Burke Home Gets a Major Kitchen Remodel

We were called in to submit an estimate for a total kitchen revamp, and we scheduled an ocular visit for the next day. The home was a lovely three-level semi-detached with 3 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms built in the mid-80s. It had been recently renovated with new hardwood floors, and in general the themes were classic. The kitchen had brand-new stainless-steel appliances, but they did not quite hide the fact that the room lacked any character. It had all-white cabinets, white granite countertops, and white tile brick backsplashes. The all-white theme also clashed quite badly with the hardwood floors. The clients wanted everything replaced.

Consultation

We paid a visit to the home and considered how the kitchen could be transformed to something a little more interesting. The most obvious improvement is more color for the kitchen countertop, which would make the kitchen more vibrant, but keep the existing backsplash. A more contemporary style would have been ideal for the cabinets. However, we recommended keeping the cabinets to keep costs down, but refinishing and painting them a a dark brown, almost mahogany shade. We also recommended replacing the hardware to a more modern style to echo the look of the chrome track lighting that illuminated the kitchen. We made our measurements and invited the clients to check out the stones we had in stock at the showroom.

Picking out the stones

The clients looked over most of the slabs, and it was really a toss-up between granite.The clients spent some time discussing their choice, and finally decided.  They opted to keep their existing hardware. We agreed on a project price, and promised to start the following Monday.

Workflow

We set up a work area in the backyard for refinishing the cabinets, and started taking them all down. The plan was to work on them onsite. In the meantime, the countertops were removed and the support structure for the sink and new countertops were inspected. Minor adjustments were made because the new sink was slightly longer and deeper than the existing one. The fabricator came in on the third day of the build to make templates of the countertops. It took another day for the fabrication and then the pieces were delivered. The work crew was in the process of putting back the refinished cabinets, so the installer waited around for a couple of hours. Finally, the countertops were installed and sealed, and the work crew packed for the last time.

Post Installation

The kitchen looked very different at the end of the project. Once the cabinets and kitchen countertops were in place, the kitchen no longer looked featureless. The clients were very happy over how it looked as well as the considerable savings they got by keeping the backsplash and refinishing the cabinets instead of replacing them.

Customers are our priority

Most contractors will do all they can to squeeze every remodel dollar their clients have to give, but we believe in keeping the client’s welfare ahead of profit. In our 15+ years serving hundreds of people from Burke and other parts of Virginia, we have never recommended anything for the sake of making a quick buck. Contact us to get real and free advice on how to get the most out of your remodel budget.

Burke, VA

Burke is a census-designated place in Fairfax County. Until 2010, it included the planned community of Burke Center It is not surprising that a planned community  sprout from Burke CDP, as the median household income is at $134,618. Almost double the state median. You want a little exclusivity, especially when homes in the area have a median cost of $492,651, more than double the state median.

Nevertheless, most people in Burke and Burke Centre share common demographics. The population is a good mix of races. Whites a majority at 62.1%, Asians at 20.6%, Hispanics at 9.7%, and African Americans at 4.5%. About 10,000 of the residents were born outside the US, double the state average. After all, the total area of the two CDPs is just 11.5 square miles.

As quite commonly done back in the day. The name of a city or CDP is derived from the name of one of the residents, either. Because they were the first to settle in the area, or they were influential in some way. In the case of Burke, it was named after local politician and farmer Silas Burke, who had a house built around 1824 on the hill overlooking the Pohick Creek valley.

You probably expect such a place with high-end homes would have great amenities, and you would be right. Burke Lake Park is a self-contained outdoors center sprawling over 888 acres of land with a large recreational lake in the middle. If you like jogging, camping, boating, and picnics, this is the place to be in Burke. If a round of golf is more your speed, the park has a driving range and 18-hole par three course. It also has a rather small (no pun intended) miniature golf course for non-golfers to putter in.

If you happen to be in the neighborhood on any Saturday morning from May to October, you should check out the Farmers’ Market out at the VRE parking garage. You might also want to time your visit for the two days in September that the Burke Centre hosts the annual fall festival.