Waukesha County Home

September, 2014

Homes Plus

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2 3 6 2 8 5 0 0 2 Your Guide to Homes, Home Improvement, Lawn & Garden and MORE! A publication of the Waukesha Freeman and Oconomowoc Enterprise • September 2014 HOMES HOMES WAUKESHA + Meeting customers' needs essence of winning remodel SPECIAL TO HOMES PLUS MILWAUKEE — A room is more than just a room when it wins an award. What do gold- award-winning remodels have in common? The Milwaukee/NARI Home Improvement Council probes that question and more: Is it the budget? Are budget restrictions, or a lack thereof, the secret to a top- tier home remodel? At the lowest price range of $20,000 to $40,000, an award-win- ning kitchen project by Kevin Connor of Connor Remodeling and Design in Menomonee Falls shows that a high price tag isn't necessary to win gold. Marie Owens of Callen Con- struction in Muskego shared the details of its gold-award-winning project in the range of $40,000 to $80,000. Carol Johnson of AB&K Bath and Kitchen, with locations in Greenfield and Mequon, com- pared the firm's two gold-award- winning kitchen projects. The first had a budget of $50,000, and the remodel came in under $47,000. The second project was in the category of $80,000 to $120,000, showing that projects with a bigger budget also take home gold. Is it the difficulty level and improved function? How "bad" is the room that needs to be remodeled? Does the before photo decide the quality of the finished product? Is function- al improvement a trademark of the best home remodels? Connor's project was a renova- tion of a very small space. The homeowners desired more stor- age, space for an island and open views. They had the soffits removed and took the cabinets to the ceiling, eliminated an old broom closet, push back a wall, enlarged an existing interior doorway for more natural light, and created a new island. They also added under-cabinet and pendant lighting. The purpose of the Callen Con- struction project was to improve the layout, increase lighting and add a bar area, all while main- taining the Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian design. The refrigerator, microwave, sink and stove were moved. A dinette table was replaced with a snack bar, and Frank Lloyd Wright's influence was seen in the chunky floating shelves and cooking hood. Recessed lights, under-cabinet lighting and LED lights were added. The first AB&K Bath and Kitchen project improved the traffic flow of the kitchen to accommodate multiple cooks. It changed the layout of the room to better suit the traffic flow, relo- cated the refrigerator and dish- washer, and placed the cooking and cleaning components togeth- er for the best function. A high-end appliance package was installed, and recessed, under-cabinet, tri-pendant and centerpiece lighting was installed. The installers worked extra hard and fast to accommo- date the newborn that was born two weeks earlier than expected. The second AB&K project addressed the mundane, dark, builder-grade kitchen with poor traffic flow. Nine inches were added to the cabinet heights, a pantry closet was removed to cre- ate more room, the peninsula counter that was blocking traffic was taken out, and a narrow island was added in the center of the kitchen. A large pantry cabi- net was added with rollout trays, as well as LED under-cabinet lighting and LED recessed light- ing. Improving the traffic flow of the kitchen's floor plan, moving appliances and cabinets to maxi- mize space and function, and increasing a variety of lighting styles are all common improve- ments in an award-winning kitchen remodel, but these trends are not the secret ingredient. Is it style and beauty? The beauty of Connor's project can be seen in the custom maple Submitted photo Connor Remodeling and Design created this remodeled kitchen. See REMODEL/Page 3

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