Kitchen revamp

[BobL]

Our circa 1995 Kitchen had been looking rather tired and worn out for several years and last year, about 3 months before my wife died, we started to discuss replacing it. We briefly talked about any layout changes (none as the current layout had worked brilliantly over the previous 27 years) and what design changes we would include in a new one, and agreed on replacing the wooden top with stone but that was about as far as we got.

After Amanda died I did not have the energy to face going through with any sort of complete reno, but back in March just passed I felt good enough to get ball rolling and got a few quotes. Interesting that they were all close to or more than what we paid for the whole house in 1978! and all within a couple of grand of each other. I chose the most expensive one because they had also recently done my Son's kitchen and he said were very professional about the whole thing. However, they did warn me that they were flat out and it could take a month or so before thy could start.

I paid a deposit in late march and yesterday (13 weeks later ) they finally started! Well so far I am impressed. The plumber to disconnect and seal plumbing, sparky to do likewise for the electrics and demo team were all scheduled for yesterday. The sparky and plumber all turned up at they allotted 2 hour time slot, but the demo team turned up 4 hours late (4:30 pm) but by 6pm they were done! One of the bloke must have been ADHD because he moved like a frenzied demon, but all good. The other one was Mr Chill and built like a brick outhouse carrying 2-4-5 panels of broken up MDF top the awaiting skip like they were feathers. No damage, minimal dust, excellent clean up afterwards, and very cheerful and happy to boot
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I was going to do my own demo but after doing the bathroom demo in 2021 that layed me out for about week afterwards so decided to get it done.

A few Pics.
This is the plumber doing the disconnect. Don't be fooled by the apparent good looks of the kitchen. The low down cupboard doors were all water damaged ie cracked and swollen, as were the cupboards under the sink and the coffee machine which had spilled its guts many times over the last 20 odd years. The oregon bench top was also cracked and damaged in places - I had resanded and recoated it 4 times in 28 years and every time I cursed getting such a soft timber for a bench top. I'm keeping the top and will select bits of the least damaged sections to make cutting boards out of.
Kitcheno.jpg
The main appliances, induction cook top, stove and dishwasher, are all still less than 5 years old and in good nick so I'm not replacing these.
What I am getting is a much more powerful and quieter range hood as the old one which was hopeless at these two specs.

Completed strip out
Kitchenstripped.jpg

Kitchenstripped2.jpg

[Bushmiller]

Bob

Good that you are carrying on with the new installation. It is a topical subject for me as we are also in the throes of a new kitchen. The main difference between yours and ours is that our kitchen was state of the art circa 1935: Well, pre-WW2 at least!

We are just getting quotes for stone bench tops, which has been a bit daunting to say the least. I said to SWMBO "No problem, but you will have to go back to work!" We are still in the negotiation stage on that aspect.

I am doing the demolition/rebuilding myself as it is too awkward to get somebody in and we need to save money somewhere. I shall be interested to see how your kitchen looks and very envious of how quickly it will come together.

Regards
Paul

[BobL]

Bob
Good that you are carrying on with the new installation. It is a topical subject for me as we are also in the throes of a new kitchen. The main difference between yours and ours is that our kitchen was state of the art circa 1935: Well, pre-WW2 at least!

Wow but I don't recall it being that old when I visited you - was that maybe another house? The kitchen in the house when we first moved here in 1978 would have been a 1930's kitchen. Ply sheet over a hardwood frame cupboards, Green Laminex tops covered in places by some whit laminex glued on top and coming away in places, Cold water galv steel tap was on the end of Galv steel pipe that oozed grey brown sludge. Hot water was from a chromed brass tap on the end of a copper pipe but the gas HWS was fed via a galv steel pipe, as was the (leaky) gas plumbing throughout the house. In 1995 we install all new copper pipes and has the house rewired. Kitchen was moved into a major addition/ren at the back of the house.

We are just getting quotes for stone bench tops, which has been a bit daunting to say the least. I said to SWMBO "No problem, but you will have to go back to work!" We are still in the negotiation stage on that aspect.

The stone is indeed eye wateringly expensive. Our 40mm stone bench tops work out to about $8k and the 20mm stuff for the wall capping is not that much cheaper.
It's only money and can't take it with me so I'm spending up (hence the Tesla as well).
I've had a long chat with my son and he says I can do what I like with my money and he's happy to get any if there's any left.

I am doing the demolition/rebuilding myself as it is too awkward to get somebody in and we need to save money somewhere. I shall be interested to see how your kitchen looks and very envious of how quickly it will come together

The quote for my demo was $800! and it took 2 blokes less than 2 hours but it would have taken me all day or longer and almost certainly wrecked my back. Some of those double sheet MDF panels from the old pantry walls probably weighed as much as a sheet of 18 x 1200 x 2400 MDF . I could have cut them up but then MDF dust throughout the house etc. In fact I think I tweaked my back just moving my 32 kg coffee machine from the kitchen to the back veranda.

[GraemeCook]

... The stone is indeed eye wateringly expensive. Our 40mm stone bench tops work out to about $8k and the 20mm stuff for the wall capping is not that much cheaper. ...

Bob, we replaced our kitchen 10 years ago, costings now out of date, but experience relevent.

Neither of us wanted formica or tile benchtops; SWMBO did not want timber benchtops becuse we had them in previous house. In cost comparisons I found you had to compare costs including bench tops, waterfall ends (if any), splash backs and sinks - sinks can be integral with some benchtops (eg SS) but not others.

We looked at:

• Stainless steel,
• Corian,
• Real marble,
• Natural granite,
• Polished concrete,
• Reconstituted marble,
• Reconstituted granite,
• etc.

Corian was grossly expensive. There was less than $1,000 difference in the quotes for the others on a supply and install basis.

We eventually went with Carara Marble on the grounds that if it was good enough for Michelangelo then it is good enough for us. The installed cost was $6,500 and it covered:

• Two bench tops,
• One waterfall end,
• Cut outs for sinks and cooktop,
• 50 mm mitred edges on benchtops and return,
• Splashbacks,
• Window sills and architrave.

Ten years on and we are stilled pleased.