kitchen reno...is this even possible??

Depends on how fussy your co-op is about submission of plans, GCs, insurance, etc. If it's an easy board, absolutely.

I guess I should've mentioned I'm excluding all the fees for permits/paperwork/filing/expediting, etc from this $45k number. This number is really just for the actual work/materials/appliances etc. I'm being told that this is a very tight budget and I'm flabbergasted! Do custom cabinets really cost $20k??

What do you mean by "custom" cabinets? I have custom (wood) cabinets (2 years ago) from a carpenter based in NJ, cost (including installation of cabinets, but not electricity/plumbing/gas/countertops) for a 16 X 8 kitchen approx. 16k.

If you're talking about the Manhattan shops like NYKB, yep, I can see 20k. Shop around. At this price point, you may be just as happy with Kraftmaid or equiv.

Regarding custom cabinets, I meant not from a kitchen design store, rather an architect/designer who would do them. She said the cabinets alone would be about $20k. I was thinking 12k to 16k was doable. And apparently there is no room for wood cabinets in the 45k budget, hence the mdf.

Then her carpenter is $$$. I had architects do the drawings for cabs based on an idea I had (can't tease out arch. fee bcs it was part of a bigger job), and the carpenter executed it for me. If you post your email, I will forward you my carpenter's info.

Thanks, I'd love the rec.

noisegirl44@yahoo.com

nyc10023 is right -- it depends on how prissy your coop board is. Mine isn't at all, and I did a pretty thorough renovation of a slightly larger kitchen, plus engineered wood flooring in my LR and BR, for under $12K. No backsplash, though, and appliances ranged from off-brand to LG to midline GE to Miele.

http://www.leaderelectric.net/
Ikea (Yes, really. You owe it to yourself to carefully consider them before ruling out. Cabinets $3K, assembly/installation $3K)
http://www.e-counters.com/
http://yudinsappliances.com/

Consider shopping for a different architect/designer, by the way.

I love Ikea. If you're doing a modern, streamlined, MDF kitchen - might as well consider them. The interior fittings are awesome.

I saw a galley type kitchen done with white Ikea cabinets, subway tile backsplash, granite countertops - looked really good (think the floors were black granite)

agreed - 20k for cabinets is too much. we got custom made wood (not MDF), for about 12k. weird layout, but a little bigger than 6x8

Have you considered Ikea? If you're doing MdF, why bother with custom cabinets? Then you can do the whole kitchen for 20k

Did my 7X7 kitchen 3 years ago - thomasville cabinets (cherry) from Home Depot about $5,000, tile backsplash and floor tile from Ann Sacks $2,500, contractor $8,500, granite countertop $2,000, viking 24 stove 2,800, Kohler faucet $400. Used the same refridge & dishwasher. Total $22,000 approx (some sundry items not on the list) Hope this helps.

We are currently in the process of doing a 11x7 kitchen, which is somewhat larger than your space. We
have multiple bids for cabinets from Wood-Mode, Downsview, etc. for approximately $20-25. For $15000 you can have a 36"Sub-Zero, Wolf range, Viking microwave and Bosch or Miele dishwasher (Nothing shabby here) Most are price-fixed. At most, the backsplash should run about $2000. A trip out of Manhattan will probably save you money. Sink and faucet are about $1000. Hope this helps.

Using an architect as project manager for a kitchen renovation probably doubles your price of the project. So yes, I can see why you couldn't get everything you want for $22,500. I buy full custom cabinetry (and 99% of the time you hear full custom, it isn't really full custom. Try telling them you want cabinets 22 5/16" wide by 47 3/8" tall. try telling them you don't want to pick from their catalogue of doors, but you want to make you own door pattern with an extra panel here, and extra ogee edge there, a beading here, etc.) "knocked down" from my fabricator in the Midwest (sorry guys, too much of a gem to give up) and for that sized kitchen would spend about $8K plus the labor here to assemble and hang them (and that would be for Cherry, custom stained, including various pull-outs, self closing hinges,pot drawers, etc.). $2k sounds low for granite counters. I personally stay away from Viking stoves, but if you want one, it's your choice. OTOH I do like Subzero fridges and Fisher and Paykell double drawer dishwashers. I buy all my appliances at Drimmer's in Brooklyn 9not the lowest priced place, but usually reasonably close to the lowest) because we've bought so much stuff from them over the years, I have a personal relationship with the woman I deal with there and get amazing service.

2 things - your budget is good, shop around and don't blow it. And DON'T DON'T DON'T buy fixtures from Restoration Hardware. Worst move we ever made, had to return everything because all sized were non-standard and didn't fit with anything else.

I discovered Wood Designe on West 22nd Street for my kitchen. www.woodesigne.com Diego runs the showroom which is not a middleman operation. Wood Designe has its own millwork factory in Peekskill, NY which really does do 100% custom cabinets to any measurement for 30%+ less than MCKB. They handle the design, fabrication and installation including countertops. For my job, my GC did the plumbing and electrical work and backsplash because it just made more sense, but the kitchen guys were perfectly able and willing to do that stuff, too.

For my job, I worked with them to completely redesign the crowns, feet/bases, and a dozen other details from the model I selected (a traditional, metro-pre-war-ish style they designed for the 150+ kitchens they put into the Plaza, I believe). They also custom designed panels for a Liebherr fridge (awesome less expensive alternative to subzero) and a Bosch d/w. I chose shop painted versus wood. It's within your budget and worth checking out, imo. Diego had the patience of a saint with me since I'm a bit of an OCD microplanner/manager. Even at the more reasonable cost, it was a tremendous amount of money for me and I needed it to stay within budget and be right. It was both.

Thanks everyone for all the advice.

Regarding all the cabinetry...I thought solid wood was what everyone did for high-end kitchens. But after doing some research and talking to a few cabinet makers, it turns out that plywood/mdf is considered the best, sturdiest, no-warp material, and that solid wood is "old school", as one guy said?? Is this true? Is the absolute best quality kitchen cabinet you can get going to be solid wood, plywood, mdf or what? I'm so confused as to what is considered the best material for top-of-the-line kitchen cabinetry.

My custom millwork is: plywood boxes with maple veneer interiors and shelving except for those with glass panes in doors--for those the interiors are shop-painted lacquer (sp?); doors are MDF. I am very easy on my things. If I had monkeys slamming the doors all day long and hanging on things and smashing their hideous plastic toys into the cabinets, I'd probably have opted for wood doors which are more durable and can be resanded and finished if necessary, I think. MDF takes paint really really well, doesn't warp in heat/humidity, and won't expand and contract to crack the paint at the seams. But in short, yes, plywood cabinets with wood veneers and MDF doors can be a high end product.

you know that ikea idea is not bad considering your aspirations. Why not make the trip and look at the kitchens. Your ambitions seem kinda close to some of the kitchens they have to offer. They even have appliance built-ins to match some of their kitchen set ups. I've never priced it out myself but I'd bet you'd come in under budget at least 30-40%. There's a notion that everything at ikea is 'disposable'. Not always true.
I finished all my closets with ikea stuff to creat a 'California style closets'. The cost was about a third of the real California closets and I've had them for 3 years and love them with no complaint. I even had ikea rec. installers which also worked out great and inexpensive.

unless you coop board is very tough, since you merely relplacing existing cabs and appliances, without messing with your wet wall etc, you should be able to work with an insured contractor and save on the rest--dont know if permits are required even in this case?

i think top of the line ikea stuf is more than adequate except in the highest end installations--and it's very well priced and easily installed--appliances are an easy shop on the web--45k for a 6x8 seems quite high--whether you are enriching the architect or her carpenter, someone is doing quite well

I just checked out the IKEA website & their kitchens are very nice, especially for the price. For anyone who has had an IKEA kitchen installed, how was their customer service?

Customer service is location-dependent. And I can say that it sucks, both at Paramus & Red Hook.

Thanks nyc10023