A family recently purchased this Monmouth County, NJ home built in 1983 that needed some updating. The area most in need of work was a seriously outdated kitchen. To bring some timeless appeal to the kitchen, white shaker style cabinetry was to be the focal point. The Design Build Planners consulted on the slight layout and design changes as well as the product selections. To the right is a rendering featuring the "must have" feature of a glass pass thru section. Dream Home Remodeling is building and managing the project. One of the main goals of the project was to take beige and bone coloring of the '80s and bringing it up to date with the presently stylish white and grays. A few other prominent items featured in this project:

• Lighted glass soffit cabinets at the pass through area
• White shaker style cabinetry - from Direct Cabinet Sales in Red Bank, NJ
• Stainless steel appliances
• Super white quartzite countertops - from All Granite and Marble in South Plainfied
• 4" mini-recessed lights and a pendant light at the sink
• Caesar Stone Slab Coke from Best Tile in Keyport, NJ

Below is the existing kitchen space and dimensions along with a few before photos.             Below you can find a few computerized layouts of the kitchen remodel.       For an insight into the remodeling process, DAILY UPDATES will be provided! Day 1: Demolition and Dust Protection                         Day 2: Demolition and Rough Electrical Work Demo continued and the electrician added two new circuits, wiring and the recessed lights. The return wall was re-framed and one heat/air vent was reversed from the kitchen to the hallway for the new cabinetry placement. The top of the kitchen doorway was removed to make a flush opening to the hallway. The debris was removed from the driveway. The township was contacted to schedule the electrical inspection and their earliest availability is two weeks out. Therefore, the work schedule will be adjusted somewhat.              Day 3: Demolition and Rough Plumbing Work Tile flooring was removed and the laundry room was prepped. The sink vent pipe was re-routed to go straight up the outer wall through the plate instead on angled back into the wall cabinet area. The duct for the vented microwave for above the stove was put in place.                   Day 4: Framing and Prep The knee wall for behind the base cabinets was framed. The floor was cleared of nails in preparation of floor tile installation.        Day 5: Floor Tile Installation The start of floor tile installation for the kitchen and laundry. Typically, the floor tile would be installed after the drywall is finished. Since the electrical inspection was scheduled by the township two weeks out and drywall cannot be started until after that, the tile work partially fills the production void. There is nothing wrong with doing it this way except that extra care and protection must be taken with the finished floor. Wire mesh is fastened to the sub floor first.               Day 6: Grout Floor Tile Floor tile installation completed and grouted. The tile was from Best Tile in Keyport, NJ. The grout is Tec's Power Grout.               Day 7 through 15: Waiting... Period of inactivity as we wait for the scheduled electrical inspection from the township. These delays are all too common following fiscal and staff cutbacks as inspectors now cover multiple towns. As construction and remodeling has increased over recent years, inspectors and hours have not been added back to cover the need and demand. Day 16: Electrical Inspection Passed! Insulation updated. Day 17: Building Inspection Passed! Inspection framing, fire blocking and insulation. Day 18: Drywall Install The 12' drywall boards are glued and screwed to the wood framing.               Day 19: Spackle Begins               Days 20-21: Weekend no work Day 22: Spackle Continues and Cabinet delivery Cabinets are stored in the living and family rooms        Day 23: Spackle Continues Day 24: Sand and Spackle               Day 25: Primer Paint and Appliance Delivery Walls and ceiling are primed with paint. Ceiling also gets one coat of white paint in preparation for cabinet installation. Appliances are delivered and stored in the garage        Day 26: Plumbing Sink water lines cut and capped for cabinet installation Day 27: Start of Cabinet Installation Almost all the cabinets were installed today in just a half day's work. Importantly, the base cabinets are installed and ready for counter top templating. Shaker style, white painted cabinets from Ultacraft and purchased from Direct Cabinet Sales in Red Bank, NJ.               Day 28: Sunday No work. Day 29: Countertop Template The stove was put in  place and the templating was done for the countertop.        Day 30: Microwave and Dishwasher The vented microwave and dishwasher were put in place. The refrigerator was put in place. The freezer door was damaged in shipping and a replacement has already been ordered. The homeowner went countertop slab shopping. The template measurement info was placed on the slab to pre-determine cut and seems to insure the best layout. Site cleanup was performed.               Day 31: Paint Kitchen and adjacent, affected wall areas were painted. Since the ceiling is continuous through doorways, the ceilings of kitchen, family room, hall, dining room, living room and foyer were all painted. Walls are Sherman-Williams Saxon Grey.        Day 32: Cabinet Installation Cabinet installation, adjustments and cabinet molding completed. Eric Batsian, owner of Dream Home Remodeling, is pictured.               Day 33: Countertop Installation The countertop has a 1/4" bullnose edge. At the pass-through, the counter extends 4" pass the drywall into the family room. Not designed for sitting at, but provides over 19 square feet of serving area. A granite sill was created for the window.               Day 34: Molding Miscellaneous molding and trim work being installed. Family room carpet put back in place. Day 35: No Work (Sunday) Day 36: Lighting and Electrical Hook Up Receptacles and switches installed. Recessed light trim kits, puck lights in glass cabinets, and owner-supplied pendant light all installed.        Day 37: Trim and Molding Including window trim and flooring transition pieces.        Day 38: Cabinet Hardware The cabinet pulls were installed. 36 at 6" polished chrome bar pulls installed. Three longer pulls at 8" installed for wide pot and pan drawers.       Day 39: Plumbing Hook Up Final plumbing installation and hook up of owner-supplied faucet, dishwasher, gas stove, and water line for refrigerator. Day 40: Backsplash Installation Herringbone polished marble mosaic backsplash tile from Best Tile in Keyport, NJ.        Day 40: Backsplash Grout Applied Permacolor Shadow Gray from Best Tile.     Day 41: No Work (Sunday) Day 42: Electrical Plate Covers        CONCLUSION:  After 6 weeks of work, here is the kitchen at substantial completion.                               BACK TO GALLERY