How One Family Saved $70K Using A Design Team For Their Kitchen Renovation

How We Got A Kitchen We Love For Less

“We saved a bundle of money and months of disruption and hassle. My husband and I talked to three contractors about removing a load bearing brick wall and gut renovating the kitchen in our 100+ year old home—we had only lived there a year.

The LBD Kitchen Planning Team

The LBD, laurelbledsoedesign.com, team changed how we see the kitchen by recommending that we move a poorly placed, bulky pantry cabinet, which completely opened up the space. They recommended painting the cabinets –and even helped choose a color that ties the kitchen to the rest of our home. In addition, they helped get my kitchen put back together, in a better and more organized way to make our everyday living easier.

With a small child and one more on the way, we are grateful for our kitchen not to be a construction site for weeks. More importantly, LBD saved our family about $70K and created a kitchen that we LOVE.”-MCR

The Initial Kitchen Design Consultation

During our first meeting, the 3 brick thick afore-mentioned support wall is what our new clients wanted to tell us about. We’d like to mention that at the time we came in, our homeowners had already painted the walls and replaced the faucet and range. All improvements were done well yet the space was still not functioning and did not look the best that it could.

The changes did nothing to solve a bigger problem of not being able to have more than one person in the cooking area of the kitchen.

If there is one thing designers go ape over are exposed cords. A completely wireless world cannot come soon enough for us. Until that day arrives, we make cord camo our number one mission.

Before we show you the simple suggestions we made to remedy the layout problems and finish up the decor, let’s take a look at how the kitchen looked during the real estate sale.

We say it all the time…there is a perfect LBD for everyone. At times it takes a few changes to make a space your own. The amount of work needed in a home may be less than is immediately apparent. Instead of looking at what is wrong about this space, let’s look at the pros of this unique kitchen.

Both sections of the kitchen have tremendous natural light. Collectively, there is good storage and the multiple areas define the function of the kitchen. The flooring is a great pattern in easy maintenance tile. One area opens to a family eating area large enough for additional seating and children’s play area. There is access to the rear courtyard. Like the dishwasher, the refrigerator is neatly housed out of view.

Reconfiguring What You Already Own Can Work

By relocating the tall pantry cabinet we were able to hide the range cord and open up the flow of the kitchen . Now there is an interesting design with the brick wall a charming feature. And no more bumping into each other!

littleblackdomicile Baringer Kitchen Budget Savvy Kitchen Renovation- Saving $70K On A Kitchen Renovation

Cabinet Hardware Is The Jewelry Of The Kitchen

Our advice, leave room in the budget for better than nice hardware. This is not an area to skimp and the decor payoffs are huge. In our option, the new color of the cabinets and the wonderful hardware completely changed the appearance of a standard, builder-grade granite counter top.

How To Know If A Kitchen Renovation Is Successful

Shortly after completing the renovation, a late in the season April snow forced 60 people indoors for a birthday party. The kitchen out performed!

The Kitchen Reveal

This is one of our favorite shots. The new kitchen is sophisticated yet charming. The mix of 100 year old architecture and the amenities of kitchens today blend so nicely together. And don’t forgot how much less this kitchen was than the projected costs of (3) contractors.

It’s Just Paint

It’s a little more than just paint, however, the changes in the kitchen show how much of an impact the right color can have in a decor. Let’s take one more look at the before and after.

littleblackdomicile Baringer Kitchen Budget Savvy Kitchen Renovation- Almost DIY

Let’s recap how the ugly little duckling (literally) became a swan.

walls, ceiling and trim all painted the same soft white
cabinets painted in a deep contrasting hue
ceiling fan, faucet and range replaced
cabinet hardware replaced

Regardless of the size of a kitchen project, whether it is a totally gut renovation or a few simple changes, working with an interior designer is a way to explore options, obtain the best value for the budget and ultimately make the concept a reality. And using our team makes it all a bit of fun!