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Monday, January 23, 2012

Tour Of Client's Kitchen Renovation

This was part of a whole house renovation. Top to bottom, nothing was left untouched. Final pictures were on Friday. During this reno, we removed a wall, added a full bathroom, expanded an existing shower, got rid of some mold, relocated a linen closet, replaced every vent, every switch plate, every outlet, every door knob, every hinge, created a lighting plan, installed new floors and carpet and made sure this 70's built house not only was ready for the 21st century, but many years into the future. It had to be completed in just 2 short months, which was no small feat when you factor in two major holidays and a kitchen backsplash that had to be done over!
I think the daffodils were a perfect choice for the rebirth of this kitchen.
And did I mention the budget was tight and timeline even tighter? During the design/selections phase of the project I had a few sleepless nights contemplating how to keep the overall budget in check, but deliver a kitchen design that was ultra functional as well as infused with style that would appeal to my clients (the property owners) as well as a range of possible new tenants from singles to professionals to families. 

My clients hire me for my reno experience and design vision. Definitely not for my drawing capabilities!

The end unit townhouse is in an area of Reston, Virgina close to some of the best shopping and restaurants (Reston Town Center) in the area and near where a new metro station is slated to be done in 2 years that will bring people into Tyson's Corner and Washington DC.  I kept all of this in the back of my mind with every selection from lights, to tile, to finishes. Stylish, durable, and budget friendly were key words for this project.

The tour:
Before
The bulk head was removed and the new cabinets were taken up to the ceiling.

After
 You can never go wrong with a shaker style cabinet. Beautiful and resilient in cherry.


Before
 The wall and door were removed to open the space and capture the light and woodland views.

After
 Now the kitchen sink has a beautiful view of the trees in the backyard and a bar for seating next to the living/dining area.
The little bump out on the end of the cabinet is where the new mircowave vent was hidden.
 A small consession to gain a microwave and get rid of the soffit!

Before
 The peninsula completely cut the room in half  and created unusable space.


After
 Stylish and functional.

Look at all that storage for food and linens!
Drawers throughout have the automatic soft close feature.

Before
We moved this refridgerator down to the basement utility room.

After
 The only appliance not to get relocated. Now it's just bigger and better looking!


Before

The compacter is gone and now there is hidden trash/recycle bins.


After
 The sun was going down and this shot shows the wonderful glow from the under cabinet lights.


This was my little tongue and cheek reference to how far this house has been transformed.
The 2 little piggies left and took everything with them, but the kitchen sink...we threw that away!
We did spurge on many details in this kitchen such as cherry cabinets, granite counters and a travertine backsplash. The flooring was a high end durable laminate and used throughout the main floor and lower level (which I'll show you that along with the bathrooms in some upcoming posts). But saved on the appliances,  lighting and faucet. All from big box stores. And, the sink was provided for free from the granite company!

All before photos courtesy of A&A. All after photos property of RLI Interiors and may not be copied or reproduced without permission.

28 comments:

  1. Hello Rebecca

    Congratulations - what a transformation - I love it and in particular the pantry cabinet.
    Well done and I am sure they love it and you.

    Helenxx

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  2. Love the storage and the trash collection pull out, especially with the recycling bin. What a wonderful job you've done here. xx's

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  3. Very nice. I hate peninsulas. We got rid of the peninsula in my last house in time to move to another house with a peninsula! It will be a few years until the budget allows a redo.

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  4. Rebecca,
    Your client must be doing cartwheels! I love the cherry wood cabinets and especially the built in pantry/linen closet. Love those pull out drawers!

    I'm learning through my project that sometimes you can splurge and sometimes you have to cut back. It's like a dance.
    Thank you for sharing the before and after shots --- helps us view the possibilities with our own spaces!

    xo Elizabeth

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  5. Love the Coffee Canister! Could you share who makes it. Thank you, C Nichols

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  6. Off the charts! Wonderful transformation! I'm confident your clients are thrilled with your work and grateful that your vision is what they hired you for...long after the drawings are gone...your work is what is seen! xoxox.

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  7. Rebecca you did such a wonderful job! I can’t believe the difference the kitchen looks so clean and fresh and modern, your clients must love you. The backsplash looks wonderful after your little snafu but not your fault! I remember what this place looked like before when you first showed it to us with the people still there…a pit! I can’t wait to see the rest of the house even I would be proud to call it home. Way to go girlfriend!

    XX
    Debra~

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  8. Gorgeous - wonderful job! I love everything, including all that sleek storage. I have the same bin arrangement for recycling and LOVE them...

    xo Terri

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  9. Hi Rebecca, just stopping into blogland before the workers start knocking. I am impressed, what a great and tasteful transformation. Never been a fan of peninsulas myself so getting rid of it was very wise. Thanks for sharing!

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  10. Such an amazing difference. I am sure the clients were happy.
    Teresa
    xoxo

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  11. Love it! Congratulations on a great project.

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  12. Rebecca, this is classic and beautiful your clients have to be thrilled with the end results, You hit a home run on this reno!! Great job! Kathysue

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  13. i love it!!
    it came out just great.
    i bet they are thrilled!!

    xx

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  14. Great photos! congrats on this job to you and your lucky client!

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  15. Looks great. I was laughing about the drawing because mine are terrible and I thought you did great. I'm great at space planning and drawing plans but anything in perspective faaa gettta about it.

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  16. The pantry is my favorite part..
    You can NEVER have too much storage..
    well done

    Linda :o)

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  17. Absolutely brilliant! Amazing the transformation for a smaller area. Love it!

    Judy :)

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  18. R, you worked your magic, that is a beautiful transformation! You took it from dull and dated to stylish and sleek. I love the finishes you chose and how much more usable the space has become! Great job!

    Kat :)

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  19. Rebecca,
    Your client must love you!
    What a happily ever after kitchen.
    pve

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  20. Well done. What a lovely transformation. The kitchen looks very elegant especially with the granite countertop. countertops portland

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  21. The new tenants will love that you extended the kitchen into that dead space behind it. Also -- good choice on the shoe molding to match the floors. Most designers would have gone with shoe to match the baseboard, but this makes the laminate floor seem more custom and more expensive than laminate really is. Great job!

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  22. What a nice improvement. We also had a peninsula when we moved here and promptly got rid of it. It really opened up the kitchen in a big way. I love the dark woods, very elegant!

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  23. Hi All,
    Thank you so very much for all the compliments on my work for this kitchen renovation! I also want to thank everyone too who sent me an email. I sincerely appreciate it, especially in light of all the problems Blogger had last week freezing up the comment box!

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  24. Rebeca,
    You did a fabulous job. I love before and after pictures.

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  25. Wow Girl...I RENEMBER the pig stye it was before. Your vision - tremendous. Excellent, beautiful! Can't wait to see the rest!
    xx

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  26. This is just beautiful! I live near the Reston Town Center too, so I read this with special interest. :) Amazing transformation, thanks for sharing!

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  27. Very nice post, thanks for sharing the information. Keep up the good work.

    kitchen remodeler in manchester

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