Today I have some exciting things to share! First, I'm happy to say I finally got around to updating my site! It's overall more modern and hopefully much more reader friendly. Secondly, I've completed a dry fit of the kitchen for the CC2017 build. It's looking good, but I'm not sure it's quite there just yet...
The design I came up with for this kitchen build features a wall unit and large island facing out into the sitting area. I love the look of the drawers and handles so I made sure there are lots featured.
After spending an hour and a half with the laser cutter I came home with a mega puzzle to assemble.
I made a different style for the island this time and it might just be my favourite part of the kitchen. I really wanted a double wall oven for this kitchen too. The plan is to put in an order from Elf Miniatures soon. The space to the right is meant to surround a 3" fridge of some kind.
As I said I'm undecided if this is the design I'm settling with. Something about it is just off for me. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
I tried taking away that extra wall cabinet unit at the end and seeing what my double fridge looked like too.
Now that double fridge by Elf is not meant to go in this build! hehe But it is one of my favourite pieces so I had to throw it in to see! When all lined up the entire wall is covered in cabinets... and I'm not sure if it's all a little too much. As my boyfriend pointed out... at least I have till December to think it over! ;)
This week I might just leave the kitchen and start laying the floor. I have some website details to finish up too.
Have a great week everyone!
I'm in love!! I love the open shelves and the single fridge. It's very open and makes the space feel larger. And those shelves would look great with cookbooks, or a trailing plant from the top shelf. Just the ramblings of a mini mind....
ReplyDeleteI wish my real kitchen looked like this :)
Thanks Kat! I too love open shelves! They are so much fun to add items and display. And I definitely was thinking plants haha! I think it will all come together with more of the structure done :)
DeleteI ADORE your blog's new look and Im bowled over with your kitchen- WOWZERS! I think that the commercial fridge is such a great idea and I sure hope you'll make kits of both versions for future retail because they're FANTASTIC!
ReplyDeleteWhat about adding a wine rack on the end of the island?
That's all I can think of as a suggestion because this space is jsut Incredible and like Kat has already expressed, I wish my Real Kitchen looked like this too! :D
Actually Kristine, I am going to slightly amend my first comment because my REAL hope is that you make Complete Kitchen Kits and not just the appliances, because your skills with the laser cutter make you a Canadian Wonder Woman- YOU GO GIRL!
DeleteI'm so happy you like the site improvements Elizabeth! Thanks for letting me know :) :)
DeleteI can't take any credit for the fridge that's all Elizabeth LePla at Elf Miniatures! I adore all of her kitchens and always build mine around her appliances. Thank you for the wine rack idea too! Making my own kitchen kits are definitely something to think about... maybe after the summer... :)
YESSSSSSSS ! :D
DeleteWOAH! This looks stunning! Laser cutting the pieces gives this incredible precision I am aiming for. What kind of laser cutter do you have?
ReplyDeleteAnd seeing your kitchen set-up I just have to re-think mine...
Great inspitation :-)
Thank you Marion, the laser cutter is definitely something you should look into! I use one at my library for free thankfully so I haven't had to buy one. Have you seen the site Ponoko .com? They offer laser cutting the same way Shapeways does 3D printing. You need to check it out!
DeleteThanks, Kristine. I will check that out...
DeleteIncredible! I love the layout and the way the island allows functionality and will open the entire main area of the house. My heart swoons at the look of the single fridge and open shelving. Maybe you could add a wine chiller under the open shelves? Or maybe adjacent to the stools at the end of the island? It would be interesting to know what kind of cost a kitchen like this is for the wood itself, and Elizabeth's idea about offering kits is a great one! You may as well let us all in on your amazing design talents, and make a little mini-money to boot! :O)
ReplyDeleteA light bulb moment reading your post Jodi! I forgot to mention that I planned an oven range above the drawers. Thank you for all your feedback! I too love a wine chiller. I was thinking under the island actually. Overall I think I might have to get more of the structure done before I continue. I really like the original plan as you said with the open shelves, so maybe once all the walls and roof is on it will work :)
DeleteI love your blog's new look! You will build a great kitchen: I like the fridge, chairs and shelving!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Ingi! I'm hoping my blog will be easier to navigate now! I can't take credit for the fridge or the stools, but they are some of my all time favourite finds! :)
DeleteI love your blog's new look! You will build a great kitchen: I like the fridge, chairs and shelving!
ReplyDeleteEl diseño e precioso y lo del cortador laser debe ser una gozada.
ReplyDeleteThank you Isabel! The laser cutter really does make designing a bit easier! :)
DeleteFirst of all. I'm in awe. I love how it looks and that its all custom... you're amazing. Trying to look past that to give an honest opinion took me a while because I just couldn't get over how cool it was.
ReplyDeleteI think what might be throwing you off is that normally folks place a kitchen sink on the outer wall counters looking out a window. Not doing that gives you a wall of cabinets, and you don't seem to have full size uppers on your wall. So it looks a little uneven because your sink is on the island and you don't have a cooktop or hood on your counter near the stove. I'd try a mock up of a range hood and the stove top, just to see if that gives you the balance you're looking for.
I think your other issue is color. Right now, everything is brown, brown walls, brown cabinets...it all blends and looks a little dark. Once you give your cabinets some color, and I'd recommend under cabinet lights as well, things will brighten up. Here's a kitchen in brown gloss that looks airy and open. I think the countertops really help too.
http://g02.s.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1fMg.KFXXXXalXFXXq6xXFXXXC/Modern-Kitchen-Cabinet-European-style-High-glossy.jpg
Wow...this got long. Sorry. But I still am amazed at how awesome this looks and I can't wait to see your progress on the build.
Oh Sheila, thanks so much for all your feedback! It definitely throws me off with all the brown, brown, and brown! The plan is to have a range cooktop on the wall unit counter... I realized in the comments I forgot to say that! I think you might be onto something with the missing full size uppers. Maybe I need to revisit my upper cabinet heights. I'm hoping that with the roof on, and the walls finished I'll have a better idea. Right now I keep worrying that the design is just too darn big for the space! We'll see next time!
DeleteI'm a bugger for symmetry so I would have the extra wall cabinet unit at the other end near the fridge - but that is just me and in no way reflects badly on the design you've come up with. I love your layout. It's the perfect open area to cook and eat in but appears contained because the island break up the space. I can't wait to see it finished. Gorgeous! :0)
ReplyDeleteYou know symmetry is one of those things that gets me too. That could be part of the problem. Thanks for your thoughts. I'm hoping finishing up the walls and roof will put the layout in better perspective! :)
DeletePersonally, I love it as is. Maybe the lack of color variation since it's just plain wood right now is throwing it off? Fantastic work! :]
ReplyDeleteThank you Brae, it's true the brown, brown, and brown makes it hard to really see the overall size. Hopefully the more progress I make on the structure the more I will be able to visualize it :)
DeleteI think it looks fantastic. Once it has the final colours I am sure it will look wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThank you Alexandra :) Once I get some more of the structure completed I think things will fall into place :)
DeleteWell, first let me say it looks fantastic in any incarnation. :) But in the interests of being constructive/helpful.. Here's a couple of things I would try.. they may work, they may not.. but may as well give it a go right?
ReplyDelete1. I would try the fridge at the other end up by the sidewall. It's a large piece and as wonderful as it is, it might be overwhelming the aesthetic up front near the doorway. Then switch the oven and shelf unit down towards the door, with the shelves at the end. You could even open up the end wall of the shelves so they are open at the side as well as the front next to the doorway. Then you could fill them with overhanging plants or statement china/crockery.. and it would open up that end a bit if you are feeling enclosed currently.
2. The other slightly different layout option is have the fridge as mentioned above but this time only move either the shelving or the oven unit to the other end. this way the centre section is encased in two equal units which will make it feel more symmetrical by differentiating the fridge as outside this zone. My preference would be to move the shelf unit to the door end and leave the ovens next to the fridge, but it's not very energy efficient to have those two appliances together :) and it might be too much appliance at one end for your preference for symmetry. It would allow the shelves to open up that end of the kitchen though. With this design, you could also try off centering the island from the whole kitchen to now centre on the symmetrical oven/shelf/range section..
3. We more often than not have the sink in the island of modern houses over here in Australia so for me that feature is lovely.. but, I do agree with Sheila above that you may need some uppers in that centre section. And a range hood right in the centre. I would either do skinny two door glass/frosted glass cabinets on either side of the range about the width of the single draws below. Or you could do those modern upper cabinets that open up like an old swing garage door. They look like this http://happyconfettidesign.com/modern-kitchen-cabinets/
This type would match the shape of your drawers better also. I would definitely do some kind of glass in them though to break up the solid features.
4. How about some shelving in that block under the island adjacent to the stools (great stools btw) It's a large block at the moment and may make the kitchen feel larger because it's solid. Some shallow shelves facing out to the living room might alleviate that.
All just suggestions for trials before you decide on a final version... Of course, I know what ever you decide.. the finished product will be spectacular! And I agree, that you should make these for retail consumption. I'd be a customer for sure... that is if you would ship to Oz. :D
Thanks so much Sam for all your ideas and thoughts! I'll try moving the open shelving down to the other end too and the other options you mentioned. I think once I get the back wall up this week it will help with visualizing the layout. I realized from all the comments that my images don't really give a good idea of what the space looks like as a whole. I think I jumped into the kitchen too early (mainly because I had time with the laser cutter so I did what I could). Anyways thanks again for all your help! :)
DeleteThose chairs are awesome! As is the kitchen however I'm undecided too...I like the extra storage space, but that fridge is so great that I would want to use it whenever I could.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'm hoping with the back wall put in place I'll have a better idea with the layout! I think I started the kitchen a bit early ;)
DeleteLooks great to me! I'm jelly about the laser cutter. I still have the peninsula of my kitchen to make and boy would that make it look better. Not sure I want to invest in one though, as I don't know how much I would actually use it.
ReplyDeleteThank you, it's a great machine to get precise edges and cuts! If you ever want to try without actually buying one (they are so $$$ :( to buy) check out an online shop like Ponoko .com. You submit your design and pick your material, and a few days later it's shipped to your door! I used them before my local library got a makers space and offered the service.
DeleteDo you have a blog or page? I'd love to see your kitchen :)