Dwell :: Our Kitchen Redo – Part One

 

Our contractor provided us with an example of what our kitchen would look like with the new  countertops and white cabinets.

 

 

Buying Your First Home:

Buying your first home is such an exciting new journey but it can be stressful!  We had looked all over Orange County and ended up buying a place about 50 yards from our apartment.  I guess you could say we liked the area.  The day we signed the papers happened to fall on my birthday so we had some chocolate cake and a glass of champagne in our new home that night.  My sweet husband even carried me across the threshold into our home.

We immediately had the floors replaced with bamboo flooring and had the house painted, and ceilings scraped before we moved in.  If you have the option to get this done before move-in day, I would advise it as this can get really messy.  We decided to wait to work on our kitchen redo after giving it some thought.  At the time, I was really into darker woods and a more modern, clean look.  It is funny how your tastes change over the year as now I am really into white, still modern, but more streamline pieces.  But redoing your home can be expensive so we opted to have the cabinets refaced instead of new one’s put in.  If I could get a “redo” (can someone wave a wand to go back in time) I would opt to get new cabinets – with a lazy Susan and all, and opt for a less expensive countertop.

Buyers Remorse:

Oh, yes, the concrete countertops… A story I could go on and on about.  I was really into that modern look and loved what I saw in design magazines.  But as we all know, sometimes things don’t work out as you had hoped.  I searched all over Orange County to find the best company who did concrete kitchen countertops and even came into their shop to talk with the owner.  He assured me that they would do a top-notch job and offered free touch-ups over the years (never happened).

 

Be involved with the process:

The workers who had removed my old tile countertop replaced it with plywood that the concrete would be built upon, but must have installed it incorrectly because my undermount sink somehow turned into a drop-in sink.  As a new homeowner and new to this whole home redecorating thing – I really had no clue that they had placed it incorrectly.  I am not sure if this was the reason that our concrete counters ended up with two huge cracks but that happened pretty quickly on.  Ugh. Something to think about if you live in an area known for earthquakes!  Get material that won’t crack!

When the concrete worker arrived, we went over how I wanted the sides around the sink to be about 1/2 inch in thickness around the edges, he assured me that that is what I would get.  Ummm. No, that I hardly what we got. Not only did I not get the look I was going for, he left a huge mess and even tools over the 4th of July weekend.  Very strange.  And if anyone knows about installing concrete it is a very messy job.  This was done in-house, so all the dust that they shaved off the top to prepare it for paint was ALL OVER MY HOUSE.  They left the mess, tools and headed out for the holiday weekend.  Boy, was I mad.

 

 

When I called the owner that following Monday, he didn’t really have much to say and didn’t offer any type of discount for the mess his worker left us with.  And when he came out a few years later to give us a quote about resurfacing the concrete counters because of all the holes and chips, he didn’t mention the shaky job his contractor had done. Ugh!  Over the last ten years I have had a constant reminder of the poor workmanship and management, mad at myself that I hadn’t pushed more to have them to fix it when they first installed it and upset about how expensive it was (concrete can be expensive if done by a company as it is hand-poured and designed).

On a hunt for new counters!

For the past year I have been thinking about what material I wanted to replace our concrete countertops with.  I had entertained the idea of just having it resurfaced and repainted to get rid of the chips and holes, but 1) it was really expensive to have someone else do it and 2) it didn’t take care of the eyesore sink problem and most importantly I was ready for some more fun in the kitchen!

 

So when I came across a gorgeous kitchen in a design magazine showcasing Formica® Brand Jonathan Adler’s line,  I wondered if they would like to collaborate and contacted them a few months back.  My experience with the folks at Formica® Brand has been nothing but wonderful and I absolutely adore Jonathan Adler’s work and love all the fun he brings into people’s homes with his design ideas and products.

Formica® Brand laminate is manufactured in North America, and was invented in 1913.  Formica®  Laminate is a heat-resistant, wipe-clean surface material used in a variety of applications today.

 

I am beyond excited to show you all our new kitchen redo!  It has been a long ten years of waiting for new countertops!  Yay!

Some of the reasons we decided to go with Formica® Laminate:

Very Durable and you don’t need to worry about the kids ruining it!

Economical (when compared to other materials)

Stands the Test of Time (I bet your grandmother had her Formica® Brand counters in for a very long time)

Fun and modern designs available – they offer you free samples to try out and play around with.   I adore the Formica® Brand Laminate Jonathan Adler Collection which was featured on Consumer Reports on “What’s Trending in Kitchen Countertops”

 

And here are some tips when redoing your kitchen:

Make sure you check the company’s references.  Ask to speak to a couple of previous customers.

Be involved in the process.  Don’t be afraid to speak up if they do something incorrectly.  I learned the hard way and had to live with something I despised for almost ten years.

When deciding on countertops, think about the phase in your life.  Do you need something durable and a material that will stand the test of time that you don’t need to worry about ruining? Think Formica®!

Ask a designer for some help and ideas.  Maybe you even have a friend who is a decorator.  Be sure to get some others opinions!

Look through Pinterest and Instagram for ideas.  Keep a Pinterest Board of ideas you like.  And then see if these materials fit your family’s needs!  Are they durable enough?  Do they fit into your budget?  This past year Formica® Brand Laminate was featured on Fortune in the article “The home renovations that will give you the best bang for your buck.”  It looks great and fits most budgets!

 

I am excited to show you our new kitchen reveal coming soon! And we will have a fun giveaway so stay tuned!

 

 

To learn more about Formica® Brand and the awesome designs they offer go here. And see where to find it in your area.

Note:  We were compensated with product to procure this review but all opinions are our own.

What is your favorite Formica® color/design?

 

 

 

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