Kitchens
The room that has to keep working while everything changes.
A kitchen renovation is the one job where “we’ll be out of your way” is a promise about dinner. We plan the work around the fact that you still have to eat, and we plan the budget around the things you’ll actually notice ten years from now.
Where the money matters
And where it doesn’t.
We build whole houses, so we know what a kitchen costs to do and what it costs to redo. That’s where the low-cost, high-value ideas come from.
The layout, usually
Moving the sink or the stove means moving plumbing, gas and venting, and the permit that goes with them. If the layout works, we keep it and spend the money where you can see it. If it doesn’t, we’ll show you what the move buys before you pay for it.
Good boxes, new doors
Cabinet boxes that are square and solid can take new doors, drawers and hardware for a fraction of a full replacement. We’ll tell you honestly whether yours qualify.
The counter and the light
The counter is the surface you touch every day and the lighting is what makes the room feel finished. These are the two places where the extra dollar shows.
Power, gas and water done right
A kitchen usually needs new circuits, sometimes a gas line, and the plumbing moved an inch or a metre. That work is done by a licensed electrician, gasfitter or plumber and inspected — we arrange it and it’s in the price, not a surprise.
How it runs
Dinner still happens.
Before the first cabinet comes off the wall you’ll have a temporary kitchen set up where we agreed — usually a counter, the fridge, the microwave and a sink you can reach — and a date for when the real one comes back. The work area is sealed, the route through the house stays clean, and the site is swept before we leave each night. The Living with it page has the daily rhythm.
Decide early
- Appliances. Sizes drive the cabinet plan, so we need the models before the cabinets are ordered.
- Counter, tile, hardware. Lead times are real; late picks move the finish date.
- Where the temporary kitchen goes. Dining room, basement, garage — your call, made at the walkthrough.
- What stays. Flooring, a good range hood, the window: anything worth keeping is protected, not replaced.
Services and permits
The part behind the drywall.
Electrical, gas and plumbing changes need a licensed trade and, nearly always, a permit and an inspection. We arrange both and schedule them so the inspection never holds up the finish. If the services are already where they need to be, we work around them — but we need to know where they are, which is one of the things the walkthrough is for.
Old houses hide things. When we open a wall and find something, we stop, show you, and price the fix before we touch it.
Bring your worst kitchen photo.
We’ll bring a tape measure and some ideas that cost less than you think.