A KITCHEN REMODEL GIVES THIS BEAVERDALE HOME NEW LIFE.
WHEN FACED WITH AN EMPTY NEST, many people start dreaming of downsizing or traveling the world. But after John and Terri Hedrick’s youngest child finished college and the Beaverdale couple started considering their options, they realized they were happy right where they were.
But they’d never been happy with their kitchen.
Terri says, “We finally had the house paid off and the last child was about to graduate, so we started talking about moving. But we like our neighborhood, and most of our kids and grandkids are nearby. So we decided to make this the house we wanted instead.”
With more room in the budget and the freedom to deal with the disruption of a potentially lengthy remodeling project, the Hedricks put together a short wish list. A very short wish list.
“We really had two goals,” says John. “There was no functionality to the space, no way for traffic to flow through the room. So we wanted functionality and durability.”
With the wisdom of those who’ve raised a house full of children, John and Terri started asking around before choosing a remodeler. And Terri wanted to work with a local company, too. So when a friend recommended AIM Kitchen and Bath just blocks away in Beaverdale, she took a walk over to the Beaver Avenue office and met with Corey Gersdorf, manager, and Alex Marske, project manager/interior designer.
“We just clicked,” Terri says. “We had the design chosen and the products selected in about an hour and a half.”
And the Hedricks were amazed at how smoothly the entire project went. “They started the second week of March and finished before the end of April,” Terri says. Without a single change order!
“That’s a big thing for us as a company,” Marske says. “We really focus on limiting the time frame the homeowner has to be without a functioning kitchen. We’d rather it were three weeks instead of two months like a lot of companies take.”
According to John, the planning and design carried right through the entire job. Marske took the initial—albeit limited—input from Terri and came up with eight designs. When the couple met with Marske and Gersdorf again, they had the plan chosen and the products selected in no time. Terri fell in love with a sink when she walked into AIM’s showroom, then spotted a faucet as well.
“Everything else just flowed from there,” Marske says.
The home’s structure wasn’t altered; however, the Hedricks say it feels like a different house. AIM removed an inconvenient north-facing door and added a sliding door and deck closer to the garage, giving the new kitchen more natural light. Cabinetry and appliances were relocated so that the work area was focused on one side of the room. And AIM brought in significantly more storage without increasing the room’s square footage.
“We added a wall of pantry cupboards around the refrigerator,” Marske explains, “and tucked the phone nook in the corner so the ‘drop zone’ didn’t take up valuable counter space in the work area.”
The rich, dark-stained alder cabinetry contrasts beautifully with the light flooring and quartz countertops and gives the room warmth without making it feel small. And the alder will age well. Unlike cherry, alder won’t redden over time. Its color ages more naturally.
Terri has a fireplace project in mind next. “Then I won’t ever want to leave!” she says.
Photography by Tim Abramowitz