| I bought my first home in 2005 and my wife and | | | | several thousand dollars while an inlaid model was |
| I had several requirements. We wanted all brick | | | | a little cheaper. We decided on an inlaid model and |
| for maintenance and durability, a fenced in yard | | | | proceeded to find just the right one. I searched all |
| for the kids and the dog, and a functional kitchen. | | | | over to find a good deal on a stove and finally I |
| After looking at new builds and older homes we | | | | went to Sears I happened to go into the pick-up |
| finally settled on a ranch style house that met all | | | | entrance by accident on saw a side room for |
| but a couple of our requirements. The price was | | | | discounted returned items or floor models. What |
| good so we decided to buy and later remodel the | | | | do you know there was a brand new never been |
| kitchen to meet our needs. We had been in the | | | | used downward venting stove at $900 dollars less |
| house several months and completely settled in | | | | then any other model I had seen. I purchased it |
| when we decided it was time for our remodeling | | | | and the decision was made. |
| project. | | | | After the dilemma was resolved it was time to |
| The original design Had a den/living room area | | | | get to work. I ripped out the wall and cabinets |
| separating the kitchen with a thin non support wall | | | | took out the stove and microwave. I enlisted my |
| which had the stove and oven combo and | | | | brother to help with the lifting and when finished |
| cabinets above the stove was a range hood for | | | | we had a clean slate to work with. We patched |
| ventilation. After careful evaluation I started | | | | the ceiling where the vent hood pipe had gone up |
| imagining a design we could create from the | | | | then started on the island. We bought pre-made |
| existing floor plan that would maximize our living | | | | cabinets from Home Depot and at around $60 |
| space. We decided to tear down the non support | | | | dollars a piece and stained them ourselves. We |
| wall and create an island with an attached bar. | | | | framed the stove with the two new cabinet |
| The project consisted of ripping out the existing | | | | pieces then cut a hole in the floor for the |
| cabinetry and stove and microwave/ vent and | | | | downward facing vent. Above the stove we |
| replace them with new appliances. The questions | | | | installed a hanging light tied into the existing switch. |
| arose about; If we were going to replace the | | | | For the bar we built a 2x4 frame behind the |
| stove and vent hood whether or not to replace | | | | stove and screwed them into the new cabinets. |
| with a vent hood that came down from the | | | | For the counter tops we tiled, I say we but by |
| ceiling or some other mechanism for ventilating | | | | brother was the one who did it. For the bar top I |
| the cooking area. After doing some research | | | | got a 12 inch oak plank and nailed a nice trim to |
| there were several options for both. Vent hoods | | | | the sides. We stained the bar with the same stain |
| can cost up to several thousand dollars so I really | | | | as the cabinets and bought a couple of nice bar |
| looked hard for an alternative. There are two | | | | stools. |
| major types of built in stove vents telescoping | | | | All in all the project ran me around $3500 dollars. |
| and inlaid. The telescoping vent models come up | | | | The beauty is that with walkways on either side |
| out of the back or from the middle of the stove | | | | of the bar access to the kitchen is doubled. My |
| heads. The inlaid is a vent that is about four | | | | kids love to sit at the bar and eat and now that |
| inches wide down the middle or back of the | | | | we have been living in the home for 4 years we |
| stove heads. The telescoping models were | | | | can't even imagine what it was like the old way. |