Home Improvement Today?

Today I fixed a gap in my luxury vinyl flooring my office at the door threshold. I got tired of MIND THE GAP!!

The numbskull installer (hahahaha) didn't think about the planks actually sliding when forced........easy fix dough. Just remove base trim on one wall opposite lever the run back in place (moved pretty easy) then cut and fit some wood filler blocks under the drywall (and trim naturally) to hard stop movement. Pin trim back in place with 18g e nailer. Vacuum. Done. Hug wife.

 

I LOVE the layout shown in your sketch! What's wrong? Many buyers would snap that up.

What's on the other side of the shitter behind the dining area?

 

Laundry area.

we don’t hate the layout we just don’t know how to use it. We prefer the living room with the fireplace for hanging out in, and we will open it up that little bit to the kitchen when we remodel the kitchen.

we just don’t know what to do with the front living room. We don’t use it, because there’s not a good furniture layout that doesn’t block the large window. Do we just make it a sitting room? A useless sitting room haha

 

Just keep it open with light furniture, IMHO. I would not spend a dime remodeling it unless it looks old/tired. IMHO.

 

I appreciate that, makes my wallet happier. It definitely needs cosmetic (the fireplace living room is all paneling lol) and the kitchen is “updated” but just like 2000s style. We can afford to do those updates over the next couple of years and maximize our profits.

 

While you guy are doing design, where would you stuff electrical outlets for counter appliances? I currently plan for one gang right of the range, double gang left of range, single right of sink in a double with the disposal switch, then undecided on left of sink and leaning double gang. The rest are all floor height.

 

Have you considered Plug mold? Out of sight and multiple outlets per cabinet.

Link

 

It's a good layout already but if you're set on making a change how about boxing in the 'eat-in' area turning that into your pantry, knocking out the existing pantry, and move the fridge over to the pennisula (which would now just be a bank of uppers and lowers on the wall backing onto the new pantry. One plus from this is you won't be eating breakfast in the 'eat-in' area while hearing someone is making room for breakfast in the bathroom right beside you.

This also would tighten up the 'working triangle' for the kitchen (Fridge/Stove/Sink). You could throw a small island approximately where the fridge is now, all depending on your feng shui feelings of impeding the 'hall that comes from the livingroom, thru the kitchen, down to the bathroom.

This would open up into your current dining area and then that could be your main dining area (instead of having the two tables).

If you have you want to go whole hog, you could have a window above the sink, and one in the dining room to really increase the natural light in those rooms. Sky's the limit really.

 

I like that idea and have considered it too, for the same reason you said…the toilet. But the eat in area is really just some barstools for us right now. We don’t eat in there because it’s too small for a table. There’s also a large window in that space that gives a ton of great light but of course you wouldn’t have known that since I didn’t say haha. Here’s a picture

 

As many as possible...id run a couple left of sink and one on the end of the counter to right of barstools

 

That outer cabinet edge is worth considering. I’d personally like it clean myself.

 

Make em all duplex outlets.

 

Sounds good the way you have it. I'd think about your major appliances and where you want them then add a couple more. Mine are all recessed/hidden under the top bank of cabinets except for the single gfci to the right of my sink. Previous owners doing. It's kind of a pain to creak your neck to find the outlet plug every time.

 

First off, I wouldn't use a single receptacle unless you need a dedicated outlet for a high draw device. Put duplex in everywhere.

For the disposal switch, my sink is in an island so they used an air switch which is nice and clean on the countertop.

All of my receptacles are mounted to the bottom of the upper cabinets like @MGMDesertTaco 's. Our most used appliances just stay out on the counter so there isn't too much changing out for us.

I will second the end of the peninsula receptacle, too. I use that one constantly. If you'd like one there but want it concealed, the other end of my island has one like this:



Thrown an extension on your right side under the overhang and put one on the inside face.

 

I have a similar project I need to start and using the old floor boards is something I didn't think of. Thanks!

 

add usb outlet on either side of the barstools. Or under in the middle.

 

Great progress today for working solo. Got the long run of cabinets and a couple uppers installed. That wall was so out of square I ended up 1/2" off the wall at the end of the long run and 1" off the wall at the left of the corner cabinet. There's only 1 cabinet to the left of that and I can probably bring that back to 5/8". I attached all the cabinets to each other before determining the final position. Was able to shift the entire assembly. Not a big deal as the range will be there. Everything is plumb, level and straight. Those long floor shims worked great. I like to put blocking (1/2" in this case) along the back edge of the cabinets to keep them running straight. Also I ended up even where the far right cabinet meets the dining room floor. So all in all, given the situation, I'm quite pleased. Oh, customer is going with granite (or some stone) countertops. They should be able to custom fit that to the irregular walls.

 

You guys like them outlets in the cabinets it seems?

We're doing only one single at this point, the one nearest the door (leads to garage) since that counter is tiny AF and orphaned by the range, can't see using it for more than one thing and ideally it'd stay pretty clear/clean though maybe that's the spot for the smart speaker and/or motion sensor nightlight.
Then doubles left of range, right of sink and a triple left of sink over the peninsula. I wonder how that triple will look but it'll be nice to not have a strip, that's where the fish tank will go so lots of low power stuff and the light on a smartplug.

I do very much like decora rockers for disposal vs anything in/on the counter.
One thing I never use is the light above the sink, I like the entire kitchen well lit when washing dishes vs just a spotlight.

I kinda hate cords dangling from under-counter cabinet mounted outlets. That triggers my OCD. We use a cordless vacuum.

Thanks everyone for all the thoughts. Definitely prefer doubles where multiple appliances can be used, so much better than singles and looks nice too. Wish I had done that for the two singles in our last kitchen.

 

ah well you've got a nice bright kitchen space! I wouldn't change much then. The house we're in now is great, but there are features we're not in love with. We've weighed making bigger changes but I've worried that it'll snowball into updating the entire house as it progresses (yay open concept design... arg) But we're taking it as live in experience for when we design and build our next house once the kids move out.... sometime around 2040-2050 I recon

 

Haha! I feel that. I’m tired of renovating but I want to maximize profits. This house is 4700 sq ft (full basement) and if I spend a couple of years updating it at a minimum cosmetically I’ll be set to make a cool couple hundred grand…