Project Overview

This client had started the design process a few years before with a different designer and separate contractor. But the process dragged on and eventually stalled. They called us and we came in with some fresh ideas and a reliable process to get things rolling again. 

This was a two story home remodel done in two parts so they could continue to live in the home while the work was going on. We started downstairs with the kitchen, laundry, powder bath, walk in pantry and flooring. All the clients belongings were either moved upstairs or into the garage for this part of the project. 

Once the downstairs was complete they moved their funriture back downs stairs and we started on the upstairs primary bath and upstairs painting and flooring. 

Before and After

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The before and after photos for this kitchen really emphasize how a new design can completely transform a space!

Our Favorite Things

The kitchen tranformation was great. We were able to add a lot of extra counterspace and storage and the colors are just wow! The custom shelving in the walk in pantry really made a big difference too. 

Navy Blue Island

The navy blue island in this kitchen sits in beautifully stark contrast to the bright white in the rest of the kitchen. When the range and sink are on opposite walls, like they are hear, having an island in the middle to act as a prep and landing zone makes a big difference. 

Glass Upper Cabinets

Adding the buffet area was added in design. They needed more storage and also wanted a place to put a TV. The glass cabinets give the area a more refined look and make that large wall of cabinets look lighter and less bulky. They are a little shallower than typical cabinets due to the large window on the adjacent wall and to leave room for seating at the breakfast table. 

Pot Filler

When the kitchen sink is more than 60 inches from the range a pot filler can be really beneficial. They look great but also save a lot of work when you need to fill large pots with water for boiling pasta and other meals. 

Custom Wood Accent on Hood

Its a good idea to break up painted cabinets with some organic colors and textures. In this case we used a wood strip on the hood to bring a little bit of nature into the design. 

New Staircase

The stairs were originally a different shade of wood and had the front faces of each step painted with a different color. While this was a super fun design, matching the staircase to the new floors in the home adds continuity to the home.

Brand New Shower

Previously, the shower in the master bathroom was very cramped. To fix this, the old tub was removed and a beautiful new tiled shower was installed in its place.

Before Photos

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Design Concepts

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After Photos

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Scope of Work

This project was completed in two phases. Phase 1 was the downstairs area, and phase 2 was the upstairs area. Downstairs, the kitchen, laundry room, pantry, and powder bath were completely gutted. In the kitchen, a new cabinet layout made space for an island. moving to the laundry room, all new cabinets were added to make space efficient storage for the space. The old pantry storage was very small, so custom built-in shelves were added to maximize the available space. At the other end of the downstairs area, the powder bath was gutted and had new wall paneling installed. as a final touch to the downstairs area, all new flooring was added.

Moving up the staircase (Which was also replaced), the master bath was completely gutted to change the layout. The original shower area was converted into a cabinet and shelving area, the tub was removed and converted into a shower, the toilet was replaced, and the vanity was replaced.

Timeline, Challenges and Solutions

Actual Completion

Downstairs: Jan 27th, 2022

Upstairs: May 20th, 2022

Change Orders. The downstairs part of this project took about 4 weeks longer than expected. The homeowner requested quite a few additions to the scope of work early in the project and this added time to the schedule.

Because they had to move out of the downstairs they decided to have the drywall redone and the whole downstairs painted, instead of just the kitchen as originally planned. They also added flooring upstairs and adding panelling in the powder bath.

We had discussed this during design but they had removed it from the scope of work to save some money. It was not hard to accommodate the extra work, but it did add time to the project schedule. Because we were working around the holidays this meant we could not finish before Christmas as originally planned and instead had to complete the project in the new year.

Termite damage. Upstairs however we ran into a big issue. During demo we discovered significant termite damage and live termites under the tub. The clients had a termite bond on the house so we had to stop work while the termite company called their insurance and the damage taken care of. We originally hoped we could make the repairs to save time but the insurance company insisted they use their own contractors. In total this added 5 or 6 weeks to the project.

Wrong vanity size. We had one more issue in the upstairs bath. Their vanity cabinets were sent to us in the wrong size. It somehow got missed when we were checking in the delivery.

We ordered a new vanity of course but it took several weeks to get. Since then we’ve added some more stringent rules about how materials are checked into the warehouse to avoid this issue in the future.

Project Costs

Change Orders: $36,361.60

Final Project Cost: $203,231.95

Cost Details

The initial Good-Better-Best budget for this project was $166,519.00 while the final total was $203,231.95. There are two main reasons for this price increase. First, during the design phase, the homeowner made selections that increased their budget to $182,220.62. Second, during the project, the homeowner requested $36,361.60 in change orders, further increasing the budget. 

Cost Breakdown

Selections

Cabinets

In the kitchen, this homeowner went with the Evoke door style from Bellmont’s 1600 line in White paint for the cabinets on the walls and Naval paint for the island cabinets.

the cabinets in the laundry room are Bellmont’s Studio door style was used in Naval paint.

In the master bath, the cabinets are the Frame door style in Matte White from Bellmont’s 1300 line.

Counters

The countertops in the kitchen and laundry room are Cambria’s Whitby quartz countertops.

While the countertops in the master bath are Silestone’s Miami Vena quartz countertops.

Flooring

Throughout the whole lower floor of the home (And the staircase) the flooring is the Tsunami Rigid Classic – Divine LVP.

Plumbing Fixtures

The pot filler is the Delta Broderick pot filler in arctic stainless finish.

Trade Partners

We’ve been developing relationships with quality trade partners for years. We tend to use the same subcontractors because we trust their work and have developed a great working relationship with them. This helps make projects run smoother.

Drywall: Fat Boy Drywall

Painting: A Different Stroke By Kenneth

HVAC: Watts Cooling Heating and Plumbing

Tile: QSA Tile