Fulton Neighborhood

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Before and After Gallery

Home Location : Minneapolis, MN

Home Built : 1948

Photographer : Joy Watson, Modern Joy Photography

Summary :

The goal of this project was to create an unobstructed relationship between the kitchen, dining and living rooms on the main-level. We were to incorporate a lot of storage (while working around a high-traffic central stairway), elevate the kitchen seamlessly to match previously completed high-end projects on other levels and respect the original 1940’s architectural scale and make an open layout that fits an active lifestyle with children, while retaining a semblance of formality. Our happy clients show we accomplished this goal!

Featured In :

“Market Insight: Pros and Cons of Offering Help with Project Financing” By Rob Heselbarht, Editorial Director. Qualified Remodeler Magazine, June 2013

Awards & Achievements :

See other projects we did on this home :

Client Testimonial :

Fulton Neighborhood

Thank you so much for all your hard work and vision on completing the renovation of our house. You started the process of making it our home, something we are continuing to do. We loved your attention to detail, your thoughtful suggestions, and your patience with us (and the small ones!), your hardworking tradespeople, and above all the care with which you made this all happen! We are thoroughly enjoying living at (our home) and are thrilled at its transformation.

Homeowner

Scope & Objectives :

To complete in the fastest timeframe for this new internationally relocated family.
Create an unobstructed relationship between the kitchen dining & living rooms on main-level, with a lot of storage, while working around a high-traffic central stairway.
Elevate the kitchen seamlessly to match previously completed high-end projects on other levels and respect the original 1940’s architectural scale.
Use every inch of space frugally within the confines of this conservatively built home, while including every amenity expected in this desirable neighborhood.
Make an open layout that fits an active lifestyle with children, while retaining a semblance of formality.
Retain the outdoor relationship to enjoy the seasonal mood of natural light, while brightening the interior by using well-placed task & decorative supplemental lighting.
Use earthy finishes and subtle textures in neutral colors consistently to provide a calming retreat, while making sure the highly visible kitchen off the front entry shines the brightest.

Challenges & Solutions :

Keep traffic flow around the central stairway, but keep little runners out of a cook’s way. This generated the half walls/peninsula kitchen design.
Avoiding “lazy-susan” dead-corners, we came up with custom cabinetry solutions. In one corner, a built-in beverage center faces the dining and in the other, open shelves over storage drawers.
We eliminated one of three kitchen windows to land the stove/hood, keeping two with the best front-view.
We worked around the lowest window beautifully where wall space was at a premium. Designing a custom slide-in butcher-block countertop extends the countertop. When removed, the lower section is an adorable seat for little “helpers”, and the removable butcher block transforms into supplemental serving tray.
Few remained of the discontinued decorative backsplash glass tiles the owner loved. Cautious placement used them all up with none to spare!
Creating continuity between rooms and covering where walls were removed, several layers of old vinyl flooring became new 1 ½” hardwood tied in to match the original. Then it was stained a custom 3-to-1 ration Grey-to-Walnut for a Contemporary finish.
Because this kitchen entry is at such a visual area of the front home, we added a unique element. This was wrapping both sides of the opening to the kitchen with tile as if it were a shower jamb. Both the half-wall at the sink, and the full wall at the refrigerator, received tile to avoid the wear-and-tear that would quickly happen, therefore looking beautiful forever!

Before and After Gallery

Scope & Objectives :

Challenges & Solutions :

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