Kitchen DIY (1)

兩個月前決定翻修廚房，中間遇到了許多問題，也學了不少東西。難怪大家說廚房是裝修中最貴的，需要設計，拆除，木工，電工，水工，泥瓦工，等等。不用說全家一個月不能做飯了。現在把過程記錄下來，希望對大家有幫助。今天是第一貼，廚房設計。

Before as in Before & After:





舊廚房的問題很多：Cabinets are plastic Formica, old (rusty) wall oven, rundown dish washer, wornout plastic sink, old plastic floor thats no longer clearnable...needs more countertop, storage space, most of all, the cooktop is half working....Time for a complete do-over!!

First step is to research, pick out cabinets and design the space. We tried three places. Went to HomeDepot first, decide on colors and styles. The designer was half helpful but gave some good tips on where to put range, etc. When we got the price quote, we are looking at $10,000 - $15,000 for a quality cabinets. Also tried local distributors that service contractors, quality is better than homedepot but still within the same price range. We checked out Allwoodsfast from Costco.com, although lack of bells and whistles, only $7000-8000 for some good quality cabinets. The Costco designer was experienced too. A few conference calls later. Below are the design and effects:





For DIYers, a few things are very important at this step. First the measurement is critical. Make sure follow the measurement guide closely and leave enough space for the cabinets (you can always fill the gaps with fillers). Secondly, careful planning of plumbing and electric. Make sure where you want the sink and range, frig, and other appliances, what to do with heating, how to handle vent (esp. chinese cooking), etc.