We are the second owners of this house. Let me preface this post by saying, and I am quoting myself, "I can only recommend stainless appliances if they come with a Valium prescription." Stainless steel - no. Brushed stainless or coordinating wood cabinetry panels - yes.
The stove wall was updated with appliances, backsplash, knobs and island. The fridge wall was totally remodeled.
The original kitchen:

After:

main sink before:

after:

The fridge wall was totally remodeled. See that fridge below? The bane of my existence. I'll detail later. Before:

after:

I love how the appliances disappear in to the cabinetry.
Before (below):

after:

New cabinetry (maple) will darken to match the other side - takes about three months. I replaced a door back in 2004 and within three months it blended perfectly and still looks great.
While planning this layout, I identified work zones/hot spots/congestion issues and their underlying reasons. I successfully design new, functional work zones and incorporated these seamlessly with this remodel.
We recycled the white microwave, range, dishwasher and garage side-by-side, fridge/freezer unit by telling friends we had these working appliances, then finding wonderful friends of friends that needed/wanted them.
I had everything professionally installed. The only DIY I handled was the rip out of the old backsplash. I am old enough to know my limits, the value of my time and others, and where my talents are and aren't.
Cabinetry was built in Pennsylvania by a company with a green philosophy. The cabinetry style and stain in the original kitchen that I love are still in production so fortunately the newly added cabinetry matches. Appliances were made in Madison, Wisconsin (hi Lana!) and Illinois.
Phase one was the sink/range side of the kitchen.

- replaced gas stove with dual fuel - best of both worlds. Manufacturer uses a cast iron frame - no stamped steel.
- removed and hid microwave (rarely used - I severely dislike the taste of any microwave cooking, including popcorn). Had a ten-inch duct installed to accommodate the new hood. New microwave is housed in the pantry on a dedicated circuit. It sits, largely unused. I melt butter in it when cooking. That's about it.
- Replaced old dishwasher that used nine gallons of water per load with one that uses three, and is silent when operational.
- replaced cabinet hardware
- removed ceramic backsplash (I did this - fun and messy) and replaced with a lovely porcelain one
- installed undercabinet task lighting
- installed pot filler:

- new pendant light above sink (changing the light bulbs in the old style was a royal PITA)
- removed plantation shutters and replaced worn sill and window moulding
- new faucet at sink
- removed builder grade island; I designed a new one and had a custom one built and installed.
The new island:
- Local wood artisan Bob Deichler (Bob the Builder as my kids call him) built the custom island and functional cabinet above the hood, concealing the duct. Paint was custom mixed so any touch ups can be done with a black Sharpie marker.
- Island features soft-close drawers (I had Bob re-do all the existing drawers in the kitchen with this amazing style rail), a recycling station - double 50 quart containers with soft-close rev-a-shelf (with composting we recycle twice the amount of regular trash - regular trash is in a pull out under the sink):

- drawers for 'working': baking/mixing on one side:

- Serving dishes on the other side:


- Lovely utensil drawer - clear dividers are from lifestylesystems.com. Most drawers are lined with Sydney cardstock - October Afternoon Boarding Pass line.

Old utensil drawer is now the knife and serving utensil drawer:

- A pull-out shelf to house my 35-year-old workhorse - my KA mixer. I purposely did not do a Rev-A-Shelf Appliance Lift for the simple fact that when one uses a mixer, where is the stray flour/sugar/etc going to go? If using an appliance lift it's going on the floor. Then one will traipse it through the entire kitchen and surrounding areas. Or the kids will. I'd rather lift the mixer from the pull out shelf onto a countertop and have a contained mess to deal with.

- counter top is Dupont Corian - Martha Stewart Sea Salt. It pulls the maple of the cabinetry, the hardwood flooring and the black of the island together nicely.
Phase two involved the refrigerator/desk side of the kitchen.
- moved built-in desk and some upper cabinetry to the kids' playroom. I have an office and my husband has an office - plus everyone uses laptops - a desk in the kitchen was a waste of space and a hot spot/dump zone that could be put to much better use.
- moved stainless French door fridge to garage - bye bye Mr. Fingerprint Magnet. I hated you Mr. Stainless, and you are probably the main reason for this remodel. So go wipe yourself in the garage now. ha. No seriously - I was tempted to take a brillo pad to the damn thing - it drove me absolutely nuts with fingerprints, smudges and the like. Non-brushed stainless is like dark hardwood floors (that need to be dusted daily) - they are lovely and ideal when the kids are all off to college and you have live-in cleaning staff. As I stated earlier, I can recommend stainless appliances only if they come with a Valium prescription. I am pleased I no longer have to clean the entire stainless unit once (sometimes up to three times) a day and yes, the new dishwasher and range are brushed stainless and resist fingerprints. Thank GOODNESS.

bye bye mr. stainless. You will not be missed. Oh and the egg cartons are for my local farmer that raises chickens. We go through maybe three to four dozen a week.

- new cabinetry wraps around the outside corner, complete with undercabinet task lighting and countertop to match existing Dupont Corian from other side of kitchen. Granite is sooo not for me - it's a personal thing...chipping, sealing, cracking - I don't wish to deal with it. I really like and need the ability to get Sharpie marker out of anything, and I can do that with Corian, then there's the whole concept of repairing scratches and dents on-site, plus the seamless sink thing...

- added 23.4 cubic foot, full fridge, with wood front. The all-refrigerator uses the same amount of electricity as a 100-watt light bulb. It's 36-inches wide and counter-depth (24-inches deep). A built-in fridge that is flush with cabinetry means nothing gets 'lost' in the back. High visibility of contents makes finding anything effortless. The sheer volume of storage power means no more trips to the garage fridge for drinks during large gatherings.

- added two, under-counter freezer drawers. These are fabulous. No icemaker in these so the space is maximized.


- removed plastic tubing water line to old fridge/freezer ice maker, and added a new copper water line with hard shut-off for the dedicated ice maker - stores 26 pounds of ice! Makes 65 pounds of gourmet cubed ice in 24 hours. And it's quiet.
- installed second sink along with porcelain backsplash to coordinate with phase one materials and style.

- added outlets and moved phone jack to upper cabinet of non-sink wall, to conceal land line phone, answering machine, electric pencil sharpener and the i-phone/pod charge port. This keeps the counters clutter-free.
Love how the refrigerator is flush with the cabinetry and does not jut out into the traffic path.
before:

after:

The French door fridge/freezer in the garage can handle any enormous party platters for large gatherings.
I designed the second sink next to the ice maker to use primarily as a coffee station in the mornings. This new area for coffee aleviated a morning congestion area in the old layout. The second sink, due to its proximity to the ice maker, is ideal for keeping white wine/champagne chilled, gaining easy access to open bottles, versus opening the fridge for said beverages - simply fill the sink with ice and you've got a decent-sized ice bucket with a built-in drain. I opted for another seamless Corian sink for the effortless cleaning and streamlined appearance.
Life is much smoother now. This is a kitchen I want to live in.