Remodels are a hot topic right now, particularly because the housing market is so competitive. For many homeowners looking to make a change, it makes more sense to remodel or expand upon what they have than to overpay on a new property.
You don’t have to have a large property to take advantage of a good kitchen remodel, either.
Here is an example of a recent project we completed on Polo Rd. in Winston Salem.
Background on the project…
This home began as a cute little bungalow that unfortunately had a small kitchen. The home worked for the owners initially, but as their family grew the kitchen and adjacent breakfast room felt very cramped — especially via the narrow passage that separated the two spaces.
They wanted to raise their family in this space, but the floor plan had a lot of limitations. They called upon Lael Homes to explore what solutions might be available without having to move. Fortunately, we were able to construct just such a plan to solve all of the shortcomings of their original design.
The home’s limitations this project meant to overcome:
- The laundry room was in the basement.
- The breakfast room next to the kitchen was separated by a narrow doorway that made everything feel cramped and cut off.
- The kitchen was too small for the whole family to comfortably eat together.
- Crucial load-bearing walls were laden with cast iron plumbing. It would have to be moved and replaced, but posed some difficulties.
![](http://cdn-5cc204a5f911c81690a15da3.closte.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Kitchen-wall-BEFORE-1-1024x762.jpg)
The remodel that solved it all:
Because the case iron plumbing went from the second floor master bedroom all the way down to the basement, it had to be moved. We re-plumbed the master bath, allowing it to flow down into a new space we created off the side porch of the house, which was now a side entrance with a laundry room off of the kitchen.
![](http://cdn-5cc204a5f911c81690a15da3.closte.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Kitchen-walls-AFTER-1-768x1024.jpg)
That made it far more convenient to do laundry without so many stairs, and also created another entry point for the home.
Any time we remodel a load-bearing wall, we prefer to place a new structural beam into the ceiling system. This allows for a space that feels far more open without needing a drop-down header.
We also removed the wall separating the kitchen and breakfast room, making for a much larger kitchen that is far more open. It completely transformed the space.
The end result was one large farm style eat-in kitchen for this growing family of 5, with a laundry room off the kitchen.
Total project cost: $58,000.