Kitchen Elements

Hilary Embarks on a Kitchen Remodel (Part One)

Jan Goldman — Sat, 25 May 2013 21:24:21 +0000

Hilary, the process and document manager at Kitchen Elements, and wife and mother of two, is embarking on a kitchen remodel. This is her story. (Cue the ‘Law and Order’ music)

Problem: “My family recently moved into a home with a very unattractive kitchen. To compound the issue, the stove had only two working burners and the refrigerator is too small for our family of four. Luckily, I happen to be employed by a talented kitchen designer, Jan Goldman of Kitchen Elements, and sought her help in remodeling our kitchen.”

Hilary’s Fears and Solutions: “My biggest fears about the whole project are not about selecting a design for the space, picking out the materials or going through the installation. Instead, I’m most worried about living without a kitchen for a month; yet I have ideas on how to function within the limitations of a kitchen renovation:

Set up our refrigerator and microwave in another room to create a makeshift kitchen
Rent a water dispenser that dispenses cold and hot water (we’ll enjoy the hot water for instant soup, ‘mac and cheese’ and tea and the cold water for drinking, etc.).
Cook on our grill.
Buy a hotplate (with one or two burners) from Amazon.
Prepare and freeze dishes ahead of time.
Utilize my mother’s kitchen when she’s on vacation.”

Hilary adds, “I spend a lot of time cooking and my family has come to expect complete and satisfying dinners. We don’t do carryout (even though I would like to, sometimes) and my son especially enjoys home-cooked meals.

We also try to limit the amount of money we spend on dining out and avoid consuming excess calories. We are health conscious (although my daughter would eat Oreos for dinner!).”

Finally, she notes, “I will have to clean our dishes and the dishes for our three cats. Yet, we’re green conscious – so we don’t want to fill the landfill with paper plates. Additionally, I don’t want to wash our dishes in the bathroom sinks and would have a hard time using the utility sink the basement. So, it’s likely we will use some paper plates.”

Hilary’s kitchen renovation will commence in early June. Stay tuned for Hilary Embarks on a Kitchen Remodel (Part Two), which will discuss the midpoint of her remodel.

Cheers,
Jan
Jan Goldman
Kitchen Elements
301-774-7473 | kitchenelements.com

Jan Goldman of Kitchen Elements is Quoted in Article on ‘daily 5 Remodel’

Jan Goldman — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 21:02:05 +0000

It’s always exciting to have your opinions heard and even more exciting to have them published. I’m happy share that I was recently quoted in an article on ‘daily 5 Remodel,’ the the official media outlet of NARI (The National Association of the Remodeling Industry).

The article is entitled The Selections Whisperers and discusses how “an ungoverned selections process can lead to project delays, cost overruns, unexpected trip charges, eroded profits and disappointed clients unlikely to ever recommend [their contractor].”

Click here to read the article.

And, remember, line up your materials before you dismantle your space!

Cheers,
Jan
Jan Goldman
Kitchen Elements
301-774-7473 | kitchenelements.com

Kitchen Elements Receives National Sales Recognition from Showplace Wood Products

Jan Goldman — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:12:44 +0000

Kitchen Elements has been named a “President’s Club Award” winner for exceptional cabinetry sales by Showplace Wood Products. This is the second year the company has been recognized for this achievement, placing them among the top Showplace dealers nationwide.

Click here to read the whole story.

Cheers,
Jan
Jan Goldman
Kitchen Elements
301-774-7473 | kitchenelements.com

Expect More from Your Kitchen Designer

Jan Goldman — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 19:15:01 +0000

For the quality products and services you buy, you want to make wise investments and get your money’s worth. With kitchen remodels, there are varying degrees of product and service quality. Regarding products, the differences between man-made composite stone and natural stone counter tops or custom factory produced cabinetry versus locally crafted cabinets are not so evident and we typically see that homeowners carefully weigh these kinds of material selections. However, they often don’t fully consider the service aspect of their project.

When interviewing a kitchen designer for a remodel, I strongly urge homeowners to ask their designer whether they will provide basic services throughout a project or more custom and intensive services. You’ll want to know, upfront, if your designer will devote generous time to the project after the design is complete and your cabinets are ordered. Ideally, you may be seeking the services of a designer who will not only design the floor plan and order your cabinets, but orchestrate your project from beginning to end.

In a fully orchestrated remodel, your designer will procure estimates from plumbers, electricians, general contractors, appliance distributors and the counter top/tile installers; coordinate the rough-in and full installation schedules in which various parts of the kitchen are hooked up and installed; and deal with any problems that may arise in the process. Without your designer’s full involvement, you may experience a lack of continuity from concept to completion.

These days, the current trend in many industries is to value the material parts of a project over and above the service, but I believe that for the end product to be excellent, the service must also rise to that level, which allows homeowners to fully gain their money’s worth when investing in a kitchen remodel.

Cheers,
Jan
Jan Goldman
Kitchen Elements
301-774-7473 | kitchenelements.com

Kitchen Elements Receives a 2013 ‘Best Of Houzz’ Award

Jan Goldman — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 16:25:19 +0000

For the second year in a row, Kitchen Elements has been awarded a ‘Best Of Houzz’ Award in the Customer Satisfaction Category from Houzz, an online platform for residential remodeling and design. Our five-year old kitchen and bath design and remodeling firm was chosen by the 11 million monthly users that comprise the Houzz community.

Click here to read the press release.

Cheers,
Jan
Jan Goldman
Kitchen Elements
301-774-7473 | kitchenelements.com

Hilary Giffin Joins Kitchen Elements as Manager of Pre-Production and Documentation

Jan Goldman — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 19:46:53 +0000

Kitchen Elements is proud to welcome Hilary Giffin as our Manager of Pre-Production and Documentation to our growing remodeling design and project management firm. Ms. Giffin joins Kitchen Elements to support our efforts in pre-production and documentation for the home renovation work we offer in the DC metro area.

Click here to read the whole story…

Cheers,
Jan
Jan Goldman
Kitchen Elements
301-774-7473 | kitchenelements.com

For Homeowners in the DC Metro Area, The Kitchen is the New Living Room

Jan Goldman — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 15:29:48 +0000

In one of our previous blog posts, we wrote that for many homeowners in the DC metro area, their kitchens are their “real” living rooms.

Recently, we found this short video on The Wall Street Journal’s website that details this new phenomenon, which seems to be occurring in major metro areas across the US. Enjoy the video (and ignore the comment by the British commentator saying that most Americans don’t know how to cook!). Click the image to play the video:

Cheers,
Jan
Jan Goldman
Kitchen Elements
301-774-7473 | kitchenelements.com

Built-In Cabinets and Storage Solutions for Homeowners in Maryland

Jan Goldman — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 13:56:18 +0000

These days, storage space is at a premium for many clients in Maryland; they come to Kitchen Elements seeking built-in storage solutions for many rooms in their homes. Beautiful and functional, built-ins are a balm for many ills: they add value, end clutter, and answer the never-ending call for storage.

In times past, homeowners relied on hutches, armoires and closets to house their personal items. Today, in addition to standard closets, built-ins offer sought-after storage solutions for your library shelving, laundry room, mudroom, pantry, entertainment wall units, and wet or dry bars. Additionally, built-in cabinets and storage solutions can add architectural style to a room, incorporating your design preference of subtle, modern, ornate or eye-catching. Kitchen Elements creates furniture-style built-ins, which provide inclusive storage solutions wrapped in beautiful casework.

Through thoughtful space planning, clients gain storage in well-used rooms in their homes and in unexpected places such as beneath stairs, in back entryways, master closets, and other hidden areas.

What are the main or hidden spaces in your home where you lack storage?

Cheers,
Jan Goldman
Kitchen Elements
301-774-7473 | kitchenelements.com

Is Your Kitchen Your ‘Real’ Living Room?

Jan Goldman — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 14:25:51 +0000

For the past decade, we’ve noticed DC area homeowners spending more time living, working and entertaining in their kitchens. Kitchens are evolving from a closed-off room with a singular purpose to the most open, high traffic and high functioning space in the house. How do our clients create live-in value in this hub?

Residents often opt for better integration of electronic devices, build ‘child-friendly’ and other storage and add safety features for an aging population. More specific changes might include the following:

- Developing an open floor plan to integrate with the rest of the family living areas
- Electronics are now kitchen utilities; because homeowners don’t want to be isolated in a home office or den, areas for these and other devices are allocated
- Prep areas with second sinks are becoming more prevalent, allowing the cook and “sous chef” to function within the same space while preparing or cleaning up after meals
- Increasing storage and countertop space. New cabinetry is engineered for better storage and offers many options for homeowners

Additionally, specific needs and requests vary for the generations in a home. For young children, parents often desire:
- A “kid zone” (away from the stove), offering space for child-friendly cooking
- A work counter for homework and computer time
- Storage for kids’ crafts and school papers

Millenials (age 18-34) have the highest demands for their dream kitchen. The majority of their “wish list” items are related to technological advances, and can include:
- A TV screen that’s built into a kitchen wall or attached to an appliance
- Technology that allows programming the oven from a phone or computer
- A microwave that reads package bar codes, which then triggers cooking according to the exact directions

Baby Boomers’ (age 45-64) “wish list” items center mostly around entertaining family and friends and often include:
- A cooktop with special features like a built-in grill, wok or rotisserie attachment
- Commercial or professional-grade appliances
- A built-in coffee pot that directly connects to the plumbing

Clients come to Kitchen Elements to renovate and revitalize the “heart of the home” and we create kitchens that meet their needs. What are your needs (or dreams) for your kitchen? How do you and your family “work and play” in this central space?

Cheers,
Jan
Jan Goldman
Kitchen Elements
301-774-7473 | kitchenelements.com

This blog post was developed using data and information from a press release entitled “Moen Uncovers Top Trend in Kitchen Remodeling.“

REIS Member Profile Video on YouTube

Jan Goldman — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 19:20:23 +0000

Recently, my local chapter of REIS (Real Estate Investors Society) created short profile videos for its members. To see my video, click the image below:

Cheers,
Jan
Jan Goldman
Kitchen Elements
301-774-7473 | kitchenelements.com