Turning a House Into a Forever Home
You wouldn’t know it from the gorgeous results, but this project hit almost every bump in the road! Sometimes it doesn’t matter how much you plan, double check, or even research, if things can go wrong, they will.
Let’s start with the good stuff – this project was one of our favorite kitchen remodels to date! We love the contrast between the rift cut white oak island and dark perimeter cabinets (Benjamin Moore – Navy Masterpiece). We opened the space by removing the existing wall between the kitchen and formal dining room, extended the wall cabinets to wrap around the existing space for the kitchen table, relocated all of the appliances for better floor plan flow, closed off the beam ceiling with a smooth drywall finish. We decided on a beautiful limestone fireplace and replaced the interior with a herringbone brick pattern.
Finishing touches – the homeowner wanted to marry traditional pieces with modern aesthetic and to be honest, we think it is one of the best ways to update your space while still making it feel grounded and warm. The entire dining room set was thrifted and refinished while the entryway chandelier was found at a yard sale. You may notice a bookcase next to the fireplace that was also found on Facebook marketplace. We also went with natural components – quartzite countertops, oak for the island, limestone for the fireplace. It takes a little bit of extra effort finding these special pieces but once you locate them, they become a forever gem for your space and project.
Now, for the not-so-good stuff. While no one ever wants to hear that their project isn’t going as planned, we think it’s important to shed light on the realities of construction and remodeling. It’s vital that clients are mentally prepared for what can happen once work starts, and that they trust their contractor’s knowledge, experience and dedication to their project.
Right off the bat, the architectural plans didn’t map in real life how they did on paper. While this was far from ideal, our team was able to shift the layout in a way that kept the homeowner happy without compromising the integrity of the structure. Aside from structural issues, we took this project on during the peak of the appliance shortage, meaning the homeowner had to wait 9 months for her appliances. This was an entire 4 months past their quoted delivery date. Finally, we ran into issues with the beautiful quartzite countertop and the cabinet dimensions for the fridge cabinet. While we did not do the plumbing or cabinet build for this project that ultimately lead to these issues, we were involved in every aspect of finding solutions and remedies to the issues that arose. While we can’t control everything or mitigate every extenuating circumstance, we pride ourselves on finding the best solutions for our clients.
A big part of any remodel project is being flexible, excited and imaginative. It can be tough when you’re in the thick of it, but we promise it will all pay off in the end. The homeowners absolutely love their new space and have no doubt this will be their forever home. We’re grateful to be a part of such special shifts in clients’ homes and lives!
