From Start to Finish, a Remodel for the Ages

No matter how big or small, renovation projects can be overwhelming and this one was no different. This project involved taking a kitchen in a 100-year-old home and giving it a complete face lift, while still maintaining the integrity of the home. Keep reading to find out some behind-the-scenes design details about this beautiful kitchen.

Objectives

One of our designers, Laura Ross, did a great job of understand our client's needs in order to give her the kitchen of her dreams. Our client loves to cook, so it was important that she had an efficient kitchen, as well as maximum storage space. It was also important to the homeowner that we maintained the integrity of the 100-year-old with a mix of modern and vintage eclectic elements. The homeowner also wanted a space that gave off a bright and open feel.

Challenges

The homeowner found this kitchen to be too inefficient. With tight spaces, minimal walkways and an awkward shaped island, the layout was not ideal for someone who loves to cook. Additionally, there was not nearly as much storage as the homeowner was wanting, as the kitchen was comprised with a lot of small and inefficient cabinets.

The appliances were also in inconvenient locations. For example, the microwave was housed at an unsafe location above the built-in ovens, making it 72" above the floor. The refrigerator was recessed into an alcove and often overheated.

Solutions

In order to create a more efficient layout for the homeowner, we removed an awkward L-corner, which housed the oven, microwave and prep sink. We then moved the refrigerator and oven over to one wall so we could increase the overall length of the island. This wall previously housed a prep sink, but since that was rarely used, the homeowner decided to remove it altogether. From there, we used a counter depth refrigerator and moved it to the corner. We were then able to open the space where the refrigerator previously was and created a walk-in pantry. The microwave was at an unsafe height, above the built-in ovens and 72" from the floor, so that was moved to the island. The homeowner did not like the shape of the original island, so that was changed from a pie-shaped island to a rectangular island with a downdraft vent for the cooktop.

To keep with the integrity of the house, vintage louvered doors with mirrors were used on the pantry doors to reflect light and give appearance of a larger space. In order to combat the storage issue, we installed large cabinets with organization accessories including large drawers with peg systems, cutler dividers, roll-out trays, pull-out trash and recycle drawers, tray dividers and shelves for cookbooks. We also created open shelving for dishes and heavy-duty guides for cast-iron cookware.

Products

We used a myriad of products in order to complete this project. The cabinets were Waukee CabinetWorks' line of Heritage cabinets. These were a custom-inset, beveled shaker-style door in Narraganset Green. They were finished off with beautiful decorative hardware from Top Knobs. This client decided to go with a quartz countertop from MSI in Arctic White. The walnut floating shelf was also a custom feature from Waukee CabinetWorks. The pantry was a new addition to this kitchen and we worked with Plus Closets to complete this request. The beautiful tiled floor was called Kings Star, a line from Merola Tile. The high-end appliances in this kitchen were all from Nebraska Furniture Mart and the sink is from Elkay. Finally, this project was completed with the help of Heilman Construction.

While renovation projects can be mentally and physically exhausting, they end up being worth it when it is all said and done. We had so much fun completing this project and seeing the client's reaction with the final outcome. If you are looking to change up a few things about your home, give us a call or book an appointment to meet with one of our designers!