The Shaker Cherry Kafe cabinets are the Itasca style from 6 Square. The doors and frames are real cherry, not maple with a reddish stain. 6 Square is a well-constructed framed stock line with a limited lifetime warranty. The full extension drawer slides are soft-close Blums with a 90-lb. weight rating, and the door hinges are also soft-close Blums.

Question: Where did our old ugly microwave go? Answer: it's behind doors in the pantry! Microwaves are bulky but don't need a lot of ventilation, so putting the microwave behind doors was an easy decision. Be sure to put an electric outlet in your closet if you want to put a microwave in there. And a word of caution: don't try this with a toaster oven! The C family's toaster oven will live on the counter left of the little closet.

Mr. and Mrs. C had outgrown their small kitchen with limited counter space and no place to put things. Goals included kosher amenities like 2 sinks and 2 dishwashers; a breakfast bar or a small table in the kitchen; better storage and counter space; and a bigger dining room. The C family was willing to give up a bedroom on the main floor to make room for this. The wall between the old kitchen and small dining room came down to make a spacious dining room. We closed off a door to the hallway but added 2 new openings between the new kitchen and the dining room. The resulting traffic flow is smooth, and the new kitchen is airy. It packs a lot of storage and counter space for its size. None of the walls presented any structural difficulties.

A budget remodel can look good and work well too! Money-saving choices include: laminate counters and backsplash instead of granite, drop-in sinks, a simple cabinet style, stock cabinets that go up to 7' tall rather than up to the 8' ceiling, and a very simple top molding.

Yes, you really can find drop-in 60-40 sinks. The larger bowl on this sink is for meat, and the smaller bowl is for pareve. There is also a single sink on the peninsula for dairy,

The Shaker Cherry Kafe cabinets are the Itasca style from 6 Square. The doors and frames are real cherry, not maple with a reddish stain. 6 Square is a well-constructed framed stock line with a limited lifetime warranty. The full extension drawer slides are soft-close Blums with a 90-lb. weight rating, and the door hinges are also soft-close Blums.

Question: Where did our old ugly microwave go? Answer: it's behind doors in the pantry! Microwaves are bulky but don't need a lot of ventilation, so putting the microwave behind doors was an easy decision. Be sure to put an electric outlet in your closet if you want to put a microwave in there. And a word of caution: don't try this with a toaster oven! The C family's toaster oven will live on the counter left of the little closet.

Mr. and Mrs. C had outgrown their small kitchen with limited counter space and no place to put things. Goals included kosher amenities like 2 sinks and 2 dishwashers; a breakfast bar or a small table in the kitchen; better storage and counter space; and a bigger dining room. The C family was willing to give up a bedroom on the main floor to make room for this. The wall between the old kitchen and small dining room came down to make a spacious dining room. We closed off a door to the hallway but added 2 new openings between the new kitchen and the dining room. The resulting traffic flow is smooth, and the new kitchen is airy. It packs a lot of storage and counter space for its size. None of the walls presented any structural difficulties.

A budget remodel can look good and work well too! Money-saving choices include: laminate counters and backsplash instead of granite, drop-in sinks, a simple cabinet style, stock cabinets that go up to 7' tall rather than up to the 8' ceiling, and a very simple top molding.