Kitchen Refurbishment Case Study

1: The existing kitchen

In this case study we go back to March 2012 and revisit an older job. This client truly espouses some of the core values of our business – re-use, re-purpose, repair and resurface! At the point we became involved in this project, the client had already engaged a kitchen fitter to install a mismatch of units and worktops.

Using existing units along with a majority of second hand units acquired from via gumtree and ebay supplemented by a few new items. Using pre-loved door and drawer fronts, already 15 years old but very solid, well made but dated dark wood.

The worktops too were a mismatch of pieces – some from the original kitchen along with a second bought very cost effectively from a local supplier that had been returned to them as damaged.
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2: We started work on a Monday morning in May nearly 8 years ago.

We began by cleaning, degreasing, filling damages, preparing the fixed surfaces, edges, cornice and light pelmets ready to receive our primer and then carefully masking to ensure we only got our new surface where we intended it to go.

After two coats of our high build primer and sealer you could not tell what units were original, pre-loved or new.

By the end of the day on Tuesday all the fixed panels, edges, cornice and light pelmet were the beautiful shade of blue selected by the client.

3: Remasking

The kitchen was then re-masked to protect the newly resurfaced cabinets but uncovering the mismatched worktops.
After our meticulous repair and preparation of the surfaces, including filling of all joints to achieve a seamless, hygienic final finish. Once our specialist primer was applied as with the cabinetry, you could no longer see the mismatch of materials used. This client had chosen to have matching worktops and splash backs in “Birchbark”, one of our range of Stone Flecks.
The Stone Flecks are applied in layers to build up the colour and once cured which takes a single overnight period, the surfaces are completed with the application of a durable clear coat. The clear coat takes approximately 48 hours to cure before the surface can be returned to service

4: Team Effort

The door and drawer fronts had been taken to our workshop at the beginning of the week and were worked on at the same time as two of our technicians carried out the on-site works.

The door and drawer fronts were returned and fitted on the Friday of the same week.

As the clients new floor had not been laid at this point, we returned a couple of weeks later to fit the kick boards which the client had requested in white.

5: It looked amazing and the client was over the moon!

Recently we were asked to return to carry out some alterations to the original layout.

The original design incorporated an under counter fridge and freezer, which the client had decided did not have the capacity to cope with the needs of their growing family. These were to be replaced with an upright fridge freezer.

The kitchen looked exactly as it had when we’d finished the original works nearly 8 years ago!

We removed the under counter fridge and freezer as well as the corresponding wall units.

We reduced the size of the worktop and refinished the raw edge, re-purposed the doors to fit the new layout – at the same time adding a shelf and additional drawer to accommodate cook books.

For more information on kitchen refurbishment projects click here or see more information here