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.

Kitchen Demo Day: Tear Down That Wall!

Last Wednesday, was the beginning of one of my favorite parts of the design process: demo day. Or in this case, it was 3 full days. Much of that was spent scrapping up 3 layers of linoleum in this kitchen and one layer under the carpet in the basement. Watching a renovation project get under way after so much planning is always thrilling!


Demo day 2
Goodbye light stealing wall, silly door and ugly useless bulkhead. 

The first time I showed the unbelievably scary first impressions of this entire house was here. The condition was even worse than my clients had originally thought. By the time 2012 rolls around, the hoarding and not so groovy 70's will be a distant memory and the house will be ready to ring in the new year with some much needed 21st century style!


Before
The new kitchen won't have faux wood grain counters, mushroom lights or....



a trash compactor! The appliance layout is going to change...along with everything else!!!


I'm excited to see work on the kitchen, in particular, get underway. The crew was making great progress and by Friday afternoon, in addition to the kitchen demo, they were already cutting the wood to frame out the new bathroom on the lower level. Oh how I just love the smell of freshly cut lumber!

My Latest Project: What The Yuck!?

A couple I worked with on a renovation a few years ago called to see if I was interested in doing a whole house renovation on an income property they own. It was built in the 1970's and they have owned it since the mid 1980's. As newlyweds, it was once their residence. My response...when can I see the place!?

If you have read my blog for some time, it's no secret how much I love renovations. This is such a unique project to be able to work on something from scratch, or nearly. Even though I won't be doing any decorating since it's going to continue as an income property and in 2 years it will serve as a first home for their college age children, still I am enthusiastic!

At first glance this seems like a really decent townhouse. It's a large end unit that has a tall side window and that means lots of natural light in the stairwell. It's almost all brick with a wide side yard that has a path next to it, and backs to a private tree lined no build area. Very promising!

The landscaping and grass need some attention and a fresh coat of paint will be in order, plus a new light.
 New windows and storm door were added the week before this photo.

Looks can be deceiving...

Shall we start in the kitchen? Come in, if you dare. Welcome to the latest episode of hoarders. The male version. Two single men, I'd say in their early 30's (yes, I met them when I came over to do the measurements) have lived here for 6 years. They both move out at the end of the month.

The purses on the counter belong to me and my client. I had to grab a paper sack and to rip sheets of paper from my notebook to put our purses on so the bottoms wouldn't become a petri dish! I was tempted to ask the husband to hold them. My measuring tape was wiped down with a Clorox wipe the minute I got home. Can I pour you a drink? There must have been over 300 bottles of liquor throughout this house. That explains a lot....must be hard to clean when you're drunk all the time.

The clients did warn me the place was in bad shape and used primarily for storage. Hmm...not exactly how I would describe it, but within 5 minutes I can envision major changes and a dramatic outcome in the kitchen and regain my enthusiasm.



Other side of the kitchen. If I get the structural okay, this wall and door are outta here!



and goodbye vertical blinds and hello beautiful tranquil view!

Shall we go downstairs?


1970's stair rail. I wanted to rip it off the wall the moment I saw it! Why is an old screen still here?



This is the basement powder room. It's the cleanest bathroom in the house.
Trust me when I say I truly wish I was kidding. It gets worse. Much worse.



This hallway between the powder room and utility room is just such a waste of space. This is the ideal
spot to add a shower, but a special contractor is required to do a foundation drill on an attached property. 



Under the basement stairs. Scruples, really??? A closet appears to be in order here.



These stupid stick-on mirrors will likely require all the drywall to be removed! There is actually a nice stone fireplace behind the skull (Jolly Roger) flag. The fence and deck are very nice, they just need a little power washing.

Let's go upstairs. Please forgive me for showing you these. Perhaps this will explain why I've had no time to blog. This past week, I have been completely immersed in coming up with plans for a new kitchen design, hopefully a bathroom addition, plus things like carpet, flooring, lighting and a whole lot of YUCK!

The master bedroom. I had to push this box out of the way the way to get to the bathroom.
Cue the Psycho  music...



Who thinks design is glamorous work? There was also plenty of mold in the hall bath too. But, I love my readers
far too much to pile on any more torture. The smell of mold was so strong the minute I reached the upstairs landing.
The mold had spread from the shower to the bathroom floor to the carpet in the bedroom!!!
 Even though I showered as soon as I got home, I ended up with a 2 day mirgraine and was feeling quite sick.
I insisted my clients get a mold abatement specialist in to do samples and testing before we go any further.
The results are due in today. 



It has rained for 8 straight days. A stream now runs through our backyard. I rush home every day to see if the basement has flooded. All this craziness makes me feel compelled to end on a pretty note. I fell in love with this gorgeous linen embroidered quatrefoil fern fabric and ordered a sample. Why is the sample so small you ask? It's $295/yd. I can not afford anything more than a few pillows at this price I could have pillows made using antique textiles pieces. If the damn leaf had been centered on the sample, I would frame it!!! Seriously. I thought about having it printed, but it's an exclusive design and can't be copied.

However, thanks to blogging and new friendships, I have found a beautiful fern alternative that can be custom made by a super talented man in the colors I love.  I plan the fern fabric in my kitchen. I look forward to sharing all the details as soon as the work is complete!