How to Solve Kitchen Peninsula Problems

After 20 years of living in their home, a Cary NC couple came to us with the hopes of remodeling their kitchen and making it “theirs” for their next 20 years.

Their old kitchen was like so many kitchens we’ve seen—old in look, feel and design. The small kitchen was designed with those very familiar color and features: brown wood cabinets and vinyl countertops. The kitchen had only one small window and was otherwise lit by large fluorescent tubes. It sat adjacent to a small dinette lit with the also familiar brass chandelier. The cabinetry consisted of one large U-shaped unit, positioned in such a way that one of the long arms of the U served as a separator between the kitchen and dinette. The refrigerator stood closely to the “legs” of the U shape. The combination of a large amount of brown, almost no natural lighting and the cabinet acting as a half wall made the kitchen/dinette areas feel dark and cramped.

Our goal was to give our clients a kitchen that was brighter, less cramped, more usable and more up to date, compatible with their changing lifestyle. In order to do this, we added more natural light by replacing the small window with a much larger one. We removed the one large fluorescent unit and installed high hat lighting and a more modern chandelier in the dinette. Other renovations included new cabinets, which came in a white wood and granite countertops that nicely complemented the new stainless steel appliances. The reconfigured layout of the cabinets to be set along the edges of the kitchen made for more of a streamlined effect, opening up more space, and creating a longer unified space.

To add to the usability of the kitchen, a granite-topped island was put in place. It was adjoined to a dining table set on the dinette’s floor, again adding to the streamlined look and feel. The redesigned kitchen and dinette was finished with the replacement of the linoleum floors with hardwood flooring adding to a smooth, modern feel. The new features give this kitchen more personality, more functionality, and more space for the homeowners and for entertaining.

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About Paradise Found Construction

At Paradise Found Construction, we're grateful and honored to be trusted with the homes of our clients in Cary, Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Holly Springs, Apex and beyond. We are dedicated to providing affordable custom remodels and new custom homes that fit your unique vision, while partnering with you to scale features to align with your budget. We promise to be transparent and reliable to help you along each step of the way.

Choosing custom construction allows you the flexibility to get everything you want — and nothing you don’t.

Our passion is to help you create your personal Paradise in your home. We work closely with you to understand your vision and bring it to life in a 3D visual design, and then turn it into your finished masterpiece.

WE SPECIALIZE IN:

Preserving the Environmental Heritage of Heritage Hills in Chapel Hill

Performance (Green) building has come a long way. While a decade ago many may have perceived green building to be a fad, today it’s about more than just reducing a carbon footprint. Financially, it makes good sense with eco-friendly designs that deliver appealing functionality and healthy indoor air quality. For the second year in a row, Jeff Wiblitzhouser with Paradise Found Construction has received the National Association of Home Builder’s (NAHB) 2014 NAHB Green Certified Remodel of the Year Award, this time for a home in Orange County.

Located in southern Chapel Hill, the 40+ year old, two-story Gambrel Roof home remodel demonstrates how easy it is to preserve the charm and security of an older neighborhood and the many benefits it offers, making the home healthier for its occupants while reducing its ongoing cost of ownership. This amazing whole hose remodel demonstrates how to preserve the heritage and charm in older neighborhoods with modest investments that create a healthier living environment and yearly savings that compound over time.

“While any home can be built or remodeled with green features, a home that meets the National Green Building Standard’s certification criteria offers financial gains when the cost of ownership is reduced and a home’s value is increased,” says Jeff Wiblitzhouser President of Paradise Found Construction. “Plus, growing market evidence shows new and remodeled homes that are green certified are increasing in value and holding it better than those traditionally built or remodeled.”

The Heritage Hills home was structurally sound but needed improvements in energy usage, water efficiency, and indoor environmental quality. By replacing the original single-pane windows with more energy efficient double-pane ones, right-sizing the HVAC system, adding a dual zone controller, replacing and sealing all duct-work and a variety of other energy-efficient upgrades, the HERS (Home Energy Rating System) rating was reduced from 98 to 59. In total, energy was reduced by 40% and projected savings are projected to be $900 yearly.

Water efficiency was also addressed by incorporating EPA Water Sense-rated toilets and plumbing fixtures as well as upgrading appliances like the washing machine, which reduced the overall water usage by over 40%. Furthermore, natural hardwoods with no volatile organic compound (VOC) finishes, formaldehyde-free materials and no-VOC paints were used to improve the indoor air quality. The original wood burning fireplace was replaced with a direct-vent natural gas one and exhaust fans were installed in bathrooms to help create a healthier indoor environment.

In addition, Wiblizthouser helped the owners incorporate the latest design trends that would harmonize with the rest of the home. He increased the usefulness and aesthetics of their screened porch by creating an appealing room that could be enjoyed year round. He also brightened living areas with lighter colors to increase sunlight reflectivity.

The homes in Heritage Hills represent the explosive growth of home ownership that occurred during the economic expansion that followed the end of WWII, and they were designed to foster a sense of community, where families could come together. They were also built with denser wood that offers superior structural support compared to the same homes built using lumber from today’s faster-growing trees. Rather than demolish structurally sound homes to make way for larger ones with larger carbon footprints, a green certified remodel is increasingly attractive.

“We can preserve older neighborhoods with established traffic patterns and charm by changing the inefficiencies,” said Wiblitzhouser. “With a relatively modest investment, a green certified remodeling provides a short investment payback and continued yearly savings over time as energy and water costs outstrip the cost of inflation. Plus, when it comes to resale value, green certified homes sell at the upper end of the range and more quickly.”

Just last year, Wiblitzhouser completed a green certified remodel that enabled a Raleigh home owner to sell the home within three days of completion. Compared to equivalent traditional construction, green certifications offer a significant value and advantage in the marketplace. Paradise Found Construction also won the National Home Builders Association (NAHB) 2013 Project of the Year for Green Certified Remodeling.

About Paradise Found Construction

Since 2009, our mission and passion has been to help our clients throughout the Triangle NC create their personal Paradise in their homes. We work closely with them to understand Their Vision, and leverage our vast experience in residential design to bring it to life in a 3D Color Visual Design before helping them Rediscover the Paradise in Their Home.

WE SPECIALIZE IN:

Kitchen Design and Remodel in Cary NC

Sonya and Mark bought their dream home in Cary NC and decided to update key areas before they moved in. They wanted to to reconfigured their Laundry Room and completely remodel the Kitchen.

They were drawn toward a green/blue color palette, and our green painted “distressed” wood cabinets resonated with their design tastes. They were worried that they might create a "negative" when they sold the house later, but we convinced them to "follow their hearts" and create the kitchen that they will love to be in every day.

We rounded out the design with antique nickel pulls and knobs and “Jade” granite granite counter tops that contained colors of all of her design elements including the slate mosaic tile backsplash, which all came together to spectacularly compliment each other.

The 36″ Pro Range with a stainless steel back splash and hood was something Sonya had grown up with in her Mother’s kitchen and this was an emotional “must have” for her. We reconfigured the cabinet and appliance layout to facilitate easier flow and usability, and also continued with the slate mosaic tile into the adjoining family room by re-facing the brick fireplace surround and hearth, and their new "dream home" was complete!

They appreciated our interest in environmental responsibility, resource conservation, energy efficient and green solutions, and recycling. She was very interested in our relationship with Habitat For Humanity and our commitment to donate all re-usable items that we removed from their home during the renovation that we could.

About Paradise Found Construction

Since 2009, our mission and passion has been to help our clients create their personal Paradise in their homes. We work closely with them to understand Their Vision, and leverage our vast experience in residential design to bring it to life in a 3D Color Visual Design before helping them Rediscover the Paradise in Their Home.

WE SPECIALIZE IN:

We are proud to be this year’s recipient of the STAR Award for Best Insurance Renovation given by the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County’s Remodelers Council.

The project for which we were recognized was a basement renovation. The home owner came to notice a pinhole leak in the hot water supply line. Because the line is located in a rarely accessed part of the basement, by the time the leak was noticed the damage was done. The leak had been spraying steamy mist throughout the area, which ultimately caused a 100% moisture content in the walls and ceiling.

Moist areas are a breeding ground for mold spores, and this basement’s moisture level allowed the mold colonies to cover all exposed surfaces. This was exacerbated by the HVAC system’s return and supply line, which circulated the spores.

The home owner had to remove everything from the location, cleaning what was salvageable and storing the rest. Then came the deconstruction phase, including the excavation of the entire front wall of the basement. New drains had to be installed and expert mold remediation had to be done.

Once that was complete, we were able to go in and start our rebuilding process. We created a new large bedroom adjoining the full bath and redesigned and updated the wet bar/kitchenette. We also enlarged the bathroom and updated it to include a lovely walk-in tiled shower with frameless shower glass and soap niches, a carefully designed and coordinated vanity with a granite top, new lighting and a wall-hung mirror, as well as tile flooring.

The new living spaces functioned and looked so much better than the original areas. Many energy and water efficiencies, as well as the vastly improved indoor air quality, helped transform the basement into a bright, warm, rich, and inviting sanctuary.

After 20 years of living in their home, a Cary couple came to us with the hopes of remodeling their kitchen and making it “theirs” for their next 20 years.

To add to the usability of the kitchen, a granite-topped island was put in place. It was adjoined to a dining table set on the dinette’s floor, again adding to the streamlined look and feel. The redesigned kitchen and dinette was finished with the replacement of the linoleum floors with hardwood flooring, adding to a smooth, modern feel. The new features give this kitchen more personality, more functionality and more space for the homeowners themselves or for entertaining.

See BEFORE and AFTER photos in our Project Showcase.