Getting maximum impact from your renovation project

Renovations can be a big investment of time, money, and emotions. How can you make sure that the end result is worth it?

My clients had started planning an update to their 10 year old kitchen. They were thinking about new flooring, countertops, and backsplash as well as painting the existing cabinetry to achieve a more modern look.

When we met to discuss their needs, it was clear that there were some functional issues with the original kitchen design. In particular, the angled bar-height peninsula was awkward to use, taking up valuable space without serving a useful purpose. Storage was also a challenge. 

Rather than painting the existing cabinets, we decided to start fresh with new custom cabinetry to maximize storage space and create a seamless counter-height peninsula area. Crisp white upper cabinetry was paired with beautiful grey-blue lower cabinets for a punch of colour and personality. 

The rest of the colour palette was kept neutral, layering shades of white and soft grey in the counter, flooring and backsplash for a calming effect.

In the adjacent family room, the transformation continued, where we repeated the blue from the kitchen cabinets in the new area rug and drapery. The fireplace got a stunning facelift with a new limestone surround topped by custom board and batten moulding.

The final piece of this makeover was a custom entertainment unit, built with the same attention to quality and detail as the kitchen cabinetry. 

Although we didn’t change the light hardwood flooring in the family room, we introduced a complementary dark wood tone in the fireplace mantel and entertainment unit. This helps ground the space and ties in with their existing dining table, darker metals of the counter stools, pendant lighting, and cabinet hardware in the kitchen.

Overwhelmed by all the decisions to make in planning your renovation? As a designer, I help weigh the options to maximize the impact of your investment. In this transformation, I brought a fresh perspective to help my clients see additional possibilities for their project. This made decision-making easier and ensured they were thrilled with the end result!

What my client said

Working with Natalie for our kitchen and living room remodel was an absolute pleasure! From start to finish, she was flexible, helpful, and available, always willing to accommodate our changing needs and schedules. She was incredibly upfront with what it would cost to accommodate our wishes and dreams, something we appreciated and prepared us for the process. 

One of the things we valued most was her agreeable nature. She was a true partner throughout the process, willing to listen to our ideas and incorporate them into the overall design plan. Her flexibility allowed us to adjust along the way, ensuring that the result was exactly what we wanted. 

Throughout the project Natalie was attentive to our style choices and made sure that every aspect of the design reflected our personal preferences. She offered great suggestions when we needed guidance and helped us to choose materials and finishes that would complement our existing decor. Most importantly, she kept us focused on what we wanted and reduced the possibility of being distracted by the plethora of products available on the market. 

We loved the “one stop shopping” approach of having materials and choices brought to us which saved us time, money and a great deal of frustration. Having everything sourced by Natalie is the greatest advantage of the entire process! 

Overall, we were impressed with the level of service and attention we received from Natalie, Colin and all the trades who were part of the process. The team was always available to answer our questions and kept us informed of progress every step of the way. Their professionalism and expertise made the entire experience a pleasure, and we are absolutely thrilled with the result. 

If you are considering a remodel, we highly recommend working with Natalie and her CPI team. Her flexibility, helpfulness, and attentiveness to our style choices made all the difference, and we couldn’t be happier with the outcome. Thanks again for the fantastic job! We will certainly return to Natalie for future projects.

Tiffany & Andy Smith