Spec Turned Spectacular

We've all seen them, the spec home that looks the same as every other house on the block.  You enter the front doors to see one of three options for tile and one of three options for carpet. Just to enter the bathroom to see one of the three choices for cabinet colors and doors with builder grade tub and large mirror glued above the sink. (By the way I would love to have a spec home bathroom right now instead of my dated '80s one with shell pedestal sink).  Check out this spec home bathroom that I got the privilege of gutting.   

I just L O V E when I get a client who has the budget to run with (don't get me wrong there is something fun with the thrifty finds game too), but I rarely get to have a vision and not have to modify it due to budget.  Everything is this bathroom was gutted.  There is no sight of a spec home bathroom here!  Architectural character was added by removing the linen closet and partition walls for arches on both sides of the room.

Function in a Kitchen

Many people think that if your kitchens layout isn't functioning properly that you need to replace the cabinets (COSTLY), this just isn't the case. If the existing cabinets are in good shape and are prime for retro fitting then getting a little bit of the creative juices flowing you can manipulate an outdated kitchen for the modern family.

Before

Before

YIKES! That dishwasher doesn't even open without throwing your body weight against the oven door (example of how NOT to retro fit existing cabinets).

After

The dishwasher stayed in its original location, but the oven got moved to the cooking station closer to the cooktop. A cabinet maker constructed a panel to fit a gap below the new microwave to hide the opening from the old oven.

Before

AfterNow the oven and cooktop are next to each other. Also, the cooktop is an induction cooktop that stays cool to the touch, perfect for on an island where children will be sitting across from it. Note the posts and skirt that frame in the oven as a more elegant way to dress up the empty space from the original cabinet.