Here’s to the Kitchen!
It’s the central hub of the house. Its memories include summer parties, family dinners and baking Christmas cookies. So here’s to the kitchen!

This newsletter is decided to kitchens. Friend us on Facebook to watch our newest kitchen renovation project in Meridian Kessler. And check out this project where we took a 1950s kitchen from “Tired to Trendy” last spring.

From Tired to Trendy
Homeowner Nancy Sinclair took an all or nothing approach when she decided to renovate her kitchen earlier this year. She purchased her 1950s ranch home knowing it needed renovations. She worked with Steve Gray Renovations on a smaller bathroom renovation project and liked the final product. Then it was time to tackle the tired kitchen that had poor work flow, white cabinets, green counter tops and outdated appliances.

A gourmet cook, Nancy admits she was “anxious” for the project to start. She credits Steve for slowing her down to concept the project before construction started. The project and pricing started with Nancy’s dream kitchen going onto paper. It was scaled back to meet scope and budget, which took a few concepts.

Nancy worked with interior designer Tonya Ballew to make selections as she brought the dream to life. Tonya brought samples of materials with her to every selection meeting. Nancy says that truly made the difference when it came time to make a key selection—the kitchen island. “I thought I wanted a honed (matte) surface for the island. When we put the elements together the honed surface didn’t look right.”

Instead she purchased a gloss surface with flecks of gold, black and tan. The top is called National Treasure and it’s now her favorite kitchen feature. “I love the top. The granite we chose is beautiful,” says Nancy.

Another key recommendation from Tonya was the flooring. Nancy says she envisioned ceramic tile. The rest of the home has hard wood, which Tonya recommended be continued into the kitchen for consistency.

Nancy lived in the home during the renovation and says she appreciates how the SGR work crew left the site each night describing it as “immaculate.” She says the subs were not only professional but they provided quality workmanship. “I’m pleased with Steve and his crew. I’m calling him as smaller things come up through his handyman service,” says Nancy.

Now that she’s “lived in” the kitchen for a few months Nancy says, “I’m pleased that I went ahead with the whole project. Sometimes you can redo small areas, but this wasn’t that kind of situation.”

Interior Designer Tonya Ballew worked with Nancy Sinclair to bring the kitchen concept to life.

When homeowners work with a contractor and an interior designer at the same time, she says it is important for all parties to understand their role in the project from the outset. Some contractors are designers. Ask first. She offers the following tips to homeowners considering a kitchen renovation.

Decide the purpose of the space - other than cooking/eating. This way during a renovation we can incorporate that function into the design. Whether it is homework, laundry or just cooking and eating, there is a plan and flow.

Consider your style - is it modern, country French, elegant or simply just updated with contemporary (meaning: updated) features? How does it complement the existing home? Good design allows updates to coexist with the homes essential architecture without looking like an afterthought.

Communicate budget - the range of cost for materials is enormous with a refrigerator from $1,200 to $9,000, a handle for a cabinet from $2 to $ 40 (and frankly who doesn’t want the best). In case of a tight budget, create a priority list. Don’t be afraid to talk dollars.

Now We’re Cookin’
Participate in our latest kitchen renovation on Facebook. We’re starting a Meridian Kessler kitchen renovation this week. We’ll be posting updates, pictures and videos. Check it out and give us your feedback by “friending” us now.

FOX 59
We’re back on FOX59 doing our monthly home segment. Hope you caught us this morning. We talked about kitchen storage and gave some great ideas for storage. Click here see the video.

Thanks for stopping by our site. We hope you found our newsletter helpful. If you have any questions, please email us, we will be happy to assist and respond. If you would like to receive updates or announcements from Steve Gray Renovations via email, click here.