Kitchen Ambition
Considering a kitchen renovation?
Before you dive into Pintrest or Houzz, see the work of local contractors and heed the advice of your neighbors who have already fought that battle and won.
Beth & Keith Dalick
Contractor: Capital Kitchen & Bath
Renovated
What inspired you to renovate your kitchen?
When we purchased this home, the entire house was dark and stuck in the northern 90’s. Being southerners, we wanted to brighten everything up and create a home for family and friends to feel welcome. The kitchen is the heart of the home and was the most important room in our renovation.
What were your top three must-haves for your kitchen renovation?
Layout, storage, and counter space.
What were some of the challenges you encountered while renovating your kitchen?
Since we changed the original foot print/layout of the kitchen, matching the hardwood floor with the existing flooring was the biggest challenge. The other challenge was where to put the microwave.
What do you like most about your new kitchen?
The center island. It invites everyone to the kitchen and reminds us of our childhood memories, watching our parents bake and cook delicious meals.
What advice would you give to someone considering a kitchen renovation?
Establish your must haves ahead of time and nail down your layout so you can mull it over prior to committing to the final design.
Is there anything else that you would like to add?
When shopping for a contractor, it is important to shop around and ask each contractor for previous jobs and references to ensure the quality of work. You must live with their work in your home for the foreseeable future. Prior to hiring a contractor, ensure you have a complete design to provide them.
Sandy Morgan
Contractor: Gage Construction
Before
After
What inspired you to renovate your kitchen?
We chose an older home on Lake Murray and after 3 years in my kitchen, it was time.
What were some of the challenges you encountered while renovating your kitchen?
We wanted use our available square footage to the max, not bump out to add space. After many sketches, and much research, we finally arrived at our plan. During the reno itself, the several weeks of “camping out” in our dining room were challenging too. After the renovation, I waved goodbye to the dumpster and went to work enjoying what we had created.
What were your top three must-haves for your kitchen renovation?
It was critical to me that I had storage where I needed it, kitchen tools at my fingertips, great spaces for food prep; a large sink, and every available space detailed, including a drawer dedicated to spices, and a microwave contained in the island to keep it off the counter. As a participant/primary decision maker during the design process, I would mentally challenge myself with, “where will I put this or that?”
What do you like most about your new kitchen?
I believe that every room should have a piece of “soul.” We chose to incorporate an heirloom “cabinet maker,“ workbench that originally was used by my grandfather, then father, and now me.
What advice would you give to someone considering a kitchen renovation?
Devote a lot of time to planning and details. It will pay great dividends in the end. And choose the right contractor for you. This was our second project with Gage, and an excellent choice for us. We were thrilled with the final product and remain so today.
Is there anything you’d like to add?
I knew, with Gage on board, I would have to be several steps ahead of their efficient project manager, PJ Calcutt, and his crew with choosing paint colors, flooring, lighting, backsplash, sink, faucet, appliances, etc. When PJ and his crews were ready, I was ready. For us, that was the fun part, and it contributed to the overall enjoyment of the project.
