...what would it look like?
...what kind of counters would you have?
...one dishwasher or two?
...drawer style dishwasher or traditional kind?
...warming drawers/refrigerator drawers?
...butcher's block island?
Please share with me what your ideas are on a "Dream Kitchen"! Do's & Don'ts....whatever!! I'm currently in the process of planning my kitchen out (earlier post "Long time no cake!") and just started wondering about other people's kitchens. Ya know how you go to someone's house & see something & think "I love that! What a great idea!"
Day-dream with me! 
Jenn
I would have a big Island in the middle of the floor with plenty of cabinet and drawer space and deep sink with running water.
Two dish washers (as large as they go), one @ the island and the other one @ the regular counter.
Refridgerator with the freezer @ the bottom instead of the top, more freezer room.
Double oven to cook those cakes!!!
Will post more as I think of them.
MIne would have alot of stainless in it. the colors would be similar to those on 30 minute meals. Minus the yellow. For my counters i wold totally need something that doesnt show alot of wear as i am always in there making something. at least 3 ovens. teh double stacked and then one with my stove top. Must b e electric i cant stand to cook on gas top. I want one of those double door fridges where the whole thing is a fridge. and a freezer just as big. I have 3 sons who eat a lot already and they arent even teens yet. Dishwasher yes of course. i want the ones that wash in like 5 minutes. Im not into the traditional look so i would want something contemporary and modern. No natural wood but no white. NOt only do i make cakes but i also do thanksgiving at my house and last year i had a heck of a time making 3 turkeys and 8 pies so i need all the oven space i can get. LOL We had about 35 people over. AS far as the actual drawers my grandma had the kind that once you opened the door the storage space was realy like 3 times as big as the standard so i would definatly want something like that. OK sorry i am going on and on. i think you guys get the idea i need a kitchen the size of my house. LOL!!!!
I agree with the double door refrigerator and separate freezer just as big. I know that stainless is the way to go in a comm. kitchen but for my home I would want granite countertops. Burned 2 spots in my formica one with baking strips (another story). I would like a Viking oven with 2 sides for baking--gas, electric--doesn't matter. I have a pretty big kitchen now but my ideal kitchen would be twice the size and a large dining room because we do the holidays here.
Oh my! My dream kitchen.....! It would definitely be big! Lots of cabinets (white) and a double wall oven, huge gas stove with built in grill. 3 door stainless steel frig with the freezer on the bottom. Large island with small sink and stainless steel top. Apron front white sink. Walk in pantry. Built in storage and decorating area of course. Drawer front stainless steel dishwasher (just one). Hardwood floor. Soft yellow walls with tangerine and lime accents. Lots of lights so its really bright. I could probably think of more but I'll stop there. I think about this alot since we have done nothing to our kitchen since we moved into our house 3 years ago. It needs alot of work but it'll cost alot of money we don't have so I have to make do.
Heather
Wow! I can't believe this post! I am actually in the design stage for a new kitchen myself! We just received the 1st preliminary drawing, and I have a lot of changes I want to make already! Although, the designer did incorporate all the items I requested, he told me that once I saw the drawing I could move everything if I wanted, and then he'll redo.
I requested a lot of the things everyone has mentioned - double ovens and a range w/oven (we do Thanksgiving at my house too!), and some other must-haves! A separate baking and decorating area for cakes, a second pantry for cake pans, boards, boxes, etc., a vertical shelf for cookie and muffin pans, etc.
I have really had a hard time picturing the kitchen before we got the drawings, as we will be adding on a room to the house for the kitchen, and it will be open to the family room and the dining room. Right now, I'm nearly obsessed with watching every show on HGTV about kitchen design!
Great post! I can't wait to hear more ideas from everyone!
What great ideas everyone! I like the idea of the big fridge/freezer...what I'm going to see if I can do is get two of those big-door-on-top/roll-out-bin-on-bottom ones....but make one entire one a fridge and the other all freezer. It seems like I've seen this done before, but can't remember where. Definitely want an island with a sink in it and possibly a 2nd dishwasher...if not initially, we can always add another one later.
susanmm23 - I'm with you on the 3 ovens! ha We have a big family, but no one's house is really big enough for all of us...and since there's already 5 of us in my family, we're building a fairly large house...almost 3600 sq ft. It's time for everyone to come to our house for gatherings/holidays...tired of traveling to Atlanta every other year to my Dad's & tired of being cramped at everyone else's house...plus I think they're all tired of having everyone over to their house...they've been doing it for years, after all!! I'm ready to play hostess...but gotta have 3 ovens to do that! I want the double wall ovens, electric...but a professional gas stove/oven...one with 6 burners, griddle/grill and the regular sized oven and small oven on the bottom. I prefer electric for baking...more reliable....but for savory things like turkey, casseroles, etc, I prefer gas.
Here's a couple of things I've decided on for sure over the past week:
Linoleum floors - not vinyl, but real linoleum...I think they call it Marmoleum now, or maybe that's the brand name. It's like that old ugly floor that was in your grandmother/great-grandmother's kitchen that's sort of speckled or looked like tiles...but now it's much more modern/hip. Great colors and patterns and it's much softer on your feet, but gives great support at the same time. It can get wet and not warp or stain like wood sometimes can if you don't wipe it up real quick. And now it can be installed in one (or two) big pieces, not just in tile form. Plus, since it's a little more cushioned, things are less likely to break when you drop them, if you're a clutz like me!! hehe Here's a link to the material I'm talking about..... http://www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/framework/DesktopDefault.aspx?lr=1
Half stainless steel/half butcher block topped island w/sink and a cut-out in the counter (with a removable "lid") that has a trash can underneath (inside the cabinet part of the island)...Jamie Oliver "The Naked Chef" had a butcher block island with this...he just chopped all his stuff on the counter, then stuck his finger in the hole of the "lid" to remove it & then just swept all his trash over the hole & it drops into the garbage can...great idea!
Huge, undivided, stainless steel sink that's really deep.
Pendant lights over the island.
Stainless steel counters on either side of the stove.
Has anyone ever heard of or does anyone have soapstone countertops? They're a little less pricey than granite, I hear, but I'm not sure abou the durability. I like the charcoal grey color & they have veins of light grey/white here and there.... 
JennT,
Can I come and cook at your house? That is going to be a gorgeous
kitchen!!! Good for you!
As for the soapstone, I think that Martha Stewrt's main kitchen on her old show has a soapstone countertop with the sink being soapstone as well. She oiled it with something to make it darker and softer. She had a whole episode on it and I thought it was pretty darn nice at the time...
Have fun with your kitchen! It's not everyday we get to do something like this!
I think all of you have mentioned many of the items that I would love but here are some more. I'd love a built in bookcase so I can display all the nice cookbooks that I've accumulated. I've been doing dishes by hand for four years now so a Fisher & Paykel drawer dishwasher would be awesome! I'd also like a custom built rolling stand for my KitchenAid so I can wheel it out to use it and push it back and close a cabinet door when I'm finished. I could go on forever.....
Bikegal,
I have the Fisher & Paykel dish drawers - I love them! We just finished remodeling our small kitchen. I have granite countertops, stainless steel two door fridge/freezer, oven with built-in warmer drawer and microwave, and a separate small oven, electric stove top with interchangeable cartridges - 2 two ring ceramic rings, griddle and grill/. My husband also turned the old furnace cupboard (new furnace in loft) into a pantry. He can't believe I filled it already. In an ideal world, I'd like a bigger kitchen, but am happy that I've got the upgrades I wanted. My hubby even built me a shed for the old fridge/freezer and all my cake decorating stuff, so I'm a happy bunny
bb 
BritBB, just rub it in! 
I have the basics right now so I won't complain. I went from stainless steel appliances, granite, etc. to Harvest Gold with 1960's linoleum/wallpaper. We bought an older house when we moved to Illinois. Its been painful updating this house, who knew a whole house could come with so much wallpaper! If any of you have taken down wallpaper before you know how much pain I've been through!
We remodled our small kitchen a couple of years ago. Just before they came out with that two door fridge. So we have stainless side by side, smooth top range, micro/convection/hood combo Got my first dishwasher, which was great. I lost the battle for the counter tops, i wanted granite, i got corian, it does scratch, but is repairable I have the intergrated sink which i like, its really deep and theres no seams to clean around. I have laminate stone look flooring which i love and would do again.
For my dream kitchen, there would be a maid and it would be at least twice as big as it is. And since i haven't hit the lottery i guess i don't have to worry about that.
BIG. Lot's of windows....bare, no coverings....earthy colored tile floor....walk out to pergola covered stone patio...stainless everything...mildly textured walls in natural faux painting....butcher block island...walk-in pantry/storage closet....some cabinet doors...some open cabinets....tin ceiling....reading area with overstuffed chair and lamp....wired sound speakers from main stereo/radio source.....favorite quote or two painted near ceiling height in tone just darker than wall paint...small area rug under chair/lamp...recessed lights.....fireplace......limited walls to blend into family room area....
My husband wants to build me a "cake kitchen" in our basement and I want a customized table that is tall and kidney shaped so that I can sit on a tall swivel stool right in the middle and have pleanty of counter space around me. My back always ends up hurting from standing so long and bending over the island in our kitchen. I am to tall for our counters.
Also I want lots of shelves and drawers for supplies along with some good lighting!
OOOHH unlimited baking room ... 4ovens.....
KA is several funky colors ... to keep me happy.........
and island with storage for each item.....
ill have to think of more...but one thing for sure not the tsainless because I dont like the commerial look!
[quote="tripletmom"]JennT,
Can I come and cook at your house? That is going to be a gorgeous
kitchen!!! Good for you!quote]
Sure!! Come on down!! hehehe That's exactly why I need a big kitchen...'cause there's always more than one person wanting to cook something at the same time around here!! My DH is a GREAT cook too, so I want the kitchen to be big enough & have enough ovens & stove with more than 4 burners so that we can cook together at the same time, instead of bumping into each other & waiting for the other to finish. The more the merrier seems to be our motto around here!! (Guess that's why I keep having babies!!! hehehe maybe we need a new motto! )
Sooo many great ideas on kitchens, you guys! Keep 'em coming! 
Another thing I've decided is to have a kids playroom right off the kitchen, where a screened porch is supposed to be. I was looking at the plan last night and had an A-HA moment!! Where the door to the screened porch is, which is at one end of the kitchen, I could just put in one of those dutch-doors (the ones that you can open the top half of it & the bottom half can stay closed) and keep the windows on either side of the door so that I can see in there & keep an eye on the kids without having to walk over and look through the doorway. Since I seem to spend so much time either in the kitchen or the utility room I can have the kids close by but not underfoot & occupied, and since any screened in porches are included in the square footage & our permits here are based on sq. footage, we might as well close it in & get better use of it!
Hi Jenn,
It's real stone.It is a picture of one of the showhomes here!!
I wish I had a showhome with a kitchen that had items in it that I THINK I want in my kitchen, ya know? So I could see it all together and decide what I like/dislike. Looking at pictures & websites and going to appliance/flooring/hardware/surface material showrooms and seeing everything separately is sometimes hard when you have to put it all together in your mind. I just pray I make the right decisions and it comes out the way I envision it 'cause there won't be any changing it 'till my kids are in college, probably!! lol 
I would like everything stainless steel, maybe even the cabinets. The floor tiles. I really want a closed in kitchen! Closed from the rest of the house. I would like it to have a door going out to a screened in patio w/ a table & chairs, wicker couch & chairs w/ coffee table. I would like a tv, radio, dvd player in my kitchen. I have 2 stoves already but one is small. I would like to have 2 large stoves. I would like to have the sink in the middle of the kitchen & have counter tops & cabinets all around it. Also enough room to have bar stools so I can sit & decorate my cakes. I want a huge walk in pantry!! Of course I want a large very large icebox. Upright deepfreeze. Another closet for brooms, mops & cleaning supplies. I'd also like that thing that you put above you island to hang pots & pans on. Don't know what it's called LOL. I actually like the kitchen I have now! I would add all those things to it. I have a beautiful picture window & I love it! I also have plenty of room I would just love more counter tops. A closed in kitchen is a must! I hate it being open to the living room & dining room.
This topic is good conversation!!
tc - I agree about having a closed off kitchen...while I want my kitchen to be "pretty", I also want the option of hiding the horrendous mess I can tend to make in case I have drop-by visitors!! You know - the kind that never call before they come!!?? 
hehehe It looks like we'll have 3 doors going into the kitchen - one from the dining room, one from behind the stairway, and another from the family room.....so I'm thinking about putting in those swinging doors with either a little "porthole" window in them or a little transom window above it that way light will still get into the kitchen. I also realized that the doors would help keep cooking odors (the bad ones) out of the rest of the house a little.
I want two dishwashers, a comercial size stove w/oven, maybe a convection oven, too, a huge fridge, good lighting, and most important is a huge walk-in pantry. I would love to be able to get my food out of my cabinet space and be able to put my cake stuff and small appliences in there as well. Although, I saw this cool cabinet attachment (on Food Net. Kitchen remodles) where you set your mixer on the shelf and when you need to use it the shelf lifts out of the cabinet.
...what would it look like?
HUGE room combined with a great big ranch style kitchen tabe that comfortably seats 12 or more. If it were up to me, I'd do away with the LR and replace it with a massive eat in kitchen ! Its where I spend all my time.
...what kind of counters would you have?
Corian or marble or a combination of the two
...one dishwasher or two?
one works just fine....but a quality maytag or Bosch is a must! Traditional kind is great. Never really looked at a drawer style
...warming drawers/refrigerator drawers?
hey if we're talking "dream kitchen" where money is not an object, absolulety!
...butcher's block island?
Absolutely with a great big wrought iron pot wrack hanging overhead, wine and wine glass rack included somewhere.
Last but not least, cork flooring for comfort and warmth, big sunny bay windows for those fresh herb pots....
need to win that lottery!
I want the kitchen that they made for the Martha Stewart show....something on that order, but with my touches here and there.....
I wouldn't know where to begin on explaining what I want... and I want it closed off from the rest of the house too... my cake stuff would be in a separate room too... I make too much of a mess when I'm baking and I don't want my new kitchen looking a mess...LOL....
I want it all....the latest technology...everything I can fit in it...I want it....LOL..
Ohhh I have been wating for a topic like this!! No one understand my enthusiasm when I talk about my kitchen 
OK, well I have my kitchen designed out (for the most part we know how thing change) Because my BF and I do plan on designing and building a house someday.... but the longer we wait the more expensive it seems to become 
We actually have our floor plans laid out and the general layout of what we want. We have been "fine tuning" for awhile though.
The kitchen will be between the family dining area and the Formal dining room. On the Family side there will be a counter top with room for stools on the opposite side. However to break this area up and kinda divide the rooms from the wall to the end of the countertop there will be pillars coming up from each end with an arch over top the counter (ok not your general pillars just not sure what other term to use) In the family area that area keeps changing design.
On the formal side there will be a removable wall of sorts. So we can open it up (because the rest of our house is fairly open) There will be a counter top that the wall goes "over" So the counter top is in the Kitchen and the Dining area. This way I can stage food on the kitchen side, open up the wall and slide it over (before guest arrive) But then the counter will match through the rooms if we have the wall "open"
On to the Kitchen!! Well for starters we have to have two different height counter tops throughout the kitchen. I am only 5ft and my BF is 6ft 6in. So we both enjoy being in the kitchen but can be uncomfortable for either one of us depending on the counter height. Also I will have pull out steps under neath my countertops (since I am so short) I currently have a step stool in my kitchen so I can reach the top shelves when my DBF isn't around. I can't decide what I want for countertops yet. We'll have a wood/stainless look throughout though (i can't leave out stainless since this is my FT job)
My favorite part is the island. I want a large island! I will probably have all my cake stuff in the storage area here. 1/4 will be butcherblock top 1/4 stainless steel 1/4 regular counter top with that neat trash thing and a small wash sink The last 1/4 will be marble top with the ability to heat and cool, depending on what I am working on.
Appliances: Dishwasher (I have gone to many years with out one-I am the dishwasher) Fridge-Double, one side freezer otherside fridge. Deep freeze (so i'm not going to the basement or garage all the time) Double wall oven and then a full size oven with stove-I would prefer a commercial one but after everything else I want, I think I could settle for a standard version.
Floor-We go back and forth between a stone look and a wood floor. But I want the heating under the floor, expecially since i'm in the kitchen so much.
Oh I also want the neet "dirt" vacuum. I saw it on a show one time that they just sweept their kitchen near a spot under their counters hit a button, a little door opened then it sucked away the dirt.
Ok, I think I got a little carried away here, hopefully I didn't bore anyone too much - I have just had to much time to think about this
Kiddiekakes-that is an awesome kitchen, I had never seen an "island" done that way before. I will have to keep that in mind when I change my mind again lol.
Has anyone seen the extreme home makeover with the Harrison Family, they gave her own separte kitchen right next to the family kitchen, so she could run her catering business out of it. It had its own double oven, dishwasher, stainless steel fridge. That would be my dream kitchen (s) to have 2 of them.
...what would it look like? Wide OPEN!!!
...what kind of counters would you have? Blue Marble
...one dishwasher or two? My husband does the dishes, I guess just one
...drawer style dishwasher or traditional kind? drawer style
...warming drawers/refrigerator drawers?
...butcher's block island? I HATE islands..
This is not exactly what I would want but it's pretty close. I would just prefer to have all stainless steel appliances and marble floors instead of wood. Also, the color of the cabinets would have to be a tiny bit lighter than that. Everything else is perfect!!
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