Before & After Series: Kitchen Remodel
I love a good before and after story. Don’t you? This week, I thought I’d share a project I recently completed for a client. I’ll tell you what I needed to consider when planning this room with my clients and what elements needed the most attention. If you read to the end, I’ll also give you some tips on how to begin your own kitchen remodel.
Let’s start with some before photos.
I’ve noted the elements that were the least appealing and in some cases, less efficient than they could be. The little pass-through windows on either side of the sink, for instance, lead to the patio--but--because the patio door was right next to the kitchen, they were not needed. They seemed to “chop up” the wall and called more attention to themselves. than necessary.
The upper cabinet fronts had a beadboard texture while the lowers ones were a Shaker style. These are conflicting styles in my opinion and just busied up the space.
The back splash was too short and seemed to be made of leftover tiles that the previous owner found on sale somewhere. =0) The black countertop didn’t blend well with those tiles either.
It’s possible to include two islands in a very large kitchen but here, they just blocked the workflow and were unnecessary. The lighting added yet another style and the placement was not the best it could be. Also, kitchen desks seem to be a thing of the past and I felt we could make better use of that space in our design plan.
A couple of other observations were the hood over the cooktop. It wasn’t going to be sufficient for the new appliance and in addition, a hood can be a wonderful focal point for a kitchen.
The last element I’ll point out is the awkwardly placed receptacles (outlets) and light switches. These can usually be moved to a less conspicuous place without a lot of added expense. It seems the tile was placed where it was because of those electrical elements doesn’t it?
So….here is my floor plan for the new kitchen. My clients are very busy people who travel for work and who needed a place at the island to eat while using their devices. The circles represent bar stools. A lot of the kitchen’s “footprint” remained the same which was a huge cost saver in terms of plumbing and electrical.
And now, here are some after photos. Yay!
Here’s the overview to give you the view as you enter the kitchen. There is now under cabinet lighting, appliance lighting, and sufficient lighting over the island to make this room fully functional. You may notice in the background, we hung the microwave to allow for more countertop space and instead, went with a double oven which included steam/convection! This is a healthier way to cook than a microwave. If ever you want to really splurge, I would encourage you to research them.
The new countertop is a quartz from PentalQartz called Misterio. It’s a favorite of mine and the best representation of Carrera marble I’ve found. As you probably know, quartz requires no upkeep and is non-porous. Marble on the other hand, is soft and porous and can stain and scratch. So, for wet applications like kitchens and baths, quartz is a smarter choice.
The backsplash is ceramic (a splurge for sure) and while opaque, resembles glass in an ocean blue/gray. While the cabinets on either side of the sink seem to be the original, we recreated their look because adding a touch of warmth to the room is always a good idea.
A wood hood created with the same detail as for the door and drawer fronts was made by our cabinet company. The “insert” is its own unit which is a vent and blower and will be powerful enough to handle the new range top. It also provides its own task lighting over the top. The pendant lighting also offers enough illumination for both task and ambient (overall or general) lighting.
Surprise! The pass-through windows are gone! We chose stainless sinks and satin nickel plumbing fixtures and cabinet hardware. The Roman shades are from The Shade Store. They do wonderful work and I am planning my window treatments for my own home with them now. =0)
The oak hardwood floor was refinished and extra wood pieces into the open spots where the second islands used to be. We chose a darker color resembling walnut. Not too yellow, orange or red please!
The door and drawer fronts are a style called Artesia from Decorative Specialties. It’s similar to a Shaker style but the recess is slightly angled. It feels a bit more transitional to me this way. You may also notice there is very little overhang over the countertop. You just want to have enough to be flush with the front of your door/drawers.
So, I promised you some tips on getting started with your own kitchen remodel.
Here are some things to think about….
Start by thinking about what you truly love. Collect photos of kitchens you’ve seen for inspiration.
Be mindful of the other rooms in your home. Does your new design blend? Are you planning to change all the other rooms eventually?
Choose your appliances first! This is one of your largest expenses in your project and if you love to cook, your most important.
Plan your cabinetry around the placement of your appliances. Use the “kitchen triangle” as your guide. You want to avoid having to take too many steps when you’re cooking.
Choose your counter, floor materials, and tile ALL AT ONCE. The last thing you want is to “paint yourself into a corner”. Meaning, you find and purchase one thing before you know if the other things are even available.
Select your plumbing and lighting. Be mindful of finishes. While it’s more interesting to mix metals, make sure your suites of products match each other. For instance, if you like satin nickel or bronze faucets, be sure the same company offers the accessories like soap dispenser or towel bars to go with them. Some finishes will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Match your plumbing but do a different finish in your lighting and hardware if you like.
Budget! Before you spend a dime, be sure to list out all of your costs. Then add about 20% to that for the unexpected. Because there is always something unexpected.
Purchase as much as you can and store it in your garage if possible. If you can stay ahead of your contractors, your job will go much quicker and you’ll find your contractor will stay right with you. A lot of what causes delays are product orders. Contractors will reschedule their subs if something isn’t ready. This can potentially throw off your project for weeks.
That’s it for now. I hope you found this article helpful. Please forward it to someone you know if you think they will like it.
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