| Kitchens (4)

The holiday season is fast approaching and that means your kitchen is about to start working overtime! As you prepare for the meals, parties, and baking that the holidays bring, you may feel like your kitchen isn’t meeting your needs. And if you do, you’re not alone. This is the time of year when most people recognize the flaws in their kitchen and we get a lot of calls from folks just after the holidays that have decided it’s time for a kitchen remodel.

Remember the segregated formal dining room? I sure do and though many homes still have them, the Thompson Remodeling design team has found that many families are opting to create an informal dining area when they renovate. Typically, these spaces are created to encourage multi-use for other activities such as homework or entertaining. Here are few examples of great informal dining spaces we’ve created recently.

We often think about our dream house and what it might look like. Is it a brand new home, an old home with character, or perhaps your existing home with some major remodeling? Do I buy a new home or remodel? That’s exactly the question our clients were considering when they returned back home from living overseas. They initially thought a custom home might be the way to go, but the idea of waiting through all the planning and construction seemed like a waste of valuable time they could be spending together as a family. So instead, the family decided to buy an existing home and remodel it to perfectly suit their own needs.

Does your kitchen look dated? Could it use some updates to make it more functional? Just like any other room in our house, as time passes it may need a bit of sprucing up. With as much time as we spend in the kitchen, you want it to be visually pleasing and user-friendly. To help, we’ve put together a list of updates that you can implement with a relatively small investment.

The joining of two families is a joyous occasion! And when you have an existing home in a lovely neighborhood with space to spare, a thoughtful whole house remodel can make the space work for all eight (and one dog). Thompson Remodeling was happy to help improve the family spaces of this 4-bedroom, 3-level home and create new bedrooms and bath spaces to accommodate everyone. This whole house remodel included renovations to every level of the home, most notably on the main floor and the basement. Take a virtual tour below complete with existing and after floor plans and before and after photos of this familytastic remodel.

Our clients purchased an old house in East Grand Rapids that needed several updates to make it family friendly. The existing floor plan had an expansive formal dining room that the owners had no plans to use. It also had a small and dark kitchen with a drafty breakfast nook area. Another problem with the layout was the closed staircase, which blocked both sight and sound of the children coming and going.

The owners of this Grand Rapids home came to us in search of a way to improve the functionality of their small kitchen. The existing layout was not only tight, but also included four doorways into other rooms. It was functioning more like a hallway with a few appliances added in for good measure.

Bronze finishes are making a comeback! For a long time now, nickel and chrome finishes have been all the rage, but we are starting to see bronze fixtures, lighting, and other details gain popularity. Bronze gives a rich feeling to a space and works very well in traditional, rustic and Mediterranean style spaces. When you are looking to add warmth, consider bronze finishes. Blending finishes is also becoming a trend; everything doesn’t have to match. The shine of stainless or chrome can be complemented nicely by a matte bronze finish.

Don't be afraid to add some color to your remodeling project! White, gray and beige are certainly the most popular choices for material selections and they create a great canvas to decorate against that's for sure. But when you introduce color, you add visual interest and personality into a space. The idea of incorporating color, especially one you can live with for many years, may sound a bit intimidating. What if you choose the wrong color? Here's the thing, I suggest using colors you naturally gravitate to especially for more expensive materials. Then experience with bolder colors for less expensive, easy to change items.

I love reading about the latest gadgets and gear for the home and recently I stumbled onto a few interesting articles on innovative kitchen technology. Electronics and appliances have come a long way. Who would have thought that we would be able to cook a meal using a cell phone back in the 80’s? Now you can brew coffee and turn on your crock pot with your smart phone. Or, if you are really busy and don’t have time to cook, you can print out a snack on your 3D food printer. What? Sounds crazy, but it’s true. Here’s a rundown on some of the coolest kitchen technology that is now available.

Without a doubt, tile is one of the best ways to put your individual stamp on your remodeling project. With endless possibilities to choose from, you can find the exact color, texture, design, shape and finish to suit your personality.

We love writing blogs about some of the popular selections our clients have been making for their remodeling projects. Usually we call title those blogs “Trends our clients love”, but in this case we can hardly call this selection a trend since it’s been around for over 100 years. Here’s a super quick history lesson - when the first underground train station opened in New York City in 1904 the walls and ceilings were graced with white 3"x6” tiles. These white tiles became known as subway tile and quickly made their way into bathrooms and kitchens all over the country.