Kitchen Remodeling
How do we get those cabinets and appliances up those very narrow stairs?
Several weeks ago I blogged about how to pick finishes for a kitchen. The kitchen referenced in that article is located in a large 4-story townhome right next to Reston Town Center in Northern Virginia. This townhome has extremely narrow staircases that do not easily accommodate the 100” tall oven and Sub Zero refrigerator cabinets the client wanted so that the kitchen could be “all that it can be”.
If you do not think ahead about entry and exit points for the delivery of new kitchen appliances, you can become quite unnerved on the day they arrive!
Thankfully, our careful advance planning prevented a panic attack.
Delivery Day
The cabinetry for this kitchen had been ordered 12 weeks earlier. Finally, the “big” day — delivery day -— arrived. I left early in the morning to drive directly to Reston, Virginia to meet the Pennville Custom Cabinetry truck and Brannock Built contracting crew.
Pennville Custom Cabinetry truck
The first few cabinets were unloaded off of the truck. As expected, each was wrapped carefully with a its own blue quilted blanket for additional protection during transport. Nevertheless, as the cabinets were unloaded I still braced myself for possible damage just before examining them (a normal OCD trait of mine).
Thankfully there was no need to worry — after all, this was top-of-the-line Pennville Custom Cabinetry! Pennville cabinets take longer to engineer and build (right now, a 12 week lead time), but in the end, when you run your hands over the finish and view them in the sunny daylight, their exceptional high-quality construction makes them worth the wait. Pennville goes the extra mile to ensure that each cabinet is dimensionally correct and exemplary in its final form. In my experience, I have never seen a cabinet company with such high quality control standards. For discerning clients, Pennville cabinetry is always my top recommendation.
Forklift
Lazy Susan transport
Next, we brought in the Sub Zero refrigerator. Yes, it came in through that window.
Other large cabinets making their way through the window….
These pictures document our how our advance planning prevented last-minute delivery issues. We examined all the steps and logistics that could present a problem during delivery, and by doing so, we were able to carry out this phase of the kitchen remodel successfully and with minimal stress.
Here is the contractor, Guy Brannock who, after everything made its way into the house, is very happy that all of our preparation paid off. Bravo Guy!
Mission Accomplished!
Stay tuned for the next phase: the installation process.
Sandra Brannock, Owner, Expert Kitchen Designs, Virginia
Call Sandra today at (703) 801-6402 to schedule a kitchen remodeling consultation. Sandra will help you get the most value out of your kitchen remodeling budget and ensure that all the details of your kitchen renovation proceed smoothly, on time and within budget.
Kitchen Design
In September 2013, one of my top-notch renovation builders, Tom Miller of Miller & McIntyre, asked me to assist his clients, Cathy and Mike, with a kitchen design for their Reston, Virginia townhome. For years, Cathy and Mike had lived with what I call “a problematic kitchen,” where the existing layout does not function up to today’s kitchen design standards.
Built in the late 1970’s, the client’s townhome reflects the typical architectural style found in Reston. Casement windows and minimal detailing exist throughout the home. The dining room is open to the living area. The staircase upstairs and downstairs is open.
In contrast, the kitchen footprint offered little in the way of contemporary kitchen function. Too many entries into the kitchen eliminated the option of making the smaller wall spaces usable for any meaningful kitchen function. Also, a large 3’x2′ HVAC chase projected into the kitchen; unfortunately, the cost to relocate it would be exorbitant. There was one long wall that offered promise, although it was still too short to house all essential kitchen functions in compliance with NKBA (National Kitchen and Bath Association) guidelines.
After our initial meeting, I left their home thinking, “How am I going to pull this off without doing a standard “pull and replace?”. (In case one doesn’t understand that term, a “pull and replace” refers to “pulling” the old cabinetry/fixtures/appliances out and then “replacing” them with newer models. In short, it is an easy way to improve the appearance of a space but it may not improve its function to the fullest degree. This is not a practice I choose to follow as it does not add as much value in the long run other than aesthetic improvement.)
I was not discouraged though, and I knew the answer would come when I started drawing a new kitchen design plan.
After a few hours drawing on my 2020 CAD, I was finally rewarded. I crafted a space that excited me, and I hoped would excite my clients and Miller & McIntyre just as much. Within a week, I met with everyone again and presented the new kitchen design to them.
They loved it!
Before and After
The picture below shows how one corner of their kitchen looked before we embarked on the kitchen remodel.
Reston Townhome Kitchen Before Remodeling
As you can see, the original kitchen had no functional space other than “clutter collection. The front door and kitchen entries were very close to one another. When homeowners and guests arrived through the front door, a cluttered kitchen greeted them front and center and there was no “foyer” where one could set down their umbrella or hang a hat.
Here is how the same kitchen corner looks after the redesign:
Same Kitchen Corner After Redesign
Can you tell this is the same corner?
Unlike its “ghost”, it is now clean, aesthetically pleasing and, best of all, functional!
How We Did It
First, we made two structural changes:
- We relocated the poorly placed existing kitchen entry five feet leftward, and
- We added a window on the sink wall to allow more light into kitchen.
3D CAD Design by Expert Kitchen Designs
Townhome Kitchen CAD Design
The first change was essential. This made the “clutter” corner more functional and enabled us to easily install a slide-in electric range on the peninsula for a seamless look.
We also achieved one important goal in the kitchen redesign by equipping one side of the kitchen with a functional workspace,thereby relieving all the pressure to combine them all on one long wall. An added plus is that this setup allows the cook in the kitchen to converse with those seated at the peninsula, making the space not only functional but an inviting place to socialize as well.
Now that we relocated the cooking area, we could improve the opposite kitchen wall by adding a much needed window. This created a visually appealing focal point for the sink. Also, we anchored each end of this long wall with tall functional items (left to right):
- a narrow broom/storage closet and a 36” counter-depth french door refrigerator on one end, and
- a pantry with pullouts and microwave on the other.
What contributed to the finishes?
We chose Benjamin Moore “White Dove” with Brubaker Kitchens Cabinetry from Lancaster Pennsylvania.
The countertops were Soapstone.
We chose a very soft green for the walls, Sherwin Williams “Celery”.
Need an Expert Kitchen Design?
If you have a “problem kitchen” that needs a redesign, call me at (703) 801-6402 or email me at Sandra[at]expertkitchendesigns.com to discuss your situation. I can advise you on ways you can get the kitchen of your dreams! There is always a way to fix a problem kitchen with the right design.
Sandra Brannock, Owner, Expert Kitchen Designs, Virginia
Call Sandra today at (703) 801-6402 to schedule a kitchen remodeling consultation. Sandra will help you get the most value out of your kitchen remodeling budget and ensure that all the details of your kitchen renovation proceed smoothly, on time and within budget.
