Spotlight- Award Winning Kitchen & Bath Remodel in Tempe

The main goal for the kitchen remodel was simple: Make use of all the available space in the kitchen and breakfast areas. Due to poor space planning by the original builder of the home, there was an unused area in the kitchen that was too small to utilize as a breakfast nook so it was not being used; completely wasted space.

With a love to entertain with friends, and also host the family holiday festivities, the homeowners really wanted the kitchen to have an open and inviting feel yet also be an intimate place where the two of them can comfortably sit at the island to eat dinner and watch TV together. There was also a long-overdue desire from the homeowners to remove a wall section of arches that blocked the front door entry to the home from the family room and kitchen areas. This was something they had considered since moving in 10+ years before.

As the homeowner, described it; “we need an area for the million-dollar coffee maker”. Said coffee maker, is his wife’s extra tall latte machine which she adores. The before was an outdated kitchen lacking modern fixtures and functionality, and the homeowners were open to any and all suggestions for space planning & layout changes for their kitchen and family room.

"Before"

First things first, everything had to go! 

The main focus of the new design was to create a “timeless design”, taking advantage of materials and fixtures that don’t go out of style and avoiding the “trends of the moment”. The new floor plan would require relocating appliances to new locations, which would free up space to create a new entry point to the backyard, and also an area for a coffee station. A large, island was part of the new cabinet plan and allowed for additional storage, as well as the opportunity for the homeowners to sit and watch their favorite TV shows during dinner. During the pre-construction discovery phase, the arched walkway walls were determined to be non-load bearing, so they were to be removed. Update all of the cabinets with modern convenience features such as soft-closing doors and drawers, trash storage pull-out, storage drawers on the backside of the island, pull-outs for spice storage, and kitchen utensils. The countertops were updated with Quartz slab materials, and the backsplash with a timeless subway tile, and a decorative splash of accent tile. We then added an electrical circuit to the kitchen to allow for the addition of a new warming drawer.

As the homeowner, described it; “we need an area for the million dollar coffee maker”. Said coffee maker, is his wife’s extra tall latte machine which she adores. The before was an outdated kitchen lacking modern fixtures and functionality, and the homeowners were open to any and all suggestions for space planning & layout changes for their kitchen and family room.

"Under Construction" 

Slide 1: Rendering of space planning layout

Slide 2: Conceptual design during the remodeling process

Slide 3: Photo of backyard access door relocated to its new location, old windows filled in, and new window location

Slide 4: Cabinets being installed, and protected from future trades

Slide 5: Non-code compliant electrical junction boxes from a previous electrician were discovered in the ceiling, which had to be brought up to code, and required the addition of a small sub-panel

Slide 6: Wood-look tile floor installed- including a black granite band to separate existing flooring through rest of the house from new flooring in kitchen & family rooms

Slide 7: Kitchen Island includes a recess for stools

Slide 8: Tile at the coffee bar & cooktop areas, complete with LED under-cabinet accent lighting

Slide 9: The project is coming together down the home stretch

The Finished Product 

Slide 1: The arched walkway comes down and opens up the access and view to the kitchen and family room areas.

Slide 2: Updated cooking area.  The oven relocated to beneath the cooktop, creating room for the refrigerator to be installed in its place.

Slide 3: Previously unusable kitchen space becomes a great area for the coffee bar, pantry cabinets, and additional storage. Cabinets are a nice blend of white on the perimeter of the kitchen, and a Rift-Sawn White Oak with dark stain for the island.

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