Mike Boatman
Kitchens used to be small, utilitarian spaces — a stove, refrigerator, and sink within reach of the dining room. Now, they are often the most popular room in the house, and new materials, designs, lighting, and other features make them a multi-purpose room the whole family can enjoy.
Editor’s Note: Our biannual Remodel Memphis section has been known for before-and-after photos of some of the most beautiful houses around Shelby County. This time, we’re doing something different. Builders Dave Moore and Ryan Anderson walk homeowners through the rebuilding process for kitchens and baths, while local industry experts provide advice on everything from new faucets to decor and financing. Looking to revitalize your space? Memphis magazine’s 2020 edition of Remodel Memphis is the place to start.
The kitchen could very well be the centerpiece of any home. Mealtimes are the perfect time for families and friends to come together, while a host will always ground their event out of whatever fine creation is being served from the kitchen. Got your eye on a kitchen-remodeling job? There are plenty of professionals around town with the talent and expertise to make a design come to life.
Dave Moore, owner of Dave Moore Companies and a member of the West Tennessee Home Builders Association (WTHBA), has been a general contractor since 1986 and impressed homeowners with many of his entrants in the VESTA Home Show. There’s no easy remodeling job, but Moore has had plenty of experience with projects both large and small. Now, he finds many people gravitating to a sleeker-looking kitchen. “We’re finding that a lot of people are going back to what I call just that ‘traditional’ style,” he says, “with verything being relatively white and clean and crisp. A lot of it is going back almost to timeless selections that aren’t faddish.”
Mike Boatman
At the outset, finding the right professional fit is crucial. Getting the right contractor for the job can make all the difference and save homeowners from undue stress. “Do some research and check good, solid, reputable contractors and get their pricing,” says Moore. “Make sure you’re working with somebody you trust.” Once homeowners have found the right contractor, preliminary budgets and layout drawings can be considered.
Karen Kassen, owner of Kitchens Unlimited, agrees that finding the right fit is important to any kitchen remodeling job. “There are several questions I ask a new client during our first consultation,” she explains. “‘Have you remodeled before, and how did it go?’ I ask if they have considered what amount they are willing to spend and what their timeframe is. If we mutually decided that we are a good fit for their renovation and understand the scope of the job, we work up a realistic budget and plan.”
Plenty of resources are available to inspire homeowners during the planning stage, but it’s important to remain grounded. “One of the first things we learn is that form follows function,” says interior designer Becca Gaines. “It’s important to think through how you want to use your space, or how you need it to function. Do you love to cook? Or entertain? Do you have a great collection of spices? Hate lifting your mixer? Need to sit down while you put your makeup on? If you decide to hire an interior designer, the designer helps sort these details out thoroughly.”
Once the plans are drawn up, Kassen recommends hashing out other details, like what times and days the subcontractors will be working, whether your neighborhood will allow a dumpster, or who will be responsible for opening and locking your home at the beginning and end of each day. Homeowners should also get a head start on cleaning their kitchen and move surrounding draperies and rugs to avoid dust. Finally, it doesn’t hurt to set up a temporary spot for making food while the kitchen is being worked on.
Kassen points to cabinets, countertops, and appliances as the three main components of a kitchen remodel. Most of her customers want better cabinets with an up-to-date look and new appliances to make time in the kitchen more efficient. Going forward, Kassen sees the kitchen space as more multi-purpose than it used to be. “The kitchen is not just a place to prepare and cook meals, but has become a place to study and work in too,” she says. “Especially in the wake of COVID-19 and the ‘safer at home’ policies. I have a feeling that there will be a new emphasis on larger, organized pantry spaces, islands with seating giving a family more spots to work and eat in the kitchen, and larger freezer capacity or an extra freezer for stocking up on food.”
Mixing metals has become a common trend for the plumbing side of things. Many local contractors utilize the Cordova showroom at Ferguson Plumbing to pick out faucets and other fixtures that are resistant to stains and easy to clean. Mixed metals are also appearing more frequently for metal countertops, or the hood over a cooking area.
Mike Boatman
Selecting what kind of appliances to use can be difficult with all the creative options available to a homeowner. Some requests that Kassen has seen include built-in coffee espresso machine or wine units, while some homeowners may opt for additional refrigeration. And with health and cleanliness at the forefront of everyone’s thoughts recently, she points to a new refrigerator model. “One of our lines has a special microbiological purification system that scrubs the air every 20 minutes,” says Kassen, “which prevents bacteria, mold, and viruses.” Post-pandemic, she predicts that these types of features will be more common among designers and manufacturers.
To round out a space, proper lightning can accentuate any part of a new kitchen. Cabinet manufacturers noq have lines that come with interior lighting when a drawer or door is opened. With improved LED lighting options, Kassen says that teams can “provide great task lighting where needed and accent with fabulous decorative accent lighting.”
When it gets down to the nitty-gritty of rebuilding, Moore indicates a contractor will tackle cabinets first. “If you’re changing the design of the kitchen, the first thing we like to do is get the cabinets ordered. Because with a kitchen remodel, we try very hard to keep a kitchen functioning right up until the time we start the remodel. That way, we can put it back together as quickly as possible.” According to Moore, cabinets generally take six to ten weeks to get ordered. A couple weeks out from the delivery date, contractors can really start to do electrical and plumbing relocation, as well as receive all the necessary inspections. Then, flooring, countertops, and appliances can all be installed, threading into a neat reassembly process that gets the kitchen back to operating throughout an efficient process.
Mike Boatman
Project length from start to finish can vary; a simple job might just take a few weeks, while Moore says that his longest, most complex job took about six months to complete. Kassen says to expect the entire process to take several months, from planning and design all the way to finished construction. Throughout the whole process, communication with contractors and sub-contractors is paramount. No matter the best-laid plans, some issues are always bound to arise. “Renovations are full of surprises,” says Gaines. “There’s always something unexpected behind the walls.”
At the end of the day, preparation can make all the difference. A consistent level of communication with contractors and subcontractors will ensure any hiccups that arise are handled smoothly, while homeowners need to have a firm idea of what they want to do with their remodeling project. For building, that’s to make sure that every team member is up for the job.
“The WTHBA has a list of recommended policies and guidelines for choosing a contractor,” says Moore, “like checking on proper certification, making sure they have worker’s comp general liability, suggesting you find references.” Regarding design, Gaines wants to ensure that homeowners grasp the full scope of a project.
“Some of the most common issues are driven by social media and TV,” she says. “These information channels are tools that inspire many great ideas, but we find they can also give false impressions of project timeline and project cost.”
