Russ and Millie have a beautiful home in Sugar Grove. The kitchen was original late 90’s builders oak. They wanted an update but really didn’t want to deal with a full tear-out and all that would entail. We started with an email / text conversation to get an idea of their needs as well a some general idea of cost. When we established that I could help them achieve the look that they wanted at a price that was generally in their ballpark, I visited them at their home on a Saturday with some samples and colors and we discussed specifics.
The countertops and backsplash had been upgraded a few years ago and still looked good. The cabinet cases and frames were still solid, but the doors and drawers were beyond hope. They briefly considered painting them, but the heavy oak grain would show through, plus they’d still be left with the same moldings, drawer slides and large spaces between the doors.
Some of the functional aspects they wanted to address were getting the microwave off the counter, getting rid of the old wine rack in the butler’s pantry and having easier access to storage in the lower cabinets.
The solutions that we came up we came up with together were to remove the wine rack and I would build a cabinet to install in its place. I would convert the lower cabinets next to the range into large drawers on heavy duty, full-extension slides – so no more getting on the floor to get the pots and pans. Also, sacrificing one cabinet in the island to cut in an opening for the microwave.
I was really pleased with the way everything came together, but much more importantly, so were Russ and Millie.