12 South · 2026
12 South cottage
The boxes were solid plywood and the layout already worked. We replaced everything anyone touches and left the kitchen usable for all but two days.
- 4 weeks
- 104 sq ft
- $41,000 to $47,000 range
Before and after
- Layout change
- None. Refacing, new stone, new backsplash and new lighting
- Footprint
- 104 sq ft
- On site
- 4 weeks
- Budget range
- $41,000 to $47,000 range
The brief
What the owners actually asked for
A previous renovation had installed sound cabinetry with dated raised panel doors and a laminate top. The clients had a fixed budget and a baby due in five months.
The goal was maximum visible change with minimum disruption, and no structural or plumbing work at all.
Scope of work
- All doors and drawer fronts replaced with flat slab, catalyzed paint
- New dovetailed maple drawer boxes on soft-close undermount slides
- Box exteriors skinned to match, including a new finished end panel
- New quartz counters with an undermount sink and a single template day
- Zellige backsplash and continuous under-cabinet LED on a dimmer
The result
What changed day to day
- The kitchen was fully usable for 18 of the 20 working days, which mattered more than anything else to this household.
- Refacing came in at about 38 percent of the quote for new cabinetry in the same layout.
- Under-cabinet lighting changed the room more than any single other item, which is usually true.
We cooked dinner every night except two. I did not think that was possible during a renovation.
Two more builds
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Germantown11 weeks 1920s Germantown galley
A brick row house with a cooking corridor barely wide enough for two people. We took out the dining room wall, carried the load on a flush header and gained a nine foot island.
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Start with a measured survey
Two hours in your kitchen with a laser and a camera, then a budget band the same week. No pressure and no design fee to find out.
4.9 from 218 homeowners · 412 kitchens since 2009 · Five year warranty