68 www.ReadMPM.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.MountPleasantPodcast.com “In the process, you’ll find out more about the different performance characteristics of wood species or about the fiber content of carpet than you ever cared to know,” Valk said. “But it has enabled you to make a decision based on facts as well as instinct.” Additionally, you will almost certainly change or at least alter your original idea. For instance, imagine you have just moved into an existing home built in 1960 and the kitchen has this look: all-natural, original wood corner cabinets top and bottom, white tile or linoleum flooring, black range and gray dishwasher, all in wrap-around style. Further pretend that the cabinets have decayed in color, the dishwasher and range are on different sides, the linoleum looks worn and dated, the refrigerator is too small for your family’s needs, the dark range makes the kitchen seem small and sort of uninviting and the overall design makes mealtimes more helter-skelter and chaotic than a daily joy. WEIGH YOUR OPTIONS CAREFULLY Researching and consulting with contractors like Valk and Baker might reveal a design that can make your kitchen look like it functions, such as: • Installing shaker cabinets, painted white to give the kitchen a light look and feel. Or, if your original cabinets are the kind that you can’t find anymore and you have always liked their style but still want to give them a fresh look, cabinet refacing can be a great alternative to replacing them entirely. • Replacing the flooring with a light or light-dark hardwood look to add quality. • Adding a black-and-white-veined marble island facing outside windows so that more natural light falls on you and the food you prepare. If you also want the island to double as a dining bar area with stools, Valk can walk you through previous designs to give you some ideas. • Adding an open-air marble island separate from the food preparing area for extra comfort and efficiency. • Installing a medium-gray range with a high metal hood that adds contrast to the white cabinets and a cooking area with combination regular eyes and stir fry grill for special occasions. By the time you’ve gotten this far, you might also decide the kitchen area needs bigger windows for a look that feels more outdoors even when you’re inside. If so, one additional benefit, especially if your kitchen windows came with the original home, is that new windows will likely be designed and rated to withstand hurricane-force winds. You might determine the new ensemble would go even better with newer lighting that is less glaring and more energy-efficient as well. Moreover, do you opt for one extra large stainless-steel refrigerator with two doors, two smaller refrigerators side-by-side because that’s the only way you could fit them in the available space or something else that you didn’t even know was an option? All of the above applies to bathrooms as well, with items that include oversized tubs, stand-alone showers with marble or tiled walls, rough-cut or smooth-cut tile,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjcyNTM1