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Announcing our Before and After contest winners

FHB_WEB, member

44 users recommend

Here's what one winning entry looked like before the hammers came out. For a few more before photos from other winners, click on the images to the left. For after photos of all winners, scoll down the page.

dejarch

Although one might argue that a brown kitchen with pink accents is a good idea (someone built this, after all), the new space with painted cabinets and glass tile just seems better.

lumbermonkey

What might seem like a space out of a TV crime drama was transformed into an amazing found basement spa bath. Take note of the carboard cutouts on the floor.

hipaul

Here's what one winning entry looked like before the hammers came out. For a few more before photos from other winners, click on the images to the left. For after photos of all winners, scoll down the page.

Photo: dejarch

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Fine Homebuilding editors are a finicky bunch, and opinionated too. So the task of narrowing down the nearly 150 entries from our “Before and After: What’s Old is New Again,” kitchen and bath contest to just five winners wasn’t easy.

Here’s how we did it. After the field was narrowed down to a group of fifteen, the editors convened with coffee and notebooks into a conference room equipped with a projector (for easier viewing). After going back and forth, and sometimes cringing, a few entries kept rising above the others, and viola, we found our winners.

We also found a few prevalent themes among many of the entries, most notably, making the most of an existing space. There certainly were a few examples of kitchens that required new construction, but for the most part, the entries into this contest “made do” with the existing footprint.

Rental clean-ups and cottage overhauls were also represented strongly, not to mention any shortage of orange, green, peach and pink paint. Speaking of orange paint, member Tanvi gets a nod for the bold use of using orange paint in his updated kitchen.

Thanks to all who entered, and congratulations to the winning participants who will be mailed a new, DeWalt 18V 1/2" XRP LiIon Hammerdrill/Drill/Driver kit.

Here are the five winners (in no particular order), followed by a few honorable-mentions.

Jean Paul Vellotti
Managing Editor
FineHomebuilding.com

ps -- Our next contest, Dynamic Deck Details, will be announced shortly. 

And the winners are...

1) Gauguin Place kitchen gets a little boost, entered by MAK_DESIGN_BUILD

This Californian-remodel flips the location of the kitchen and dining area. Previously hidden behind a north-south kneewall, the cooking area was opened up and now includes a long utility island. A window was added to the seating area and a cool drop-zone organizes family clutter.

2) Down with the brown, entered by lumbermonkey

The 30-something couple who own this home began the expansion of their kitchen by opening up a tiny breakfast nook and trading that space for a new kitchen bar and office center. Cabinets were built to match others throughout the house, and what looks like double-cabinet doors are actually very deep drawers intended for the storage of large items.

3) Basement spa bath, entered by hipaul

The reason most basements don’t have bathrooms is that plumbing anything below-grade on a concrete slab is a nightmare. This project was even more challenging since not only a bathroom was specified, but also a steam shower and sauna. Radiant heat keeps the space warm, and a heated towel rack keeps the owners toasty after a jaunt in their sauna.

4) Craftsman kitchen, entered by dejarch

The kitchen of this 1915 Craftsman was updated in 1940 and not touched again for more than 65 years. Once demolition began, tongue-and-groove paneling was discovered and reused on the walls and ceiling. A clever built-in seating area and faux ceiling beams compliment the Mission-style cabinetry. And speaking of cabinets, these are made from Eucalyptus, so we hope the owners don’t invite any koalas over for dinner!

5) Historic Salt Lake City triplex, entered by buildnitmself

Here’s an all too-often heard story, “What we thought would be a six month spruce-up, turned into a full gut, partial tear-down, complete remodel, and redesign.” But, with determination, support from friends and family, and time (three years to be exact), the results are a very modern, livable update for this couple.

Honorable Mentions:

Although these ultimately didn’t make the cut, here are five stand-out entries that caught our eye.

1) 1937 New Jersey lake cottage salvage, entered by bobalu

This cozy lakeside cottage received a total gut-rehab, and in the process, added an enclosed bathroom and second half-bath under a loft, all cleverly framed in a small space.

2) Wonderful walnut bathroom, entered by terrymayrhofer

If we had a, “most radical remodel category,” this entry would have won hands down. Starting with red walls and a 30-inch vanity topped with a one-piece sink-counter combo, the final product is a modern remodel featuring custom walnut cabinets.

3) 86-year old summer kitchen gives way to new sunny kitchen extension, entered by tjtreehugger

In this entry coming in from Toronto, we are introduced to a summer-kitchen remodel. The photos show the replacement of a falling down shack into what looks like a solid, functional structure. But since we didn’t have any photos of the interior, we just couldn’t ring the bell for this one.

4) 1920s bungalow: Bungled to beautiful, entered by markmack

This entry was in the running, but ultimately beat out by the winning Craftsman kitchen. We love the cabinetry (especially the wine rack) and soap stone countertops. Add the 3-over-1 window and what looks like a Shoji-influenced entry door, and the result is a very solid remodel.

5) The house next door, entered by jarchitect

This might look like the ultimate before photo, but it was sadly similar to many that were sent to us. Of particular note, however, this kitchen is inside the
bungalow featured on the cover of our Houses 2009 issue, due out next month.

Kitchen & Bath Planning Guide 2009
From the editors of Fine Homebuilding $12.99 more info...

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Comments (1)

ronlbrenner writes: These are great examples of the kinds of projects people can do even in this down economy. In lieu of building new people can still invest in their own property.


http://www.simplyeleganthomedesigns.com
http://simplyeleganthomedesigns.blogspot.com
Posted: 9:33 am on April 12th

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