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1980s Stunning Transformation

markmack, member

8 users recommend

After 1.  Jazzed up contemporary kitchen with pendant lighting a soffit mirroring the L shaped peninsula.   Booked matched maple full overlay cabinetry. Contrasting black granite counters.  The range hood is like a piece of sculpture and can handle the ventilation needs. To the right of the stool is one of two exits to the patio

Before 1.  A very nondescript suburban kitchen, a real yawner!

After 2.  Enlarging the windows brings the outside in from any point in the kitchen.  The second door to the outside is accessed in the kitchen.  This allows the cook ready access to the patio while the guests can use the other door in the family room (shown in the After 1 photo.)

Before 2.  The island is so narrow and the view to the beautifully landscaped backyard and patio can hardly be appreciated.

After 3.   Standing in the kitchen, helps to appreciate the effecient spaciousness and beautiful clean lines of the design. The homeowner is a single mom that loves to entertain.  This is truly a cook's kitchen.

After 1.  Jazzed up contemporary kitchen with pendant lighting a soffit mirroring the L shaped peninsula.   Booked matched maple full overlay cabinetry. Contrasting black granite counters.  The range hood is like a piece of sculpture and can handle the ventilation needs. To the right of the stool is one of two exits to the patio

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A nondescript suburban kitchen is transformed into a sleek contemporary kitchen with tons of light and plenty of thoughtful space. 

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A Family Affair – Kitchen Remodel on a Shoestring

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1920s bungalow - bungled to beautiful

Comments (2)

markmack writes: Hi Kenny,

If it's any consolation, the flooring, casing, cabinets, appliances, window and sliding door were donated to the local reuse center. I even hired the reuse center workers to remove the materials. I also recycle all cardboard, paper, bottles and cans on every job. If I could recycle more I would gladly do it. Any ideas?

In a way, I am flattered that you perceive this as a wasteful kitchen. I really do get where you're coming from. This was a relatively inexpensive kitchen, but it packs a ton of design and good execution to deliver a beautiful kitchen. The sad thing is that the quality of the old kitchen cabinets were so poorly constructed for a home in this price range.

I hope you're not proposing that a kitchen with oak cabinets must always stay a kitchen with oak cabinets forever and ever. The cabinets in this kitchen were cheaply made with bare particle board shelves. It's tough to change oak cabinets without filling the grain before painting them. It can also be tough to reconfigure an existing set of kitchen cabinets into a new configuration.

Regarding what's wasteful, it's really very subjective. I would contend that 95% of what you and I do everyday regarding remodeling is considered wasteful by the 95% of the people who have little or nothing. I don't know how to alleviate that. I will tell you that on every job I bid on I always look on repurposing existing spaces and discourage additions. I do this because I think it is the right thing to do.

Anyway, we all struggle in a variety of ways to be good stewards as best we know how. Are we perfect? No. Do we have double standards? Most likely, yes. We are products of our times. As we become more aware of how we impact our surroundings, we try and change for the best. I'd like to hear how you resolve the contradiction of making homes more beautiful and using your construction and design talents with the fact that materials replaced functionally may not need it and the new materials are more than is practically needed. There are very few jobs that have a positive or neutral impact on our earth. I regularly struggle with this dilemma, and have no good answers.

I'm glad you liked my other kitchen. Thanks for both comments:)




Posted: 1:29 am on August 25th

Kenny48 writes: I can't help but think everyone here has unlimited amounts of money to waste! An eighties kitchen while possibly not as attractive as a brand new one, is perfectly re-usable.

I am totally disappointed with Fine Homebuilding. A magazine that was once an alternative to the other home building magazines. It seems, they have bit into the "more is better" ideas now popular.

I would rate a kitchen, where nothing was resused, as a failure! Such wasteful Americans.
Posted: 9:57 am on April 14th

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