Remodel West first visited this home in July of 2010 to take initial measurements and assess existing conditions of the house. Homeowners, Jim and Nancy were referred to us by a friend of theirs who had a kitchen remodeled by Remodel West.  Jim and Nancy wanted to remodel their kitchen mainly to update the outdated materials and appliances they had in their home. For example, the typical oak flooring, light tile with brown grout, and white appliances. A dropped ceiling with recessed center to accommodate the fluorescent light box also needed an update. Over the next few months, these homeowners would meet with the RemodelWest design team to walk through each step of the design process. Designers Kirk and Sarah met with Jim and Nancy on a few occasions during the schematic level of design until a floor plan was decided on. As progress was made on layout and material selection, a construction estimate and project schedule was provided to the homeowner and it was time to prepare for the construction start date. At this turning point in the process where RemodelWest Design employees turn their hard work over to RemodelWest Construction employees; this is where you see the team go to work for you. Kirk and Sarah finalize the plans and submit for permit to the city, Sarah locks in material decisions down to the exact color of the outlet covers. Lead Carpenter, Jim would go to work for these homeowners. Bill sets up a meeting with the homeowner, himself and Jim to set expectations during the construction process and walk Jim through the design of the project. Jessica prepares all the details for the field from a copy of the cabinet order down to the specifications of each owner provided plumbing fixture and appliance. RemodelWest is best known for their comprehensive approach to remodeling. When the time is taken to nail down all the decisions during the design process, it allows for a smooth and headache free experience during the construction process. The end result is a beautifully designed kitchen completed on time and within the expected budget. The spacious layout of this kitchen in the Saratoga hills allowed for plenty of working space. These Red Birch cabinets were a special order through Crystal Cabinets. RemodelWest designed a special application for the dishwasher in this kitchen; with raised counter space, a dishwasher a little higher off the ground allows for a more comfortable loading and unloading experience. A custom design was created for the corner workspace area of the kitchen; lift up doors increase the functionality of these cabinets. Custom, integrated panels were used on the refrigerator, dishwasher and wine refrigerator to maintain the design. This Red Birch material was also used for a special detail to the ceiling that really creates a finished feel to the kitchen.

Live wood edge

Cambria quartz material was used for the work area and regular height kitchen countertop while a concrete material was used for the raised countertop by Mark Concrete. The back splash tile is used to offer complimentary color and texture. Notice how the backsplash tile was brought over to the island. Flooring is always chosen very strategically. This family considered their big and furry family member when selecting a floor material. The homeowner decided on an EcoTimber product; an amber colored woven bamboo floor for the kitchen. It has been over 90 days since the flooring was installed and it has held up beautifully. One of the favorite parts of this kitchen is the live edge wood top designed as the island counter. This material was purchased by the homeowner from California Urban Lumber. This feature piece brings a lot of character to the kitchen and really completes the look and feel RemodelWest’s designers and the homeowners were aiming for.

Jim & Nancy shared their experience working with RemodelWest!

Click here to see the before and after gallery of this project

To see more photos of this project, visit our Flickr site

Photos by: Scott DuBose Photography
About the author

Bill Reid

Founder and Owner of Remodel West, a residential design and construction firm, originally established as Cupertino Kitchen Design in 1992. I have created a very progressive company with a high level of quality standards. Over the years, the company has built revenues to 8.5 Million and scaled operations as we rolled with the times. By re-branding the business in 2007 to Remodel West, we aimed to better align our name with the scope of work performed. I am a Certified Graduate Remodeler through NAHB and Certified Green Building Professional through Build It Green and most recently Certified Renovator through the EPA which is now a federal requirement. My primary goals are to design and build more eco-friendly projects, to do projects for those clients seeking high quality. My professional background stems from twenty-six years of hands on experience beginning in 1985 in cabinetry design and sales, and progressed to my involvement with a startup company from 1987-1991. In 1992, at age 26, I started Cupertino Kitchen Design/RemodelWest. My strengths are creating a vision for our company, planning, and empowering our employees to accomplish our goals. Sue and I have been married 26 years with three wonderful children, Jessica, Michael and Adam and of course our dog Ellbee. We live in Los Gatos and enjoy visiting our home in Lake Almanor, fishing, brewing beer, reading and relaxing.

5 Comments
  1. John

    Really smart collection of materials here, imo. What color Cambria am I looking at? It goes really well with the red birch. I am looking at RB and was having a hard time thinking about a light countertop coordinating, but this is it. Wish I wasn’t 3,000 miles away from Saratoga…

  2. Mega Remodeling

    I love the wooden look and feel of the countertops and the cabinets. Very cabin like feel.

  3. Jill

    The wall tiles are so unique. I’ve never seen any tiles like that in a store. Are they special order?

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