We are Kitchen + Bath / Design + Construction, a full service design/build firm dedicated to helping homeowners realize their home's investment potential. From kitchens, baths, home offices, libraries, interior remodeling and additions, with KBDC it all falls into place.



Wednesday, January 25, 2012

A Gem of A Kitchen Project in West Hartford, CT


What better way to start of the New Year than with a blog post about a nearly complete, gem of a project here in West Hartford? The owners of this charming Colonial home, a professional couple, came to KBDC looking for a kitchen remodel. Built in 1919, the house has the typical colonial layout with the kitchen located toward the back of the home. The home had been subject to many “do-it yourself” projects by the previous homeowner.  
Kitchen Remodel BEFORE, West Hartford, CT
Kitchen & island BEFORE

Kitchen Remodel BEFORE, West Hartford, CT
Kitchen BEFORE














While the “bones” of the space were exceptional, we were wary of the workmanship that preceded our involvement. Fortunately, the size of space was good, however the use of the space was not. A previous kitchen remodeling involved placing a small island in the center of the kitchen. The recommended clearances for proper kitchen design were overlooked and there was insufficient space on either side of the gas cooktop that was placed on the island. The island was not only interfering with circulation in the room, it was dangerous. Unfortunately, this is a common mistake homeowner’s make. In reality, very few kitchens, particularly in older homes, have sufficient space for an island. Compromising safety and circulation for the perceived benefit of adding an island is short sited. So the layout needed a fresh approach. In addition, all of the finish materials were dated, functionally obsolete and just plain worn out.

Kitchen Remodel BEFORE, West Hartford, CT
Kitchen Flooring needed replacing

Kitchen Remodel BEFORE, West Hartford, CT
This pass through is an
outdated design solution

Kitchen Remodel BEFORE, West Hartford, CT
Looking into the kitchen
from hallway
Homeowner’s wish list:
· Increase light in the kitchen
· Widen the hallway between the dining room and kitchen
· Replace the black/white vinyl kitchen floor
· Create a place for recycling
· Add double ovens if space allows

Materials Selected:
· Stainless steel appliances, currently in vogue and likely to never truly go out of fashion
· White, matte finish cabinetry in a classic raised panel style. This is a durable, easy maintenance option for homeowner’s seeking a classic look without the headaches of a painted finish.
· Antique pewter decorative hardware to blend with the stainless appliances giving an old-world look. We selected the same finish for a pendant light at the sink, which softens the look of the stainless a bit.
· New Caledonia polished granite with a quarter round edge. This lighter toned granite has a fair amount of brown. It’s a nice departure from the typical black and white kitchen. The more textural appearance of the stone renders it easier to maintain than a monolithic black stone surface.
· 14 x 14 porcelain floor tile in a stunning, rich brown reminiscent of leather. The larger scale tile reduces the amount of grout for easier maintenance and creates a more elegant, open appearance.
· White, ceramic subway tile for the backsplash. This material has been way overused, however in this home it’s just right-light, bright, easy care and appropriate for a 1900’s home.

Design Solution:
· The island was removed and a cooktop was placed along an exterior wall with a generous stainless steel hood. The hood could be described as contemporary but it works well in the space and creates a clean lined, open feeling.
· At the homeowner’s suggestion, a brilliant one I might add, we opened up a window that had been closed in a previous remodeling. This added considerable light and openness to the space.
· The existing powder room was oversized-more than likely a former pantry space in the home’s original plan. In order to achieve the most successful layout, we opted to shrink the powder room and relocate its entry door. It’s now a charming new space with beadboard wainscoting and other vintage details.
· Closed the existing front hall entry to the kitchen to allow for an L-shaped configuration that includes the refrigerator, an above the counter microwave, wine boxes, a “perch” for the kids and drop zone for adults.
· An existing pass through from the kitchen to the breakfast room, an outdated 50’s design solution, not comfortable in this elegant home, was expanded to become a generous walk through from the kitchen to the seating area. This solution makes the two rooms feel more connected without losing the integrity of the home.
· Because there was sufficient, accessible storage, we decided against extending the cabinets to the ceiling. Leaving the space above them looks intentional unlike newer homes where there would only be a small amount of wall showing above the cabinets. The resulting openness will be particularly nice in this room. With its generous ceiling height, this kitchen is perfect for spotlighting a dramatic color, a suggestion I have made to the homeowners.

The project started in mid-October with an estimated time frame of about 8 weeks to substantial completion. As we suspected, there were a few obstacles we needed to overcome once we got to look at the actual structure of the space. These were not insurmountable and not exceedingly costly given what can show up in homes of this vintage.

Then came the Halloween nor’easter, Alfred, which threw a wrench in the works. Kitchen + Bath
Design + Construction was without power for eleven days, and our client was without power for over a week, not to mention the tree limb that went down across the homeowner’s driveway blocking access to and from the street. Once the power was restored, our Project Manager worked closely with our subcontractors to quickly get things back on track. Not easy considering all our other projects, and the subs other projects, including this one, were now more than a week behind schedule.

I’m happy to report that we are at the finish line! The completed project is clean, crisp, sophisticated and functional. The workmanship is our usual superb quality. This project is a huge enhancement to this lovely old home.

I raise my glass of sparkling cider to a job well done and to toast KBDC’s Project Manager, Stephanie, and all our subcontractors who worked so diligently through a challenging time to get this project to completion. Cheers!

Kitchen Remodel AFTER, West Hartford, CT
Kitchen AFTER with
new window

Kitchen Remodel AFTER, West Hartford, CT
Kitchen pass through is gone
  


Kitchen Remodel AFTER, West Hartford, CT
Stainless appliances won't
go out of fashion

Kitchen Remodel AFTER, West Hartford, CT
Wainscoting adds a vintage touch
to the powder room

Kitchen Remodel AFTER, West Hartford, CT
A "contemporary" exhaust hood
adds clean lines
 
Kitchen Remodel AFTER, West Hartford, CT
Large floor tile in rich brown
is reminiscent of leather

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

KBDC's Finished Showroom and Words to Live By

Kitchen + Bath | Design + Construction’s tag line is, “it all falls into place...” I have come to live by those words and have experienced first hand, many times, that things really do fall into place.

It was a year ago June that I moved our company from a building in the West Hartford Design district to 13 Sedgwick Road, the former home of Pop’s Deli. At that time, we had completed demolition work and started framing out the space. We were without phones, computers, or workspaces so I did a lot of work from home and on the road from my car. By the end of June, we had working communication lines and computers hooked up and I was able to bring staff back in to work in very cramped quarters. Eventually our office space was finished and we could move into our new desks. The showroom however was still piled with boxes. By dribs and drabs, the showroom began to take shape.

Fast forward to June 2011 and I am proud to report that finally our kitchen and bath showroom is finished! We held a small opening celebration on the 24th and installation of displays and cleaning happened right up until the first guests arrived (or nearly). Like a bride feels the day after her wedding reception-I am exhausted and exhilarated. I would like to share with you here some images of where the space started and how far it has come. Trust me, it really does all fall into place. Enjoy!


BEFORE picture of store front windows looking out onto Sedgwick Road, West Hartford.
BEFORE: Two store front windows
make for great visibility.



Another BEFORE shot looking out onto Sedgwick Road, West Hartford
Looking out through the
other store front window.


BEFORE photo of Certified Kitchen and Bath Design Lorey Cavanaugh taking measurements of what will be the new KBDC showroom location.
Taking measurements in the
deli  portion of the space.




BEFORE shot looking into the empty space of what will become the new KBDC showroom.
Looking into the empty
store from the front door.












AFTER shot of one of the new kitchen displays in the KBDC Showroom, 13 Sedgwick Road, West Hartford.
AFTER: One of the new
kitchen displays that can
be seen through our
front windows.



AFTER photo of another kitchen display with an island, 13 Sedgwick Road, West Hartford.
Looking into another
kitchen display from the
front door.



AFTER shot of a kitchen display featuring a hammered copper hood,13 Sedgwick Road, West Hartford .
A beautiful hammered
copper hood accents
the walnut island.
 

AFTER photo of a newly installed bath display featuring Ultracraft Cabinetry and vessel sink,13 Sedgwick Road, West Hartford .
A new bath display
featuring exotic wood
cabinets from
Ultracraft with a
vessel sink.


AFTER photo of a wet bar display with beautiful granite countertops, 13 Sedgwick Road, West Hartford.
Our wet bar display.


AFTER photo of a mudroom display with flip open cabinets above the bench and storage drawers below the bench, 13 Sedgwick Road, West Hartford.
Mudroom display with
storage cabinets above
and below the bench.


Thursday, June 16, 2011

A Cool Twist Makes for a HOT Backsplash

 
A patterended stainless steel backsplash
gives this kitchen a bit of bling!
 
Our clients often bring to us a specific request that helps make their remodeling project special and personal.  It might be a "signature" color they'd like worked into the design, or in the case of this couple, adding a patterened, stainless steel backsplash rather than a traditional tile one.  The result simply sparkles!  Take a look for yourself.  The steel backsplash works beautifully with the stainless appliances and other metal details in the space making for a cohesive look. The modern twist blended with the streamlined cabinets gives a transitional feeling that works well with the homeowner's traditional home.  It's not every client that is willing to make such a bold statement in their material choices, but I love it when we get the chance to work in something a little unexpected.

Monday, May 16, 2011

KBDC and Habitat for Humanity-Women Build Day, May 7, 2011

Last Saturday, May 7,  I rolled up my sleeves, grabbed a hammer and some friends and participated in the Hartford Area Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build Day.  This was the kick off event of Habitat for Humanity’s National Women Build Week. It was a great experience, as well as a lot of fun, and a wonderful opportunity for women, mother's and daughters to spend the day before Mother's Day working together  toward revitalizing a whole neighborhood. 

Along with pounding nails, I also presented McKinley Albert, Development Officer-Private Grants, Hartford Area Habitat for Humanity, with over $400 that had been collected from the recent series of mini-design seminars held at the KBDC showroom, 13 Sedgwick Road in West Hartford.  Each Saturday morning from 9:00 to 9:45 I had touched on a different remodeling topic from cost savings strategies, to materials overview, to cabinets and finally trends.  A $10 donation per person/per session had been requested which went directly to the Hartford Area Habitat for Humanity.  For more information on the projects that Hartford's Habitat for Humanity is currently working on, please visit http://hartfordhabitat.org/.
Picture of KBDC Owner Lorey Cavanaugh, CKD/CBD with McKinley Albert of Hartford Area Habitat for Humanity on the job site, Saturday, May 7, 2011.
KBDC Owner, Lorey Cavanaugh, CKD/CBD, (right) presents
McKinley Albert of Hartford Habitat for Humanity
with money collected from her recent mini design seminars.

Monday, May 9, 2011

A Master Bath Remodel that Simply Sings

Like saying you have a favorite child, saying one project is a favorite is probably not a great idea. But in this case, I can’t resist. This client allowed me to pull out all the stops in creating this fabulous gem of a project. The footprint of the bath is nothing special. At least 80% of homes have a bath laid out just like this. It was the selection of materials, the way they were applied, the choice of amenities and the color choices that make this sweet space sing. True confessions - I’m not a “blue girl” not that that should keep me from using it to for clients, but I don’t easily gravitate in that direction. Turns out I’ve been missing the boat! I hope you will delight in this project as I have…

Picture of glass block shower and blue mosaic glass tile

Picture of towel warmer located across from the new vanity

Picture of new showerhead and handheld showerhead

Picture of the newly reconfigured window with glassblock

Picture of the pebbled shower floor and shower seat

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

A Recently Completed Partial Project

I love being able to show off all of these wonderful projects!  Our "Before & After" blog posts have focused on kitchen renovations, but we also recently completed a bathroom project.
     We just built a new, deluxe shower for a referral Client in Simsbury.  They have a 15 year old home with a shower that was substandard for the quality of the rest of the home and even the master bath itself. However, the Client didn't really want to invest in an entirely new bathroom and truly it wasn't necessary. The trick was to select materials and a design that made the new shower work seamlessly with the existing bath materials. I think we hit a home run on this one!
     The shower was enlarged by about 50% and the shape was changed from a rectangle to a large square with one side cut off at an angle. The wall tile is a close match to the existing marble that was used at the whirlpool platform steps and cut into the floor tile as 2x2 decorative accents. We added a beautiful decorative border - two rows - that mixed all the colors of the bath and created a "running bond" (also known as brickset) pattern with the 10 x 14 tiles - this was actually the Client's idea. The shower floor is tumbled, broken pieces of marble in a random mosaic - it's the WOW factor in the project. Although the pattern is strong the neutral color allows this to work beautifully.
     We included a generously sized shower seat and two shelves in marble to match that in the room plus matching thresholds. The existing shower system was reused. Actually we moved the hand held away from the main shower head so that the shower can be used by two standing side by side. A very important part of the job was adding a fan/light in the shower area itself ducted to the exterior... mold/mildew was an ongoing problem. If the Client is diligent about using the fan and letting it run after the shower is vacated the problem should be resolved.
     The project took about two weeks to complete not including the wait for the frameless, clear glass door to be installed...which was about 2 -3 weeks.
     There is one glitch that I will share with you to alert others to a potential "issue". I had shown the Client a sample of the mosaic floor. When it came in, the pieces of mosaic were larger and lighter than the sample and the grout joints were larger. This is very common with natural materials and not unexpected - except I wasn't clear with the Client. They were initially very disappointed - we scrambled around to look for other choices and the Client ultimately decided to go forward with the original material -  now that it's all together they love the look. Lesson learned - with natural materials such as marble - always get a sample of the "current" version. Shame on me...I know better!


Picture of the master shower BEFORE
Here is the Shower BEFORE
  











Floor plan of the new shower configuration which enlarges the shower space by 50%
Floor plan of the new shower configuration

 





Elevation of the tile design
An AutoCAD drawing of the tile design.


 

Picture of the shower AFTER with frameless glass door.
The newly completed shower AFTER



Tuesday, March 8, 2011

May I have the Envelope Please?

There was a flurry of activity at the Mooney’s home to get the water-damaged ceiling in their new kitchen repaired and keep this kitchen project on schedule. Our demo crew returned to the job site and removed damaged sheetrock from the ceiling as well as uninstalled cabinets. Our sheetrock installer also returned and put up new material readying it for paint. Sandwiched in amongst this activity was our stone fabricator who came to put in the new granite countertops.

Last week was the big push to get the space looking like the new kitchen it is before our client’s Academy Award party. Most of the cabinets that had been taken down were put back and the electricians worked hard to get all the appliances working and the lights installed. The laminate tops for the message center also went in, and a schedule established with our tiler for the backsplash and decorative tile work. Our project Manager Stephanie worked non-stop on the Friday prior to our client’s fete to help clean up and make sure that the kitchen would be ready to go.

At this near completion stage of the project, it’s not uncommon for the activity level at the job site to taper down some. After all the initial hubbub and communications back and forth of design decisions, choosing materials, demolition, and numerous subcontractors coming and going, this period of relative quiet before the job is totally complete can seem strange. We explain this to our clients early in the process, and assure them that the project completion will move forward as outlined in our contract. Though we experienced a slight set back on this project, which was beyond our control, we were able to put it back on track quickly.

By now we all know who won Oscars for best movie, best actor or actress. The Mooney’s have emailed me to say that their new kitchen is a winner for style and functionality, “My guests could not stop exclaiming about its beauty (and we really tested its’ functionality!) We had people baking, warming, chopping and serving in every single work zone of the kitchen-it worked beautifully!” In my book, this is the best kind of "award".

Picture of the kitchen BEFORE with peninsula.
The kitchen BEFORE.  Note the
refrigerator placement and peninsula.

Picture of the kitchen AFTER with peninsula removed.
The kitchen AFTER with the peninsula
removed to open up the space .

Picture BEFORE looking into the dining area.
BEFORE looking into the dining area.

Picture AFTER looking into the dining area.
AFTER looking into the dining area.

Picture AFTER with refrigerator relocated to another wall and double ovens.
AFTER the refrigerator has moved to a
new wall. Double ovens and storage are
where the door to the dining room
used to be.

Picture of the new stunning glass pendant lights over the sink.
The new glass pendant
lights are stunning.



Picture of the window wall BEFORE.
The window wall BEFORE.

Picture of the new 3 panel casement window AFTER. Note the soffit and cabinets around window have been removed.
AFTER the new 3 panel window and
removal of the cabinets and soffit
adds so much more light.