A Kitchen Remodel Transformation
Evan & Danielle love their new home’s structure, but the traditional kitchen design wasn’t to their taste. Read below to be inspired by the before and after of their kitchen remodel project.
Meet the homeowners: Evan and Danielle
Evan is an enterprise account executive at Sprinklr while Danielle is a leasing manager for WeWork who have been together for over X years. While they love spending time with family, friends and outdoor activities – Danielle also has an passion and interest for interior design. The couple had previously owned a condo in Chicago but with the welcome of their first baby in early 2020, as well as work from home policies (Evan had set up his makeshift office in a closet) it became apparent that they needed to plan for more space for their new future.
“We had a vision of what we wanted in a home and what our style is, and depending on where we ended up, a remodel would always be considered to fit that aesthetic.” A real estate agent friend helped them begin the daunting process of home buying. “We weren’t in any rush at the time. We actually only casually looked at two houses when our realtor sent us our now home, which was at the time a private listing.” Turns out, their first home was love at first sight.
The two immediately fell in love with the house’s structure and layout. Plus it was in the neighborhood they wanted. However, the interior style was more traditional than they liked—they know that buying it would mean committing to remodel aspects of the house to their liking. The first home remodel projects they took on included lightening the hardwood oak floors and updating the stairwell to match, including new spindles and posts. Carpets were replaced in bedrooms and the walls and fireplace also got a fresh coat of paint. And with that, their new home was underway.
Kitchen Remodel Project
The house’s original kitchen was very traditional and outdated in many ways. Since the kitchen is not only the most utilitarian room, but also the heart of a home, Evan and Danielle decided it would be one of the first major remodel projects they’d take on. “We were excited to be able to style and design the kitchen to our liking without having to gut it or start from scratch. To me this is a better scenario than finding a house with an updated kitchen that still isn’t 100% to your liking.”
But where do you even begin the remodeling process? Planning and scheduling are all part of the prolog. “We were fortunate to know our contractor through Danielle’s dad. We had some ideas on color and design and looked online for inspiration. Our contractor spearheaded all the work and schedule. He guided us on the process and what to look for. Having his guidance was a huge help especially with details that a person not in the home/remodel/construction business would catch or know to look for.” says Evan.
They began by repainting the existing cupboards with Benjamin Moore paint in White Dove with a smooth satin finish and then attaching new hardware, all of which took about three days. The next week included installing a new countertop, the RIAD White backsplash splash,
and a farmhouse style kitchen sink by DeerValley. Despite their fears, the process was fast and easy. For starters, since they did not need to gut any of the existing kitchen, it made it easier to plan and remodel quickly. “Overall, I would say the project took one full month, as we had to wait for things like the hardware and light fixtures to come in stock due to COVID-19 and then to be installed.”
Without a doubt the centerpiece of the kitchen is the island waterfall edge “This made a significant impact, as the island was small for the space and while we did not like the design or color of it, we did not want to have to fully replace it. The waterfall edge was the perfect solution.” With all the completed updates and added details, the whole kitchen is nearly unrecognizable from the original design.
The Final Vision
“The most fun part of the home remodel projects is seeing our vision come to life! It is fun and rewarding to make your house a home for you and your family, whether that is just through small touches or remodeling,” says Danielle. As the two continue to update their new home, they have plans to finish the 1,600 square foot basement, adding a bar, TV area, play area for the kids, bedroom, gym, bathroom, and extra storage. They also want to remodel all four bathrooms—but they’re taking it one project at a time.
To Future Home Remodelers
For those thinking about remodeling their home, or just beginning the process, think about the place where you spend the most time and budgeting for various areas, we recommend making a list of what is most important to change, explore other’s completed projects to find inspiration, and create a mood board. “Pick one thing at a time and try not to get overwhelmed by all the options.” We couldn’t agree more.