DIY Del Ray: Soulful and Spacious – A DIY Kitchen from Start to Finish

Elin and Peter’s breathtakingly gorgeous kitchen remodel in their Del Ray rowhouse is all the more impressive for the fact that they did practically all of it themselves.

They obtained the permits, construction plan, design drawings and contractor licenses from their vendors. They researched and purchased all of the resources. Peter did all of the demolition and the heavy labor in general. They had hands-on help from one of Elin’s friends and worked side by side with a handyman, who essentially provided the tools and oversaw their work. The only work they contracted out was the plumbing, electrical and HVAC.

Their Inspiration

Elin and Peter wanted an open plan and the kitchen space to be connected to the living area, as well as seamless in terms of style and color. They entertain a lot and wanted to prep and cook while socializing. They wanted bar seating in the kitchen, as well as a formal dining option.

And they had one other unique requirement—they had purchased a large Italian plumbed-in espresso maker, had it shipped from Italy, and there it sat, in the box. They made several major design decisions in order to accommodate the dimensions and plumbing requirements of the espresso machine.

After pulling out the appliances, they ripped out the wall. It took months because they had to pull the plaster off and get permits for moving the water pipes, electrical and HVAC system. After the demo was complete, they could consider the floor plan. Peter remarks that they stood looking at “ a very expensive hole.”

The Process (Not for the Faint of Heart)

In Alexandria, as in most jurisdictions, renovations of this type require permits. To obtain the proper permits, Elin and Peter needed to provide construction plans and design drawings, as well as contractor licenses from all of their vendors. Peter remembers that process as “taking weeks, having to navigate the dark waters of the Alexandria code system.”

They worked with Smoot Lumber for the construction side and initial layout. Next, they consulted with Lowe's kitchen designer for the design elements to show where the cabinets and appliances would be situated.

From the get-go, they realized that they’d need to plan their layout based on where their espresso machine would go. Since it would need to be plumbed in and it was so large, it made the most sense to make room for it on the peninsula and position the sink next to it. Everything else flowed from there. No way was that Italian espresso machine going to languish in the shipping box. And yet it did for almost a year, looming large as incentive to finish the renovation.

Countertop: "Red Dragon" from Granite Discounters in Alexandria
Flooring: Morris Tile
Cabinetry: Sonata Cherry Square with a Honey Spice finish from the Kraftmaid collection at Lowes
Stove: Bertazzoni
Refrigerator: Equator Conserv refrigerator made in Denmark
Dishwasher: Bosch
Sink and Faucet: eBay
Door: Home Depot
Wood for column and crown molding: Smoot Lumber
Glass recessed lighting and track lighting: Dominion and Alexandria Lighting, respectively

Read more about the materials used and how Elin and Peter made their choices at http://www.diydelray.com  

The Perils of DIY

The entire project took about eight months, when the usual kitchen renovation runs around one to three months. Elin and Peter cited several reasons, which mainly stemmed from the DIY aspect of the work:

• They ran into many snags along the way as a result of dealing with the characteristics of a house built in the 1950s by cheap general contractors, such as metal door jambs, uneven floors, odd electrical issues and challenging wall materials.
• They took their time weighing their options at every stage, stepping back and assessing carefully the best way to proceed.
• Dealing with permitting and inspections was “a huge nightmare.”
• They did a lot of online research, visited stores, made phone calls, asked opinions, checked notes, visited the same stores again.
• They had to return the cabinets because some of the doors were warped. They also changed their minds about using glass on the doors.
• They both had their professional careers to devote time to. Peter worked on video projects and editing in the evening and did the renovation work during the day. Elin worked on producing events and conferences.

“Overall it was crazy, and I can't say I'd want to do it again," says Peter. "It was like a giant puzzle where we didn't have all of the pieces to work with. There were lots of tape measures, notepads and discussions while sitting in complete disarray for months."

Was It Worth the Blood, Sweat, and Tears?

There’s no denying that Elin and Peter achieved their goal of making the room flow and feel cohesive—warm, elegant and spacious—while staying true to a shared artistic vision. They admit they may have made different choices if they were thinking primarily in terms of the resale value of the home. Instead, they designed a kitchen for themselves. “It's ours, we love our kitchen,” says Peter. “The devil may be in the details, but our soul made its way into the cracks and corners of the kitchen as well.”

“I'm so glad it's over,” says Elin, “but yet I'm so happy when I sit back on the couch and enjoy the view.”

Peter adds, “It was tiring and hard, and we did it all together, which is why we’re married now. We knew that after this we could pretty much figure anything out.” Which includes how to make the perfect cup of espresso for his wife every morning.

Visit http://www.diydelray.com for more before, during and after photos of this incredible DIY transformation.