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Kitchen Remodel Hacks – ABC Modern

Lake Wanatchee Remodel Finished 1. For Homeowners, finding inspiration for the design of a new kitchen or remodel is the most important step of the project. Most of us plan to live in these spaces for decades to come. That requires that we love the design from start to finish. This week we explore four brilliant Design and Remodel teams that will inspire and maybe even compel you to hire them for your next remodel project.

Continuing our Interview with Aubrey Davis of ABC Modern, this week we dig into innovations of necessity: From well designed products like Aubrey’s line of modern Simple Stick Wallpaper, to our custom fronts for IKEA Kitchens, to project-prep classes for Homeowners. Cost, timelines, and design needs have led to a lot of brilliant options and helpful information. As we detail in our post Inspiring Interior Designers, ABC Modern have been at the heart of some pretty amazing projects that feature our custom cabinets doors. Read on to learn more.

Residential Design Project Standards

I’m sure you have a certain set of standards to what you look for when you’re looking for a new home to remodel. Is there something in particular or a couple of things that you look for?

Yeah. Craig and I tend to choose mid-century houses. That’s just kind of our favorite thing or specialty. We like mid-century houses because the bones tend to be easy to work with. Often times the floorplan lends itself to being opened up really easily. Before before the 1950s, you know, there was there’s a gap in construction because of the Great Depression.

Magnolia Remodel Finished 2. For Homeowners, finding inspiration for the design of a new kitchen or remodel is the most important step of the project. Most of us plan to live in these spaces for decades to come. That requires that we love the design from start to finish. This week we explore four brilliant Design and Remodel teams that will inspire and maybe even compel you to hire them for your next remodel project.

There’s not a lot of things built in the forties or thirties, and then you have these 1920s houses and they tend to be divided up into all of these little boxes and they tend to be stacked more vertical and those houses are a little bit harder to open up and make function in a modern way.

The 1950s houses tend to have a little bit more of like a long, low floorplan, which lends itself to the way people live today. And we like that they tend to have really good structure and may avoid knob and tube wiring, which is always good too.

That makes complete sense. I mean, I have absolutely loved everything. You know, we’ve only been working together for a couple of years, but everything you guys have done, it’s just absolutely beautiful.

ABC Modern completed this beautiful IKEA Kitchen Remodel using our Silt SmartMatte Shaker Slim doors. In the master bath they used shaker slim fronts in Super Real Walnut Laminate 5

We have we have loved working with Dendra. Like, it’s been the backbone of our budget for sure. Like Craig and I tend to do flip projects and so budget is paramount. And our our biggest cost savings always comes from cabinets because of Dendra Doors. And I love the design flexibility because you guys have so many endless options for door styles and colors. I just always know that there’s going to be the perfect option there. I don’t even have to worry about it.

Laminate & Thermofoil – Durable Kitchens

Well, we appreciate that because that’s definitely our goal. You know, we have quite a few different competitors that are doing similar things. And one of the ways that we’ve really tried to stand out is by offering so many more options because there’s so many different design styles and things that people want to do.

Lake Wanatchee Remodel Finished 3. For Homeowners, finding inspiration for the design of a new kitchen or remodel is the most important step of the project. Most of us plan to live in these spaces for decades to come. That requires that we love the design from start to finish. This week we explore four brilliant Design and Remodel teams that will inspire and maybe even compel you to hire them for your next remodel project.

And so we want to allow people to still use the affordability of the IKEA cabinets and make it custom to exactly what they want to do. So we really appreciate that they’re happy and loved them. And I will say also the last two projects that we’ve done have been, would you call it like a thermofoil or laminate?

The last two have been thermofoil, and I will say that they have passed the three year old test and he’s my three year old is pretty hard on things and they’ve held up beautifully. So we’ve been really happy.

ABC Modern completed this beautiful Cabin Kitchen Remodel using our Midnight SmartMatte Beaded Slab doors 2

You know, we have had quite a few clients asking about painted options because that’s something that we’ve been able to reestablish in our offering again. And a lot of people like the flexibility of being able to choose a paint color. There’s a lot of different options with that. But I always ask Do you have kids? Because they don’t typically hold up as well. You know, with little ones I recommend the more durable thermofoil cabinet fronts. And this year we’re adding even more options. We were working with a couple of different manufacturers to add some different unique options, getting those established as well.

Happy Homeowners - Design Brief

So I know we kind of talked about this already a little bit. What are some of the other bigger challenges that you face in your remodels projects?

Sure. This is this is a perfect lead in in question to what I’m working on right now. When I trained. So when I first started working in residential construction, I was really shocked to learn that there is not a standard system for walking homeowners through the list of a thousand decisions that they need to make, and then documenting all of those and passing them to the different vendors and contractors.

In commercial design, you would never build something without a set of interior specifications would be what you would call it. And that really is just like a worksheet that is going to walk and the designer or the owner, through all of these different thousand little tiny decisions that need to be made. So when I originally worked for that general contractor, I created a system of templates or worksheets that we used to walk the homeowner through all the decisions and get them down on paper.

ABC Modern Design Brief 1. From Starbucks to Aerospace facilities, to flipping homes and kitchen remodels, ABC Modern can help any homeowner prepare for and remodel any project.

And that then became the backbone of a business that I built. I took that to general contractors around Seattle and they were super eager to refer me to their clients. Because they understood the value of having all those decisions documented on paper upfront, and it allowed them to bid projects accurately and then build them without a lot of hiccups.

ABC Modern Design Brief 2. From Starbucks to Aerospace facilities, to flipping homes and kitchen remodels, ABC Modern can help any homeowner prepare for and remodel any project.

And I always wanted to scale that and reach a bigger audience with it. But technology wasn’t where it is today. And so I went into commercial construction and I learned more about the tools of organizing a construction project, even more. So now what I’m doing is circling back around and creating a system of worksheets that homeowners can use to make sure that they have planned out all those details before they start construction and not after, and avoid all of those nightmares that everybody hears about when we talk about remodeling a house.

Now, is that a software that you have or how how do you implement that?

Yeah, eventually I do see it becoming an app right now. I have been turned on to just kind of the latest way to organize an online class where clients can log in and not only access that worksheet that I’m talking about, but a video companion that goes with it, and we’ll walk them through how to choose the details that they’re then documenting in the worksheet. So right now I’m turning it into an online course that people can choose to enroll in.

ABC Modern Design Brief 3. From Starbucks to Aerospace facilities, to flipping homes and kitchen remodels, ABC Modern can help any homeowner prepare for and remodel any project.

Better Planning = Higher Quality Designs

Do you have any advice for homeowners that are preparing to take on a new home, build a remodel? I’m assuming you would refer them to obviously, that list.

I think that success is 100% linked to planning. It’s 1 to 1. You know, if you have a the more solid your plan is, the more peaceful your construction process is going to be and the more meaningful the bid that you get in the beginning from your contractor is going to be.

Maple Leaf Project Layout Functionality. For Homeowners, finding inspiration for the design of a new kitchen or remodel is the most important step of the project. Most of us plan to live in these spaces for decades to come. That requires that we love the design from start to finish. This week we explore four brilliant Design and Remodel teams that will inspire and maybe even compel you to hire them for your next remodel project.

So I do have a checklist that I give away for free. I call it the kitchen and bath design checklist, and I have a roadmap that goes with that, that shows the process. So I do have a link to that on all my websites, and I give that away as a free download just to get people headed in the right direction so they at least have the right list of different things that they’re going to need to choose and think about.

Even when it comes when it comes to design. Yes. Like you want to be thinking through not only the faucet that goes in your bathroom, but then there’s the toilet tank lever match. The finish on the faucet is the little piece of metal at the edge of the tile match.

Maple Leaf Project kitchen elevations. For Homeowners, finding inspiration for the design of a new kitchen or remodel is the most important step of the project. Most of us plan to live in these spaces for decades to come. That requires that we love the design from start to finish. This week we explore four brilliant Design and Remodel teams that will inspire and maybe even compel you to hire them for your next remodel project.

That matches that finish or doesn’t match the tile. There’s all these little details. But also when it comes to your budget, I think that the biggest reason why budgets are off is because entire categories are missing from the budget, not only because things come in higher, but there’s just gaps and so I think that that list serves as both kind of a shopping list when it comes to choosing your fixtures and finishes, but also from all of the larger projects that I’ve managed. Having that list correct on the left side of your budget is a big part of success.

Cost Effective Custom Kitchens With IKEA Boxes

Do you have any advice for clients and how to save money in a remodel?

Oh, you know what I’m going to say The definitely the biggest part of any remodel budget or new construction budget is cabinets. It’s huge. And we over and over again have seen our biggest cost savings using vendor door. Not just saying that because I’m talking to you really, we have to preach the gospel of the door of many times to others as well. We gosh, I worked in like I said, I’ve worked in remodeling for like 20 years and I’ve used everything from just straight IKEA cabinets to semi-custom cabinets to fully custom cabinets.

And the cabinetry is the place where I think that you can see the biggest swing of any line item in your budget. You could have an entire house full of cabinets, which we often do. We’re not usually just doing a kitchen in the bathroom. We’re usually doing media cabinets and laundry room cabinets and, and, you know, bookshelves and an extra bar, like a coffee bar or an alcohol bar.

ABC Modern completed this beautiful IKEA Kitchen Remodel using our Silt SmartMatte Shaker Slim doors. In the master bath they used shaker slim fronts in Super Real Walnut Laminate. ABC Modern - IKEA Kitchen Remodel Shaker Slim in Silt SuperMatte 6

So we usually have a lot of cabinetry. And, you know, that swing can just be exponential. You could spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on cabinetry if you’re going to do if you’re going to go a fully custom route. But I just don’t see any reason for it with what you can get by combining the IKEA boxes, which just they have great reviews even from all of the designers and engineers that I know who have used them with the flexibility of ten dress finishes and door styles, I feel like you get the best of both worlds for sure.

ABC Modern completed this beautiful IKEA Kitchen Remodel using our Silt SmartMatte Shaker Slim doors. In the master bath they used shaker slim fronts in Super Real Walnut Laminate. ABC Modern - IKEA Kitchen Remodel Shaker Slim in Silt SuperMatte 12

Yeah. You know, that was kind of where Dendra started because John, the owner, he did construction with the IKEA products and just absolutely loved them. Like, let’s, you know, give a little bit more customization with it. But the IKEA products are such solid products.

Though, a lot of people think of IKEA as being a lesser product. We’ve run into that many times where we have clients contact us and they are looking at a custom cabinet builder and they want us to do the door fronts for them and you know, I typically explain to them IKEA products and sometimes they believe me and sometimes they don’t, but they they really are a high quality product.

Magnolia Remodel Finished 1. For Homeowners, finding inspiration for the design of a new kitchen or remodel is the most important step of the project. Most of us plan to live in these spaces for decades to come. That requires that we love the design from start to finish. This week we

And I didn’t have any experience in cabinets before I came into this into this position. So I had real known no real knowledge but learning about it and really seeing the difference in cost, the cost of custom cabinetry is just crazy to me. So yeah, I can completely understand where that would that would definitely swing a budget one way or the other for sure.

Yeah. We’re on our fourth full house of IKEA plus bender doors and we have never had any issue. Like I said, I know a lot of designers and picky engineer types who really love the IKEA boxes, but like you said, the design options are a little bit lacking. And also I think that the doors that IKEA have become has become recognizable as IKEA doors.

So if you’re looking to have something different and something that stands out, it’s really great to be able to use something custom for the front. And then it’s not immediately apparent that those are IKEA cabinets. And people want that, you know, custom kitchen look when you look at the price point. So and I will also say that so much of it is in the detail of the way that you put things together as well, like how you use and panels and how you treat the token and thinking through whether you want a filler panel on either side of the range.

ABC Modern completed this beautiful IKEA Kitchen Remodel using our Silt SmartMatte Shaker Slim doors. In the master bath they used shaker slim fronts in Super Real Walnut Laminate 1.

And I really have appreciated your help in thinking through all of those details and getting it right, too. Well, that’s really great to hear. We always appreciate that. You know, a lot of people just. You mean you have the experience and the knowledge, but a lot of homeowners just don’t even know that these are things to think about.

I personally I rent, but in the kitchen that I have is an IKEA kitchen and whoever installed it didn’t put a filler piece between the range and the cabinets. And there’s always food falling in between is like, you know, I think about that all the time. Like, Oh, that would be so much easier here, you know? So we always try to recommend that to people and, you know, those little things you don’t necessarily think about.

ABC Modern completed this beautiful Cabin Kitchen Remodel using our Midnight SmartMatte Beaded Slab doors 5

I think that that’s what makes a difference between that custom look of a kitchen. People know it when they see it, but they don’t know what it is that they’re seeing. You know, they’ll look at a picture and go, that kitchen looks custom. And that’s what I want my kitchen to look and feel like. And they don’t necessarily know that it is because there is that extra panel there or the toque is a certain way or the fridge is integrated.

Kitchen Designs @ the Heart of Every Home

And so yeah, that is kind of a list of things that I’m trying to educate people on through social media videos and that kind of stuff, because I think that that is a way that you can go the extra mile using standard doors to complete all those little details and really bring it to that custom look.

Magnolia Remodel Plans 1. For Homeowners, finding inspiration for the design of a new kitchen or remodel is the most important step of the project. Most of us plan to live in these spaces for decades to come. That requires that we love the design from start to finish. This week we explore four brilliant Design and Remodel teams that will inspire and maybe even compel you to hire them for your next remodel project.

It’s really important. And, and one thing I’ve learned in this industry, it’s all about like little details, like we’ve discussed that it really it comes down to that it can make such a difference in the overall look of a project. So yeah well we’re going to we’re going to sell the cabin this summer. So looking forward to taking on another project and maybe we’ll be calling you back pretty soon.

Yeah, I think would be great. I mean, that cabin turned out beautifully and so was your original intention to flip it or were you going to use it as a vacation rental? Or, what was your original thought with that project?

ABC Modern completed this beautiful Cabin Kitchen Remodel using our Midnight SmartMatte Beaded Slab doors 1

We were always kind of going back and forth. We are currently using it as a vacation rental and that’s doing well. There is property property attached to it that we are dividing into three different lots and we’re going to be selling off those slots with architectural services. So that’s an opportunity for somebody to build something custom and partner with us. And then we’re thinking that we’re probably going to sell the main cabin as well. Yeah. Okay, cool. We’re just always hungry to do the next project and they all just turn out so amazing. So we’re always excited to see the next thing.

Produced by Todd Zimmerman

Producer of the John Webbccast

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