Case Study Remodel
[All photos by BUILD LLC]
BUILD LLC just wrapped up a nice remodel to a mid-century modern home north of Seattle for a couple of great friends and it’s a good time to share the results. The project was a pleasure to work on and it’s just the kind of housing type that we love applying our skills to. The residences from the 1950’s were well designed and have great bones. Now that these homes are getting up there in age, certain areas need updating. With some strategic planning and a good system in place, the lives of these homes can be extended for another 60 years +. Intelligently remodeling an existing house to make it last for another couple of generations is also one of the most sustainable things a homeowner can do.
With all the advantages of remodeling these MCM homes, we’re seeing a lot more of them lately. We’re seeing so many of these project types, in fact, that we’ve started to develop a system to update them efficiently and cost-effectively. We’re calling it the Case Study Remodel and today’s post will cover the primary strategies.
1. Limit the scope
While it would typically be ideal to update the entire home, most homeowners have a budget that dictates financial focus; being mindful of where dollars are spent allows a homeowner to get the most renovation for their buck. Usually there are certain areas of older homes that need the most attention and we’ve found that the kitchen and bathrooms are typically most in need of modernizing. Updating the basement (if one exists) to be desirable space is also, in general, high on the list.
2. Be surgical
It can be difficult to know where to stop with a home renovation. Since the kitchen is being overhauled, it’s tempting to update a few things in the living room, and then why not replace the doors to the deck and, all the sudden, that awful guardrail looks like it could use replacing. Before you know it, budget creep occurs. We find it useful to draw concise lines where the remodel is ending. In this example, the kitchen remodel was confined to the walls of the kitchen and inward. This discipline even kept the original sliding doors of the home intact. The doors don’t match the polished look of the kitchen but this discipline allowed the remodel to focus on what is most important and kept the project on budget.
3. Homes are living things
A house breaths and has a circulation not too different from humans; and similarly, a house requires maintenance. While some aspects of a remodel address cosmetic concerns (cabinets, tile, etc) a good remodel should also assess the health of the home. Leaky plumbing, air gaps in the siding, or ducts that don’t properly ventilate can all cause damage to the structure and depreciate the value of the home. A decent renovation should include a contingency to update some of the systems (plumbing, electrical, heating, ventilating, and maybe that dry rot under the kitchen floor). It’s never a fun way to spend money during a remodel, but putting funds aside for it during the remodel saves money and frustration in the long-run.
4. Use systems
Reinventing design for each remodel consumes time and money –both of which can be better applied to the updates themselves. While there may be a couple of details custom to each project, we find that it’s smart to use architectural systems for the majority of the renovation. In this case, we developed a standard kitchen cabinet system in our Special Projects Division cabinet shop. It utilizes cabinets made of 3/4” vertical grain walnut veneer and at the lower cabinet boxes and drawers we like to use a gray Wilsonart laminate on Europly with exposed edges. The countertops, side panels and cabinet pulls all flush out for a clean, look.
It’s a sharp, modern aesthetic that has already been designed and used on previous projects, allowing homeowners to invest their time and money into the house itself. The system is supplemented with Chroma countertops and Sugatsune 1000 series stainless steel pulls. Drawer slides, door hinges and a range of organizers are supplied by the exceptionally functional and beautiful Blum Motion line. A few other details sharpen up the composition like under-cabinet puck lighting and 5mm stainless steel grommets at the adjustable shelf pegs.
The pull-out trash & recycle drawer has also become a standard feature in the SPD cabinet system.
A more recent innovation to the SPD cabinet line has been a system of adjustable cabinet feet which allow calibration of the cabinet box height from inside the cabinet itself. This saves a bit of time with installation, allows for perfectly square boxes to fit in an existing home which may not be straight and the mechanics are visually unobtrusive.
5. Celebrate a couple of special details
Pick out a couple of smaller details that speak to the character of the home. It only takes 2 or 3 items and they don’t have to be extensive. In this case we integrated a vintage mid-century intercom system into the cabinet package. The intercom was original to the house and the homeowners were excited give it a presence in the new kitchen. Details like this make a cabinet system distinctive and personalized.
Let us know what you think of the final product.
…and for more design talk, follow us on Twitter.
14 Comments
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By Henry, February 26, 2011 @ 7:53 pm
Couldn’t agree more with #2 -draw a line around the areas being remodeled and stick to the discipline. Otherwise the work can quickly become more expensive than simply scraping the house and starting from scratch.
By Richter, February 26, 2011 @ 7:55 pm
Pretty slick guys. As always, thanks for sharing all the details and technical info.
By db, February 27, 2011 @ 5:59 am
Thats a hot looking Kitchen! Bravo!
By Madison, February 28, 2011 @ 11:17 am
I really like the look of the walnut cabinets, they have a timeless feel about them when combined with stainless steel and the crisp white counter tops. Nice job gentlemen.
By Knudsen, February 28, 2011 @ 11:22 am
You guys forgot to mention that the veneer is sequenced -isn’t it? It’s a nice, sharp look that takes time and effort in the shop so I’m surprised you don’t play that one up more.
By Build LLC, February 28, 2011 @ 11:23 am
@Knudsen -dang-it indeed we forgot to mention that all the cabinets are sequenced so that the grain matches up from one panel to the next. Thanks for the catch.
By kelly, February 28, 2011 @ 11:27 am
I love all the white in this kitchen. It makes if feel open, light-filled and spacious.
By Doug, February 28, 2011 @ 2:10 pm
Thanks for sharing some of the innovations behind your cabinet packages -I’m finding that most architects aren’t this open and generous.
By Shawn Busse, March 1, 2011 @ 2:08 pm
To Doug’s comment about architects who aren’t open:
At my “day job” (kinesisinc.com) one of our core values is “share the good.” It speaks to the value of sharing ideas, concepts, and success. It’s about sharing with clients, staff, and people we don’t even know.
It’s cool to see this sort of thing in action on this blog. I look at these great ideas with admiration and respect. Will I “borrow” them in something I do? Maybe. Would I hire you guys if I were ever in the position to do so? Absolutely. Would I refer Build to people I know in Seattle? Hell yes. I say all of this without ever having met the principals.
The thing about “sharing the good” is that you know and embrace the idea that there’s really no such thing as a “well guarded secret.” Instead, you show others how you can EXECUTE on good ideas. At some point, you’ll find those who respect what you do, and are willing/able to pay for that execution.
Lastly, there’s an important concept that I see Build embrace every day (and that we push hard with our clients) – innovation. The truth is, in a modern marketplace, you can’t simply have a few things you do well. It’s too easy to copy and improve the copy. The only way to “win” in a global, always connected market, is through ceaseless innovation. The adjustable cabinet legs are a great example of this. Will others copy this idea? Sure, eventually. But, it won’t matter. Cause by the time they copy, Build will have designed something even better.
Hats off to you guys, once again.
By Robb, March 9, 2011 @ 12:52 pm
accenting that vintage Nutone was/is brilliant. they just don’t make ‘em like the use to…
what puck lights did you use beneath the uppers?
thanks for posting!
By Build LLC, March 9, 2011 @ 1:25 pm
@Robb – the puck lights are made by Seagull.
By Robb, March 11, 2011 @ 11:58 am
thanks. you guys did a nice job flush mounting them to the underside.
i just threw a handful of these LED high power swivels in a custom we are doing in Edmonds.
http://www.americanlighting.com/products.cfm?ID=112
i like that we can control/swivel the light. spendy little buggers at ~$70ea tho.
By Tom Tarrant, December 16, 2011 @ 12:17 pm
Sweet cabinets, you guys are Crushing the MCM’s!