Redlands Kitchen Remodel Success Story: From Dated to Dreamy

From Dated to Dreamy:
A Redlands Kitchen Remodel Success Story

Many of the homeowners I work with dream of a beautiful, functional kitchen but aren’t sure where to start when it comes to layout.

This was exactly the case for one Redlands family who wanted to remodel their dated “U” shaped kitchen. Above all, they desired to see this kitchen with an island but had no idea if it was possible.

Through a Conceptual Layout Design service, I helped them bring their dream to life.

The Client’s Dream and Challenges

This young family purchased their late grandparents’ home. They had fond memories of the kitchen but wanted to bring some new life into the home. The mom, an avid baker, spent countless hours in the kitchen with her children and hosting friends.

Her biggest wish was to incorporate an island for both function and style, but she wasn’t sure how to make it work with the existing constraints. The kitchen was positioned across from a living space with an awkward breakfast table/traffic flow area in between. It was fine but far from great.

The Design Process

Initial Consultation:

We met up for an initial consultation to understand the family’s needs and desires for their new Redlands kitchen remodel. We discussed various preliminary ideas and confirmed that our Conceptual Layout Design service was the right fit for their project.

This conceptual service is where I start almost all kitchen and bath projects. We can make something beautiful with new cabinetry and finishes, but nothing we do with finishes can fix a functional issue.

Eighty percent of the time, existing kitchen layouts in the Redlands area have layout issues that need to be fixed before we can dig into the selections.

Measuring and Asking Questions:

Next, I measured and created an as-built plan, capturing the kitchen’s current layout. I also gave the family some homework to better understand their daily routines and specific needs in the kitchen. The homework I give goes in depth into what your daily life in your home looks like, specifically related to the kitchen.

Do you bake? Do you cook three meals a day or mostly take out? – The answers to these questions can greatly impact the layout of your kitchen.

Do you intend to live here for the next ten years, or are you planning to move in less than five? – That tells me what level of change we can reasonably look at making. If it’s not your forever home, we don’t need to invest as much in moving things around; we just need the layout to work.

On the other hand, if it is your forever home, I want to make your Redlands kitchen remodel the best possible version of your kitchen it can be! That means a refined level of design, making every detail perfect for how you and your family live.

Idea Development:

I began the design process by sketching out multiple ideas on paper, exploring various layouts that could solve the island dilemma and make the space better. I took the handful of best ideas and refined them, making sure they meet the NKBA standards for kitchen design.

When it comes to a kitchen layout, a kitchen design professional will be able to pump out a ton of half-baked concepts and see the gold when they find it. When I go through this phase, I am always asking myself questions: What if we did this? What about that?

This sparks creativity. And yes, it’s kind of like Edison and the lightbulb. You get 95% of the ideas that are less than great. But that remaining 5%… that’s gold! My clients are always drawn to those plans—the ones that weren’t the obvious solution but the 5% gold that they wouldn’t have been able to think up on their own!

Finding a Unique Solution

I love to present a couple of options for clients at the first presentation. Often, I’ll show some of my process, some of the ideas I had, but why they didn’t work out.

For this kitchen, the 5% gold design was a creative solution that included building a bench onto the back of the island, with a breakfast table on the other side. This approach not only allowed for the island they desired but also interlinked the spaces in a much more fluid way than the existing layout.

From this point, we dig deep into details. We look at cabinets and pullouts and all the things that will matter when getting a quote to do the kitchen.

We discussed the placement of the refrigerator and wall oven and talked through whether to include glass upper cabinets or open shelving in one area. By the end of the presentation, the clients were thrilled with the proposed changes and excited about the possibilities for their new kitchen.

Finalizing the Plan

Based on the feedback from the initial presentation, I made the needed adjustments to the selected plan, fine-tuning the design. The final plan included all the detailed elements they wanted, allowing them to confidently move forward with cabinetry quotes and the next steps in their Redlands kitchen remodel.

Benefits of Conceptual Layout Design

This service is necessary for anyone considering a remodel or addition to their home, especially in spaces like kitchens and bathrooms where the existing layout doesn’t work. As a designer, my job is to create a space that is functional and looks stunning.

This is one area, if you never hire an interior designer for anything else, hire one for your kitchen remodel design. This area of your home is so detailed that it is difficult for other professions (i.e., architects or contractors) to have the depth of knowledge of all the facets of what makes a good kitchen because they deal with so many other important aspects of remodeling.

I should also mention that having a layout design gives you the ability to get accurate remodeling estimates. You can easily show a contractor what you are wanting to do, and he can effectively price it out for you. This saves you HEADACHES in change orders later.

You will never regret hiring a kitchen designer for your home. This Redlands family is so glad they did:

“Annie’s been easy to talk to, she’s listened well and it hasn’t been a high-pressure type experience. She took all my scattered input and made a vision for it! I can’t wait to see the final product from the vision she’s created for us!”

The success of this Redlands kitchen remodel is a testament to the power of thoughtful design and the difference it can make in your home. Your kitchen has more potential than you know!

Curious if your Kitchen has Potential?

I’m a local to the Inland Empire and am on a mission to make it more beautiful, one space at a time.

Drop me a line and together we can find out if the Conceptual Layout Design service can help you create your dream kitchen!

Annie Gilman

Interior Designer & Owner of Plein Air Interior Design

Proudly Providing Residential Design Services to the Inland Empire

Annie has her Bachelor of Arts in Interior Design and is currently pursuing a Masters in Interior Architecture. She has a passion for bringing out her client’s individual style and helping them to create spaces they fall in love with.

From Dated to Dreamy: A Redlands Kitchen Remodel Success Story