A friend of ours is a custom home builder and also does big home remodeling jobs here in Naples, FL. His company is called Sonrise Building Company and we’ve done a bit of work for them recently with our online marketing agency, Arma Communications. You know, web design, SEO, social media consulting — that kind of thing.
Not too long ago, he let us come have a peak at one of his mostly recently finished projects. I have to admit I was quite impressed. And at least I know who to refer people to when they need a builder. But what I thought was really cool about this place is that it was a quite small space — but it looked really great in the end. So I asked him if I could share it with you and perhaps give you a bit of inspiration if you live in a space with a tiny kitchen.
In our situation, we have a decent sized kitchen, but I’m just not 100% happy with its placement in the condo — or the short cabinets we have in there. But that’s a project to tackle for another day. And why I am gathering all of the small kitchen remodel ideas I can get my hands on.
The Details
All along the coast here in Naples, are massive mansions and lots of high rises which offer an amazing central location. If you’re like many people who buy one of these condos, you’ll eventually want to do some updating and it’s worth spending the money to do a renovation to get things the way you want. But like everything, the renovation investments need to be in proportion to the cost of the condo unit and the area you’re living in.
Remember: If you’re thinking about buying a place, and you know you’re going to want to renovate, you might be able to negotiate the price down a bit but should definitely figure it into your purchase price budget.
Did you know…Kitchens are the most renovated place whether they’re in free standing homes, condominiums and townhouses.
What to Keep In Mind When Renovating a Kitchen
As it turns out, we may be doing some kitchen renovating very soon as well. When you are renovating a condo kitchen, there are a few obstacles you need to work around:
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- Sink placement isn’t very flexible. The sink is one part of the kitchen which is going to need to stay within inches of its existing location since the units above and below share the same plumbing route.
- Likewise, the range can only move alongside the line of the existing exhaust vent.
- Have a professional to look at the building plan if you want to remove walls or parts of walls to make sure that the walls are not structural. If it is structural then you can’t move or remove it.
- Depending on the condo building, it is advisable to get permission from the condo corporation to do a renovation. Always check your bylaws and rules; some associations have rules granting the community the right to approve the materials before you continue.
- The key to any renovation is to upgrade the room without overspending. Try to mix in a few fantastic but very expensive items in to create attention amongst less expensive materials.
In kitchen renovations, remove all traces of the old, dated kitchen and create a sleek, clean cooking space which gives lots of practical storage and use in relatively small kitchen. You can start adding the new kitchen basics like cabinets, counter tops, quarts and new appliances.
The new white kitchen with stainless steel accents is modern and very easy to maintain. The well placed of cabinetry and appliances allows for easy navigation around the kitchen. When one or two people are cooking at the same time, no one has to trip over the process.
With practical and functional use of hidden drawer freezer, dishwasher components pull out storage shelves and drawers in the cabinets, the kitchen will look elegant and beautiful with ample counter space and storage options. No space is overlooked or left empty and it perfectly fits in tiny living space.
To combat the lack of space in the eating area you can integrate the dining table into the rest of the top. With white tile backsplash which adds sparkle to your kitchen and a combination of lighting effects including recessed mini-spots, drop fixtures, and under the counter LED strips that brightens the space to make it more warm and inviting.
So what do you think? Didn’t Sonrise Building Company do a nice job? Although it’s a compact kitchen, it really provides a lot of working space and storage corners.
Now you’re ready to enjoy your new kitchen!
I have been waiting for a few years to remodel my kitchen. Your friend does an amazing job with his trade, and those pictures sure testify to that. My main concern is the sink; I would love to move the sink around, but then you mentioned that the placement isn’t very flexible, which makes me wonder if all my plans have to be changed. I’m sure I will talk to a plumber to also get an opinion on how to go about repairing that, if needed.
A plumber or an architect should be able to answer your questions. Drainage for things like a disposal are a big concern!
Awesome article, Tiffany! Thanks for sharing this with us—it’s great seeing the journey through the kitchen renovations! I absolutely love the white furnishing in that apartment! I’m interested in the picture on the fourth picture that you’ve shared. Do you know if that’s a picture of Mars?
Thanks, Lily. I’m not at all sure about the picture, actually, but I was thinking it might be the phases of the moon.
Thanks for the information. I’ve been thinking about remodeling my own kitchen. After hearing about your story, I think I’d like my kitchen to be sleek as well. Like you said, it’s totally possible to make a tiny kitchen look awesome. That’s good to know, seeing as ours seems like it’s the smallest in the world!
A small kitchen is not always the only problems . The most important thing to know how to arrange it !
It is amazing how such a small space can be transformed and opened up by simply placement of certain key features. The right architect and designer can properly organize a room, increase the livable space and increase the value. This was a great case study. Thanks for the share!
There’s some great pointers here, but you really can’t forget having a cohesive design to tie everything together. Not every kitchen remodeling contractor has a good eye for design, so it’s important to double check on their portfolio to see if you both have the same taste. This kitchen really turned out great, in part to the design that was used to effectively.