This beautiful “old” home (1880’s) located near Historic Downtown Hudson, WI was in desperate need of a kitchen makeover. Not only was it out-dated (and bright green), but it was not functional. It lacked prep space and storage. There was a lot of wasted space, like this entire blank wall, where we relocated the fridge and added a pantry and small desk.
Two walls had large soffits claiming valuable real estate so we replaced them with cabinets extended to the ceiling for added storage. The cooking area was crowded, but moving the refrigerator to the opposite wall created a more user friendly cooking space with ample countertop space on both sides of the range (and bonus – a symmetrical range wall which is always pleasing to the eye)!
The sink area was boxed in and felt claustrophobic so removing the soffits definitely created a more spacious feeling. You never know what you might discover inside a soffit. Often times there is nothing, it is just there for aesthetics because that was the trend at one point. Other times, the soffits serve a purpose and are housing electrical wire, duct work or pipes, etc. Unfortunately, we encountered a pretty major issue when we opened up the soffit above the sink. There was a beam in the way that was (sort of) supporting the 2nd floor so we couldn’t just remove it. Also, it wasn’t to code and was substandard construction, most likely from a diy project long ago. We had to call in some extra reinforcements to build a temporary wall, remove the unsafe beam and install 2 new 10′ microlams for proper support. This delayed the project a few days and caused a bit of worry about whether or not the cabinets that had already been ordered would fit. Thankfully, our carpenter was able to install the beam high enough for the cabinets to fit underneath it and the crown to hide it. There was also electrical and plumbing that needed to be re-routed.
In the center of their kitchen they had a table, so that was replaced with an island, big enough for a 2nd sink, microwave, pull-out garbage, and seating. There is another table in the adjacent dining room so it will not be missed. The window and door casing were in rough shape, so our carpenter custom cut new casing to match the existing. The homeowners had the original floors refinished which really complemented the newness of everything else. Cambria quartz countertops and white subway tile work well together to create a classic and timeless look, perfectly fitting for this classic and historic home.
The ceiling was in bad shape so we covered it with beadboard paneling and had it painted to match the trim. It adds so much dimension to the space!
Witnessing the transformation of a kitchen renovation, especially one as major as this one, is always amazing! We are so honored to be trusted by these homeowners to help them with their remodeling project and are so thrilled with the results!
You must be logged in to post a comment.