So when it was the kitchen’s turn, Liz Luce knew she wanted to scrap the “1980′s Pacific Northwest style” in favor of a more “plain English look.”

“I wanted something that wouldn’t ever go out of style,” said Luce.

Vancouver Heights Kitchen Remodel Photo Gallery

1980s Kitchen Before

Classic English Kitchen After

Close-up of Sink and Cabinets

Refrigerator Sticking Out Before

Refrigerator Flush With Cabinets, Pantry Next to It

Sink and French Doors

Faucet Detail

Pantry Slide-out Detail

Kitchen Storage Detail

French Doors Detail

Paneling Detail

Hardware Detail

Dubois Park Neighborhood Home in Vancouver, WA

She wanted to replace the Formica countertops and dated oak-trimmed white Formica cabinets, purchase new appliances, make room for a larger refrigerator and gain storage. And she wanted to make these changes without altering the layout of the space, moving walls, or disturbing the hardwood floors and adjoining rooms.

After a five-week remodel, which included demolition, plumbing changes, installation of French doors, installation of custom-made cabinets and paneling, installation of new appliances, and painting, the kitchen was reborn.

The transformation leaves the space with a simple and elegant look. Luce chose classic English-style cabinet doors with single panels. That classic look was echoed throughout the kitchen remodel with paneling on the remaining exposed walls and one covering the refrigerator.

For the new countertop, Luce preferred a dark grey soapstone with a matte finish, which adds drama to the look without being flashy. “I don’t like the sparkly stuff in granite,” she said.

But the biggest surprise for Luce was that, behind their simple paneled exteriors, the cabinets offered so many modern storage features:

• Large lazy susan turntables in corner cabinets take the chore out of storing items in the dark recesses of the cabinets.
• Under the sink, the plumbing was moved to the side of the cabinet, freeing much needed square footage.
• Other cabinets received multi-level slide-outs, again to make retrieving items easier.
• Finally, the pantry cabinet received a large slide-out, increasing the depth of storage and making it much easier to find hidden spices.

“By keeping the footprint exactly the same, I got all this incredible storage I didn’t have before,” said Luce.

Luce also was impressed with the level of craftsmanship and professionalism from the members of the Fazzolari Custom Homes and Renovations team.

“Everybody who came into this house got along with one another and they all looked out for each other to make sure everything was finished the way we wanted it,” she said.

In fact, the most difficult part of the project was simply getting started. “It’s like when you go to the hospital when you’re pregnant to see the birthing facilities,” Luce said. “You know you need to do it but you don’t really want to, because it’s too scary. But when you’re done, you’re ecstatic.”

“The very key thing was functionality,” said Julie. “There was one small closet in the master and the very small laundry room was in between the living room and the kitchen. I wanted to knock the washer and dryer space out and turn it into a butler’s pantry and put the washer and dryer upstairs.”

Salmon Creek Renovation Cover Photo

Kitchen Before

The kitchen needed a face lift to change its facade from the 1970s.

Kitchen After

We ended up with a classic look with black-and-white floors and subway tiles for the backsplash.

Kitchen After 2

Command Center

This space used to be a closet and an area that contained the hot water heater.

Command Center 2

Living Room Before

Living Room After

Living Room After 2

Office Before

Office After

Entry After

Bedroom After

So they brought in our Fazzolari Renovations team to spruce up the kitchen and remodel that washer-dryer space so it could be more of a “command center” for Julie.

In order to maximize the space we opened up the old laundry room by relocating to the upstairs both the washer and dryer AND the hot water heater that was installed behind them in the old “closet” to the hallway closet upstairs by the bedrooms.  We then added built-in cabinets, a small sink, ice maker, and a desk area to transform the room to a prep and pantry area for the kitchen and a space where Julie could set up her computer and work.

Our team also gave the old kitchen a face lift by painting the existing cabinets (yep – those are the same cabinets as in the before photos), updating the hardware, installing black-and-white floors, new countertops and subway tile. Then throughout the downstairs of the home we added some built-ins and, for aesthetics, custom moldings in the entryway.

“We wanted to bring the home out of the ‘70s,” said Julie. “But the idea was not to put it into 2009-2010. We’ve probably pushed it back to the ‘20s now.”

With only a couple of days before Julie and Joe wanted to move in, they decided to change some paint colors, add six recessed light fixtures in the kitchen and move some heating vents in the kids bedrooms.  Our team was able to get these last-minute changes done hours before Julie and Joe moved into the home.

That’s one of the values to using a general contractor. When we have to, we can leverage a relationship with our subs to make some of these things happen at the last minute.