Burroughs Road Remodel: Project Reveal

Okay before we get too excited because I LOVE project reveals, I’m going to preface by saying I didn’t get official photographs for this project. There are some projects that this doesn’t happen with, and it’s usually because the home doesn’t have furniture ready and/or the homeowners are involved in construction so they are still working on things after I’m done. In this project, both situations applied! So I tried to stay out of the way and let them finish up their projects. However, I did manage to take some snapshots at our final meeting. If you haven’t seen them already, take a look at what this home looked like in the beginning. Here are the “before” pictures of this space and see the transition it went through in just a few months!

THE APPLIANCES

So, first off, I’m kind of obsessed with the appliance selections of this home. They were Jenn-Air and I have to say, this is one of those things that added such a feel of luxury to the space that I can’t imagine how it would have felt putting in the original black ones back into a new kitchen. The beverage refrigerator (similar one linked) was also a highlight, because what a perfect little focal point while also conveniently located and accessible during gatherings! We also went with a counter-depth refrigerator to save every inch we could on the walk space, because it was getting pretty tight trying to fit in the island seating right behind the large pantry cabinets. (The refrigerator got delivered later that day, I JUST missed it!)

CABINETS & PANTRY STORAGE

Those pantry cabinets though! So nice! They may have been a total pain in the butt during the construction process due to the company not having the size we originally planned for, but sometimes things happen for a reason and this was a happy result of that. I love that they are the same depth as the rest of the wall cabinets along the right side, and they add so much storage to the kitchen, I don’t even know what I would do with that much space. Costco, anyone? These clients live in the country though so I can imagine it’s nice to stock up on things.

FIXTURES & FINISHES

Ok, how about the dream faucet and sink? If you know anything about faucets, you know that Rohl is top of the line, and I love the sleek lines of this one. Paired with one of my favorite Kohler cast iron sink, it’s a match made in heaven! If you read the last progress post, did you get a chance to guess the backsplash of the kitchen? Well, it wasn’t a trick question, but just a simple answer! For this traditional farmhouse kitchen, we went with standard subway tile to coordinate with the counters. Classic and easy to clean was the rule of thumb for this space, and I definitely think that was achieved here.

PICKING THE PAINT

One of the last things that happen during a renovation is paint, which is shocking to the vast majority of my clients. For very logical reasons…”wouldn’t it be easier to paint when the space is empty?” Well, probably. But I like to think of paint as the cherry on top and the most flexible “topping” of the home. I start by selecting finishes that have less options to pick from…cabinets and flooring, counters, tile, then paint. Because there are a gazillion paint colors, it’s always easy to find one that works. It also offers an opportunity to see the finishes installed and adjust color tones as needed. So, it’s not out of the norm to paint last, and a quality painter should do a good job at protecting the finishes. I love how the creamy paint color selected for the main level changed the appearance all at once. Magic!

THE FIREPLACE & BUILT-INS

Last but not least, because it’s one of my favorite parts of this remodel, is the new fireplace build-out up to the ceiling with cabinets and custom wine storage on either side. The shiplap was the perfect simple material for such a large feature, but the fireplace anchors the space that will now function as their formal dining room. Such a beautiful spot for gathering and entertaining!

What do you think…are you a classic farmhouse or traditional style type? Or more of a modern aesthetic? If you’re not sure, head over to my website and take the FREE style quiz to find out!

Make sure to check out the before images here as well as the progress…it’s always fun to see that transformation! As always, if you like what you see and have a project of your own that you would like to discuss, we’d love to hear from you! Check out our services and let’s chat!

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. We hope by sourcing some of our favorite products, we provide value to you and your projects!

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Burroughs Road Remodel: Progress Update

I have a few phases of construction that are my total favorite…besides, of course, the final reveal. One of my favorites is when the demolition is complete and you see the home in it’s raw, empty space. It’s like a fresh slate and you can really start to visualize the plans you created, because the old stuff is gone. But my other favorite phase is when new cabinets start getting set in a kitchen design. The entire kitchen will just change before your eyes. Here’s an example from the progression at Burroughs Road…

A NEW LAYOUT

You may have noticed that we moved the refrigerator from the right side of the kitchen to the left (go back and look at the “before” pictures!). This was a simple switch but made so much sense. Because the original cabinets on the right side of the kitchen were only 12″ deep, it caused the refrigerator to stick out and block the view of the whole kitchen. Switching it up opened the space substantially! The rest of the kitchen kept with the same layout as the original kitchen, but we did expand the island. At one point we considered opening the wall between the kitchen and dining room. However, it would cause us to lose storage and create some dead zones of the home. And believe it or not, there is a balance of open and TOO open.

the fireplace transformation

Take a look at how we built out the fireplace to enhance the ceiling height and frame the room. If you don’t remember what it originally looked like, go check out the “before” pictures of the whole home. It’s not done yet, though! Wine racks for storage were an important piece on the client’s wish list. We tucked them in along with some beautiful wood floating shelves and a rustic wood mantel. Stay tuned for the final reveal on those…

flooring

In the photo above, you can get a small glimpse of the flooring installed. We went with a laminate floor in a dark chocolate brown. It was some of the most realistic laminate I’ve seen! It had great rustic patches that will help hide dirt while also adding character to the clean white space. One of my favorite tricks is doing a darker floor with lighter walls because it makes a space feel bigger! Here’s another picture of the flooring…

COUNTERS ARE INSTALLED!

Let’s get back to the kitchen! Quartz countertops (shown installed above) are pretty much my favorite, but I usually stick to simple patterns and colors. This client wanted to shake things up a bit though by finding something with more pattern and color variation. We found something with a creamy undertone that had patches and speckles of brown and white. It definitely helped us reach that traditional aesthetic that the clients also liked!

Can you guess the backsplash we selected? Head on over to the final reveal to see if you’re right!


Burroughs Road Remodel: “Before”

One of my favorite things to do as I wrap up a project is to go back and look at where we started. When you are going through a renovation, often for months, it’s easy to forget what was once there in the first place. These clients had been living in the home for 20 years! They actually had the home built for them and helped select the original finishes. I’m sure it would still be a shock for them to look at the difference of their new kitchen in comparison to the old…I love having a record of the progression!

This kitchen was twenty-years old with builders-grade style finishes and fixtures. While the clients initially struggled to define their style, we did some digging by having them take the style quiz as well as the in-depth style assessment offered with our design services. The results pointed us in the very prominent direction of a traditional style with farmhouse touches. This was perfect considering the home was located on some dreamy acreage north of town.

A CABINETRY CONUNDRUM

What started as a plan to refinish the cabinets, we did quote comparisons of refinishing the cabinets versus ordering new. Sure enough, like others who have gone through this process, we decided it was a small upgrade to going with new cabinets. This was good for many reasons…1) the style of the cabinet doors was outdated. 2) there were many gaps and fillers or homemade components to their existing cabinets. 3) it was only a matter of time before the age of these cabinets started to show and break down. So, cabinets got torn out for reuse somewhere else.

PLANNING FOR FIXTURES & FINISHES

The original counters were laminate, which definitely needed to be upgraded. The plumbing and lighting fixtures were old, worn, and outdated as well. For budget reasons, we kept the existing fluorescent lighting. However, a little cleaning and replacing of bulbs helped freshen them up. Part of the way through planning, the clients decided to get new appliances, too!

The flooring throughout the first level also needed to be replaced. It was Pergo flooring and had started to pop and gap in areas. Later, in the lower living room, we noticed a large sink hole in the corner by the stairs. This gave us all a big scare, but was fixed with a bit of concrete and leveling. Instead of putting the old carpet back down, we decided to use the same flooring we selected for the kitchen.This, in addition to painting the whole level the same color, really helped the home feel cohesive.

A FORMAL DINING SPACE

The layout of this home is incredibly common for spec homes in our area. But the homeowners didn’t need two living rooms! What they really needed was a dining room that could fit more than four people. We decided to take over the formal living room and turn it into a dining room. The client had a beautiful extra long and live-edge table that was made by her dad using exotic wood. It would fit in the space perfectly and allow them to entertain and host gatherings during the holidays. This space also had a fireplace, although it was small in scale for the size of the room. It needed some finish updates as well, which was the perfect opportunity to enhance the whole space.

Overall, this first floor of the home expanded into a bigger project than we initially planned. But every decision ended up making sense! Homes with these large, open floor plans are hard to “cut off” when renovating. This is because some materials continue to the next room (wall colors, flooring, trim, etc.). However, take a peek at the progress photos for how we achieved a cohesive feel in the wide open space!