Kitchen Renovation in Chevy Chase, Washington, DC
Project Overview
This homeowner contacted us because she wanted to remodel her kitchen. Although her cabinets and appliances were relatively new, the kitchen layout was not conducive to her needs. The usable counter space was chopped up, and the sink was located awkwardly. Storage was limited, and she really wanted a tall pantry. In addition to the kitchen, the adjoining mudroom needed a makeover. She wanted designated space – both open and hidden – for her children’s shoes, coats, backpacks and seasonal outerwear.
Design and Layout
The layout of the kitchen drove the design process. The old cliché about the kitchen being the “heart of the home” was true in this household. The homeowner loves to cook and entertains frequently. She wanted the kitchen to open to the adjoining great room, but wanted a way to keep guests from drifting into the kitchen while she worked. We achieved the open feeling by cutting back a separating wall, and rounding the corner to increase sight lines. A bar was installed around this radius, which draws guests to the action, while simultaneously creating a subtle barrier. Another stipulation given to our design team was to create three separate work areas: one for cooking, one for prep and clean up, and a designated counter for baking. The first two were easy, but the baking station called for some creativity since the square footage of the kitchen was not limitless. The logical location was just inside the mudroom entrance between the pantry cabinet and refrigerator, but the walkway was narrow and a conventional square cabinet was not an option. Therefore, we fabricated a custom curved cabinet that did not protrude into the walkway, yet was still full-depth for a functional workspace. As an added feature, our design called for a curved butcher-block insert that both compliments the kitchen finishes, and serves as a practical feature for preparing ingredients.
Style and Finishes
The architecture and décor throughout the rest of the house favored the traditional. We wanted the kitchen to blend nicely with the overall scheme, so sought to include complimenting decorative details such as a two-piece crown molding around the top of the cabinets. For the contrasting countertops, we selected a Vermont marble, and honed Absolute Black granite; both with the raised edge detail. The subway backsplash tile matches the marble bar top, and the oak flooring continues throughout the rest of the home. Finally, the combination of recessed, under-cabinet and pendant lights make the kitchen a bright and inviting space.
Construction and Final Product
This kitchen remodel went off without a hitch. Our production crew was somewhat apprehensive about the counter template and installation, due to the complexity of the counter design. Raised-edge counters are always tricky to fabricate, and the contours and contrasting materials in this kitchen only added difficulty. If a countertop is delivered wrong, the process of having it re-measured and remade can add weeks to the project finish date. Under the watchful eye of our Lead Carpenter, the counters were measured accurately, and installed perfectly. As is evident from the testimonial below, the homeowner is thrilled with the final outcome of her kitchen renovation.
What the Customer Said
“I feel so fortunate to have found Four Brothers as the designer and builder of our kitchen and mudroom redesign. From day one, they were exceptionally professional and timely, encouraging me to make decisions to help ensure that our project was completed on time and within budget. Every step of the way, they delivered what they promised; arrived when they said they would arrive; created high-quality, beautiful designs and finished products; and remained friendly and communicative. Liz, the kitchen designer, couldn’t have been more helpful in translating my fuzzy vision into two extremely workable spaces. Manual, our lead carpenter, was in our house every day and couldn’t have been more thoughtful, professional, tidy, and skilled. Leroy and Kent are both creative and straightforward and intelligent. The end result is a kitchen and a mudroom that are everything I wanted: functional, user-friendly, high quality, and gorgeous–and completed exactly on time! We’ve already started working with Four Brothers to begin a second project in our home; I give Four Brothers my absolute highest recommendation!”