Some homeowners remodel to create more square footage. Some want to make better use of existing space. Some want an upgrade to dated rooms, while others just want some sort of change. For one family in Port Charlotte, Florida, it was time to remodel their newly purchased home, and bring it up to date.
We came across this kitchen remodel project because one of the homeowners worked at a nearby granite yard. This was their second home they’ve lived in. The first home was basically a starter home. But this one, Jaime and Cristina felt it could possibly be their “forever home.”
“We knew when we bought our new house that the first thing we wanted to tackle was the kitchen,” Cristina explained. “You see, no sooner after we moved in, and got settled, the kitchen cabinets started falling apart. Literally.” The situation was grim, much like many home interiors built in 1985. That decade often included cheap cabinetry, laminate countertops, and linoleum flooring, all that made the space feel unappetizing.
But you know how some home renovations are—once you do one thing—the snowball begins. Perhaps you’re excited about your first home renovation project. Maybe you’re planning something small, like installing new kitchen countertops. But wait—the new countertops will clash with the cabinets, so you decide to update those, too. And, hey, while you’re at it, you might as well add gorgeous new flooring. Before you know it, your $2,000 dream renovation project spiked up to $20,000—yikes! Jaime and Cristina gave it a lot of thought as to what they would like before they came to Just Counters & other stuff’s showroom. At Cristina’s first visit, she arrived with some great ideas. I listened, and then I took all of her ideas that had been swirling in her head and put them together. When Cristina came back to the showroom, I presented computerized 3D renderings of the new kitchen design on an oversized TV screen.
They didn’t want to add more to the budget by having to move electrical or plumbing, so I had to be very careful with the new layout. We kept the basic footprint, but shifted things over in places a few inches here and there to try and maximize the flow in this small kitchen.
The new homeowners knew that their kitchen will always be the busiest part of their home. So, the couple wanted to open the space and enhance the functionality of the kitchen. They wanted to remove the dated soffit and “dome” ceiling and take the cabinets to the ceiling. The kitchen didn’t get a lot of natural light. So, they planned to have LED can lights installed after the soffit was removed.
To take control of their home renovation budget, they made a plan. Jaime, because he’s so handy, planned to do as much of the work as he could.
Another thing that had to go was the louvered bi-fold pantry closet doors. Cristina wanted a way to hide the pantry closet that was in plain sight. She wanted pantry doors that would match the kitchen cabinetry. She wanted the closet to look like a large cabinet. This way they’ll have a cohesive look throughout the kitchen.
The one thing that will affect the look of your new kitchen, perhaps more than anything else, is the style of your cabinet door and drawer fronts. Cristina wanted a modern kitchen, with beautiful horizontal-grain slab doors that would take center stage. She wanted her eye to be drawn to beautiful cabinetry and countertops. So, we used a metropolitan door style from Eclipse Cabinetry. These cabinet door and drawer fronts come in a single piece, also known as a slab. A slab door is clean and easy to build, and it is relatively inexpensive compared with other styles since it requires less material and there are fewer steps involved in making it. Another great benefit to slab doors is their ease of cleaning. With no nooks, crannies, or corners for spills or dust to collect, slab doors in general keep their good looks with a simple wipe down quarterly with a damp cloth.
Before the kitchen was completed, Cristina asked me to measure their guest bathroom. She wanted the same materials in the guest bath as their new kitchen.
Just Counters & other stuff’s talented cabinet installers were Ben Hanson and Tylor Lefever. I have to give Jeff Reed and Tommy McCaffrey 100% credit for the awesome pantry doors! The talented homeowner, Jaime, basically did all the other work: he removed the unfashionable soffit, he installed all the porcelain floor tiles, as well as the countertops, full backsplash, back of peninsula, and toe kick using granite.
I don’t know about you, but I believe this kitchen turned out quite nicely. The materials the homeowners chose will keep this kitchen current for years to come.
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