Structural Kitchen Remodel Process Flow as Designed and Built by Sea Pointe Design & Remodel
This structural kitchen remodel is a cornerstone project for Sea Pointe Design & Remodel. Sea Pointe excels in wall removal, drain and plumbing relocation so that the client may use the space in the most functional way available. We often find that clients go to kitchen and bath specialists looking for this and are turned away because most of these shops only do remove and replace.
Space Planning
We believe the client should have the space laid out in a manner that best suits their needs. This specific kitchen remodel employed universal design enabling the petite client to have items normally out of reach, well within reach. This client was excited to remodel so she could have friends over for her impending class reunion. She wanted a beach inspired kitchen with an island; an island designed just for her size. This means the island countertop was much lower than her kitchen countertops and made prep and socializing that much more convenient for her.
Designer, Carolyn loved the client’s inspiration and got to drawing some options. One thing was clear and that was that the wall between the kitchen and dining room had to go. This made way for the custom island with seating around two sides. Below you can see the original kitchen with the structural wall removal. The next photo shows the old kitchen layout on the other side of the wall, which is your standard small square kitchen with the sink facing the south side or her backyard.
Below you can see the as-built floor plan which gives you an aerial view of the space Carolyn was working with on this structural kitchen remodel. The as-builts give the designer the measurements to know what they are working with for technical specs. Carolyn had a structural engineer come out to view the space and provide feedback. In order to remove the wall we needed to have a hefty beam installed in the ceiling where the wall removal was taking place as well as two new pad footings to support the new structural layout.
The new floor plan was drawn up to incorporate the new universal design island and relocate the kitchen sink and move the microwave to be in a convenient drawer for the clients’ height as well as relocate the range. In addition the garbage disposal button is under the sink, enabling the client to easily use this without a step stool to reach the wall. Caroline used design to merge these spaces together by adding another light inset panel in the ceiling matching her original one and bridging the space between the two areas. The dining space was flipped to be at the opposite end of the kitchen, giving the client a smooth flow. Below you can see the new floorplan.
Cabinet Design
Once the new floorplan is drawn, the cabinets are the first element that Carolyn designs to be sure her foundation is available for the rest of the kitchen. She helps the client decide on which cabinets go where and for what purpose. She also helps them refine their style; in this case she employed blues, grays, and tans to elicit the beach feel the client was after. Below you will find the black and white elevations of the cabinet layout they decided upon. This includes the custom island.
Once the elevations are done, color selection is finalized, and Carolyn moves on to the backsplash and countertops. This client decided to use two-toned cabinetry with Omega Dynasty cabinets in Alder wood with Chinchilla finish on one side of the kitchen and on the other she chose white melamine. The island also used the Chinchilla finish making the space feel warm and welcoming. The client chose Swanbridge quartz countertops by Cambira. The client selected Bedroasians gray gloss subway tiles for her backsplash with a feature tile behind the stove. Different material is often selected for behind the stove to provide an accent piece as well as selecting a material that’s easy to clean and remove grease from.
3D Color Renderings
Once all materials are selected, Carolyn provides 3D color renderings so the client can envision the completed kitchen prior to making material purchases. This way if the client wants to change anything out, we can do it without a financial impact. Below you will see the 3D color renderings for this structural remodel.
Building Your Structural Remodel
Once the renderings are complete and approved by the client, you’re ready to rock and roll. You will note above the renderings helped the client select the Chinchilla cabinet color as opposed to the white cabinets. She also reversed out the are above where she kept her shell collection to have a white interior with uplighting.
The next step is the designer calculates the necessary materials for the space and draws up the client construction agreement that covers all costs in detail down to the last nail. Sea Pointe prides ourselves on no unexpected costs or surprises once you enter into a construction agreement. This makes happy clients.
Once the agreement is signed, the materials are ordered and your project manager takes over the job. You will still have your designer at pivotal construction points join you on the jobsite to discuss tile layout and design details that may change slightly when you get the materials. Your PM will pull permits and plan all work so that you are displaced from you space for as little time as possible. This means that we will not start demolition until your cabinets are in our warehouse. The project manager Jim ensured the client was apprised of all details and gives weekly updates as to what to expect in the next week and what was accomplished the previous week.
As you can see from the client video, she was ecstatic with the entire process from start to finish. We love our happy clients – and clearly they love us as 52% of our business comes from repeat and referral clients.