Our Kitchen Makeover Contest winners share their reasons for wanting a kitchen remodel. Here are their stories from their contest entries.
“In 2008, my husband and I purchased our current home from my grandmother, promising her that we would take good care of it. Her late husband had built the house with his own two hands after returning from WWII with a Purple Heart. For the most part, we have lived up to our word, having done some renovations to the outside and structure of the house. We have not kept our word with the kitchen. Most of the kitchen is original straight from the 50’s with a few updates in the 70’s and it is literally falling apart. Our dream is to expand the kitchen into the main living are so that we, along with our two sons can enjoy a bright, cheery open space that we can cook in, eat in and make memories for years to come.” Danielle and family were thrilled to win our Kitchen Makeover Contest for New England. The family has wanted to update the kitchen for years. Some of the frustrations with the current layout are:
- It’s not a comfortable place for 2 people to work in at the same time.
- There is limited prep space.
- There is no countertop next to the stove.
- There is a dead corner next to the stove/oven – very hard to use the cabinet or countertop there efficiently.
With those challenges in mind, here are some of the changes they would love to include in a redesigned space:
- Add an island
- Add a pot filler over the stove
- Get the microwave off the countertop
- Make more room for the family to sit together, or to entertain and seat guests
- More storage/better storage – some of their cabinets are not fully utilized because it is too difficult to see or reach all the way to the back
- Gas stove instead of electric (They expect to replace the stove/oven and the microwave, but will keep their dishwasher and fridge.)
- Enlarge the opening to the next room to be able to see what is going on there
- Room to include their 2 children in kitchen tasks – the current space does not allow everyone to move freely
Check back as we show how this design comes together with the help of Shannon Raposa of the Riverhead Building Supply design showroom. “Just wanted to start off by saying thank you for even running this contest… as you can see, this is the original Yellow kitchen from 1974. Although this particular shade of yellow has grown on me over the last 3 years, it is cracking and chipped in places… oh and I almost forgot about those wonderful smells I can’t get rid of, so we put an air freshener in the lower cabinets… hoping to hear from you soon, thanks again for your time.” For our New York winner, Kevin, this contest represents an opportunity to do more with the space than he had originally planned. When he bought the house, he knew he would tackle a kitchen remodel, but put it off in favor of making other repairs and renovations in the home.
Some of the challenges in the current space:
- The design (not just the color!) is dated – it is the original kitchen, installed in 1974
- The corners are deep, and it is difficult to see or reach into the back of corner cabinets, making it wasted space
- The pantry area is awkward
Some of the items on Kevin’s wish list
- Dedicated space for garbage and recycling bins to keep them out of sight
- Pull out spice racks near the cooking area to keep them close at hand, but out of sight when not in use
- A larger sink, possible a farmhouse style.
- Natural wood tones, natural elements like stone, and adding metal such as copper
- Better use of the pantry space
- Adding more natural light
Follow along with us as we learn more about this project and how Mike Apicella of the Riverhead Building Supply design showroom helps Kevin to include items from his wish list in to a contemporary functional design.