A stunning recently finished kitchen remodel in this home in the Pacific Northwest. This was a passion project for me as it is my kitchen! "These clients are really happy with the finished product!"
After living in this home on the golf course for five years we decided we wanted to update a dated kitchen, and remove a load-bearing wall from the existing dining room to the kitchen , allowing the rooms to join, creating an open space living space.
This was the first kitchen project that I was going to tackle on my own, acting as my own designer. The first step was hiring an engineer to assess the load-bearing wall. Could this project happen? We found the house plans from the city, and received the engineer summary. This could happen, but we would need to put in a steel beam in ceiling area to reinforce the upper level. Next steps, hiring a construction company. We went with Keystone Kitchens in Woodinville after several bids.
Following that I hired an independent CAD consultant to design the lay out with me. This took several weeks to decide on the final drawing. Lengthening the island, moving appliances, creating a buffet area, and finalizing cabinetry.
Once the design was completed and the contract was finalized with Keystone, I had four weeks to curate materials, choose appliances, fixtures, flooring, paint, etc. before the work would begin. In this four week period I was consumed with decision making, reviewing websites, reading blogs, shopping, and visiting friends homes to get ideas. As I had never done this before it was hard to know how to finalize my decisions. The most important part of this process was trusting my instinct and listening to my inner voice about the objective for each area of the kitchen. "What did my family need? What made sense in each space? Was the room balanced?"
This was the most difficult time, but in hindsight, for future projects I will relax and enjoy this process.
