Bought a house, estimated the renovation budget plus 10-15% for inevitable extras, and we set aside 5000 EUR for the kitchen!!!!
That’s how it started... at first, I was in a bit of shock, but we still had time. First step: remove all the walls for a new layout—I need space...
Let’s start with the (according to the agent) move-in ready property. The small kitchen, just under 8 square meters (about 86 square feet), had its 1970s pass-through removed. The wall including the kitchen door is gone! The wall next to the cellar stairs is gone too! Actually, the entire slanted wall, nearly 7 meters (23 feet) high, removed completely...
The window had to go as well since we needed a different working height than the standard 90 cm (35 inches). New screed installed, we switched to underfloor heating, all electrical wiring and water pipes are new.
After almost six months, the realization slowly sank in: the kitchen budget will not exceed 5000 EUR, so we had to look for a used kitchen... something special, but very cheap.
The search criteria: within a 100 km (62 miles) radius, up to 1000 EUR, because I still want new appliances.
That’s how it started... at first, I was in a bit of shock, but we still had time. First step: remove all the walls for a new layout—I need space...
Let’s start with the (according to the agent) move-in ready property. The small kitchen, just under 8 square meters (about 86 square feet), had its 1970s pass-through removed. The wall including the kitchen door is gone! The wall next to the cellar stairs is gone too! Actually, the entire slanted wall, nearly 7 meters (23 feet) high, removed completely...
The window had to go as well since we needed a different working height than the standard 90 cm (35 inches). New screed installed, we switched to underfloor heating, all electrical wiring and water pipes are new.
After almost six months, the realization slowly sank in: the kitchen budget will not exceed 5000 EUR, so we had to look for a used kitchen... something special, but very cheap.
The search criteria: within a 100 km (62 miles) radius, up to 1000 EUR, because I still want new appliances.
P
pagoni20206 Jul 2020 15:08Storage space is really THE key factor; otherwise, thousands of things end up scattered around (unlike the picture). We always have a countertop but often eat or have breakfast there. We rarely sit at the dining table. Therefore, the chair needs to be comfortable and the surface height pleasant. You can try this out extensively in furniture stores beforehand to see what fits.
We tried various side-by-side refrigerators, and the favorite, both visually and functionally, is one with two sections each 60cm (24 inches) wide—one for cooling, the other for freezing. Most recently, we had the Liebherr, but it comes at a premium price. Siemens/Bosch also have some nice models. The 90cm (36 inches) wide American-style ones seem more like toys to me. A saleswoman once told me very clearly: Try storing a frozen pizza in the freezer compartment... I never eat that myself, but her point was clear—there’s very little freezer space. If, then only two separate units side-by-side with a total width of 120cm (48 inches), placed freestanding somewhere as a statement piece if you like (in our case, even in the dining room despite many objections), because we really liked it there; then you just take three more steps, no big deal. It’s not a hectic cafeteria with time pressure.
If a side-by-side refrigerator is built in, it definitely needs to be done stylishly, which is not easy.
We don’t really like the other built-in appliances with furniture panels, and I want a lot of space inside, so we always go for freestanding units, about 120cm (48 inches) wide and spacious, even though it’s usually just the two of us. Maybe not the most practical, but it’s nice for us.
We tried various side-by-side refrigerators, and the favorite, both visually and functionally, is one with two sections each 60cm (24 inches) wide—one for cooling, the other for freezing. Most recently, we had the Liebherr, but it comes at a premium price. Siemens/Bosch also have some nice models. The 90cm (36 inches) wide American-style ones seem more like toys to me. A saleswoman once told me very clearly: Try storing a frozen pizza in the freezer compartment... I never eat that myself, but her point was clear—there’s very little freezer space. If, then only two separate units side-by-side with a total width of 120cm (48 inches), placed freestanding somewhere as a statement piece if you like (in our case, even in the dining room despite many objections), because we really liked it there; then you just take three more steps, no big deal. It’s not a hectic cafeteria with time pressure.
If a side-by-side refrigerator is built in, it definitely needs to be done stylishly, which is not easy.
We don’t really like the other built-in appliances with furniture panels, and I want a lot of space inside, so we always go for freestanding units, about 120cm (48 inches) wide and spacious, even though it’s usually just the two of us. Maybe not the most practical, but it’s nice for us.
Mike11! schrieb:
Thanks for your replies. We have the same concerns. We have a second kitchen where we’d have more storage space. The countertop is made of polished concrete, and opinions about its durability vary a lot. Sometimes it’s praised, sometimes not, so we’re uncertain about it. I really like the look, but I would definitely leave out the bar counter / hip breaker.
Is the countertop material really that important to you? I still remember our initial kitchen planning. We insisted on a solid wood countertop. But after many consultations, we ended up choosing a standard laminated one. Everywhere, people advised against the more maintenance-intensive material. Not because they doubted we could take care of it, but because they wanted to prevent us from creating unnecessary problems for ourselves. Building a house and getting a new kitchen is exciting for the first 1-2 years. But standing at home on weekends maintaining a stone, wood, or concrete countertop lasts much longer than 2 years. And if by year 4 you’re already irritated by dents, scratches, cracks, or the upkeep effort, you’ll probably wish you had chosen a low-maintenance product. Those are available in all colors and designs.
I’m usually open to unconventional choices, but when it comes to countertops: there’s a reason why the common options have proven themselves.
P
pagoni20206 Jul 2020 17:15You either like a counter or you don’t. I like it!!
Often very expensive when ordered through a kitchen specialist, so consider using a 40mm (1.6 inch) plywood board—usually beech or maple—from a lumber supplier. It costs very little compared to kitchen prices, practically nothing!
You can easily have the edges rounded off and then finish it with wax, varnish, clear coat, or similar, according to your preference. This takes about 30 minutes, and the countertop is ready.
We have this here, had it before, and also in the bathroom where the sink sits on it. A really stylish and inexpensive solution; underneath you could add a steel frame (about €50-100 from a metalworker) and you have an individual, high-quality setup.
Hip breaker...? If you don’t like it, you might worry about or be annoyed by something like that. My hips are fine... if only everything else were as good. I also believe that very few ambulance patients have actually broken a hip on a counter. More likely are people who’ve tripped on stairs, fallen while cleaning windows, had accidents fixing electrical equipment, cut off fingers with lawnmowers, or injured their hands on delicate Sunday dishes.
Go for the counter!!!
Often very expensive when ordered through a kitchen specialist, so consider using a 40mm (1.6 inch) plywood board—usually beech or maple—from a lumber supplier. It costs very little compared to kitchen prices, practically nothing!
You can easily have the edges rounded off and then finish it with wax, varnish, clear coat, or similar, according to your preference. This takes about 30 minutes, and the countertop is ready.
We have this here, had it before, and also in the bathroom where the sink sits on it. A really stylish and inexpensive solution; underneath you could add a steel frame (about €50-100 from a metalworker) and you have an individual, high-quality setup.
Hip breaker...? If you don’t like it, you might worry about or be annoyed by something like that. My hips are fine... if only everything else were as good. I also believe that very few ambulance patients have actually broken a hip on a counter. More likely are people who’ve tripped on stairs, fallen while cleaning windows, had accidents fixing electrical equipment, cut off fingers with lawnmowers, or injured their hands on delicate Sunday dishes.
Go for the counter!!!
pagoni2020 schrieb:
You either like counters or you don’t. I like it!!To each their own... but here the counter gets in the way. Mike11! schrieb:
Thanks for your replies. We have the same concerns. We also have a second kitchen where we would have more storage space. The countertop is made of screed concrete, and you hear different opinions about its durability—sometimes good, sometimes bad—so we're unsure about it.The lighter one just feels more inviting.P
pagoni20206 Jul 2020 18:08Mike11! schrieb:
Thanks for your replies. We have the same concerns. We also have a second kitchen where we would have more storage space. The countertop is made of polished concrete, and opinions about its durability vary. Sometimes it's praised, sometimes criticized, so we're unsure about it.A patterned countertop looks busy; I prefer a solid color. The kitchen already has enough color variation due to various items anyway.Similar topics