Kitchen Remodel - Andersen Mill

The kitchen at the Pena residence was our first kitchen remodel this past summer.   

The wish list included:

• Bring the kitchen "out of the 1970's"
• Open up the space
• Remove a double oven and adding more storage
• Install new cabinets and appliances

As you can see, the kitchen did need some updating.  In order to open up the space, we removed the upper cabinets separating the kitchen from the dining room.  Then we removed the light box at the kitchen ceiling.  This allowed us to "bump" up the ceiling 12 inches.  These two decisions opened up the kitchen.  What do you think?

We then added these great shaker-style, espresso-stained cabinets from KitchenCraft.  The cabinets are frameless, allowing for less wood to be used, as well as increasing storage capacity.  Combined with integrated storage solutions, the cabinets are much more efficient than the previous ones. 

We also installed a New Venetian Gold granite countertop from Rodeo Marble and a travertine backsplash to compliment the cabinets and granite.  

Overall, the kitchen looks cleaner, updated, and much more open.  Another kitchen remodeling success!

Looking to update your kitchen?  We would love to help. Contact us at info@duarteconstruct.com or 512.275.6500.  

Laundry Room Makeover

While many hours each week are spent in the laundry room, it may be one of the least thought-out rooms in the house.  It is all too common to focus your attention on the kitchen or master suite, but the laundry room is just an afterthought.

But when someone takes the time to think through the features and logistics of a laundry room, it can make the necessary chore of doing your laundry a much better experience.

Take this laundry room renovation that I tackled this summer.  My client had a typical laundry room that did the job, but was narrow and had limited storage.  And with two active kids, the laundry baskets often piled up.

So they decided to change things around a bit.  The wish list included:

• More storage
• Everything to have its place
• More open space  that would make it easier to move around in
• A room that could function like both a laundry room and a mud room

And with a design by Austin designer Jon Salinas AIA, we jumped into the project.  

We extended the laundry room by using some of the existing garage space.

Then we added much needed storage in the form of cabinets and an island from QSI Custom Cabinets.  The cabinets work well for all of those random items that end up in the laundry room: dog food, water bottles, etc.  The soapstone island countertop from Dorado Soapstone serves as a great work surface to sort and fold clothes.

And my favorite part of this renovation are the perfect-sized cubbies to hold those laundry baskets and the cloth bins that can hide the clutter.  Everything has its place.

The final touch was a fresh coat of paint. The mustard yellow warms up the space immensely.

When an overlooked laundry room gets the attention that it deserves, the results can be extraordinary.