Holy smokes, I never thought we’d see this day! But oh my, the transformation is amazing! And I’m so, so excited to tell you more about it.
But first, here’s the quick backstory. Shortly after Hurricane Ian hit Southwest Florida, we discovered many homeowners with damages were struggling with insurance claim payouts. Ever since we moved into this house thirteen years ago, we’ve paid homeowner’s insurance and have never filed a claim. So, we expected to be taken care of if we ever had an accident or an unfortunate loss. During the nasty storm it rained inside our home because of the two 104-foot trees that toppled on top of our roof. We felt that our insurance carrier was not being honest. They opened and closed our claim several times before adequate funds were given for repairs. So, we hired Carson Frady, a compassionate public adjuster, from H.I.C.C (Homeowners Insurance Claim Consultants) located in Miami Gardens, Florida. The owner, Yanay Jurado, was also extremely helpful and beneficial to us. Without either of them, I don’t know where we’d be.
One year after hearing a waterfall in our kitchen, we finally received enough money from our insurance company to repair it, thanks to Carson! Carson handled the entire appraisal process in a professional, straight-forward manner and got the best settlement possible.
I know I’m biased, but when we were ready for a kitchen renovation, I knew who to hire. I retired from Just Counters & other stuff less than two years ago. It’s not like Just Counters is paying me to write a review. You see, Just Counters doesn’t owe me anything. All I did was follow my passion and design beautiful rooms, and they paid me to do it. As I see it, we’re even. Anyway, it was exciting to have the people who I once worked for and some of the individuals who I worked with, to help participate in transforming our kitchen. I now have an even deeper appreciation for those people who work hard and do their job well!
The kitchen is considered the heart of the home, and that feels even truer when our kitchen is also part of an open-plan space. Our kitchen is in plain sight, and has seen a lot in the past thirteen years. Over the years it has functioned well for me. There wasn’t anything fancy in this kitchen. I had builder-grade, partial overlay cabinets. There weren’t any deep drawer pullouts, or any other various “bells and whistles” like I’ve placed in clients’ homes over the years.
I think back to conversations I’ve had with clients over the years who were trying to decide whether or not to “lower the bar.” When it came time to remodel their kitchens, we often discussed the pro and cons of lowering the bar-height counters to countertop level. My advice was, “Do not do what everyone else is doing.” I tried to encouraged everyone to go with what would work best for them and their floor plan. In a world inundated with ever-shifting design fads, there’s nothing better than finding your path. Discover how embracing individuality over following every new trend will lead to a more comfortable and inspired home.
So, when we were forced to re-do our kitchen, we basically kept the existing floor plan. But I wanted to pass on my knowledge and wisdom (ha) with Paul. “If we lower the bar-height wall, we’ll gain more countertop space, we’ll have more space around the sink, there’ll be more of an open feel to the kitchen, and a gorgeous expanse of uninterrupted quartz.” We ultimately agreed that lowering the bar would work best for us, and we’re thrilled that we did.
Corners—our “before” and “after” kitchen has them. When I designed the new kitchen, I moved the range and microwave over twelve-inches in order to place a lazy Susan in one of the dead corners. Corners can be difficult, but corners are also opportunities. For years, human beings have been stashing a time capsule in walls, or burying keepsakes for posterity’s sake, to be found years many later. When we were halfway through the renovation, I felt this was the perfect opportunity to rattle some bones with an epic prank. I decided to place a lifelike skeleton in the dead corner space. Fifty years down the road when the kitchen gets remodeled again, I hope someone finds this practical joke and gets a kick out of it. I placed a copy of my published book and time capsule items inside the crate which is being used as a seat for the smiling skeleton.
The other noticeable difference in the before/after pictures are the additional drawers. I’m still shocked at how much storage these large drawers offer. And I’m thrilled I no longer have to get on my hands and knees and then outstretch my arms to the back of the base cabinets for those hard-to-reach items. The new drawers are easy to pull out and see everything, and they’re great for organization. Plus, the drawers all have a soft close feature that pulls the drawer shut and prevents slamming.
Let’s discuss the cabinetry selection. Our house gracefully blends the kitchen with the living room and dining room. I wanted the color of wood that showcases tropical beauty and warmth from the existing pieces of furniture carried into the kitchen. Koch Cabinetry was the best choice because their chocolate accent glaze with Briarwood stain on Birch wood complements the existing furniture to a T. Our new cabinets have a raised-panel door style that mimics the entertainment unit.
Next up is the countertop selection. I wanted something maintenance free. Our quartz slabs are Pompeii Quartz called “Misterio Gold,” with a luxurious white background and beautiful marble-look golden brown veining. It has a shimmery background that sparkles under the light.
We reused the same hardware. Come again? Yes, you heard me. We really liked the existing brushed satin nickel finish drawer pull hardware by allen + roth. The arch-shape mimics the handles on our appliances. We had to purchase additional pieces because I doubled them up on the wide drawers. So, I was grateful they were still available.
The backsplash was itching for a statement. So, I went tile shopping with two friends at Tile Outlets of America. There are thousands of selections within 28,000 square feet of space. That may be a bit imitating to some shoppers, but to a designer, it felt like a fun adventure. I brought a cabinet door and countertop sample with me. I propped up the samples in a shopping cart and then excitedly strolled down the first aisle.
Immediately I found the perfect tile. And as soon as I did, I called out, “I found it!” My friend, Judi heard me from where she stood in the second aisle. “You found it already?” she said. “It” was called “Key West Wave.” The 4×12 porcelain tiles have a handmade, oven-baked type look. They are matte white with burnished brown edges. Generous helpings of wood in our new kitchen keep the white subway tile from feeling cold.
From start to finish, the entire kitchen project took about two and half weeks and we couldn’t be happier with the results. I love the simplicity of the finished look — it feels uncluttered, neutral, and modern. Best of all, the kitchen continues to be part of our tropical oasis, but with perfect upgrades.
I’m a big fan of fairness and giving credit where credit is due. Just Counters’ team did an outstanding job! Tammy Rickards was my go-to designer, who ordered everything. One of the best parts of working at Just Counters was getting to work with Tammy. She’s driven, ambitious, and knowledgeable. But what I admired most about her was how she balances all of these characteristics while remaining one of the kindest, most empathetic, and most helpful people I know. Jeff Reed re-measured to make sure there wouldn’t be any hiccups during installation. Jeff shows resilience, experience, knowledge, and critical thinking on all the projects he’s handled. Jeff, you were always a pleasure to work with. Cindy Kohls-Brophy and Jasmin Santana Lopez are both dedicated and hard-working. I’m grateful for your dedication and hard work behind the scenes (phone calls, scheduling, and follow ups). It did not go unnoticed. To all of the skilled tradesmen, Tyler Fry, Andrew Rodriguez, Tyler Mowatt, Solomon Harris, Garrett Johnson, and Aaron Shaffer who were always on time. Thank you for your professionalism and attention to detail. Each one of you has exceeded my expectations. Your attention to detail and the quality of your work on our kitchen project has been outstanding. I couldn’t be more impressed.
Imex Stone templated, fabricated, delivered, and installed the countertops flawlessly.
Last, but most certainly not least, Jayden Berta, owner of Berta’s Grouting Services, did a fantastic job with the backsplash tile. An attractive, durable tiling job takes skill and time to achieve, so it’s not something just any contractor can do. Jayden, I have to say, I’m in awe of your talent. The way you installed the backsplash was extraordinary. It’s a privilege to witness such skill and artistry.
The completed project is a stunning transformation from the original kitchen! I hope you readers know me well enough to know that when I say I couldn’t love this kitchen more, it’s 100% the truth. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, I highly recommend Just Counters & other stuff.
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