A Remodeling Challenge: Princeton, NJ

In the final week of June, A&E took on a unique challenge: start and finish the remodeling of a Princeton Kitchen and Master Suite in under 6 weeks, including the acquisition of municipal permits and the installation of a structural beam. But there was more: the homeowners were moving from out-of-state and would be unable to make design selections in person, so we would be advising them on design choices via email and through computer renderings, site unseen.

 

Now, 5 1/2 weeks later, we are proud to present you with the finished project that we successfully started and completed in just over 1 month! Today, we're going to share with you everything undertaken in these short 6 weeks - from initial reconfiguration of the floor plans to installation of the final fixtures!

In the kitchen, the homeowners wanted to open up the floor plan to merge the kitchen, dining room and living room and create room for an island. They also wanted to reuse some of the existing cabinets and install new ones to match, while introducing new granite countertops, tile backsplash and hardwood flooring.

Kitchen Floor Plan: Initial (left) and Proposed (right)

 

In the master suite, the homeowners wanted to create a more cohesive 3-room unit by shrinking the nursery and converting it to a walk-in closet and enlarging the bathroom and moving its entryway from the hallway to the master bedroom. The newly-converted walk-in closet would be complete with floor-to-ceiling shelving, the master bedroom would have new window seats with storage drawers underneath, and the enlarged bathroom would have a new toilet, freestanding bathtub, vanity with double sink and large shower with a glass door installed.

 

Master Suite: Initial (left) and Proposed (right)

 

 

 

Because we were communicating with the homeowners via email, it was extremely important that our renderings accurately depicted the appearance of the space - from the color of the shower tile, to the pendant lights over the kitchen island, and everything in between! Here's a glimpse of how design choices were facilitated through the use of drawings:

 

Kitchen Renderings: Choice of Backsplash Tile and Paint Color

Brown glass backsplash tiles were substituted for olive-green tiles that accentuated the colors in the Solarius granite countertop, while the pastel blue of the walls was changed to a light gray-green hue that matched the granite, newly chosen backsplash and cabinetry.

 

 

  

Master Bath: Elevations and Perspective

 

In the master bath, the drawings were especially helpful in choosing the accent tiles in the shower and the paint color. A bright blue glass tile was substituted for a lighter sea-glass green, and a complimentary light aqua on the walls replaced the beige.  

 

 

After using these drawings to confirm design selections with the homeowners, we were able to move from demolition, framing and sheetrocking to flooring, painting, installation of various fixtures, and the addition of the finishing touches! Here's how this Princeton Kitchen and Master Suite completed:  

Kitchen: Before (top), Final Rendering (middle) and After (bottom)

 

 

 

Master Bath: Before (top), Final Rendering (middle) and After (bottom)

 

 

 

And a glimpse of the master bedroom's walk-in closet:

 

We're so excited to share this exhilarating 6-week journey with you! We hope you enjoyed it, too!

And a very special thank you to all of A&E's employees and subcontractors, without whom we would have been unable to complete this project!