How much does a kitchen renovation cost in Vancouver? Will brass or gold knobs go better with these cabinets? Do I need a permit to replace my countertop? How long does it take to braise a pheasant in the oven?
These might be some questions that cross your mind when considering a kitchen renovation for your home. Fortunately, the team at Andrea Jae Studio can help with these, and any other inquiries, you might have. Well, maybe not the pheasant one, but that’s for another time…
With a recent HAVAN Award under our belt (BEST KITCHEN RENOVATION: $150,000 - UNDER $175,000) for our project, Warm Wood Loves Colour, with Rembrandt Renovations and Ian McLean Architecture, we’re here to share our kitchen design process from start to finish:
Step 1: Building the Foundation
Like any great home renovation project, the first step requires building a strong foundation. While pieces like consultations and mood boards are important, the true foundation for us comes down to the people who intend to use the space.
For Warm Wood Loves Colour, located in East Vancouver, we considered both the clients’ lifestyle as well as the existing materials already in place in the kitchen.
“Existing cherry wood was already in the home, and we knew it was going to stay”, shares our Principal Andrea Ewanchyna. “Teal was inspired by our clients’ custom credenza that they were going to keep in the open living space. We needed to marry the existing with the new to create one continuous story.”
The clients for this home were both avid cooks and love to entertain, key factors we considered in determining how to effectively design the kitchen space. By putting the cooktop and hood fan over the island, the floorplan of the entire kitchen opened up - creating both an aesthetic and functional space. Open shelving and efficient storage solutions were also created to maximize every inch of space available.
“Aging in place was also important”, continues Ewanchyna. “So we opted to build in finger-pulls for all of the cabinetry for ease of use.”
Step 2: Getting to Work
With the foundation in place, it’s now time to roll up our sleeves and get to work to bring your interior design vision to life. What does that look like at Andrea Jae Studio?
It all starts with the Design Kick-Off meeting.
“This meeting is extremely important as it focuses on the client's style,” says Ewanchyna. “This meeting allows us to pull together a concept for the scope of work, and run it by the contractor (in this case, Rembrandt Renovations) for a preliminary estimate.”
This initial meeting paves the way for planning the concept and budget. After this is done, we take this alongside the client’s feedback and create a Final Presentation.
“All the while, we are putting together the drawings and coordinating with the architect, in the case of Warm Wood Loves Colour, Ian McLean Architecture, as well as other partners on the team to ensure the project is holistically thought through and all facets are accounted for”, she adds
Step 3: Wrap it up, and Enjoy
As much as we wish the kitchen renovation could be done with the snap of a finger, in reality it takes a bit more elbow grease than that.
“The end stage of design for our studio is a Final Page Turn meeting. This is a super technical meeting. I tell my clients to get a good night’s sleep first”, laughs Ewanchyna.
Why is that? Because this final meeting isn’t as exciting as the final reveal they depict on HGTV shows.
“Walk through the entire drawing set page by page. We do this so that there are no surprises when we move into construction. During construction, we continue to guide the process with the builder team and visit the site to sign off on key milestones.”
But when the vision finally comes to fruition, it makes it all worth the wait.
“Once construction is complete, we do a final walk through to ensure everything is up to move-in standards,” she says. “If furniture is involved, we also coordinate this delivery and installation.”
After that, all that’s left for you to do is put that pheasant in the oven.
Want to have your own award-worthy kitchen renovation in Vancouver? Reach out today by filling out our contact form: https://www.andreajaestudio.com/contact
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