Think you can’t afford that remodel? (There are more options than you think.)
So you’d love to upgrade your kitchen or add a shed dormer with a primary suite, but you’re not sure how to pay for it? Learn about three ways to finance your remodel.
See Inside: A Modern Kitchen Remodel for a St. Paul Foursquare Home
A remodel is underway. Take a look inside.
Follow along as we design and build a new kitchen within an American Foursquare in St. Paul.
Cabinets
Vibrant Storage Solutions for a St. Paul Kitchen
With insulation and drywall complete in this Macalester-Groveland area kitchen remodel, it’s time to install the vibrant, multi-toned cabinetry that will transform this space visually while solving the storage problems that prompted our clients to remodel.
For a home with storage issues, cabinets were a critical aspect of the proposed remodel.
Storage was one of the most significant challenges facing the owners of this 1919 home. Their previous kitchen layout had limited cabinet space, forcing the homeowners to store everyday kitchen essentials in the basement. With what cabinets they did have, many were barely operable or had little storage functionality due to adjustments made during a 1970s remodel.
Designers worked with the homeowners to solve the existing storage issues by removing the dining nook in the kitchen in favor of a much longer run of cabinets, providing a full-height entry cabinet, adding an island, and removing smaller windows that would impede storage.
Apart from the cabinetry arrangement, these custom cabinets feature standout elements personalized for our St. Paul clients, such as:
- Floating, stain grade walnut shelving with integrated lighting
- A hidden coffee station with a walnut insert and charging area
- A panel ready dishwasher that blends in with the lower cabinets
- An open microwave garage in the island
- A walnut hood that ties into the soffit above
- Primarily drawer storage rather than standard doors with shelving
“We enjoyed getting the microwave off the counter and neatly tucked away. Same for the trash and recycling. We upgraded to a panel-ready dishwasher to keep the modern, clean lines.” – Macalester-Groveland Homeowners
A modern kitchen needs modern cabinets.
The cabinet specifications outlined modern details for this kitchen, like the flat panel, slab style cabinet fronts in soft maple with MDF interiors for durability. The sleek black hardware helps maintain the modern aesthetic our clients are after while the stain grade walnut cabinets and hood add warmth and depth to the updated kitchen.
The two-tone color scheme pairs bold blue lower cabinets (Sherwin Williams Marea Baja) with lighter gray upper cabinets (Sherwin Williams Gray Screen). While the blue lower cabinets offer an exciting design twist in this classic St. Paul home, the gray uppers are a good choice for maintaining a bright, and open kitchen.
“Since pocket doors on the coffee station will frequently remain open, the clients decided to do a walnut insert. When the cabinet is open, it’s eye-catching, like a little jewel box.” – White Crane Project Manager
"We opted for more drawers in this kitchen. We also asked for a charging area in the coffee station to keep things like phones, computers, and tablets off the counters."
Macalester-Groveland Homeowners
Let’s talk about the installation process for these custom cabinets.
Creating and installing the custom cabinetry for this kitchen involved several steps spread over approximately 4-5 weeks:
- Precise Measurements: Just after rough-ins, our cabinet maker came to the site to take detailed measurements of the kitchen to create accurate shop drawings that ensured the cabinets would fit perfectly in the finished space.
- Initial Consultation: Alongside the homeowners, project manager, and designers, we met the cabinet maker on site to review and adjust the cabinet shop drawings, which detailed how each cabinet would be constructed. This was a critical step in making sure the final cabinets met our clients’ expectations. We reviewed each cabinet’s finishes, placement, and functionality, making changes to the shop drawings as needed.
“We met with the homeowners on site, looked at all the cabinet drawings, and tweaked them based on final window placement, ceiling heights, and other specific details that would influence the cabinet build.” – White Crane Project Manager
- Fabrication: Over the next month, the cabinet maker built the cabinet boxes in his shop based on the approved shop drawings and specifications from our team, including insights from the homeowners about how they plan to use each cabinet.
- Installation: The cabinet maker and his assistant then spent about a day installing all the cabinet boxes, ensuring everything was level and securely anchored.
- Finishing: Once installed, it was time to apply the final finishes! As there were multiple paints to consider, the cabinets had to be taped and covered between finishes.
After the cabinets were painted or stained, we flagged imperfections for additional finishing. The stain on the walnut cabinets and hood required expert attention to achieve a more flawless finish.
“When they spray each finish, they have to tape off other cabinets because of overspray. Since there were multiple finishes, the painting process took several days” – White Crane Project Manager
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this type of project?
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