Host: One of my favorite resources on your website is the Houzz link. You’ve got over 200 projects on there, and it’s such a great place to see your work and get ideas.
Mike: It really is. If I’ve got a picture in my head for a project, Houzz is a great place to go refine it. We’ve got a lower-level remodel coming up where the homeowners want some statement pieces, like a wet bar and a custom wine rack we’ll build in our shop. They also want some unusual wall treatments behind a TV and fireplace. Houzz is really helpful for that because there are so many images and ideas. It has become a clearinghouse for homeowners and remodeling inspiration.
Host: It’s useful on a lot of levels too. Homeowners look at it and say, “I like this” or “I like that.” Designers can start to see someone’s style, and builders can start figuring out how to make it all work.
Mike: Exactly. Our designers build project libraries for homeowners, but they also keep general inspiration libraries going all the time. And now you can source products on Houzz too, so it’s a really valuable tool.
Host: This week we’re talking about kitchen remodeling and some of the big-picture questions that come with it. A kitchen seems like one of those spaces where a really good remodel can change how the entire home works.
Mike: It absolutely can. And when we say kitchen remodel, sometimes that means just replacing the kitchen. But most of the time it affects the larger common areas too—the kitchen, great room, dining room, those spaces where family and friends gather. Sometimes there isn’t budget to take down walls or completely reconfigure things, so we do a straight replacement. But often we’re also trying to create continuity. Maybe the main floor has three different kinds of flooring, or the trim and finishes all feel disconnected. A kitchen remodel can be a chance to make that whole area feel like it belongs together.
Host: You were talking about flooring too. The big box stores always make those click-together floors look incredibly easy.
Mike: In theory, they are easy. But there is a huge range in quality. To do a really good floor install, you still have to go through all the careful prep work, and the product itself matters. Vinyl plank flooring has been very popular, and we’ve installed quite a bit of it, but some of the lower-end products use weaker locking joints. Over time, with expansion, contraction, kids, dogs, and daily use, those joints can start to fail. To me, anything that doesn’t last is not a very smart choice. I would much rather put in a better product, do a really good install, and aim for a long life.
Host: Kitchens also take a beating. There’s moisture, spills, dropped food, all the normal chaos of life.
Mike: Exactly. If you read the packaging on most vinyl plank, it usually says water-resistant, not waterproof. The plank itself may handle water fine, but there are still seams and places moisture can get through. A few drips should not be a big issue, but if a sink overflows overnight, that’s a different story. And that really raises a bigger point: at the end of a remodel, whoever did the work should be able to tell you how to care for the products they installed.
Host: That includes cabinets too, especially around sinks and stoves.
Mike: Definitely. Moisture is hard on cabinet finishes. Around the sink, water is always getting where you don’t want it. Around the stove, grease and splatter build up. There are some harsh cleaners out there that can dull or slowly wear away a finish. Usually warm water, dish soap, and something mild go a long way. Stained cabinets are making a comeback too, and one advantage is that little scratches and wear tend to be less visible than on painted cabinets. I even suggest homeowners really clean stained cabinets every few years and add a fresh protective top coat. That can make them last a lot longer.
Host: One of the nice things about remodeling, especially if you’ve lived in your home for a while, is that you usually know what’s not working.
Mike: I think that’s much more powerful than knowing what you love. It’s healthy to live in a house for a couple of years because it helps you prioritize. At first, you may think the bathroom is the problem, and then after a year you realize it’s really the kitchen. Kitchens are usually the biggest ticket item, but they’re also one of the spaces people care most about getting right. If you’re going to tear it all apart, you want to fix the parts that never worked well in the first place.
Host: Do a lot of homeowners pair a kitchen remodel with new appliances?
Mike: Most of the time, yes. Appliances have gotten much more efficient, and the options are much better now than they were even five years ago. In some cases, the remodel is driven by appliances. We see a lot of older homes, especially downtown, where the kitchen was built around a smaller refrigerator. Then a homeowner goes shopping and realizes almost everything they want is bigger than what will fit. That often starts the remodeling conversation.
Host: And there are so many specialty options now too, especially for people who cook a lot or entertain.
Mike: There really are. We just did a pantry that was almost like a mini kitchen, with a beverage fridge built in. Homeowners are often surprised by how much those undercounter units can hold. There are also some really interesting innovations happening with cooking appliances. We installed a double oven recently where the homeowner could monitor and adjust it through an app. You can check temperatures, warm it up remotely, and really dial things in.
Host: We’ve talked before about induction cooktops, and that still feels like one of those game-changing technologies people may not fully understand yet.
Mike: It really is impressive. A lot of serious cooks have always loved gas because it gives you instant heat and control. But induction is incredibly efficient. The heat goes right into the pan instead of wasting energy around it, and the control is very steady. If you put your hand on the glass, it’s not heating the same way older electric cooktops did. The pan is what heats up. It’s just a really smart technology, and it fits into standard kitchen wiring much like a regular electric range.
Host: And then once you start talking about cooktops, you also have to think about ventilation.
Mike: Exactly. That appliance conversation becomes bigger than just what looks nice. We also have to think about how air moves through the house. If you’ve got a cooktop venting outside, that means you’re pushing air out of the house, and that air has to be replaced somehow. So now we’re talking about makeup air and indoor air quality. There’s some really interesting technology now, like energy recovery ventilators, that can bring fresh air in, filter it, and help temper it so you’re not just dragging cold winter air straight into the house. Those upgrades can make a house much more comfortable.
Host: As kitchens have changed, it feels like the balance between function and aesthetics has changed too. Kitchens are still for cooking, but they’re also social spaces now.
Mike: Absolutely. We’re designing them to work well, but also to serve as places where people gather. Kids do homework at the island. Friends stand around while you cook. Families spend a lot of time there. Back in the eighties and nineties, the mindset was often just to cram in as much storage as possible. More upper cabinets, more cabinets everywhere. Now people are much more willing to give up some storage for a bigger window, more openness, or open shelving if it makes the room feel better.
Host: I remember when seeing a kitchen with no upper cabinets felt almost shocking.
Mike: I had that exact reaction on one of my favorite small kitchens we did near the west side. It was tiny, and in my mind we needed uppers. The homeowners said no—they wanted open shelves. I remember thinking, “You already have a small kitchen.” But it turned out beautifully. They entertain a lot, and they were willing to pare down to what they really needed. It became a statement space, and they love it.
Host: Do you think people really are pairing down more now? It feels like there used to be a gadget for everything.
Mike: I think so. I do think younger homeowners especially tend to buy fewer things, but better things. Less clutter, higher quality. That’s a healthy change. We all accumulated a lot of stuff for a while, and not all of it deserved the cabinet space it took up.
Host: One of the wild newer things we talked about is wireless charging built right into countertops.
Mike: We’re finally at the point where we can offer it. The countertop fabricator routs out an area underneath the stone and installs the charging unit there. You set your phone or other compatible device in the right spot, and it charges through the countertop. It’s very cool technology. It’s still expensive, but it’s one of those features that feels like a glimpse of where kitchens are going.
Host: And you mentioned there are even versions of induction technology that can work through countertops too.
Mike: There are. I’ve seen systems where you can actually cook on an induction unit mounted beneath the countertop. I don’t know yet how mainstream that will become, but it’s definitely interesting. It really does feel like we’re moving toward kitchens where the surfaces themselves do more and more.
Host: We also talked a little about that recent addition project on your website. For people thinking about a bigger project like that, now really is the time to start planning for next year, isn’t it?
Mike: Absolutely. I don’t love doing additions in the dead of winter if I can avoid it, especially when we’re opening a house up to the elements. So if someone is thinking about an addition, now is the time to start the conversation. That upfront design process takes a while, and homeowners really set the pace on that.
Host: That addition on your website feels especially spacious because of the ceiling.
Mike: It does. We did an open vaulted ceiling with a fireplace running all the way up into the peak. The mantel is actually concrete, stained to relate to the beams. And those beams are not real wood—they’re foam. One person can carry a twenty-foot beam with one hand, but once installed they really look like wood. They give you the look without all the weight, movement, and cracking that can come with real beams.
Host: What were those homeowners really looking for with that addition?
Mike: The house was only maybe seven or eight years old, but while it had a beautiful kitchen, the great room felt a little undersized. They wanted another place for people to gather, and they had a beautiful wooded backyard, so the addition was really about creating a more generous, inviting space that fit the rest of the house. It’s a good example of how the right design can make a home feel more complete.