Posts tagged with "multiple room remodel"

Kitchen and Living Room Remodel with A Large Island

If you're looking for a multi-room remodel like a kitchen & living room remodel, you're likely asking a few of these questions:

  • can I get an estimate that is broken into phases, so I can see the living room phase and kitchen phase separately?
  • if I like my flooring, can we salvage it?
  • is there a ballpark cost, or does it vary greatly from project to project?
  • what are the best window options so we can maximize natural light?

We know how overwhelming it can feel to start doing research and hope that you're not missing anything major. But don’t worry. You’re in the perfect place! 

In this article, we will answer some of the most important questions so you can make a great decision for your kitchen and living room.  

Teknik Testimonial

Preparation and Timeline - Phase One

Find your design-build contractor - this can be fast or slow, but usually happens in two to three weeks:

  • Doing your due diligence online on HomeAdvisor.com, Houzz.com, Google reviews, Yelp.com and their company website
  • Interviewing them over the phone to investigate their processes and communication style
  • Having site visits to develop trust and rapport and to see who will be the best fit for you

Insiders Hint: It has been said that "People don't leave companies, they leave managers". The implication is that if the primary relationship becomes sour, the rest doesn't matter. 

This principle also applies to design-build firms. On the face, it seams reasonable to choose companies based on price and timeline. But no lawsuit has ever been filed because of a fair and necessary change order (change of price), or because of a reasonable timeline increase. Often, the home owner has contributed to their own negative experience by failing to do their due diligence up front, so they end up paying for it twice over.

Please, we beg you...advocate for your own success by assessing and prioritizing:

  • how the firm functions
  • how and if they communicate their process to you with transparency
  • how they follow through on details

If they are demonstrating excellence in these three areas, you WILL be able to read it in their reviews. 

Preparation and Timeline - Phase Two

Collaborate on your design and product selections:

  • Call NOW to hear about our Teknik True Quote process and how we will customize it to fit your project!

Really?...Majority of Decision Energy Spent on Cabinets?

We are often asked "How long does it take before you can start?", "How quickly can we get through the design and selections process so we can get started?"

Designing your new cabinets involves dozens of decisions; sometimes they account for 50% of the decisions you will make throughout your entire project. Holy complicated cabinets, Batman! Here is a small sampling of features you can consider:

  • Deep full extension heavy duty drawers including dove-tail joints
  • Full extension rollout trays
  • Pull out storage units on side of island
  • Pullout spice rack by stove
  • Double pullout trash cabinet
  • Island with cabinets on all 4 sides with matching panels on all non functioning sides for full furniture look and 4 large size solid wood legs
  • Rollouts and tray divider storage on tall pantry cabinet by refrigerator
  • Double stack uppers with glass doors
  • Wine rack
  • Custom drawer inserts such as dividers and pegs
  • Crown molding
  • Solid wood carved corbel details

The goal is to find a contractor who is able to be your coach and a good coach will do two things: they will guide you to keep you on track with your expressed goals. And they will pace you, i.e. run along side you as you make each decision. 

When you do business with the right firm, they will always be one step ahead of you so you wont be waiting on them for input and feedback. Your timeline will be unique, but the right partnership will keep you moving forward.

Everyone's Favorite Feature - Your Island

If the kitchen is the most important room in the house, the island is arguably the most important feature in your kitchen. It is, after all, literally the centerpiece

One of the most beautifying options that families fall in love with is door panels on the sides of the island that don't open, for a uniform furniture look. See below for pictures of our recent Carlsbad kitchen island.

Consider if you will use your island primarily for cooking, entertaining, or something else. Perhaps the kids will study there? Families who use their island primarily for food prep often want their primary sink in the island to reduce dripping every time they transfer from island to counter or vice versa. 

In contrast are families who often entertain guests. They like to place a smattering of yummy dishes across the island to facilitate the natural gathering around of conversation, wine and sharing bites. The sink would both interrupt the flow and attract dirty dishes and hand-washing. Clutter and contamination? No, thanks. These families keep the sink in a separate area.

FAQ: Can we have a movable island? No; the building code requires electrical outlets be wired into the island, so it must be fixed.

Continuous Flooring or...?

Opening up the room is a common motivation of families who choose to install continuous flooring throughout their remodeled space, or the whole first floor. It adds a quality of flow to the rooms and contributes to people moving freely throughout the space. 

Saving flooring comes up periodically as a potential option to save money. If you are replacing your cabinets and island, this is a poor strategy. The increased labor cost you will incur to have the crew gingerly and slowly demolish everything around your flooring without destroying the floor itself, will more than cancel out the savings. If the budget is a priority, replacing the flooring is actually more cost effective.

Take It From Our Happy Customers


"Kevin had the work done as if it were his own house and the project was completed before the contractual completion date."  - Jack B., San Diego, CA

“This is our second remodel with Kevin. Once again, done on TIME! Great job! Just sorry we’re out of bathrooms! 🙂 He’s on speed dial in case we have another project.”   - Gary G., Encinitas

“Kevin told me to allow 25 days and it was done in just over two weeks.”  - Gina H., San Diego, CA

Call (888) 747-2013 or click here for a free consultation now!

Option for Indoor-Outdoor Living

If your backyard is wholly absent or if your backyard is a beach cliff, ignore this paragraph. If however, your backyard has a lawn, patio, pool, barbecue, or trellis, you must consider indoor-outdoor living. Sunshine is why we live in San Diego, California!

It is often possible to open up a wall that currently exists with two or three windows, and convert it to a multi-panel glass door that opens up to an outdoor dining area. This is such a beautiful change to make. When the door is open, guests feel drawn through the kitchen and directly into your outdoor living area! Check out these before and after pictures to see what we mean!

Before: Entire kitchen and living room closed off to the back yard and fireplace.

Outdoor living and dining room area

After: Removed pigme palms, installed LaCantina door, and built custom trellis.

Before: Too dark, soffit makes kitchen feel smaller, wall with three windows, closed off, poor natural light.

Kitchen view into outdoor dining area

After photo of Adams Residence, 2019. That deep breath kind of kitchen.

Why Choose Teknik?

Across every culture, tongue and tribe, we gather around food to celebrate, collaborate, and enjoy one another. We serve one another through food. We deepen connections within our homes and for over twenty years, Teknik Design & Remodeling has been creating beautiful space to foster those connections. We have fail-safe systems in place that allow us to rise above the industry stereotypes that frustrate home owners into perpetuity:

  • Late Completion  
  • Going Over Budget 
  • Overuse of Subcontractors
1 - Dream Design

Step 1: Dream Design


We’ll collaborate with you to transform your dark and outdated space into bright and inviting space.  It all starts with your free consultation so book now!

Step 2 - True Quote

Step 2: True Quote


You can trust our service agreement!  We get to know your home intimately before working on it to ensure we stick to budget with no change orders.

Step 3 - Complete On-Time

Step 3: Complete On-Time


We'll make your dream come true and do it on-time and on budget!  Then it's party time!  Perhaps leave out your friends who get jealous easily.

Call (888) 747-2013 or click here for a free consultation now!