Kitchen Renovation and Remodeling Blogs

Now that the kids are back to school, it starts to happen: the paperwork piles up on the kitchen counters. The backpacks are strewn across the floor. The kitchen table gets taken over by homework in a giant, disorganized mess.

It’s the same every year -- but this year will be different, because we have some tried-and-true ideas to keep your family in the kitchen (because it is nice to have everyone together after a day apart) and organized (because homework covered in last night’s pasta sauce probably isn’t what your son’s teacher was hoping for).

The Kitchen Company co-owner and designer Gail Bolling has been on quite a journey not only undergoing a kitchen remodel but taking us along for the ride. Gail's 1844 Colonial Farmhouse needed an update after 24 years of homemade meals and family gatherings. The style was outdated and the design was no longer functional for her family.

If traditional kitchens like the one your grandmother used to have aren’t your style, but you don’t really enjoy the stark minimalism of a hyper-modern kitchen either, perhaps a transitional kitchen is for you. A transitional kitchen is a perfect blend of design and functionality, incorporating nods to the traditional while moving forward with contemporary design ideas at the same time. While it can be hard to define, a transitional kitchen can incorporate everything you want and leave out everything you don’t, all while tying together elements of style, form, and function to create a space that is as practical as it is sophisticated.

After 25 years of remodeling kitchens for family, friends, and clients, Gail Bolling, co-owner and designer at The Kitchen Company, decided it was finally time to remodel her 24-year-old kitchen. To assure that the project was completed on time with minimal disruptions to her busy schedule, she hired Dave Gummoe to keep the project on schedule. Dave Gummoe is The Kitchen Company's cabinet installer and also an experienced general contractor.

In the last couple of years, new kitchen color trends have started to emerge. Designers and homeowners alike are opting for subtle yet striking luxury colors over traditional neutrals. Blue hues are the latest (and some of our favorite!) luxury colors working their way into the hearts of homeowners. From cool gray-blue to vintage aqua to rich navy, there’s a blue hue for everyone.

Like many homeowners, The Kitchen Company co-owner and designer Gail Bolling struggled to make the decision to renovate her own 24-year-old kitchen. She and her husband had been thinking about it for a few years but kept putting it off because they never felt it was a convenient time. While they had a number of reasons for renovating, the need to replace the floors and appliances finally motivated them to start the remodeling project.

Here at The Kitchen Company we make it our business to help you through the kitchen renovation process as painlessly as possible. We are so comfortable with the ins and outs of kitchen remodeling that we are usually the expert guides—not the ones being guided. That is, until one of our own, co-owner and designer Gail Bolling, decided to remodel her 24-year-old kitchen. Like any kitchen renovation, Gail’s experience has its ups and downs, but she’s learning quite a few valuable lessons along the way. Over the next several weeks, we’ll share Gail’s trials and tribulations as she tackles the kitchen remodeling process as a designer—and a homeowner. We’ll also share first-hand tips, tricks and advice to help you stay sane during your own renovation journey.

Question:

Designers don't recommend tilt-out sink fronts anymore, why have they fallen out of favor?

Answer:

Helen Richardson, Designer

Question:

Should I resurface or replace my kitchen cabinets?

“An intriguing new trend toward a two-kitchen home is changing the way kitchens are being planned, particularly with spacious kitchens that are part of a Great Room gathering area.” – Kitchen & Bath Design News