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    Updated: Mar 3, 2020 by Kris Jarrett

    Choosing My Kitchen Appliances & Kicking Off Our Reno!

    After months of dreaming and planning we finally kicked off our kitchen renovation last week! It’s definitely an it’s-going-to-get-worse-before-it-gets-better situation since we’re demoing our kitchen down to the subfloor and studs. The crew started last Wednesday and unfortunately because we lost power on Thursday and Friday after getting hit hard by the nor’easter that came through, they were only able to get in that one day of work but even in just a single day they made some serious demo progress:

    Day One of our kitchen renovation - demo!

    The next step is to demo the floors which they’re going to start into on Monday. My contractor warned me that taking out those red tile floors was going to be the dustiest process ever no matter how many dust containment strategies they put into place so I know this week isn’t going to be fun (and the fact that yet ANOTHER snow storm is heading our way doesn’t help either!). But that doesn’t lessen my excitement about the good things to come with this space because the closer we get to finishing tearing it all apart, the closer we are to putting it back together! 

    A few weeks back I shared my kitchen layout and cabinetry plans (you can catch that post {here} if you missed it), and since then I’ve had lots of questions about the appliances and countertops I’ve chosen for my new space. While I’m still flip flopping between two final contender countertop choices (I know… I’ve got to make my final decision asap!), I have my appliances nailed down and wanted to share those with you today since I put a lot of time and thought into that decision.

    Before I even started planning our kitchen reno, I reached out to a local real estate agent to find out what kitchen features she thinks are most important to buyers in our area. We plan to move in about 3-4 years and the real estate market isn’t all that great here so it was important to us to not only create a kitchen we love for ourselves but also one that will help with resale down the road. To be honest, I was kind of surprised to hear that higher end appliances were a biggie. I’ve always thought that appliances wouldn’t matter too much for resale because the buyer could swap them out with exactly what they want but apparently the name of the game to selling around here is to have your house 100% move-in ready, including premium appliances. So with that in mind, my appliance shopping began! I started by simply looking at the design and looks of appliances because let’s be honest… no matter how many functions or cool features an appliance has, it was also going to have to be pretty too for me to want to use it in my kitchen! And one that stopped me in my tracks and that I kept going back to time and time again is this stunning lady: 

    Gorgeous Monogram range with double oven - love!

    Umm… did Monogram custom make this range with me in mind?! LOVE those chunky knobs and handles, the clean lines, and the idea of having a smaller sized second oven because half the time that’s all that I need. After finding that same combination of elevated, purposeful design in Monogram’s dishwashers and refrigerators, I started researching appliance ratings and asking friends about their appliances and found two that owned and loved their Monogram appliance suite (including a designer friend of mine). So after being convinced that Monogram appliances were the perfect fit for our new kitchen, I reached out to Monogram about partnering on my kitchen remodel and was thrilled that they shared my excitement and vision for the project and loved the idea of working together. I’ve since learned so much about the Monogram brand and couldn’t be more excited about my future appliances and the crazy number of innovations packed inside their beautiful exteriors.

    One of my favorite innovations with this soon-to-be-mine Monogram range (I chose {this model}), is that the oven has a temperature sensor probe that plugs into an outlet on the oven’s interior wall. You insert the probe into the meat you’re cooking and once it’s reached the desired internal temperature, the oven will signal that’s is done. How awesome is that?! I’m also pretty excited to have a built-in griddle instead of having to store and haul out the big old electric griddle that I currently use for weekend pancakes:

    48" Monogram range with six burners and griddle (that can also be replaced with a grill!)

    And given that I’m a girl who hates to hand wash dishes, I love that the oven roller racks are designed to stay in the oven during the self-clean cycle and that the burner grates of the range are dishwasher friendly. Plus, the grates are reversible so you can use the flat side for regular pots and pans and then flip them over to their contoured side that perfectly cradles woks – I make a mean stir fry so it’s a feature I know I’ll use a lot:

    This Monogram range has flat burners that reverse to contoured burners for cradling a wok - so smart!

    Above my range I’ll have {this Monogram hood} that has a feature that I haven’t seen anywhere else – there is a remote mount option for the hood control panel so instead of reaching underneath it to access the controls you can mount them on the wall or countertop. In my last two houses, I had downdraft stoves by necessity since they were both located on peninsulas so having a hood is new for me – I’m trying to decide on the best location for the controls – what do you guys think? 

    I found just as many features to love about Monogram refrigerators too! First off, just like the ranges, they’re stunners! I chose {this counter-depth French door refrigerator} which has a slightly shallower depth than most counter-depth fridges so that it lines up with the kitchen countertops, which is a great trick for making a freestanding fridge look built-in. There are two different handle options and I had the hardest time choosing but ultimately decided to go with the Professional handles to match my range. I think I’m going to go with somewhat delicate pulls for the cabinets and since I love contrast, I decided to mix things up with the chunkier appliance pull option:

    Monogram appliance handle options - European vs. Professional

    Our current refrigerator doesn’t have a way to make easy adjustments or customizations (you have to take everything off the entire shelf to move it up or down) so I’m excited about the flexible features my new fridge will have, such as as the option to pull down a drop-down tray in the door of the refrigerator that allows for extra storage when you want it and tucks away when you’d rather leave more space for tall items below:

    Awesome refrigerator feature - drop down tray in door of Monogram refrigerator. So smart!
    and this brilliant Quick Space shelf option where you have a full-sized shelf available when you need it but can simply slide it out of the way when you don’t: 
    Love this quick space shelf in Monogram refrigerators that functions as a full sized shelf when you need it and slides down for storage when you don't!
    There are some really innovative lighting features too! Along with showcase LED lighting that’s designed so that you can see what’s on every shelf even when it’s full, some Monogram refrigerators have a temperature controlled drawer with three setting options, each of which is associated with a different colored light so you know which setting you left it on with a simple glance at the color of light. So smart! 

    My new dishwasher has that same perfect combination of Monogram brains and beauty. Like my refrigerator, it’s designed to be installed completely flush with the cabinetry which helps create that clean-lined look that I love! 

    Love how this Monogram dishwasher can be installed flush with the cabinets for a clean-lined look!

    And there will be no more shoving my head halfway into the dishwasher to figure out whether my dishes are clean or not because there’s LED lighting that lights up the interior when you open the dishwasher door:
    LOVE the idea of having LED lights in my dishwasher like this one from Monogram! So smart!
    But my favorite feature of all has to be the bottle jets built into the upper rack of the dishwasher. You guys, hand washing water bottles is the bane of my existence. Ok, maybe that’s a little bit of an exaggeration but every single night I find myself hand washing those suckers and wishing I didn’t have to. The bottle jets in my new dishwasher spray water all the way up into the hard to reach areas inside water bottles and other tall items so that they get totally clean. That makes me ridiculously happy 🙂 

    My FAVORITE dishwasher feature - bottle washing jets to get the inside of water bottles and vases clean!

    And last but not least, I went with {this Monogram microwave drawer}! Thanks so much for all of you who gave me the nudge I needed to go for the microwave drawer instead of a freestanding one. I’ve actually never used a microwave drawer before but after all of your rave reviews, I’m sure it was the right choice. 

    Monogram microwave drawer - perfect for a kitchen island!

    Oh and one last thing that I’m looking forward to playing around with – I’m going to be able to integrate my dishwasher and refrigerator with Monogram’s Kitchen App! It lets you know if your refrigerator door is left open and alerts you if your refrigerator loses power (an especially nice feature when you’re gone on vacation) along with telling you how much time is left until your dishwasher finishes its cycle and if you need to order more dishwasher pods. Monogram’s electric wall ovens are also wifi connected and you can use the app to pre-heat your oven, track how much cook time is left, and even turn off the oven if someone in your family accidentally leaves it on – how amazing is that?!

    Love that you can control your Monogram appliances with their Wifi Connect app!

    I had no idea that appliances had come so far since the last time I appliance shopped years ago and I can’t wait to start putting these babies to use! But first we have to get through this week of dusty demo. Wish me luck and check in on Instagram Stories for in-progress peeks throughout the week! Thanks as always for stopping by – it’s so fun having all of you to share my renovation excitement with!

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    Comments

    1. Sharon P says

      March 11, 2018 at 8:55 pm

      You won’t regret choosing Monogram appliances. I purchased an entire kitchen suit including compacter in 1991. Obviously no appliance lasts forever so I have replaced various pieces since then, again with Monogram. But my cooktop which is induction only failed in 2015 and my 42”built in refrigerator failed in 2016. I think for these two major appliances to last 24 and 25 years respectively speaks to their quality. You made a great decision.

      Reply
      • Kris Jarrett says

        March 11, 2018 at 9:25 pm

        Sharon, that’s so great to hear – that’s a crazy long time for appliances to last!!

        Reply
    2. chantal says

      March 11, 2018 at 9:17 pm

      Hello. Great appliances! Especially the range… You talk about the resale value of appliances in a home. I had already noticed in HGTV shows that potential buyers always complain that the appliances do not match, or are not stainless steel… And whenever someones says that, I roll my eyes and say “here they go again”! LOL
      Here, in Québec (I don’t know for the rest of the country), every time we moved, we took our appliances with us, that’s how it was. I would say people might try to include the washer/dryer in the deal, but not the other appliances. Once, the sale of our house almost fell through because the buyers insisted on keeping our very old washer/dryer. That was the strangest thing… We finally gave in and bought new ones, which was very useful with a new baby and cloth diapers!
      I’ll have to check if the appliances you chose are sold in Canada!
      Thanks for the interesting article.

      Reply
      • Kris Jarrett says

        March 11, 2018 at 9:30 pm

        That’s so interesting! I’d say if anything I’ve had the opposite experience – I’ve actually never bought or sold a house where the kitchen appliances went with the seller but I’ve had the seller leave the washer/dryer before. And so funny about the HGTV eye roll – the things that they come up with as reasons for not wanting the house (like some wallpaper that can easily be removed) are pretty crazy!

        Reply
    3. Jane says

      March 11, 2018 at 9:40 pm

      I am just embarking on my own reno. Thx for the recommendation of Monogram. I love them, too. I’ve been agonizing over which range to go with and this looks like a really great choice. Thx.

      Reply
      • Kris Jarrett says

        March 12, 2018 at 7:23 pm

        That’s exciting! I’m pretty giddy about that Monogram range – I don’t know your timeframe for making your appliance decisions but once I get mine installed, I’ll definitely share some more thoughts on them!

        Reply
    4. Karen B. says

      March 11, 2018 at 10:59 pm

      What beautiful appliances. In our last house we remodeled and put in a Viking stove. I never regretted the extra expense. It was the best range I’d ever cooked on. I’m sure your Monogram appliances will perform beautifully. I hope this weeks work goes forward without a hitch.
      xo,
      Karen

      Reply
      • Kris Jarrett says

        March 12, 2018 at 7:25 pm

        Thanks Karen – glad to hear that you felt the extra expense for higher end appliances was worth it! And thanks for well wishes on the reno – I think this week is going to be the hardest one so I’ll be glad for it to be over!

        Reply
    5. Brenda says

      March 11, 2018 at 11:57 pm

      How exciting !! The oven and cooktop have a lot of the same features that my Wolf cooktop had…except I think yours is prettier!! I’m so excited for you regarding your kitchen reno. It’s amazing the progress they made in the one day….let’s keep our fingers crossed that the next snow storm bypasses you so progress can continue! Thanks for sharing this project!

      Reply
      • Kris Jarrett says

        March 12, 2018 at 7:27 pm

        Thanks so much – she’s a pretty little thing, isn’t she?! I was surprised by the progress in just one day so fingers crossed that the project keeps moving right along at that rate!

        Reply
    6. Nancy Borchelt says

      March 12, 2018 at 8:19 am

      I have the Monogram refrigerator and freezer and range in our new house. All are 6 years old.I hate the refrigerator and freezer. I feel like there is a lot of wasted space on the inside with the design of the shelves and the storage on the doors, even though you can move them. I’m comparing these to my old Sub Zeros. The door compartments on the Sub zeros are full length of the door and I feel you can fit more condiments in them instead of the smaller ones on the Monogram. Same with the shelves in the main compartment.
      Also I would suggest if the range come with removable pans under the burners , that you get that option. It is really hard to clean otherwise. I had a DSC RANGE in my old home and I could remove everything off the top and put it in the dishwasher. Very easy!
      Also he the Monogram dishwasher. It shorted out one night and caught fire. Replaced it with a Bosch, which I have had good luck with in the past.

      Reply
      • Kris Jarrett says

        March 12, 2018 at 7:35 pm

        Having good in-door storage for my refrigerator was definitely something I looked at because it’s horrible in my current refrigerator but the Monogram refrigerator I’m getting has quite a bit of deep storage in the doors – I think appliances are always changing and improving over time! And you’re a girl after my own heart about loving being able to throw parts in the dishwasher – the less I have to hand wash the better! 🙂

        Reply
    7. Kelley Nan says

      March 12, 2018 at 8:54 am

      Kris, I had cabinet envy and now appliance envy- jets for water bottles?! Ah-ma-zing! And you are so right – I have a full double oven and don’t come close to utilizing all the space- I had no idea there where aeeet little half sizes- perfect! It is going to be so so good!! Maybe you can show some Instagram video when the fridge comes in- like a little tour- I despise ours and love the way yours looks!

      Reply
      • Kris Jarrett says

        March 12, 2018 at 7:37 pm

        There are constantly water bottles sitting on our kitchen countertops waiting to be hand washed because we use them like crazy so the water jet feature is definitely something I’m pretty excited about! I’ll definitely share some videos on IG Stories once I have everything installed – stay tuned!

        Reply
    8. Gigi says

      March 12, 2018 at 9:22 am

      We just replaced our 12 year old Monogram side by side refrigerator with a new Monogram french door with European handles. Unfortunately the water connection to the 12 year old model had a slow leak and we had significant water damage to the wood flooring in front of the refrigerator. This was a “slow” leak that we only noticed because the wood in front of the refrigerator had started to “cup”. Apparently, the “tab” where the water line connects into the back of the refrigerator broke loose from the refrigerator and the slow leak occurred (also water went to the basement with minimal dry wall damage. Whew!)We still purchased the new Monogram partly because we needed counter depth and the refrigerator is adjacent to our Monogram wall ovens. We wanted our appliances to “match” with the same door handles, etc. Oh and we did have a terrific flooring company replace about a 25′ by 5′ area of wood flooring which looks great!

      Reply
      • Kris Jarrett says

        March 12, 2018 at 7:42 pm

        Gigi, I would have done the same thing – I know you can mix up different brands and styles of appliances but I prefer having everything match too!

        Reply
        • Misty M says

          May 14, 2020 at 10:00 pm

          I’m such a psycho about having a matching suite of appliances 🙂 I put KitchenAid in our current house and last house. We’re getting ready to move again and I’ve had so many issues with my KitchenAid fridge I am going to switch brands. I was planning on Bosch, but this line has me intrigued. I’ve never heard of it, but it looks amazing. I’ll definitely look into it some more!

          Reply
    9. Cindy says

      March 12, 2018 at 10:53 am

      Beautiful high end appliances. Just curious about your partnering with Monogram. Because of that are you getting your appliances at a big discount, or are you getting them for free? Either way, that was a great way to go.

      Reply
      • Kris Jarrett says

        March 12, 2018 at 7:48 pm

        Some of my appliances are complimentary of Monogram as an exchange of services (for example, I’m providing them with high res photography of their installed appliances for their marketing use).

        Reply
        • Cindy says

          March 13, 2018 at 11:52 am

          How nice. What a cost savings for you. Looking forward to seeing your completed kitchen. Everything you’ve chosen so far looks great.

          Reply
    10. Bree says

      March 12, 2018 at 3:16 pm

      Kris I’m so excited about your new appliances!! My mom actually has their range and LOVES it!! Can’t wait to see all of this installed soon for your to enjoy your beautiful new space ?

      Reply
      • Kris Jarrett says

        March 12, 2018 at 7:49 pm

        That’s so great to hear! I can’t wait either! 🙂

        Reply
    11. Haneen says

      March 12, 2018 at 4:42 pm

      Kris, these look like AMAZING choices!! They’re all gorgeous and I love the features you described! I’m hunting for a microwave drawer for my new kitchen so I’ll definitely be browsing the Monogram site! Thank you for introducing me!

      Reply
      • Kris Jarrett says

        March 12, 2018 at 7:50 pm

        I wasn’t sure about going with a freestanding microwave in my island (which is what I currently have) and a microwave drawer but almost anyone I asked who has a microwave drawer loves it! The Monogram one is beautiful!

        Reply
    12. Tamara says

      March 12, 2018 at 8:17 pm

      Kris!! I am so excited for you!! And I seriously want all of these appliances – especially that range! What fabulous technology and features and the professional styling is to die for. I’ve heard wonderful things about the Monogram line, I know you’ll be thrilled! I cannot wait to see them in your finished kitchen! I’m so happy for you!

      Reply
      • Kris Jarrett says

        March 19, 2018 at 9:27 am

        Thanks Tam – they’re the perfect combination of beauty and function – can’t wait!

        Reply
    13. JENNIFER PROCK says

      March 12, 2018 at 11:04 pm

      Oh how I love your selections! I have major appliance envy! That range is so perfect. Now I’m even more excited to see your new kitchen come together!

      Reply
      • Kris Jarrett says

        March 19, 2018 at 9:28 am

        Thanks so much Jen! I can’t wait to get out of this demo phase and get going on my cabinets and appliances!

        Reply
    14. Erin says

      March 13, 2018 at 1:26 am

      Kris! I’m so excited for you! These appliances look AMAZING. Seriously you have done well! I always hear great things about Monogram. And we love our microwave drawer so much – I know you will be so happy with it too. Just picturing that stunning range in your new kitchen makes me giddy! I have a prediction that this kitchen will turn out so beautiful you’ll decide not to move down the road. Remember who said it first! 😉 Loved this post! xo

      Reply
      • Kris Jarrett says

        March 19, 2018 at 11:14 am

        Ha! We’ll see about that Erin! I’ve at least got several years left here to enjoy it! 🙂

        Reply
    15. Cindy says

      March 14, 2018 at 5:08 pm

      I can’t wait to see how your beautiful kitchen design, colors, cabinets and appliances all come together! I have the 36″ Monogram profession all gas range and I love it. My Monogram range replaced a Bertazzoni all gas range which came with the house. For an avid cook and baker the Bertazzoni range was worse than useless. The only good thing about it was that it looked really stylish and the cooktop had high BTU’s. The oven burned the bottom of everything from lasagna to chocolate chip cookies. If I could change anything about my Monogram range, I would have gone with dual fuel–electric ovens with the gas cooktop, but there was no electricity at the range site because the previous range was all gas. I had GE electric ovens in my old house and they were better for baking–no heat spots, but the Monogram is pretty good for all gas. I hope you will enjoy all of your Monogram appliances for a long time.

      Reply
      • Kris Jarrett says

        March 19, 2018 at 11:08 am

        Love hearing that you love your Monogram range so much!! So crazy that your Bertazzoni one was so useless considering the cost of it!

        Reply
    16. classic casual home says

      March 16, 2018 at 11:35 am

      Such great, useful research, Kris.
      Mary Ann

      Reply
      • Kris Jarrett says

        March 19, 2018 at 11:09 am

        Thanks MaryAnn!

        Reply
    17. Ivory says

      April 04, 2018 at 9:12 pm

      Wow, what fabulous appliances. I would love owning any of these. Thanks for sharing. I love this post

      Reply
      • Kris Jarrett says

        April 14, 2018 at 1:26 pm

        Thanks Ivory! I’m glad you enjoyed the post!

        Reply
    18. Diann Cohen says

      October 17, 2018 at 8:25 pm

      I am remodeling our second home to become our retirement home. I purchased the double ovens with French oven, the Advantium microwave, two dishwashers and the stove top with the griddle. I am so sad they no longer offer the grill with infrared, when you live in the Pacific Northwest BBQ-ing outside isn’t an option most months.

      I couldn’t decide on a brand but, felt I got the most bang for my buck with the Monogram so I am so delighted to see how happy you are with the product and am happy to have read your article.

      Reply
      • Kris Jarrett says

        November 04, 2018 at 9:31 pm

        Your kitchen sounds like it’s going to be amazing!!! Good luck with the remodel!

        Reply

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