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Kitchen Revelry

For the past six months, we watched this renovation go from drab to demo. At long last, Karen’s Winter Garden kitchen is ready for its big reveal.

We did it!

Well, almost. While most of the remodeling project is completed, we have fallen victim to the same supply chain challenges frustrating all homeowners, designers, and tradespeople. The real 36-inch counter-depth refrigerator is on backorder until late April. (Thank you to Aggressive Appliances for graciously loaning one). The gorgeous 8-foot-wide French door with sidelites that will open the dining room to the lanai, flooding the space with more light and flow-through seating? Also on backorder, along with mirrors and windows for other parts of the house. Certainly frustrating, but we’re all in this together.

My advice for homeowners currently renovating or considering a project: Be patient, expect delays, but keep moving forward! If you wait for it to come back in stock before ordering, you’ll be so far back in line that it will sell out or be discontinued before you get delivery. Start now, and get in line!

Here’s the good news: The space is simply stunning! As a designer, it’s so rewarding to look back at the before photos and see what you’ve accomplished in just six months. We’ve transformed a typical “cut up” plan by removing walls and outdated tile and enlarging the space to accommodate an updated look. Nine feet of beautifully appointed cabinetry and a large pantry provide ample storage, even in a tight space. Plenty of entertaining and dining space to relax with friends and enjoy a leisurely dinner. Speaking of dining, we will repurpose Karen’s dining table and change the oak color to a new, dark-gray stain, playing off the dark gray veining in the quartz countertops. A little bit of “old” integrated with the new.

Before the renovation

After the renovation

There’s more to be done, of course. A new roof is planned, shutters are on order, and furniture will come. But all the hard work is done, and I’m grateful to have worked with some incredible trades. Kitchen Solvers of Orlando, Impact Electric, Art Harding Construction, Ark Plumbing, and US Design Source made this heroic effort come to life.

It has been my absolute pleasure to work on this project, turning a charming house into the kind of home Karen looks forward to living in. To make new memories and new friends in a new season of life. From Windermere to Winter Garden, with love.

Marilou Stones, ASID Owner of Stones Design. She has been a licensed interior designer for 35 years, with 8 of those years spent working in and around Winter Garden.