First Place & All Star Award
2008 REMY Award for Kitchens under $60,000
Project Overview
Project Overview:
This 1990’s kitchen lacked the storage, features and functionality desired by the home owner; a busy mom and avid cook. She also wanted an open space, integrating the adjacent living and dining rooms. A non-load bearing wall was removed between the old kitchen and the living room and was replaced with a dramatic arched soffit, complete with decorative columns. New maple cabinets are complimented by granite countertops and a stone backsplash set in a brick pattern.
Functionality was improved by creating separate “work zones” for baking, cooking and food preparation. And a special “cereal zone” was added for the man of the house! Numerous cabinet storage accessories, task lighting and fast cooking Miele appliances also add to the increased functionality of the space. And the homeowner’s favorite feature; clever “toe kick” drawers, utilize space that would otherwise go unused!
Client Needs:
1) Visibility: Able to watch small children in the family room when preparing food in the kitchen.
2) Maximize Usable Space: Make the most of the new cabinetry without increasing the cabinet footprint.
3) Decrease food preparation time: Find ways to reduce cooking times and improve the overall layout of the cabinets.
4) Budget: $55,000
Solutions:
1) Visibility: An open, airy design was created by removing the wall separating the kitchen and family room. This allowed for the creation of a sink island with an arched soffit supported by decorative columns. The addition of the island made floor repair unnecessary, created a visually stunning focal point and provided a clear view from the kitchen into the family room.
Technical Problems: The non-load bearing wall contained an air return to a bedroom above which needed to be relocated. This was solved by running it through one of the new hollow columns, avoiding a large ceiling repair.
2) Maximize Usable Space: The original cabinetry footprint remained the same, but in order to gain more storage, counter space was reduced. This allowed for large “pantry-like” cabinets housing pull-out shelving and other unique storage accessories.
Technical Problems: Our mid-priced cabinetry did not offer all of the accessories the client required and higher end lines would not fit into the budget.
The Solution: The client was given a credit back on our cabinet line, allowing her to purchase directly from a “big box” retailer which carried a line that met her needs. The Thomasville cabinets that were chosen offered a vast array of accessories at a reasonable price point. The cabinet salesperson was an experienced professional, making for a smooth installation.
Accessories: The additional pictures display the numerous cabinet accessories, including the pull out toe kick drawers, roll out shelves, door racks and oversized appliance garage.
3) Decreased Food Preparation Time: Two Miele ovens were added, the lower a conventional convection oven and the upper a speed oven designed to cook in half the time. A warming drawer shares another island cabinet with an induction cook top and pop up vent. All appliances are fronted with matching maple doors to integrate them seamlessly into the space.
4) Budget: Under $55,000.
Technical Problems: Finding creative ways to remove walls and add additional lighting without the need and expense of repairs to the ceiling and floor.
The Solution: Adding the island between the kitchen and family room with a soffit for additional recessed lighting and redirecting the return air vent via a decorative hollow column.
Project Management: A lead craftsman is assigned to every project. All work is typically done by us with exceptions of the required licensed mechanical subcontractors. Jobs sites are usually visited several times a week by the owner and/or the designer. All carpenters carry cell phones for easy communication and extra help is available to them when needed. This project was our second for this client, who specifically requested our Certified Lead Carpenter for this whole kitchen renovation.
Budget: The first proposal was for $40k. This included all materials and labor except appliances. (The client furnishes the appliances and we install them, which is typical within our market). The client had budgeted $15k for appliances, thus a $55,000 budget. After three revisions, we settled on a contract of $21,790.00, including installation of the cabinetry which the client would purchase. The cabinets and appliances together totaled $17,500.00, succeeding in keeping the entire job cost under the $55k budget.
Time Frame: Our kitchen projects average 180 man hours. This project exceeded the average due to some difficulty with a few of the many cabinet accessories. Additional work included changing an eight foot wide doorway into double pocket doors between the formal dining and living room.
Client Communications: This was our second major renovation for this client who is very organized and has a natural talent for space allocation and material selection. Our in house designer was not needed except for material logistics. And since this was the second project for this customer and our lead craftsman, rapport was easy and communication excellent.
Technical Difficulty & Craftsmanship: The technical issues, which were known up front, are what shaped our design solution and kept unnecessary repairs to a minimum The only unexpected issue was the additional circuits required by the Miele ovens. Except for the mechanical trades, our Certified Lead Carpenter performed all of the finish work.
Functionality: Our client informed us she has received many compliments from friends. In addition to the aesthetics, her friends are impressed with how easy it is to prepare meals in her new kitchen.
Cost Summary
$21,790.48 Remodeling Contract
(This included labor, granite tops, fixtures and our markup for cabinets).
$17,500.00 Cabinets provided by owner (we installed)
$15,000.00 Appliances provided by owner (we installed)
$54,290.48 Total Job Cost