing it (and moving the range's location in the kitchen) is turning into an expensive do-over.

tetoette Love it !!! you kitchen is awesome !!!

Weaver Home Photography Thank you so much, Samantha! We'll be renovating our kitchen soon and will definitely benefit from your suggestions.

ikwewe Loved the article and the pix. You made it so clear how everything worked. I am in the middle of a long term re-do of our kitchen, and the best things so far have been cupboard related. We added pull-out drawers to our pantry cabinet, and I plan to add them to the cabinet under the cooktop as well. So much easier to get things out. On our peninsula counter, we added doors to the side away from the cooking area. Now I don't have to get on my hands and knees to pull things out of the back of the cupboard.

denise1234 Hi Wendy, I checked out the website. I'm bookmarking it as an option for our future kitchen remodel. Your counters look beautiful and I like the direction you took with your remodel.

lisayvette My big regret is white tile with white grout backsplash behind the range - it yellows every time we fry anything. Stainless or a slab behind the cooktop would have been so much better.

cyn4long If you don't like the look of having the refrigerator sticking out from countertops by 3-4 inches, be sure to plan for a counter depth fridge or different countertop depth. My Lowes planner was terrific but shed never mentioned this and I was bummed out when the fridge went in. Other than that, I love my kitchen.

JAN MOYER All true on Caesarstone, plus certain metals like a belt buckle or a pewter bowl will mark it with a dark "scratch" and require a pro to remove. Hate to say it, but old fashioned Corian had a lot of advantages despite falling from design favor. It can be sanded, it is non porous, it doesn't chip, it doesn't stain or a stain comes out easily with a bit of bleach. Granite rendered it passe, but I have it in Cameo White, and loooooove it. It always looks clean and bright, and like the day it was installed.

jcufaude Having just complete a complete kitchen renovation, here are a few things I learned along the way:

Really think about depth of sinks. Our designer suggested getting very deep sinks which while nice for pots and pans require a lot of bending for doing dishes, not something my back will appreciate years from now. In addition. the deeper sinks required the horizontal piping to be lower than the previous kitchen, something no one seemed to catch until the new countertops were installed and the plumbing was ready to be reattached. We had to cut into the back side of the wall from another room, lower the pipes, and then repair all that drywall.

Make sure to think about the kitchen in relationship to the other rooms adjacent to it and the sightlines they will afford of it. Ours is part of a fairly open layout and we did some unique cabinets with glass panels on the end so that the stemware and vases contained within them offer a more interesting visual. We also planned colors carefully to coordinate with the other rooms.

And really consider if you are the type of person who will be fine using a stepladder to get into very high upper cabinets.

jimzeichman As a kitchen designer, I've heard countertop fabricators tell me that 90% of their callbacks come from the 10% of the tops NOT made of Corian. Stone countertops are currently all the rage but the are very cold to the touch. Thats why fudge shops use marble tops! Corners cabinets are tricky at best. The lazy susan is usually the most efficient use of space but in your case easy access would trump efficiency. I always told clients that open shelving is kind of like having a clothesline in your kitchen--you better not mind looking at it. I'm sure you love the open floor plan, especially when entertaining. Nice layout! You gave some great tips which could only be made in hindsight. Thanks for sharing.

ikwewe I hear you, jimz, about the coldness of stone. I have been stewing about countertops to replace my vintage formica and have rejected stone and glass, didn't know why, and your post brings it home, it is the coldness and the hardness I don't like. Guess I will be keeping the retro stuff for awhile til I can decide, wood, formica? Corian is nice, too, I have it in another kitchen.

Starr Aaron I have that stove! It was the best looking of the "budget" category, and it's been a pretty functional appliance.

jimzeichman Good luck on your search, Ikwewe, Wood, formica and Corian are all warm to the touch because they have wood substrates. I just replaced our old countertop with a cherry red linoleum and a metal edge. Did it myself and we love it. And boy is it forgiving! I can't tell you how many times I've dropped a glass on it and it bounced without breaking. People get all geeked up about the trendiness of stone and then forget about the old tried and trues.

avidreader Practicality along with simple, clean lines. As several others have commented, the kitchens designed by architects and kitchen designers are great to look at but not so practical for the average homemaker. Thanks for sharing.

barbjohnson We opted for the drawers in the corner (where you did the lazy susan). I love it! They are extremely deep. My top one is for tea, and the next one down is my spice drawer - no shuffling to find your spices and the bottom 2 drawers are for misc cooking utensils that you don't use as often. We are very pleased with our choice.

bungalowbabe Lots of good ideas here. I want to third the recommendation for Corian countertops. Mine are grey with speckles and they never look dirty and are easy to clean and maintain. I didn't go with the integrated Corian sink because of the risk of cracking from cold/hot temperature changes. Bought a deep white Siligranite sink which I cannot recommend; sink has held up, but is yellowing on the bottom. NOTE: I wish I had installed a standard dimension sink. This sink has unusual measurements so I can only replace it with itself; if it was standard, I would replace it with stainless.

Carol what is the name of the tile and where did you get it? Love the colors!

mjbibby What make and model is your range?

taureg I am planning my redo and don't want to spend a fortune on a counter depth refrigerator. After MUCH thought, what I've decided to do is to research a standard fridge by a few inches, so it lines up in front. Where is the space coming from? The space behind the counter where the plumbing stacks are. I can easily get 4 or 5 inches! Since this is an apartment, this will be in an interior wall - but you might have the same space on an exterior wall. And I live in NYC, so kitchens are not large.

cobox5 I have the Silligranite sink in white. When it yellows, I let bleach and hot water sit in it for 1/2 hour. it is deep...great for pots and pans but you "bend" over to work in it.

deedeelouise Love this ideabook and the discussions, comments and photos! So many good ideas and tips. We did a full redo of our kitchen (before and after photos below) and the one big thing I love are the pull-out drawers in every lower cabinet. They make storage and access a breeze. I don't regret using marble for the countertops...a stain or two means it's being used and loved. Having 2 deep sinks - both the same size, one for clean-up and the other for food prep in the butcher block topped island - is a luxury we debated endlessly, but I'm so glad we did it. As for the refrigerator, ours would have extended out beyond the face of the cabinets, but our cabinetmaker made the frame deeper to accommodate the few added inches. The big thing I don't love is our backsplash above the stovetop. I was looking for a reflective surface and therefore picked glass tiles, but in my opinion, they turned out muddy once installed. Otherwise, we are happy with all the elements we put into this once-in-a-lifetime renovation.

miekeh Samantha, we have similar pull-out pantries and I was able to obtain additional trays for ours to give more storage capacity instead of all that empty air.

portlandoni I couldn't agree more with all of the comments here, I'd love to see more real kitchens, I think it's great that the countertops "age" over time and I couldn't love the drawers in the lower cabinets any more than I do. @deedeelouise I think we have the same backsplash tile and my advice to others would be that glass tile changes color when grouted, so I think it would be worth it to buy some, put it on a board, grout it and set it in the space. That's the only way you will really know what it's going to look like. As for the rest of the planning, I would make a list of all the things you don't like about what you have now and then see if you can find a way to solve those.

andyprchrd This is a great story and a really nice remodel. Best of all, unlike a lot of Houzz articles, it's down to earth and realistic, both about kitchen functionality and the realities of cost. Nice job all around, thanks!

PamDesigns 3D Sigrid --sounds like we have a similar 'pro' style cook top. Mine also has griddle that never gets used. Had I to do it over, I'd choose one with more burners. We custom cut a thick cutting board that sits in the griddle area. All but one of the burners is really large and I've already destroyed a couple of pots that have bake-a-lite type handles since we remodeled our kitchen last year --new pots will have metal I think.

Samantha -I agree with you regarding the pot and pan drawers. They are awesome! I much prefer the ones I have under my cook top to the other I have that has a fancy metal roll out storage rack for pots and pans. It nicks the inside of the cabinet door. We put a piece of thin sheet metal in the door inset to protect it. I like the lid holder that thing has but the pot holder is awkward. I also wish I had used deep wide drawers in place of the cabinet that has roll out shelves. I use that one for mixing bowls and bake ware.

jimzeichman - I'd like to echo your recommendation for acrylic counter tops (Corian). I'm also a kitchen designer and I chose acrylic over stone. I had granite and didn't want the cold hard feel of it. It was also priced way less than stone (man-made or otherwise) would have cost. So far since we completed our remodel last summer, I couldn't be happier. It's so easy to clean.

bungalowbabe Cobox5: What ratio bleach to hot water do you use to clean the siligranite sink? I really appreciate the info; I'm happy with the sink except for the yellowing. Thanks in advance!

Kay Ross When my husband put our glass & stone backsplash in it was a bugger to cut openings for the outlets. If I would have thought of it at the time, I would of had our electrician friend wire all outlets under the top cabinets, out of the way...

megan_barnett With all of the comments about caesarstone staining, I'm assuming this is only an issue if you want light-coloured countertops?

vcilley I think you did a great job on your remodel. We did our kitchen about seven years ago and put in Kraftmaid cabinets that were off white with a wash over them so they would look slightly aged. After 7 years, they have darkened and look like a light caramel color and many of the drawers have places where the finish has popped off. When I looked up this cabinet on the Kraftmaid website I find they no longer offer this cabinet and even though the cabinets are still under warranty, all the company will do is to fix the cabinets back to their original state which in turn, pops off again. At some point we will have to have our cabinets stripped and painted and I'm dreading the expense and trouble. If I were to do it all over again, I would pick out a basic wood cabinet with a finish that could easily be touched up or restained. Also, we put in granite countertops after having laminate. Granite is beautiful but what I find annoying is when you clean off the countertop with a sponge you have to come behind and dry it completely in order for it not to looked streaked. Otherwise it never looks clean and shiny. We put in a dark countertop but again, I would make another choice and perhaps decide on something mid-tone and spotty (as you said - spots are our friend). Hope this info helps someone else to make different decisions.

Carol are having a custom home built currently, and used a previous Houzz comment about having the kitchen wall opened behind the refrig 3-4" so a standard refrig would fit in more flush with the counter.

Also, since the long angled 2-level bar had to be 8-9' away from the stove and back walls, we put the sink in the middle of the island/bar, used deep drawers with pegs on the left side of the island to hold glasses and dishware so we didn't have to walk so far everytime we unloaded dishes, DW to the right of the sink....also are using the "leathered" granite with chiseled ege. I was told the leathered more matte finish did not absorb stains either when sealed like polished granite; cream with flecks of gray and beige to hide "crumbs" til washed off.

Houzz has many "comments" and helpful ideas incorporated now into my new home-to-be. I also read a few of the bottom deep drawers could be used for recycle; will see how the use works out.

gillianne Megan B. - I opted for Caesarstone counters in a warm, mottled pattern with caramel accents. It didn't chip or discolor in the handful of years I had it before we moved, and I never regretted that choice or tired of the look. In fact, the counters were instrumental in selling the house. The young buyers loved the color and durability.

nasafemme Great looking kitchen remodels in this post! My biggest regret with our recent kitchen remodel is going with a 2-tier island. It is gorgeous but too big. If I had it to do again I would go with a simple 3 by 6 rectangle. @cyn4long-Even counter-depth refrigerators will stick out from your counters because the doors need to be able to swing open. To get the look you desire, you have to go to Sub-Zero and I'm just not willing to spend that much money on a refrigerator. I settled for a counter-depth, panel-ready fridge for which the contractor built panels to match my cabinets. What I love most? Simple as it sounds, the undermount sink is by far the change that improved my kitchen experience most. Just the joy of swiping scraps from the counter into the garbage disposal without having to hurdle that dreaded sink rim is wondrous. But then, I'm pretty easy to please.

Leah Haymaker Thank you so much for all the tips! we are getting ready to knock out a dividing wall, put up a header and make it a pass-through kitchen. Keeping the same cabinets (true wood, nice and deep!) but changing their color and getting new counter-top as well (it is currently Harley Davidson Orange!) as well as replacing the floor. It will be quite a change but will open up the house and bring in more light. Once we start shopping for the counter I will be sure to steer clear of the ones mentioned. We like our sink, nice and deep stainless steel so will keep that unless I can get a really good deal on the built in Corians if we go that route.

Calikath I found your comments extremely helpful...I'm in the process of a kitchen remodel (my current kitchen is 10 years old but was very "cheap" and cabinets were poorly made to begin with). I'm taking out the soffits and moving the entryway from its current locations to another wall to make room for a double 36" frig/freezer wall. Because of some of your information I may change my mind on a few things; ie..counter tops and cabinets insides...Thanks! Looks very nice!

sabsteve Things we've learned from two kitchen remodels:
1.You can raise your dishwasher up about a foot or so and it will make an incredible difference in loading and unloading -- put a drawer for aluminum foil or trays underneath it.
2. more lights are always better: you can put them on different switches and/or add dimmers -- we had one electrician who came to us with the professional plans and suggested adding more and additional switches, thank goodness.
3. Deep drawers for pans: once you have them, you will hate those lower cupboards when you move (why we are planning a remodel of a fairly new kitchen).
4. Those vertical racks: perfect for that area above the ovens or fridge that are so hard to access.
5. Think about counter height: we had counters built a couple of inches taller than the norm which has helped our backs -- we're both tall. We are now in a house that was apparently remodeled for shorter people and I hate chopping, etc in the kitchen.
6.Don't let the designer talk you into varying height cupboards "for interest" if you are tall and want the storage and are not into decorating cabinet tops (especially if he doesn't even allow enough room for something up there). Uh, yeah: I'm annoyed with myself for getting worn down and agreeing -- we're all tall and were able to store stuff in the to the ceiling cabinets. I might need a stool at times but I'm the shortest in the family by 8 inches.
7. Don't spoil your backsplash with outlets: have them put under the cabinets. We saw too many backsplashes and counters with crooked outlet covers -- it would drive us crazy to have it in our house and we convinced our contractors that if we "thought" it looked crooked, it would not matter if he proved it was level, he would be redoing the backsplashes/counters. It helped to be able to blame my husband for that one -- he came up with the under cabinet outlets and it worked so well the designer and contractor started proposing it to new customers.
8. Plan for trash and recycling, whether that is a trash can (where will it go?) or a pull out drawer with a couple of trash cans built in.
9.Think through things like warming racks on backsplashes: we added them at our designer's suggestion and then discovered that they could not be removed for cleaning: those wire racks became the bane of my existence. I ended up covering them with tin foil if I had managed to get them cleaned and had any entertaining coming up (last thing cleared before the door bell rang!)
10. Will your favorite pans fit in the sink you think you want?
11. If you are into cookbooks, recipes torn from magazines, etc. find a place while designing to keep them.
12. Friends of ours had boxes to hold hanging files built into their island, with pieces of the countertop fixed to cover them when they wanted to. Turned out to be perfect for all the school paperwork and bills. But they could put the covers on when entertaining.
13. Think seriously about what you actually do before opting for open shelving: the reality is that we saute/fry a lot of food and anything out gets gunky and I hate that so we will likely never have open shelves...and I'm okay with that. Friends are different and I enjoy their kitchens.
14. If you opt for granite or any natural stone go see the whole slab before you commit: those samples may show something that is just a small part of the whole and you might hate the rest of it. We did an about face on the granite we had selected when it turned out that the sample we liked was only about 10% of the slabs available. Since the rest was a peachy color (and it's a personal dislike of mine), I would have been furious had I not seen the slab before it was installed. And BTW, you can go when they are laying out the templates and might be able to nudge things so the ugly bit turns out to be the sink cut out or such.

Um...I didn't realize how passionately I felt about kitchen design. But if any of this helps someone, it would be great.

cobox5 For bleaching the bottom of the Sillgranite sink you can be heavy on the bleach side....maybe 1or 2 cups in 4" of very hot water. When water is cool enough to put your hands in, with gloves on, use the scrubby side of the sponge and scrub a little. Then drain and rinse well.

aberik The posting is probably the most valuable thing I've read in my research for our kitchen remodel. Thank you everyone!

drsusan where did u get the lazy susan's for the corner cabinet? also, do they make pullout drawers for this type of corner cabinet?

drsusan Where did u find the drawers????

kerusha Appreciate the comments. We are planning a major remodel of townhome with a galley style kitchen. Any pictures and ideas for similar kitchen remodels would help. The kitchen has 80 style dark cherry cabinets that our contractor says can be enameled white since I want a white kitchen. Has anyone done this with success?

leftyplg We are in the end stages of a complete kitchen gut/remodel in a house we will be moving into. While I am pleased to realized that we did consider most of these "words of wisdom", there are a few things that I am beginning to second guess like roll out cabinets vs drawers. I had originally considered the deep drawers under the cooktop. Our designer told me that I would lose a bit of actual space using the drawers. This new kitchen is on the small side so I was afraid to lose any space. We will see. I have the roll outs in my current kitchen cabinets and would never plan another cabinet without them. This is a great post and I read every response and will come back and read any newer responses. Keep 'em coming!

Marta St_John_Anders We did a kitchen remodel six months ago. We bought a house that had been flipped. The flippers put new granite countertops over the 30-year-old cabinets - ugh! I didn't want granite and keeping it because I thought it would save money was my biggest mistake. It's cold, you can't tell when it's dirty, and even after you clean it, you suddenly see dust or streaks when you look from a different angle.

What it cost to have it removed and replaced on the new cabinets would have easily paid for solid-surface countertops. In addition, I could have made some adjustments to the placement of appliances that would have made the kitchen more functional. The kitchen installer did not get the estimate from the granite guy until we were actually starting on the project. If I had it to do over, I would have insisted on the estimate so I could have made a more informed decision.

Lesson learned: don't let the contractor dictate to you, even passively. Insist on getting info so that you can take time to make considered decisions.

Our two most favorite things in the kitchen are the farmhouse sink and the drawers (instead of cupboards) in the lower cupboards. Our kitchen comes from Ikea, including the sink, dishwasher, disposal and refrigerator (the stove was new, but I hate it, so I'll be replacing it). The 20% off sale at Ikea allowed us to do the whole thing for under $10K (not counting the floor).

We put in cork flooring. I both love it and hate it. It's warm and soft, and nothing dropped ever breaks. It looks fabulous. However, you clean it like hardwood and I never feel like it's truly clean.

We haven't done the backsplash yet. I got some great tile but I feel like it is going to be hard to clean, and I like a very clean kitchen.

Even with the problems, I love my kitchen. It's easily the best kitchen I've ever had, and that's saying something as I have moved around a lot.

Kit Murphy Our long-awaited kitchen remodel starts TOMORROW! I have tried to think through everything (I am the "designer") and have spent lots of time here on houzz and on gardenweb learning from everyone's experience. I am going w/ Caesarstone (couldn't do the plasticy look of Corian) and with a super susan in the corner (pull outs were just too expensive).

Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences (especially @sabsteve - wow!). I hope to be back w/ good before and after photos in a few months!

tishnyc I echo much of what's been noted here, but here are a few more lessons learned from having renovated 3 kitchens, the more recent one done 2 years ago:

1. Re: the Corian comments -- we've not lived with Corian but a good friend has and her all-white counters gradually yellowed, making them look waxy. This wouldn't be an issue with darker colors or ones with a speckled design but if you're considering all-white Corian I'd suggest you investigate this further.
2. We have honed Carrera marble despite so many advising against it and we love, love, love it. It's not for everyone and it's true that it can easily get marked, even if you are careful in wiping up. But we love how it's already developing a patina and is "imperfectly perfect," although like every other hard surface, it can chip (ours has at the edge of the sink from being whacked with heavy pots).
3. One big and deep sink is better than two smaller ones or a single divided sink. It's easier for cleaning big pots and racks, and with depth, you can have it almost filled with dirty cookware and no one will see it.
4. When choosing and installing the sink faucet, watch for how the height and angle of the faucet will cause the water to hit the bottom of the sink. The wrong angle combined with good water pressure and you'll have constant backsplashing.
5. Also for the faucet -- while having separate hot and cold faucets may look nice, it's really more practical (and I'd add, safer) to have a single faucet control that lets a busy cook use one hand to adjust flow and temperature.
6. A tile backsplash behind the stove will get greasy. So resist a small tile and also a light or white grout which will absorb grease. Either use a single surface, e.g., back-painted glass, or stainless steel, or larger tiles with a very tight bevel edge so that no grout is needed. Or else use a dark grout.
7. As other have said, drawers below are much more useful and versatile than cabinets below.
8. Choose hardware that is easy to grab even if your hands are wet or greasy. Some designers like to use tiny little stubs as knobs and while they may look sleek, they're tricky to use.
9. Make sure your sink is either one with a steel or porcelain apron or else is completely surrounded by a water-resistant surface. Otherwise the cabinet in front will always get splashed and will deteriorate faster than the rest of your cabinets.
10. Polished counters can show wear in areas that get lots of use (even granite), and if your kitchen is sunny, a polished counter can create glare.
11. Honed black granite looks like soapstone which is more expensive and less durable.

Hope some of these help.

Ms Leverett Im glad to hear about the corner pull out drawers. I've done the corner lazy Susan and liked it for canned goods, but if you have a pantry for that the pull out drawers allow for easier access.

lewlew Wow I wished I had this to read before my kitchen design became final. Lots of really great tips. I really wanted Caesarstone but will rethink. Varying cupboard heights by stacking shorter cabinets above is costly and what for? I won't be able to reach anything up there and it's purely decorative and not functional, so why pay $ for it? True, don't let designers push you into something. Trust your gut. I have been persuaded by everyone's comments on pot and pan drawers. These deep pullouts will probably save my back in my latter years. They cost a pretty penny too so be sure to select how many you need wisely. As for the deep sink, we opted for 9" deep and hope this will be satisfactory. Our builder installed a 10" deep sink in his home and his wife says it's hard on the back. Similar to other houzz comments so 9" may be a good compromise. We chose to have 1 single larger 9" deep cleanup sink for larger pots and pans and a separate smaller 9" single prep sink for washing veggies and fruits. I think this will work for us. Nothing bugs me more now than our 1 double bowl sink. It's neither big enough to wash my roasting pans, cookie sheets, soup pots etc. and when I'm prepping meat, I don't want cross contamination with my veggies being washed by hubby. So I end up walking over to the powder room to wash my hands.

I will definitely consider how many lights to install and will not skimp out and create lighting zones to accommodate prep area/cooking area vs. seating eat in area. It's too late for me to switch the dishwasher to the right of sink. I need to unload closer to where the cabinets and drawers will be so the DW is on the left.

Anyone have any experience with induction cooktops? We opted for this on the salesperson's praises. I had originally wanted gas (have electric ceran glass flat cooktop) but was persuaded by the ease of cleaning and safety feature of induction. If there is no pot or pan on the element, no heat is generated or if someone forgets to turn off the element and no pot or pan is resting on it, the elements shuts off. Great for my aging mother in law who lives with us and teenage kids who might want to do the occassional cooking.

Love the idea about outlets on your backsplash and keeping them hidden to the underside of the upper cabinets. A designer once suggested this to me to consider what appliances will need to be plugged in by the backsplash and keep the outlets up high so the backsplash can be the kitchen's artwork. Also, outlets on the island should be turned horizontally and right up against the underside of countertop to be as inconspicuous as possible.

We designed a 48" walk around our island to keep the flow moving by the cooktop, DW, sinks and fridge/freezer. A designer suggested this was too much but I measured our kitchen and my sis-in-law's walking path around her main kitchen areas relative to the island and we felt this was comfortable. I could be standing by the cooktop and someone could still pass behind me with ease. Any comments on this?

andyprchrd Ok - since this has turned into a "share your advice column, I can add/second a few:

1) Honed granite - love it, love it, love it - esp. not a plain color, really hides water spots, dirt, etc.
2) If you fall in love with something but are uncertain about it, research! I fell in love with a matte porcelian Italian tile from Ann Sacks for our floor. It was beautiful - but it shows every water spot you get on it. Since the tiles are large format (my idea being to minimize grout line), every little thing on them shows with the light on. Wish I'd continued the wood floors from the rest of the house.
3) Can't agree more with the original post - maximize light. We added all sorts of extra lighting after the fact.

annehemphill Could you use your "cardamon cupboard" to store 2 liter drinks?

linelle707 I've had Caesarstone counters for one year. They're dark gray and mottled. No chipping or staining or otherwise acting up. The only problem I have is that nothing shows--no crumbs or spills--and I have to run my hands over the surface to find all the places I've missed wiping.

Elisabeth Clark Beautiful job! practical, too. One thing I've noticed with other remodels: Remember refrigerator doors; which way they swing, and how far the doors need to open to get it clean. Watch where those counters go!

ikwewe We have an induction cooktop in our house, which was already there when we bought the house. The only thing I don't like about it is that the pans have to have iron (steel) in them and have perfectly flat bottoms. This rules out my cast iron pans that have a flange around the bottom and my Corning glass pots. If I replace it, it won't be induction simply because I am so attached to my cookware that I have been using the past twenty or thirty years.

weyeswoman I totally agree with you about lighting More is better. Llghting up like a stadium is the best!

I opted for bottom cabinets with all drawers instead of shelves. Finding, getting and putting is so much easier. One set looks like drawers; the other two set of drawers are behind doors.

Another necessity for my tiny galley kitchen was a counter-depth refrigerator. Fridges that stick out just don't cut it. Regret: I wish I had installed a two-drawer dishwasher to do our mostly small loads more economically.

Love your kitchen.

sabsteve Lewlew: You've reminded me of one more thing I learned from our last remodel: the pathways were a perfect size before the boys grew up (and grew, and grew) and started cooking with us: all of a sudden we had a traffic jam. From here on out, it's wider aisles or a square open space (one good thing about the current tiny kitchen we have). I think it's brilliant that you found a kitchen that was comfortable and actually did the measuring. Really, so many designers have a look but you have to wonder if they ever cook with a family!

lewlew To ikwewe. Thanks for your induction cooktop experience. I am willing to part with my cookware. Don't have that many and they weren't high end. Is your cooktop mounted flush with the counter? So when you wipe the counter there is no lip,or edge from the cooktop. Or is your cooktop mounted so there is an edge, it may be raised 1-2 mm above counter? We are having our home built now and the cooktop can be installed either or two ways. Thanks.

sfnest I'll chime in a bit on two things. First, open shelving: I have what I think is a great compromise: One open shelf, on which the dishes, cups and glassware that is in constant use is stored - and it's great. I think it works well if the things on that open shelf are used all of the time - in and out of the dishwasher - so nothing gets dusty. It's far away from the stove, so there's no grease issue, either. I am surprised how much I love it. Plus, it's right across from the dishwasher, so I can pretty much unload the dishwasher directly to that shelf. Above it are glass cabinets, but frosted glass - no need to spend my time worrying about how the stuff in there will look, but still beautiful. As to the deep sink, I'm a big, big fan, but we are very tall, and our deep sink is installed in a very tall island. The two of us are comfortable doing dishes (and chopping, etc.) for the first time in our adult lives. Plus, you can store everything right in the sink, on the grid that fits into the bottom of it - the hand soap, the sponges, you name it - to keep the clutter away from around the sink.

lewlew Sabsteve. Love your insightful comments. Will definitely use them. True about growing kids. We have 3 (2 of which are in their teens) not sure which ones will do any cooking. We had our own granite experience and weren't there for the layout. I have this piece as we step into our shower that has an unsightly 'black Sharpie marker streak' in the otherwise grey, speckled granite. Only saving grace is our glass shower door in its closed position covers it up. Why would the granite people even use this piece? God knows. Thanks for all the great tips.

1millieonaire Lovely kitchen, but I hope the new microwave/fan above the stove is at the correct height. 4 burners will produce a huge amount of heat so the code (at least here in Canada) is not the same as for an electric cook-top. There again, a too high micro/fan isn't easy. Something to think about.

Fans. Sizing the hood fan is important. Big often means very loud - and it causes replacement air to be drawn in from every crack. This might even affect your safety if it interfers with the furnace or gas fireplace air supply.

Appliance depth. Fridge and oven depth is a silly problem! Why don't North American makers listen to their customers? Models from most other countries offer flush cabinet doors with a simple connector to the fridge/freezer doors - so no need for an ugly, bulky door.

Corners. Over 30 years ago I rented a house in Belgium which had corner cupboards and loved them. The 2 doors were firmly attached to the lazy susan and when pushed, travelled around. This allowed full access to the big shelves as they turned, then the doors returned with a soft 'click clunk' to close. Since then British manufacturers have made drum shaped corner units following this design - giving 2 or 3 full circles of shelves with a simple push.

Another 'new idea' - check out corner fridges.

If space is available, have a 3' wide lower counter top. It could have a marble surface for roling pastry but mainly for youngsters to join in and learn how to make healthy meals!

Islands - yes, but don't build a continent!

nicmckenzie This is a wonderful post and comment thread. Maybe I missed it... and maybe this is too bold... but how much did this reno cost?

jothedream Very very useful tips, thanks.

Nancy We remodeled our kitchen several years ago. I'm very happy with my corner cabinets (upper & lower) which are angled between the cabinets on either side. This allowed for a full round lazy Susan on the lower level, providing easily accessible storage for a variety of bulky items. I would do this again. I also have plenty of drawers, large and small, in the lower cabinets. Don't underestimate the usefulness of small drawers. With an interior width of 6 inches on one stack of four drawers, I have convenient storage for spices, knives, odds & ends like muffin papers and thermometers, and kitchen linens.

Nancy These are photos showing the interior of the cabinet and drawers above.

damed Just finished our kitchen remodel, so here's what we love. "Magic Corner" instead of a lazy Susan, which we couldn't have because it was too close to the sink. Pull out trash cabinet directly below main prep area. Honed granite. (We thought we would have Caesarstone, but learned the dark colors cannot be honed.) Soft close doors. Granite slab backsplash at stove is really easy to keep clean. We installed the backsplash tile vertically, and love the way it looks. Single basin deep sink. And, as many have said, plenty of light. (Pot lights are on a dimmer.)

The only thing I would change is to substitute one 33" upper cabinet box with two doors, instead of an 18" and a 15" side by side. (This was something I should have caught in the design drawings, but missed it.)

ikwewe @lewlew, our probably early 90s cooktop is about an inch from a wall on the left and has the indented controls along the right edge. The whole thing is surrounded by a stainless steel ring, so there is no wiping straight onto the counter. I think I would opt for no edge and the controls smooth as well if possible, unless there is danger of liquid intrusion into the controls.

Dee I agree with your chioice of the lip of counter material, sometimes function must trump form or design. We opted for a Cambria counter and love the green aspect, love that it is mined/manufactured in the USA and just love it. We chose a Houzer granite sink and, again, love it. I have to credit our counter fabricator for listening to me, carefully posing questions as to how I cook and what is important to me and presenting excellent suggestions.

Diana Bier Interiors, LLC Great article and great discussions here!
Just a couple of comments:

Sabsteve, what do you mean by warming drawers on backsplashes? I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around this! Also, I'm curious about raising the dishwasher. If you do, then the countertop over it would have to be higher than the sink, right? Or the dishwasher would have to be built into a tall cabinet just as you would do wall ovens? That doesn't seem very practical.

Dishwashers on left/right: kind of curious to me that it would make a difference. I've had them on both sides and it never occurred to me that one was preferable to the other. I guess because I'm left handed but do lots of things with my right that I can adjust to either.

Caesarstone-I just put it in a kitchen with white cabinets, white subway tile backsplash, and wood floors. I used "Raven" which is the dark, mottled gray. I haven't used it enough to have an opinion but it sure does look awesome!

Totally agree one one large sink vs. a double sink. I had a double sink once and it was the worst! Can't clean anything over 10" long. Now I have a 30" single bowl and it's the best! I could bathe my dog in it! (He's small)

It seems from all your posts that granite has really had its day. I've never found one that I like, but I was always in the minority. I realize that the speckly look doesn't show dirt, but I LIKE to see the dirt so I can get rid of it! I'd rather use a beautiful white marble instead.

Regarding commercial ranges/cooktops, interesting take on them. They do look great, but I always wondered about the grates and how easy they are to clean. Traditional cooktops have grates that are shiny and smooth so they can be cleaned with a brillo pad. The professional ones seem very matte and porous. Anyone have any experience with them?

sabsteve @diana Bier: good catch: I meant to write "wire shelves" -- they would fold up against the stainless backsplash unless I wanted to pull them down and turn on the warming light (like a plate of food when someone got delayed or such). So not worth it to me what with all the cleaning.

And the dishwasher...the top was then raised and we had a not very deep cupboard resting on the back of the countertop (about 10 inches of countertop). We kept our drinking and dishwasher safe glasses and mugs there so it was easy to unload.

I know granite seems to be on the way out but my husband and I sure do like it. I went from thinking it was nice until the day I fell in love: I ran out of places to put hot cookie sheets (I tend to go overboard on things like cookies for the kids to decorate) and one of the moms there looked at me and said "girl, you are surrounded by ROCK for crying out loud!" Love!

desertdiamond @sabsteve: I am still not picturing the raised dishwasher. Did you have counter to either the right or left? If so, at what height?

atthebeach A lesson from various remodeling projects - never let a contractor or anyone else talk you out of something. If you know what you want, go for it!

sabsteve @desertdiamond: our dishwasher was about a foot to 14 inches to the right of our sink. It was about a foot higher than the sink height counter (which in our case was 2 inches taller than standard anyway). The right side of the dishwasher was open (no counter) as it opened into a nook for a table. So it may have made more sense than just being in the middle of the room. Here are a couple of small pictures...the dishwasher is on the right side, to the left of the big window in the picture showing a window.

shelleyhmln I wish I had put in just drawers for the bottom cabinets. There is nothing like being able to just pull them out and reach into get what you need.
I wish I had figured in garbage/recycling into the plan. I figured I could put it under the sink, but with the garbage disposal and the pipes, it doesn't fit.
I wish I had spent the money doing a pull out spice rack next to the stove. I ended up putting one in, but it is in the top cabinets, so there is not very much room. And, because it is up higher, and I am short, I can't really see what I have.
It seems like I'm not happy, I am! But, these few touches would have made a big difference!

Kitchen Liberty Been making kitchens over 13 years. It's really smart to hire a kitchen designer and at least buy the plan from them. The number of mistakes to be made are so many - it hurts to watch people make them when a pro could spare you the pain and lost cash. Man made stone is not green, it is high cost, it looks dead, the quality control is poor, and it is subject to trends. It'll all look ridiculous in a few years. Use natural/classic finishes. The greatest modern designers used real stuff. Look at any Frank Lloyd Wright home - the man new his wood, bricks, stone etc. in this kitchen there is a common redundancy mistake. There are stools at the counter and a separate informal dining table. With an L-shape layout you could've had a show stopper eat-in island to seat 8 people, with say a walnut counter. It would've been superbowl time at your place this year. . . And would have cost less :(

frenchdecor @ Marta St_John I am very interested in flooring, plan soon replace, and was considering cork, but so far had no particular advise. I have vinyl sheet floor with tile pattern and have couple of cuts on it, but like it's warmth, softness and easy to clean (no grout scrubbing or slippers needed). Can't do hardwood floor because can't find the same as in dining/living room. You mentioned "However, you clean it like hardwood and I never feel like it's truly clean". What does it mean and do you have cuts on it? I would really appreciate your respond.

sabsteve I have a question: does anyone else dislike having a garbage disposal switch next to the sink (in the backsplash)? I have, unfortunately, been a guest and tried to get a midnight glass of water and mistakenly turned on the disposal. So we put our switch in the cabinet under the sink, which surprises everyone but made us happy (we also make sure housesitters get a note about it;-)

hgtvfan66 I had so much fun remodeling our old, ugly kitchen. It was last redone in 1957, and we redid it in 2009. I spent time looking in magazines, online, and at other peoples' kitchens before I met with a contractor. Make sure you get what YOU like, rather than what someone else prefers. Also, try to save money where possible so you can splurge on things that are important to you. I cook and bake a lot, so I made sure to have room for 2 ovens; that wouldn't be sensible for most people, but I love it. Here are 2 before and 2 after photos:

lewlew 1millieonaire.. Great comment regarding fan hood cfm rating with respect to heat output of cooktop. Our designer said the fan hood had to be 30" above cooktop. Our induction cooktop manufacturer says 26" is the minimum requirement. The manufacturer has a recommended range for height installation BUT anything above that and they won't guarantee it's performance. Of course we had to go with 30" or we wouldn't have a kitchen because our builder had to have 30". Appliance guy says there is 'No real code' only suggestions. Nothing written as law regarding distances of fan hood to cooktop because the government doesnt do performance tests. This had me in a tizzy. I searched for months for our fumehood and decided to omit the canopy design which would require an insert and liner just so we could match it with our cabinets. Our kitchen manufacturer has issues with the installation of vent-a-hood inserts. You may not encounter this problem with your kitchen cabinet maker. We finally opted for a stainless steel chimney style fan hood. I got my cfms I needed for our open kitchen, quiet functioning and ease of cleaning.

Samantha Schoech Thanks for all your wonderful comments! To answer a few of your questions:

--The budget for the kitchen was about $50k, but it's hard to separate it from the many, many things we did simultaneously like paint the exterior of the house and add appliances to the bathroom. The original quote for the kitchen and the wall knockdown was $32k, but we went over.

--All appliances, including the range are Frigidaire Professional. We are very happy with everything except the fridge, which we had to replace within the first year and which continues to be a pain.

--The backsplash are mini bricks in "Imperial Mist" from Ceramic Tile Trends in TX. I ordered them through a tile shop in San Francisco and I think they are widely available.

--The dimensions of the kitchen are roughly 12'x11', plus the dining area.

--I still really love our Caesarstone and haven't had any problems with staining (and we don't use any bleach on it at all) or with crumbs showing. It looks pure white but it has a very slight grainy look up close.

Samantha Schoech Oh, and all the pendant lights are from West Elm.

kristianddwayne We are about to embark on a major kitchen remodel. We had planned to use a black with gold fleck granite. I'm rethinking that now after getting a sense from the comments here that we might be dating the kitchen before the paint dries. What is the up-and-coming 'it' thing for countertops?

waterbabies Loved your article as it echoed a lot of my sentiments after our own renovation. We got a sand coloured caesarstone which doesn't show stains as much as white would. I can highly recommend an excellent product to remove stains - Enjo Marble Paste, it is amazing and environmentally friendly.

Dee To Sabsteve's comment on the garbage disposal switch - we have guests often, including young children, to differentiate between the garbage disposal and over the sink light switch (also - exhaust fans in the bathrooms) I added small stick on jewels from Michaels to the disposal switch - no more mistakes

Dee to Leftypig - I've attached a photo of the cooktop in a former kitchen. it had a cabinet with rollout shelves and I found it provided sufficient storage

mainstreetschool In one kitchen, I opted for no doors on narrow cabs both sides of microwave/vent above stove. Bad idea! Everything gets greasy and is hard to keep clean. I also had pull-out narrow cabinet (like your spice rack), it doesn't hold what I wanted to put there. Too much wasted space.

Showcase Gardens Sometimes speckled counter tops are TOO friendly. My speckled granite is beautiful and looks immaculate after five years... even when it's covered in yuck! Nothing worse than putting your hand down on what looks like a clean counter top only to discover splashes of crusty spaghetti sauce.

sabsteve @Dee: great idea! And your contractor seems to have gotten the tile and the switchplate either level or equally crooked (we saw a house for sale where the switchplates looked crooked but it was actually the tile that had been installed crookedly -- it would have driven me out of my mind).

ginny20 This is a lovely remodel, very well thought out. A good functional, livable space, and pretty besides. That makes a great kitchen, IMO.

I redid our kitchen in 2011. I found the home forums on Gardenweb.com to be invaluable. There are helpful forums on Kitchens, Appliances, Lighting, Paint, Plumbing, and many other topics. Some of the features I have now that I learned about on Gardenweb are an induction cooktop, deep drawers in lower cabs, hidden undercabinet plugs, a quiet Kobe hood, a paper towel cubby, fiber optic garbage disposer switch, recessed dimmable LED lights, low divide sink, gel mats for the floor, potato and onion bins in a nearby closet, and various types of drawer dividers. I learned that to get optimum efficiency and functionality, you should question everything. If you are remodeling, it's worth checking it out.

I do have granite counters and a full granite backsplash- actually, I think it's gneiss, but they call them all "granite"- and I love them. Unless you're planning to flip the house, you should to get what you love and what works best for you. There are lots of good choices in addition to granite and engineered quartz. The new Formica is gorgeous, and one friend has beautiful marble while another has stunning wood counters. Don't worry about what supposed house hunters may say on TV or what glossy magazines say is the next big trend, just do your homework and follow your heart (and pocketbook).

bygeorgi Engineered quartz......I recommend to everyone ... pretty, doesn't stain, easy to install, long lasting , no need for sealing.. great product.

marina_ru Hello! I am about to have my first remodel. It appeared to pretty tricky as would be perfect both to have a stylish look and reasonable price.
Could you, please, give me advice about countertops and cabinets (drawers). Does anyone uses laminate countertops? They are not so lux in appearance, but the kitchen itself is small (8' x 10') so the "length" of the countertop is not big , but the kitchen is joined to the room.
About cabinets: as I look through houzz ideabooks it seems that Ikea cabinets are quite popular. I might be mistaken, but lots of ideas look similar to Lidingo Ikea, for instance. How good are they? I like how they look, and the price is lower the of wooden ones, but the are Fiberboard..so rather soft material...
Would very much appreciate the advice!

bygeorgi Marina_ru.....There are plus and minus to every kind of counter top, but if yours are very visible from another room I suggest using a solid surface rather than a less expensive such as laminate. But laminate does come in some not too bad looking finishes nowadays, the dated or cheap ones have a rounded front.....Also depends on your budget and weather you are able to do the work yourself. Ikea cabinets at least the frames and I believe the shelving and drawers are a compressed wood but theirs is a better than average material.... its kinda thick and very heavy, not soft.
When pricing counter top material sometimes expense will depend on the length because materials that are not high end come in standard lengths, then you must take into account any turns or showing edges. Btw... I have had a laminate counter top for 20 years, it resembles butcher block, its quiet , warm and just barely starting to show wear.

marina_ru cyn4long ... Could you please tell, what is your cabinet manufacturer?

jsallen kitchenliberty, can you elaborate on your L shaped island vision? I have the same configuration, but want to pull one side down with a large island or a large "breakfast bar" instead of separate informal table.

leftyplg Dee, thanks for the pic of the under cooktop cabinet. That is exactly what we have going in our new kitchen. It loooks like plenty of storage so I am relieved that I don't have to stress about a whether a drawer would have been better. The idea for the stick on jewel for the garbage disposal switch is genius....I am going to use that!

savtasandy We just did an upgrade to our kitchen by refacing the cupboards, adding lighting, a new Caesarstone countertop, new flooring and new backsplash. But best of all, we now have 17 drawers . Seven of them are wide and deep. We also installed a microwave above our induction cooktop and it is vented to the outside. Oops sent a bathroom photo by mistake. Please ignore.

frenchdecor @Dee, or anybody who knows, today my friend asked me if I know what to apply on grout in the kitchen back splash, she has identical to yours Dee. They just finished the kitchen, prepare to sell the house in spring, and she has concern as fruit juice already left stain on grout. Thank you.

Dee @frenchdecor - make a paste of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda - let it sit on grout for 10 minutes, scrub with an old toothbrush and then wipe off , I' be careful near the glass tiles. I that does not get the stain out, remove the stained portion and re-grout.n Good luck.

Carol maybe too late for this one, but we discovered a product at Home Depot, GroutBoost; You use it in place of water in your grout mix and it protects grout and requires no sealing. We put it on 600 sf floor tile in our last house and had no problems with light grout; I always still wiped up any staining foods immediately. I made up a sample ahead of time, though, and poured red wine on it, wiped it off and was fine. We moved after a few months but have had no complaints on that from our buyer, and reused it on deck tile at our vacation home, no problems there either so far.

frenchdecor Thank you very much Dee and Carol. I'll tell her both suggestions, grout seats a bit deeper than tile surface, as I noticed, maybe they'll re-apply a thin layer over for the future protection.

bluebungalow cyn4long - what kind of countertops are in your kitchen. How deep/wide is your sink - and how do you like the single bowl?

misterhoyle My former kitchen remodel featured the dark blue Ceasarstone counter tops. It had tiny shards of mirror in it, and everyone who came to my house was thrilled by it. I used a now-dicontinued gray in the master bath. I followed the instructions on keeping it nice--wipe up spills as they happen, no petrolium products, don't drop heavy objects--and in 4 years it still looked like new. My new house now has dark gray in the master bath--with shards of mirror again--and a dark blue in the kitchen and laundry. I cannot imagin ever using another product. I admit it, I treat it very carefully but I treat all my treasures carefully. I wouldn't scrub my pearls with Ajax, I wouldn't leave my dogs out int the cold, and I wouldn't stain my countertops or drop pans on them.

hill4949 We added LED recessed lights on dimmers and WOW they make a bright difference! It's wonderful. Also have LED pendants on dimmer over bar. Beautiful.
Also purchased new SS appliances. Hate the microwave location over the stove. It is not handy there at all. Special order refrig did not fit as it was supposed to because of a left hand wall sticking too far out, blocking the door. Replaced it with a different manufacturer model and SS looks fine together. Was much cheaper and has lots more space inside. Samsung products do not fit my dishes. If you have Corell, you'll be ok. The dishwasher tines are too tall and in odd places. Stoneware-forget it. Take your dishes to the showrom before you buy.
We did not replace our wood cabinets but we did have work done to them. Removed galley trim at top and added crown molding which MAKES the kitchen look great! Added wood legs to create a bar under a wider piece of granite counter. My cabiinet contractor made great suggestions that turned out beautifully for very low cost. Some cab doors were remade because water damage was too extensive.
Added a top of the line Armstrong vinyl tile floor. Tiles are 18x18. Looks like porcelain but feels great under foot and cleans up well. Guaranteed for life! It is so durable and beautiful.
I am very happy with the small improvementswe made and they make a huge difference.

Carol my bad - the Grout Boost I mentioned is from Lowes, Not Home Depot; however, HD does have a comparable product.

thomcat In my experience, once you've lived with something that might be considered a luxury, you will never want to go back to standard. This is the same for anything in life (re: sunroof, leather, power everything in a car...views, outdoor spaces in a house)....so once you've cooked on a 36" range top, you will never want to go back to 30". Heck, once you've had a 48" range, you never want to go back to anything smaller....and so on.

My one suggestion is to invest in a real extraction hood (preferably with grates you can throw into the dishwasher) that vents outdoors. Having a recirculating hood/microwave top is a waste of money and electricity.

blenderdesign We 'finished' our kitchen reno about a year ago , a couple of photos attached (finishing touches still pending, door won't be yellow!). These are the things that I'm really appreciating:

- Wide drawers everywhere, in varying depths, including pull out drawers in the pantry. Brilliant for maximising space and accessibility.

- Soft close on all drawers and cupboard doors.

- Handles/hardware that you can open using just your little finger. I can't count how many times my hands are full or dirty and need to open a drawer easily.

- Space saving pipes under the sink to make the space under your sink usable. We have a deep double sink and using these pipes allows space for a rubbish bin, recycling bin and cleaning storage under the sink.

- Can't agree more with number 1. What things do you own, what do you use regularly and how do you use your kitchen? Customise it. We have a little dedicated coffee nook away from the prep and cooking area, but near the fridge where we also store drink ware. Friends can make themselves a drink and stay out of the way.

- Use organiser trays and inserts in drawers. Ikea spice rack drawer inserts are great. Think vertical for storing baking trays in a narrow space next to the oven. So easy to see and pull out the tray you're after rather than stacking them on top of each other.

- Another vote for lighting. A combination of task and ambient lighting (preferably all dimmable) is so important everywhere in the house, but more so in the kitchen.

- We a Ceasarstone benchtop in nougat and did extensive stain test before deciding on it. The only thing I've found that can mark it is a sharpie or pen. The nougat subtle pattern is perfect for hiding crumbs, it's really hard to tell when it's dirty.

Haven't installed the splashback yet, but we're going with hexagonal black mosaics in a gloss finish with black/dark grout.

jukesgrrl @marina_ru
I've remodeled three kitchens with IKEA cabinets and I've been very happy with them. The first one was done when IKEA first came to the U.S. I lived in that house for 13 years and when I moved the kitchen still looked so good it was featured in the real estate ads for the house. I never had a wonky door, loose drawer, discoloration, or even a broken handle in all that time. I didn't get to live in the next two houses very long, but I'm sure they're functioning well for the new owners.

The contractors who installed them found them very easy to work with and were amazed at how little I paid. The first remodel was done on a shoestring, so I put the cabinets together myself, even two huge pantry cabinets. I have builder-grade maple cabinets in my current house and they don't hold a candle to the IKEA product. Especially the wood finish, which is discoloring badly around the handles and the sink cabinet that sometimes gets water on it.

I, too, don't have an issue with laminate countertops if they are called for in your budget. The higher-end new designs like Formica 180fx or Wilsonart HD can be very handsome. Some even have texture and come in different types of finish (matte, medium gloss, high gloss). I always hate to see people spend thousands on really expensive countertops in houses that aren't at the top of the market. You won't get your money back in resale.
http://www.houzz.com/formica-countertops

JAN MOYER Garbage disposal switches: You can have a sleek chrome or stainless "button" the size of a quarter, right on your countertop surface within easy reach of the sink. Much nicer than goo on your switch plate, or the GHGGREEarg in the middle of the night by the unknowing!
Speaking of sinks: There has been a strong trend in the stainless area to very crisp rectilinear shapes like Blanco's Precision collection. Just know while super looking, the crisp corners and sides are much harder to keep clean. Plan to keep TOOTHBRUSH handy.

Dawn W Can't agree more on your comments #3 & #4, light and drawers! Light will never get cheaper than in the design stage and keep it in thru construction--just be really sure you think about how you plan to use the area, maybe under cab lighting would be better than ceiling cans. Can't fault pull out drawers, ever easy access to what ever you've got there. interesting about the spice pull outs, again planning how you will use the area will support your final functions, nice project and great insights!

terijune We did a total gut remodel in 2012 of a 1970s kitchen. My husband did everything including plumbing, rewiring, installing cabinets, installing all new windows and solid oak flooring.

1. I love my large island, although its a magnet for mail and junk.

2. I hate my black granite counters. Always dirty looking and with a white dog it's disgusting how much dog hair is always on the counters.

3. I love my self-closing doors and drawers. Even the lower cabinets with doors have pull-out self-closing shelves. Wonderful!

4. I love my big drawers in the island.

5. We about got a divorce over the installation of the handles. My husband created his own template but they were a bear. Next time we'll pick knobs for everything because at least we will only have to drill one hole and we won't have to level them.

6. We removed a popcorn ceiling and it came down quite easily. We covered the floor with plastic, I sprayed water on it with a garden sprayer and my husband stood on a ladder and scraped it off. We hired someone to put a new knocked down finish on it. It is beautiful.

7. I researched how much light was needed (there's a formula) and with black countertops, I even added to it. I have can lights and pendants and I love it!

8. My husband installed LED under cabinet lighting. I was very expensive but the lighting store explained in detail how to do it and it is beautiful! We use those lights every evening.

9. We put in a very deep sink and it is hard on my husband's back because he's tall and he does most of the cooking and cleanup. I would go with a regular depth one next time.

It took us from Feb. to nearly Thanksgiving to get everything done in the kitchen and the work that was involved with putting in new windows and replacing/matching siding. But it was so worth it and we love it a lot. Holiday cooking and baking this year was a dream.

Now we are elbow deep in remodeling the master bath. Today we soldered pipe as we prepare to move the washer and dryer upstairs out of the basement.

mkorthas We just finished our kitchen remodel. Gutted the old kitchen,tore out a wall and made the kitchen much larger and the dining room a little smaller. I agree with your comment on the tile backsplash. I didn't think it was necessary, but i find that the kitchen looks unfinished without it, so I'm now picking out tile. Like the looks of yours.

Megan Geier We haven't remodelled, but I have to agree about the lazy susan. We have one in our condo, and it's honestly the worst design creation ever. It's the thing I hate most about my kitchen.

kalimuffin I'm glad I'm not the only person who's had to deal with a stove in a "closet" situation! We just remodeled our kitchen and I was so glad to see it go!

bubblyjock Oh.my.goodness - a corner fridge that has lazy susans as shelves??? Genius - thanks, "millieonaire"

I googled corner fridge, and found this:

http://www.interiorchoicekitchens.co.uk/Appliances/cornerfridgestev.html

I'm sure it'll paddle across the Atlantic and be available in N America in, oh, only 20 years or so, sigh.

bubblyjock blenderdesign - where did you get those great bubble light shades over your kitchen island? They're gorgeous!

mucnagow The most important thing I learned was to set a schedule and stick to it or the project gets dragged out for way too long.

Next, I would suggest that for a few months before you start remodeling, keep a list of things you don't like about your kitchen as you're working in the kitchen. This keeps you focused on what you're trying to do without getting lost in a bunch of unnecessary projects.

Then, have fun! This should add something to your life. :)

jimzeichman Mucnagow, I'm glad that philosophy works for your projects but I go in the other direction. No matter how much planning is done, there are always tweeks to the plan, juggled schedules, funky mechanicals, etc. I always plan extra time and money into the project so I'm not getting stressed about it. I want to be able to look at my project in a year and say," It took a little longer but it turned out just the way we wanted."

sfnest To clarify my comment on Caesarstone: it's not the material itself that is a problem in my kitchen, it's the color - white with not enough in terms of speckling to hide even a minor sin. And Misterhoyle, I do not, in fact, scrub my pearls with Ajax or somehow fail to care for my treasures adequately. The contractor is checking with the installer to see if it was not sealed adequately or correctly. If I had to do it over again, I'd never go with plain white.

Pam Moore Love the article and all the helpful comments. I've already added several of the ideas to my wish list for our next kitchen redo. I found the countertop comments interesting, especially with regard to Corian. We had Corian countertops with integrated sink installed several years ago, and we have been happy with it, and particularly with the integrated sink and the seamlessness (if thats a word) of it all. The countertop is currently in need of a professional polishing, but the only real 'negative' is that the dark speckled finish hides food and crumbs, so that I think it's clean until the light hits it just right.

Pam Moore I have a question about installing hidden under cabinet plugs. For appliances, like coffee makers, that may contain clocks, I leave them plugged in all the time to avoid resetting the clocks. In that case, the cord will be dangling from the under cabinet plug, which won't be particularly attractive. Am I missing something?

Diana Bier Interiors, LLC I'm going to be nit-picky here and not even answer your question, but you are speaking of OUTLETS, not plugs. Plugs go INTO the outlet! Sorry, but I think we all should use the proper terms!

sclawson I wrote a piece on chef's at-home kitchens once for a regional publication. The importance of large drawers was one of the things I remember most from those interviews. Yet most kitchens end up with lots of bottom cabinets and just a few SMALL drawers for towels, silverware and potholders. i have severe arthritis problems in knee and foot. Those big drawers you mentioned and the chefs I interviewed will make my remodeled kitchen so much more functional for me. I suppose drawer units cost more than cupboards, but it will be worth it long-term.

Pam Moore Sorry Diana, but hopefully someone knows what I mean and can provide a helpful answer to my question.

JAN MOYER @Pam Moore
Yes Pam I know exactly what you mean!!! And I think we don't need to acknowledge snarky answers when your very politely stated question was very clear, despite terminology. Under the cab "plugs" are only handy for the occasional appliance and far worse a look if the offending item is always plugged in.. I totally agree on frequent appliances, with clocks, timers etc! I also find that MOST times the OUTLET: ) : ) is hidden by the actual appliance itself, and don't make yourself nuts over them. Electricity is a fact of life. Right Diana? It's a nit picky thing to worry about, isn't it?

hgtvfan66 Pam - I agree with Jan. I recently redid my kitchen (see before & after photos above) and I find that the small applicances that I keep plugged in are not a problem, because the applicances themselves hide the plugs in the outlets :-) as well as the cords. Deborah

JAN MOYER @pammoore
I will add, that if they truly make you crazy, you can often have the outlet installed sideways instead of vertically allowing slightly less visibility and a better "hide" behind lower counter appliances, depending which remain out for daily use on your counter. I don't find a coffee maker offensive, and just about anything clean and shiny is fine. Ya gotta live!

JAN MOYER I think there are enough pre conceived notions regarding the Metro NYC area including Long Island, w/o adding to them...........just sayin.

Pam Moore Jan Moyer, I'm with you! I don't guess I've actually been offended by the outlet plates showing either, although I must confess that I bought a couple of black ones because they are surrounded by dark Corian and were installed crooked, so at least now they don't stand out like a couple of sore thumbs. And you and others make a good point that they are often hidden by the appliances anyway. So, while hiding the outlets probably won't go on my wish list, I do like the lighting under the upper cabinets.

Pam Moore @hgtvfan66, my mother had a stove the color of your old one! I love the 'new' kitchen -- I am a big fan of white cabinets and dark countertops for contrast.

jiafrate I have light caesarstone counters in my kitchen for 2 years now in a light color (buttercream) and I love them. I can't believe what I am reading. Not a chip, stain or mark on them. You don't have to seal them or need special cleaning products just Lysol and if it is a darker mark use vim with beach or any other similar product and it comes right off. I have three young children who are very rough, one has autism and it is complete piece of mind knowing these counters are basically indestructible.

jdavis4943 Just completed the remodel of our kitchen. Granite counter tops are really nice. I have granite wet one's I purchased to clean it. It looks like it is geting a little milky color and not shiney??? Deep sink is nice- two sided - stainless steal. Bar Tender is really good to clean the sink.

Love the lights under the cabinets. Nice look in the evening with only those on plus very nice extra bright lights while cooking and they do not get hot on the surface below.

Just made cookies in the new kitcehn!!!

Diana Bier Interiors, LLC Pam and Jan: I didn't mean to be "snarky," I just think that what we're trying to do here is communicate. Being a teacher, I think it's important to be specific and use proper terminology in order to communicate effectively. It doesn't help one's case to show ignorance, whether it be in design or in the use of language.

JAN MOYER DianaBier
I think as interior designers we should be well versed in INTERPRETING for clients. I hardly think it necessary to point out a lapse in terminology, any more than one would point out foul breath or an ill-trained dog in a clients home. This site is for both pros, and non. If it is necessary to contribute, it is nice to "teach" and communicate pleasantly without demeaning a truly simple, easy to understand question at the same time. Read it again and put yourself in the posters non-pro shoes. It was snarky. Very. Nicer yet to admit same and simply say "I was having a full of myself moment, and very sorry"

ptmatthews Sabsteve - we had a garbage disposal switch below the sink but found we sometimes turned it on with our bodies when at the sink. Boy howdy - that makes you jump! We moved it to the backsplash area and are happier with it there. And as to countertops - we have black granite with faint motteling in it and I love it. And I would never get rid of my double sink. So convenient for handwashing dishes - dishwater in one sink and rinsing in the other. How do you handwash dishes with one sink? One of the biggest things I wish I had in my kitchen is a place for recycling. We recycle a LOT now, and I have no place to put it before taking it out to the recycler. I like the idea of using a pull-out drawer for that. And I plan to recess my refrigerator in the area under my stairs, but am thankful for the reminder about making sure the cabinets on either side do not interfere with fully openning the refrigerator doors. So much good advice in this article and comments!

Diana Bier Interiors, LLC Jan, I just reread my comment...sorry but I don't feel it's anything but instructive. Maybe it was the caps??
Also, posters on Houzz, pro or not, are obviously looking for advice/instruction, and I can't see why one would be offended by such.

JAN MOYER dianebier
Perhaps I can help: Yes, they are looking for answers! Without the "nit-picky" refusal to answer a simple question you so very clearly understood, and without the arrogance of a put-down disguised as a teaching moment, followed by a half baked explanation/apology containing the word "ignorance" , followed by why you're not inclined not to see your rudeness/put down as anything but instructive. But don't be offended, as none was meant. Call it instructive opinion of one.

Diana Bier Interiors, LLC Let's agree to disagree and call it a day!

ginny20 @pammoore I agree about permanent cords going up the wall to the undercab outlet not being attractive, although I will tell you that despite my best efforts, I ended up with one, and I don't even notice it any more. (Plus, I put my knife block in front of it.) One thing you can use to avoid this is those pop-up outlets that fit in the counter, as are often used on islands.

jimzeichman I once had a client whose house burned down. The cause was determined to be a Mr. Coffee that was turned off but left plugged in. Ever since then I never leave small appliances plugged in and advise my clients so. There should be a way to disable the clock function on those things. IMO, any designer worth their salt must be able to communicate on the level of designer, architect, builder and client. That means they need to speak four different languages at once without getting their underwear in a bunch over it.

ikwewe I've been waiting for them to add a battery to the clock and programming selections for the coffee maker, microwave and oven. Phones have them, radios have them, why not applianced?

ptmatthews I thought it was an urban myth about appliances starting fires until a coworkers mother's house burned. The fire department said it started at the toaster. Always unplug!

jennyboals We just remodeled our kitchen last summer and had a Rev A Shelf (pullout wire pull-slide-pull) installed instead of a lazy susan in the blind corner cabinet. I LOVE it so much more than the lazy susan! It is one of my favorite things about the remodel in addition to a double pullout trashcan for garbage and recycling trash.

robvann Great discussion. Thanks for all the great ideas. In regards to drawers vs. cabinets: we are remodeling a kitchen in a house that we will be moving to and had a designer draw up plans. I told him up front that I was leaning toward drawers because it is a one movement to access versus opning a cabinet and then a sliding shelf. He still drew the plans with mostly cabinets. When I took the plans to another cabinet shop the designer there too told me that cabinets with shelves are the way to go. My wife wants to go with the designers because they are the trained professional, but many comments on houzz lead me to believe that drawers are better. I would love to hear more from other trained professionals and laypeople as well on which is better.

damed robvann........Drawers!! Not only is it easier, but the wire pull outs waste space, in my opinion. We finished our remodel three months ago, and the drawers are one of my favorite features, along with the Magic Corner.

portlandoni Drawers for sure. I have several deep drawers that pull all the way out and then the rest are shallow drawers. The deep ones are perfect for the toaster and the larger items and in the shallow drawers nothing gets buried. They slide all the way out and everything is in plain view in one layer. It is one of my favorite things about my new kitchen also.

ikwewe Another vote for drawers. If you get the cabinets, then you have to buy and add the pull-outs unless you like getting down on the floor to dig in the back of the cabinets.

gillianne Drawers absolutely--deep drawers with good slides. We had just enough space in our last kitchen to add a small bank of deep drawers to extend the existing cabinetry. Those drawers were my favorite part of our modest kitchen upgrade--I loved them more than our handsome Silestone counter. What a difference they make for large pots and pans and small appliances! Our current kitchen has nonstandard cabinets. Only one section had dimensions that allowed us to install wire pull-out baskets (we weren't going to replace existing cabinetry). They're a clear improvement over immobile shelves, but they're a poor second to deep pull-out drawers. We're probably moving one last time. For me, a non-negotiable is at least one bank of pull-out drawers already there, or a reasonable way to install them.

ginny20 robvann, I agree, drawers. For further support on the drawer question, you can visit the Kitchens Forum at Gardenweb.com, or just Google "Gardenweb drawers" to get to the threads. The consensus is that drawers are the way to go for most lower cabs,although there are rare situations (like cookie sheets and cutting boards, that are best stored vertically) when a cabinet with a shelf or a pull-out shelf may be more effective for a particular kitchen. Then the next question is 3-drawer or 4-drawer stack, and the answer to that is to think of what you'll store in each drawer to figure out how deep you need them to be.

I use to have pull-out shelves in my old kitchen, and the drawers have been a great improvement.

hgtvfan66 Dear jennyboals - I agree about the double pullout trash cans for garbage & recycling. I am so glad I had those installed. But I don't know what a Rev A Shelf is. Could you post a photo of it? Thanks, Deborah

jennyboals Hgtvfan66 (Deborah) Here is the link to the website for Rev a Shelf
http://www.rev-a-shelf.com/p-25-pullout-wire-pull-slide-pull-blind-corner-accessories.aspx
Hope that helps! Its a cool option for blind corners.

Jenny

frenchdecor Thank you Jenny, looks very clever design, I need solution for my blind cabinet, too. I like my L-shaped kitchen layout, except this corner cabinet.

hgtvfan66 Jenny - Thanks for the link. It looks like a great system. Deborah

bygeorgi I love that tile that you used for the back splash..... could you post the name and where you purchased it please..... ty

Samantha Schoech BACKSPLASH: They are mini bricks in "Imperial Mist" from Ceramic Tile Trends in TX. I ordered them through a tile shop in San Francisco and I think they are widely available.

You can always click on the photo for more info, too!

wantsideas I think this might have been one of the first articles I clicked on when I first visted Houzz. I'd love to see an article about "what I did wrong" included in an ideabook. Thanks Samantha for sharing your home and helping the rest of us out a little.

camsmiles4u Ok mine wasn't a re-model I designed it and my husband built it. .
1. Think about your life style what you do and how you do it, what is mostly used and what can be stored high up..what is large, or hardly used. (draw it on paper yourself first before going to a contractor (you don’t have to be able to draw a straight line lol.. Use a ruler  , yes Contractors have advice BUT that advice doesn’t work for everyone) After you draw it look at it for a week and imagine yourself working in the kitchen.. You just might find something else you want to add or change.

2. The Stove, sink and refrigerator should all be easy to access when cooking like an open triangle. (innless you have no problem running around stuff) With sufficient Counter space by the sink and the stove to wash and work,.
3. Dishwasher should always be next to the sink. Our old home had it right across the sink in the Island. It doesn’t matter if you are remodeling or building it’s something to think about
4. If You are a cook... Go for the stove and the appliances! I did not go for the Viking. You are buying the name. We did go for the Thermador double oven. I LOVE IT! (yes I COOK! family of five, 4 men... Plus who ever ends up here 8… or 10 Not including when we entertain) Did I mention I cook? 
Do your homework!! Since what ”The best” appliances that may be good last year, may not be the best the next.
“ASK at least 2 APPLIANCE REPAIR MAN “before buying what they think is the best. (Not your friends or the ones who consider themselves the Jones’s of the block lol ( no offense to anyone who has the name Jones…. It’s simply an old saying  ) You want well built, you want it to last... Not just a name. My Sister over 15 years ago bought a sub zero refrigerators. It lasted 15 + years (worth the money with how they make appliances today) Her Motor went and they were going to buy a new one. The repair man could have made the sale BUT instead said Don’t do it! Buy the Motor and it will last you another 15 years. They no longer build the new ones the same, a new one won’t last as long.
5. Do not make the mistake of getting all pull out shelves. Make some stationary for heavy canned goods. (they do break) fine in cupboard for lighter Items) I don’t have draws so I can’t comment except that when I saw someone else’s I thought I should have gotten normal shelves for canned goods and Pots ( I have a lot of heavy Pots, VERY few can goods but apparently enough to brake the shelf rollout brackets with only one layer of cans after 6 years) You want your Kitchen to last!

6. I agree about the tile backsplash. BUT make sure you do have some type or protection on the walls. Make sure it is high enough for splatters by the range and by the sink when washing pots

7. Utilize the corners where cabinets connect with a Lazy Susan! (not for food boxes, harder to clean out) But for other items. I use mine for glass bowls, and plastic storage.

8. Utensil Draw and cooking Utensils Close to the stove , sink and dishwasher ( in the triangle space). I am always grabbing different spoons for cooking and it is a pleasure to just grab it next to the range.

9. If you can fit it an Island. A friend does not have the room but she uses a small rolling butcher block table for extra counter space. .

10. Last but not least Go for the Tile floor! Or even the wood (more upkeep then tile in a kitchen. Eventually you will have to restain and seal it to prevent damage) Our old home we changed the linoleum 3 times! In the end same price as the tile!

jiafrate @calikym and @sfnest-Responding to your comments about chipping and staining of caesarstone. You mentioned that you have glacier white that has stained around the sink but I wonder are you sure that you have caesarstone or did you mean corian because there is no glacier white caesartone but there is a corian surface by that name and I have heard from others that it is known to stain. I just have never heard of staining issues with caesarstone. I have attached photos of my light coloured caesarstone counter (buttermilk) beside my sink and I have had this counter since 2010. The surface keeps a nice shine despite lots of cleaning and the counter is one surface that you what to see dirt not disguise it.

William G. Hyman Electric You are 1000% spot on about the lighting. When lighting a kitchen you must consider both ambient and task lighting. Having spent over 30 years as an electrical contractor performing the lighting design and wiring of several hundred high end kitchen projects, lighting is one of the most overlooked parts of the overall budget. Knowing the right combination of recessed and under cabinet lighting fixtures and lamps will make even the dullest kitchen look fantastic. Over the years we have learnt how and repeated the same combination of fixtures over and over and always obtained excellent results. There is a sweet spot between too many and not enough fixtures. One other thing, I am becoming more comfortable with the new led lamps which simply replace the existing lamps. No need for proprietary led fixtures.

agmay I think there are enough pre conceived notions regarding the Metro NYC area including Long Island, w/o adding to them...........just sayin. Really unnecessary comment.