Completion Year: 2022

Project Overview

A multi-room remodel of a 1970s single-family home to modernize its design, enhance functionality, and create practical workspaces. The project involved updates to the kitchen, office spaces, and storage areas, including cabinetry, flooring, painting, electrical, plumbing, and lighting.

Key Objectives

• Modernize the kitchen with new appliances, improved lighting, and a more functional layout.
• Create two home office spaces for remote work.
• Enhance storage to better meet the family’s needs.

Scope of Work

• Kitchen
  • Installed new appliances.
  • Reconfigured existing cabinetry and built a custom microwave cabinet.
  • Installed recessed pot lights, pendant lighting over the bar and kitchen table, and under-cabinet lighting.
  • Added electrical receptacles, repainted cabinets, and replaced countertops.
  • Installed a new sink and tile backsplash.
• Office Spaces
  • Installed new flooring, cabinetry, and electrical receptacles.
  • Painting walls.
• General Coordination
  • Managed project budget and timeline.
  • Hired and coordinated trades for flooring, tiling, countertops, and plumbing.

Challenges and Solutions

• Lacquer Spraying: Spraying lacquer on cabinetry in a family home presented safety concerns. The family temporarily relocated to Vancouver on holiday to allow proper curing and ventilation before returning.
• Parquet Flooring Refinishing: A previous breathable finish on the oak parquet floor was changed to a polyurethane topcoat, which caused some sections to lift due to moisture retention. These sections were carefully cut down and replaced. A full replacement of the flooring may have been a more cost effective long-term solution.

Results

• Successfully modernized the home with updated kitchen appliances, improved lighting, and enhanced storage solutions.
• Transformed the kitchen into a functional and aesthetic space by removing an overhead cabinet that separated the room.
• Created two functional and comfortable office spaces, enabling both homeowners to work remotely with ease.

Lessons Learned

• Safety Precautions: Ventilation and curing time for lacquer paint should be prioritized, especially in occupied homes.
• Material Compatibility: Ensure compatibility between finishes and substrates to avoid long-term issues, such as with flooring.
• Proactive Planning: Anticipating the family’s needs, such as temporary relocation, can minimize disruptions and improve project outcomes.
• Cabinet Repainting Costs: Repainting cabinets was labor-intensive and cost-effective only because it was self-performed. For projects requiring hired labor, replacing doors and drawers with modern profiles would have been a more practical and economical solution.

Completed Project

Build in Progress