If you’re interested in a kitchen renovation in a mobile home, pull up a chair and grab your beverage of choice. And away we go…
One of the things I love most about kitchen and bath design is the discovery process. Each job is a giant puzzle of space planning, visual elements, and function. At the beginning of each job, everything gets thrown into the pot, stirred around, and voila, a new kitchen or bath is born! Each client and space is unique, and I love watching all the pieces come together.
Don and Laura live in Minnesota. But after renting for 3 years in Florida, they were prepared to leave the brutal Minnesota winters behind and say “hello” to warmth and sunshine. So, in 2017 the snowbirds purchased a mobile home located in the award-winning Maple Leaf Golf & Country Club community. The gorgeous southwest Florida weather was one of the main reasons they flocked to Florida during the winters. They also wanted to live in a place where they could remain active. They found the ideal place in Maple Leaf Golf & Country Club. This gated golf course community with an active resort lifestyle, features a Par 62 golf course, tennis courts, bocce ball, lawn bowling, shuffleboard, fitness facility, and woodworking facility. There’s actually over seventy-five clubs and activities in the age-restricted community to participate in. Surely these fifty-five years of age or older residents will never get bored.
After settling down into the community, Don and Laura talked to several neighbors in the community about remodeling their kitchen. They felt Just Counters & other stuff would be the best fit to renovate their dated kitchen for a more modern, personalized aesthetic. After I met with our customers in their lovely home, I couldn’t wait to help them achieve their dream kitchen. But then Covid-19 and the pandemic happened. So, the kitchen renovation got put on the back burner for a while.
Fast forward to the end of 2021, our clients contacted me, once again. Don and Laura were ready to move forward. Issues like the two awkward columns, poor island layout, insufficient lighting, lack of storage, and dated aesthetic were among the list of things the clients brought up in my first meeting with them. They had a general idea in mind of how they wanted the new kitchen to look but were unsure of the specifics needed to get there.
I brainstormed with Bill Rice, the showroom manager, to help me come up with exploring the possibility of removing two columns. You see, there were a lot of small problems within the island. Two existing awkward columns, one having an eternal return vent, were located at both ends of the island, and they didn’t really help with an open concept at all. While this space was good for seating, the columns made the kitchen feel closed off. It was important to the clients that the new kitchen was more open and provided a nice flow for entertaining, so it made sense to take out the peninsula wall cabinets and columns. Removing the columns was one of the most important reasons for remodeling this kitchen. However, if we removed the peninsula wall cabinets above the island, along with the columns, it would undoubtedly affect the ceiling. Bill was able to think outside the box and found a better, a more elegant, and satisfying solution for the columns and ceiling!
It’s always fun to look back on a completed project and remember how the space was the first time I saw it. One of the primary layout changes you can see in the “after” pictures is the removal of the peninsula wall cabinets and columns. Doing so allowed for much more counter space, and a streamlined and open feel to the renovated kitchen. It’s amazing how much larger the renovated kitchen feels with the columns gone. The “after” photos shows how open the room is to the neighboring dining room after the structural and layout changes have been made. The clients no longer have to feel separated from guests sitting at the table while they are in the kitchen preparing food or drinks. A flowing, entertainment-friendly space was one of the big items on their wish list, and we were happy to be able to deliver it.
Another notable change is the removal of the closet pantry. As for the storage space, a cabinet pantry was incorporated in the new design so the clients wouldn’t miss the pantry. It houses a total of 4 convenient roll-out shelves for easy access and organized storage.
Another design feature that makes this kitchen appear larger is the extension of the upper cabinets to the ceiling. The original cabinets had dead space above them (as many older kitchen cabinets do). Incorporating frieze trim and elegant crown moulding detail at the top draws the eyes upward and makes the ceilings feel higher. Painting the cabinets white also brightens the room, as the dated cabinets darkened it.
The above rendering allowed the clients to visually understand the structural changes that were to be made. Sometimes, especially if you have lived in a home for many years, it can be challenging to imagine it looking different than it always has. Our detailed 3-D renderings always provide a fantastic visual and communication tool for our clients to see the space before committing to the construction.
Looking at the new kitchen straight-on, it’s hard to believe it’s the same space! Aspect white painted cabinets, Wilsonart HD “Spring Carnival” laminate countertops, wood plank tile flooring, champagne bronze hardware, and strategically placed LED can lights have fully transformed this room.
The finished project is everything the clients dreamed of for their new kitchen. This one-of-a-kind remodel was customized to meet their needs and showcase their modern, trendy taste. The Just Counters & other stuff team are grateful we had the opportunity to work with such great clients and help bring their kitchen dreams to life! Sam Zwack and Kody Mouradian did a wonderful job installing this kitchen. The detail-oriented team aced this job! The pros from Color Tile CarpetsPlus installed the flooring. Everyone took a lot of pride their workmanship.
If you’re dreaming of what you could do to make your home lovely and functional, and more you, contact Just Counters & other stuff. See you next week.
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