before & after | small kitchen renovation
In the land of mega-mansions with mega kitchens, it can be refreshing to work on remodels for people who prefer to keep things small, or to stay in their long-time home and neighborhood. Choosing to renovate a well-loved, established home rather than upscaling to a barren building lot in a treeless part of town is a choice more and more people are making. Questions about character, historic charm, design, sustainability, roots and culture — all become factors in the decision: to build, or not to build? Should I stay or should I go? Buy something on the market that needs work, or go for convenience?
I favor a small, well designed kitchen over an overblown, too-trendy ‘influencer’ kitchen. It may not be as profitable for me to install, but it is much more fulfilling. Designing with real materials and with an eye towards timelessness might steer you away from what is popular and ‘of-the-moment.’ For that reason, your kitchen will outlive trends! It will still feel fresh after the trends have fizzled out. Modest sized rooms that are filled with wood and art feel personal and deliberate.
It took six months or more to find the right fit, but this Pocatello client found herself a fixer-upper in Johnny Creek; a charming neighborhood with serious Mill Valley vibes.
The budget was just big enough to replace flooring, clean up the walls, upgrade some lighting, etc. but didn’t leave room to do any serious demolition or reconstruction. So, we opted to keep the soffit in the kitchen. We also left the layout pretty much the same. Here is what we started with:
Before: shabby and dark
After some back and forth, deciding to remove the “orphan floating upper cabinet” above the peninsula made things feel much more open and clean. Next, new lighting, white oak flooring, new casing, some patching and paint set the stage for the cabinets. The owner’s partner, an associate of mine and a talented stone fabricator, put the crowning touches on the new space with Taj Mahal qaurtzite countertops ; adding opulence and authenticity.
After: Strategic material selection, white oak flooring, new semi-custom cabinets and luxurious taj quartzite countertops clean up and brighten the space
P.S. The new LG zero clearance fridge was a lifesaver in this case. The old fridge had to stick out 8” into the kitchen in order for the doors to open. The zero clearance hinges allowed us to push the fridge all the way back and all the way to the wall and the doors still operate without binding!