Your kitchen is one of the most essential rooms in your home. It’s often the hub of activity, where homework is done, guests are entertained, and loved ones are fed. While it’s vital that this room is as safe and functional as possible, there are also many ways your kitchen can make a statement and feel luxurious. If you’re planning a kitchen remodel, our expert team can help you create a space that serves its purpose and also serves stunning style. If you need some inspiration, our designers have shared some kitchen remodeling tips for taking your kitchen to the next level.
The materials you choose during the design phase of our process are vital for creating a functional and aesthetically pleasing space. In an area with numerous hazards, such as the kitchen, thoughtfulness about the materials you use is essential.
Flooring choices can vary from project to project, and several factors influence what clients ultimately choose, including:
Many Charleston homes, particularly historic homes, still have the original flooring throughout, which is highly coveted. Most often, a new coat of stain is all that’s required to make vintage floors look new again. Natural wood is also a beautiful choice but often requires the most maintenance, including regular re-sanding and staining.
For more low-maintenance options, vinyl, which can be natural in color, and tile are excellent alternatives. There are plenty of options to capture whatever decorating style you prefer.
Material isn’t the only option to consider when choosing flooring for your kitchen remodel.
Patterns and bold colors have become increasingly popular as homeowners have embraced their unique styles and preferences. If you’re looking for your kitchen to make a bold statement, why not start with under your feet?
Herringbone is a timeless option that elevates your kitchen space, while checkerboard adds a touch of vintage charm to your cookery. If you lean ultra-modern, a hexagon pattern fits the appeal.
There are a few rules to keep in mind when choosing to add a pattern to your floor. If you select a strong pattern below, the rest of your kitchen should be neutral to let the intricate design be the focal point and not overwhelm the space. Make sure your patterns run longways from your main viewpoint through the space to enlarge your kitchen, and be sure that it will lay in a way so you’ll be able to see as much of the pattern as possible. Our expert team can ensure that a patterned floor is installed correctly and looks beautiful when the work is complete.
Lighting brightens a space, increases its functionality, and creates the illusion of a larger room. As you plan your kitchen remodel, there are ways to maximize the power of lighting and elevate your room.
Under cabinet lighting has become increasingly popular and transforms your space. Not only is it practical, but it can also create a warm ambiance. In-cabinet lighting is a newer trend but still serves the same purpose.
Pendant lights in your kitchen, especially those mounted to the ceiling above your kitchen island and cooking areas, have become all the rage in kitchens and can instantly feel like an upgrade.
No matter your decorating style or the size of the room, layering ambient, task, and pendant lighting can create depth in the space and maximize the use of your new light fixtures.
The best way to elevate your kitchen remodel is to get creative with the space and resources you have.
Custom cabinetry offers a creative way to organize your kitchen and create storage. You can create almost anything with custom cabinets, from a hidden coffee bar to an inconspicuous place to store your trashcan. They also free up counter space, giving you more room to work with.
We’ve also seen homeowners add pullout cutting boards, hidden spice racks, swing-out cabinets, and toe-kick vacuums.
Details like these might seem small, but they can make your life easier and your kitchen feel luxurious.
What really transforms a space is the attention to detail. Changes and additions that seem minor during the planning process can transform the entire room when it’s completed. Your kitchen can go from a necessary room where daily tasks are performed to a showstopping galley where you’ll want to entertain and set as the central hub of your home. A few other ways to make your kitchen feel elevated include:
All of these kitchen remodeling tips can inspire your next kitchen remodeling project, but of course, following your personal taste and preferences can ensure your kitchen is usable and a room to fall in love with. Voted Best Kitchen/Bath Remodeler by Charleston Living Magazine, the experts at Classing Remodeling are ready to help you add a little gourmet flair to your space.
Ready to make your home inspiration a reality with our 30 years of superior performance, craftsmanship, and service? Contact us today!
Whether you’ve just bought a fixer-upper or you’re looking to make some much-needed upgrades to your well-loved home, you may be thinking that it’s time for a renovation. If this is your first time working with a renovation company like Classic Remodeling, you might not know where to start or what to expect.
We’ve shared our renovation process, or “The Classic Process,” to prepare you for your project and given you a step-by-step guide through each phase so you know exactly what to expect after you’ve reached out to us.
When you first contact our team, one of our helpful sales representatives will meet you at the project site to get an idea of what you need for your home and see some of your inspiration. It’s good to inform us of what you want during this phase, as it will make the renovation process much smoother. This can also ensure that we can work everything you dream of into your budget so you can make decisions accordingly. You don’t want to find that a last-minute feature you want to add in the middle of the project will put you way over your budget!
We also have a standard list of questions we ask to gather as much information as possible, including:
We will also ask you to walk us through your daily routine, so we know how you use your space. This includes details like how you like to cook and do the laundry, where you like to relax, how everyone else’s schedules in the house relate to yours, whether or not you have children, and anything specific they need.
These questions and details ensure that we tailor every aspect of your renovation to your specific needs so your home is the perfect blend of functional and comfortable. After all, no two homes are alike, and everyone has different needs to make their home their sanctuary.
During this first site visit, we will also ensure there are no structural issues, like rot or leaks, to address in the area we’ll be working in. This helps us identify any necessary repairs and ensure the space is safe and functional before beginning to work.
Once we know the issues we’re addressing, what your dream renovation will include, and get an idea of your budget, we will measure the areas where we will work. Sometimes, this is just one room, and other times, it’s the whole house. We will also take photos during this time to document the space’s appearance before we start and use them as a reference while drawing your as-built plans.
Before we draft our own plans, we will draw the existing conditions of your home and determine any hurdles we might have before we start designing. This is especially important if we are moving windows, changing anything with the exterior, or adding to the house in any way. A few common hurdles we see include FEMA, HOA, BAR, including the 50% rule, and the Substantial Improvement Rules. We need to know how many of these things will affect your project as early as possible so we can design within the legal guidelines for your home.
We will usually make multiple site visits to confirm measurements, confirm details, assess any new issues that may arise before and during construction, or see materials in the space. We can also set meetings with you in the space if you’re having trouble visualizing how your renovation will look.
The selection process happens during this phase, too. We have an onsite showroom with cabinetry, counters, tile, faucets, sinks, pulls and knobs, grout, tile trim, and paint decks. You and our designers will meet to pick out the materials you want to incorporate into your renovation and solidify the finer points of the design details. This part can be a fun experience, and our knowledgeable designers are ready to offer suggestions, provide product information, and guide you should you start to feel overwhelmed or stuck. They will also know what products best suit the space and your everyday life.
Once plans are drawn up and everything is approved, we will start purchasing materials, ensure all legal proceedings are completed, and send plans to the appropriate municipality for permitting. This phase, while often time-consuming, is vital before we break ground to ensure we don’t violate any regulations or break any laws.
Once construction starts, the designer will visit multiple times a week to ensure the project is on task, everything is done correctly according to the plans, and to answer any questions.
You may also be called in occasionally to assess tile choices, countertop choices, confirm pulls and knobs and paint choices, and other details. This can be a fun part of the renovation process as you see the choices you made with the designer earlier in the process start to come together.
Our team is dedicated to updating you on every step of the project, so you don’t have to worry about where you are in the timeline. We will meet with you during the planning phase as often as every two weeks.
During the construction phase, a lot depends on the scale of the project and your needs. Some clients need weekly check-ins, and others prefer updates only when significant milestones are crossed or if the project is delayed and will fall behind schedule. We also have many clients who live out of town and will come visit to see the progress or have meetings. Whether you prefer weekly updates or mile-stone check-ins, we tailor our communication to ensure you’re always in the loop – giving you peace of mind throughout the process.
Sometimes, projects last longer than initially estimated. Some common delays include:
While we do our best to avoid delays, they inevitably happen. We will ensure you know what’s happening and when things start moving forward again.
Throughout the renovation process, from start to finish, what continuously sets us apart is that we care. We care about the quality of our work, we care about our clients, and we care about doing it right the first time. With Classic, you have our quality guarantee. If you have any issues with our work, check out our Worry-Free Warranty. We work very hard to maintain solid relationships with our clients, even after the project is completed.
You also benefit from our company’s “design-build” status. Unlike general contractors, we can do everything in-house, from preliminary planning and design to construction. Our experienced team has worked in the industry for many years, giving us the knowledge to complete our jobs well. This also means that you can save some money since you won’t have to work with different companies to complete things like designing and planning. We’re here to see the project through from start to finish.
Ready to make your home inspiration a reality with our 30 years of superior performance, craftsmanship, and service? Contact us today!
We’re excited to announce the launch of our new website! The site has a whole new look, hopefully making it easier to get to the information you need as you vet remodelers for your next project.
The goal for our new site was to make it much more user friendly – especially on mobile devices. We wanted to make it easier for you to get information about who we are and what we do, see examples of our work, and contact us to start your project. With that goal in mind, you’ll find multiple ways to access our portfolio and past customer reviews, a detailed breakdown of our process highlighting what to expect during each phase of the project, and no matter what page you are on within the site you’ll have a contact form at your fingertips.
And finally, for past clients you have an easy way of contacting us should any warranty work come up. There is a contact form on every page of the site where you can select “existing project” for any warranty requests. This goes directly to our staff who can log your request.
We hope you enjoy the new site and find that it meets your needs as you search for a professional remodeler for your next project!