I really loved this job (below). The large breakfront was a mix of alley finds. The doors came off something else, and the whole thing was badly damaged, warped and split in places. We replaced a number of pieces and installed a crown molding on it. Note that the lower and upper cabinets do not match. They are all purchases from the Habitat ReStore and all got the same color paint. The floor is a very interesting and very inexpensive cork. I can't take all the credit for most of the creativity on this one. The owners found most of the items here, and asked me if it would be cost effective to use them. The color choices were theirs. They splurged on the granite counter tops, the sink and the new appliances. We were able to reduce projected costs on this job by more than $20,000.
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This project (below) was a difficult arrangement. The kitchen was tiny and very disorganized. The half bath was almost impossible to use. There was no way to remodel this home without moving a lot of walls. We took the open and huge living room and dining area and turning that into three more than adequate rooms: a parlor, a family room and a formal dining room. As for the kitchen, we did it as a galley kitchen with an addition beyond that flows into the landscaped yard and a roofed passageway to the garage. We were able to get a half bath on the first floor and make the kitchen into something usable by eliminating the short hall and door to the garage, and creating a new door into the garage from the back yard. We moved the basement staircase as well. Every other alternative was prohibitively expensive and would have taken a major room addition to the house. The floor is porcelain tiles. That provides the best traction of any kind of floor, and is also very easy to keep clean. In this case, the color blend is perfect.
This project (below) was a difficult arrangement. The kitchen was tiny and very disorganized. The half bath was almost impossible to use. There was no way to remodel this home without moving a lot of walls. We took the open and huge living room and dining area and turning that into three more than adequate rooms: a parlor, a family room and a formal dining room. As for the kitchen, we did it as a galley kitchen with an addition beyond that flows into the landscaped yard and a roofed passageway to the garage. We were able to get a half bath on the first floor and make the kitchen into something usable by eliminating the short hall and door to the garage, and creating a new door into the garage from the back yard. We moved the basement staircase as well. Every other alternative was prohibitively expensive and would have taken a major room addition to the house. The floor is porcelain tiles. That provides the best traction of any kind of floor, and is also very easy to keep clean. In this case, the color blend is perfect.
(Below) If you have a big room to start with, it is easy to build a kitchen that has everything. This room was (and still is) short on daylight, but it now has a lot of artificial light sources plus a skylight. With the additional LED lights on, it gets very bright, even at night.
This kitchen (below) is heavy on the copper and black combination. I originally thought the colors would be too overwhelming, but the woman of the house had her color scheme all agreed on before meeting me. It turned out beautifully. This photo is an after dark shot. The room has a lot of sunlight in the daytime, and the copper back splash and granite counter top sparkle. The granite is so exquisite, it looks like you can see deep into a liquid and sparkling stone.
Once again, having a lot of space available makes it easy to work with the home. This kitchen was once the kitchen, back porch, pantry, storeroom, and some dead space between walls. We opened it up and this is the result. Behind the photographer (me) is a wall of cabinets, a very long counter top for party buffets, and the breakfast area. The cabinets in this photo are all recycled from the Habitat ReStore. A new custom island had not yet been delivered when this photo was taken. We had just finished the floor when this shot was taken.
Nothing gives you more counter space than a huge U-shaped kitchen like the one below. I took the photo, but something is out of place. Where's the clutter? Where are the dishes behind the glass doors? All that changed the next day. Kids, dogs, food, homework and counter top appliances.
This one (below) also has good memories. The sweet Lab stood and watched us for hours. His tail never stopped wagging! He was happy if we were in the way, but he was even happier if he could get back to his favorite resting place. I particularly like the floor design.
Robert A. Cox, Hopper Construction Company
314-757-9292
robacox@yahoo.com
You can give me a call any time to discuss possibilities. Sometimes I can do the designing. Sometimes, we work with architects. In all cases, we try to ensure that the results will add enjoyment and value to your home.
