Posted: April 2009

For single professional homeowners, investing in their home can be a reflection not only of economic decisions, but also of their personal lifestyle and goals. So, how do you transform the family home where you grew up into the house that reflects your current personality, lifestyle and goals? 


Here is one professional’s solution 

This Seattle bachelor had grown up and was living in the home his parents bought when he was young. The neighborhood is convenient to his work, his social activities, and is considered one of the most prestigious in the Seattle area. This bachelor is passionate about entertaining, but his home didn’t allow for entertaining of the scale and style he wanted.

The home had great “bones”, but had not been updated since 1978 when common floor plans were very different than houses built today. The kitchen was small, dark and had outdated appliances. The living room was separated from the kitchen by a series of walls and cabinets, which made it feel dark and uninviting. 

First, this bachelor toyed with updating the whole first floor of the house – laundry, hall bath, master suite and spare bedroom, along with the entry, kitchen, dining and living room.  However, after carefully reviewing his goals, this bachelor turned to Chermak Construction in June 2007 to transform the kitchen and living room into a beautiful place for him to entertain.

Chermak helped develop a design he could love and a budget to match.  After discussing preliminary costs by area, learning his top priorities and working with his "initial" budget, the project scope narrowed down to focus on the kitchen/dining/living room.  He hopes to complete the other areas on the 1st floor at a later time.  

After working with him on final product selections, construction started in summer 2008.

The project included the removing dining room and hallway walls to open the kitchen and dining room into a perfect entertaining area.  Rearranging the kitchen components opened the floor plan and made for easy food preparation.

Chermak included top of the line stainless steel appliances, to add to the contemporary feel. The bold color of the countertop reflects a modern and whimsical feel to the Asian inspired decor.  A built in, hidden TV lift that rotates 180 degrees was installed in a custom bamboo cabinet.  A similar cabinet houses all of the cable, computer and video gaming components.

For his cooking pleasure, Chermak installed a built-in latte/coffee maker and wine cooler/humidor combo as well as a recessed steamer in the kitchen island.

Highlights include vertical grain bamboo cabinets at the kitchen surround, stained charcoal maple cabinets for the island and wine bar and a raised circular island from Ruby Reflections. New pendant lighting, new paint colors, and closet doors complete the transformation.

The renovation was completed in just over three months. The homeowner is thrilled because he can relax and enjoy friends and family in a new beautiful space that flows easily.   This particular investment is sure to last a long time, and result in a wonderful home in which to live in the meanwhile.

This story was written by the team at HomeSavvi. To find local resources, ideas & tips and expert advice about home remodeling visit www.HomeSavvi.com.

Chermak Construction is a Seattle area-based design build firm with over 29 years of experience. To learn more about Chermak, go to www.chermak.com.