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.
M
Myrna_Loy22 Mar 2021 09:04What I really don’t like at all, however, is the laminated board arranged in a grid pattern on the kitchen island. It looks like cheap hardware store material. I would have preferred a jointed solid wood slab made by a carpenter.
The white cabinet has quite large gaps between the top and the ceiling. Has your ceiling been plastered so unevenly, or is there another reason it looks like that?
And currently, the acoustics in the room must be terrible, right? I don’t see anything that could absorb sound or voices. Do you have any plans for that?
And currently, the acoustics in the room must be terrible, right? I don’t see anything that could absorb sound or voices. Do you have any plans for that?
manohara schrieb:
that it "has something." Having just moved in, it still feels like a showroom. When kitchens are actually used, people usually don’t post about whether they work well or prove themselves... and you rarely see photos posted while the kitchen is "in use" 😉
To me, it makes an impression! But I’m a bit unsure whether it’s stylish and lively or rather somewhat gloomy or mournful... even a bit static, meaning not very dynamic. Overall, I’m probably not very fond of an all-black kitchen (although I do like black and anthracite tones). The kitchen might invite me for an espresso now, but not for a creative three-course meal.
Myrna_Loy schrieb:
What I really don’t like at all is the laminated wood panel in a strip pattern on the kitchen island. It looks like cheap DIY store material. I would have preferred a solid wood plank with finger joints from a carpenter. It might be due to the photo quality, but in my opinion it actually looks high quality. After a long discussion, we also decided to go with a piece with a live edge.
Bookstar schrieb:
The white cabinet has quite large gaps at the top towards the ceiling. Was your ceiling plastered unevenly, or why does it look like that?
And right now, the acoustics in the room must be dreadful, right? I don’t see anything that could absorb sound or voices. Do you have plans for that? Unfortunately, the concrete ceiling is not completely flat, and that also affects the walls because the plasterer didn’t do a very good job. Most of the issues on the defect list were attributed to the plasterer. We will seal the gaps with acrylic sealant later; for now, I’m leaving them open because I think this might help with ventilation behind the cabinet. We’ll wait a year to get rid of any remaining construction moisture. The wardrobes, bed, etc., are currently all about 10cm (4 inches) away from the wall.
The hallway is something we still need to figure out, especially since our dog has been deaf for two years and since then expresses himself with loud barking :/
ypg schrieb:
And it’s not photographed or posted when it’s "in use" 😉 Then you wouldn’t be able to see the kitchen for all the pots and pans 😉
But we do use it extensively, both of us enjoy cooking a lot. My wife is always nagging me to photograph it for Instagram, which at least gives a nice overview of what we’ve been eating the past few days 😀
A trip to Germany should definitely be planned sometime. It would be great to see in person all the houses that have been discussed here beyond the usual standard designs. I never really liked the atrium bungalow, but what I see now actually appeals to me surprisingly well.
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