Not every kitchen remodel has a seamstress involved. But it doesn’t hurt to be able to visualize the kitchen parts in its original location as they will be used in the final production of a Greencyclinghomes.com purchase. It’s akin to buying a pattern to sew a dress and choosing the fabric. Until it’s finished, you have to trust in your choices.

The kitchen shown in this blog was originally a floor model at Thurston Kitchens & Bath when the shop was located on 6th Avenue before the business moved to 761 Kalamath St., Denver, CO 80204.

Kellie Mills worked with Thurston to sell the showroom kitchen displays prior to the move. That’s how I met her…through her Craigslist ad.

The thing that struck me as significant was Kellie’s detail to measurements. The online ad showed images but as well included every detail, width/depth/height measurements plus make and model of the appliances included. I was impressed. Partly because I had sold the kitchen right out of my home in preparation for my preloved kitchen cabinet purchase. My ad was simple: Kitchen for sale. Buyer moves. And then I tossed in a couple of photos. A Denverite pulled the cabinets, sink, and appliances in a matter of hours, loaded them onto his truck and headed toward his weekend cabin.

Kellie’s approach is notably different. She has the ability to talk clients through the process as they consider installing pre-owned cabinetry and appliances. She counsels customers to consider the little things like outlet locations and gas vs. electric range. She wants every client to come away from the experience happy.

I did.

If there’s one personal trait installing a successful pre-loved kitchen entails it is adaptability. If a stretch of cabinets in its original setting is 104” and your wall in the kitchen you’re remodeling is 113”, you’ll need to address the 9 inches of space. Either plan to trim the cabinet wall to complement the cabinetry or frame and drywall so that the new cabinets fit snugly. Don’t expect that the kitchen pulled from one home will fit exactly, although it does sometimes happen. Part of the challenge and part of the fun is to be able to be fluid and creative.

If you approach the installation of one of Greencycling Homes’ recycled kitchens into your home, you will realize a finished product that immediately increases your home’s value and saves you money. In my own case, I now get to practice my culinary arts in a kitchen I would never have been able to afford originally.

Call Kellie. She welcomes the opportunity to discuss the variety of cabinets and appliances she has to make your current kitchen over into your dream kitchen.

The purest definition of thinking outside the box in a kitchen remodel can be seen today in countertop edges. Gone are the days that edges are all rounded bullnose. The greatest revolution in countertop finishes is the chiseled edge.

Raw and natural, the chiseled edge is at once subtly organic and powerfully show stopping.

Slab granite and marble backsplashes have been used in top-of-line luxury kitchens for a handful of years, replacing tile with its sometimes maintenance-heavy grout upkeep. The most contemporary use of a solid slab backsplash is a chiseled edge backsplash that resembles the great Rocky Mountain Range west of Denver, Colorado.

Until a handful of years ago, kitchen countertops were routinely 2 cm thick. Newer countertops are 3 cms and straight edge vs. the more ornate French Cove, Ogee or Dupont edges.

The shape of the countertop edge is as impactful as the type of material and color selected. Transform the entire look of your kitchen by changing the countertop.

Your kitchen is prepped for a makeover. You’ve located the perfect cabinets, pre-loved and little used. You’ve scored appliances you never thought you could afford…they too are recycled from another address and in perfect working condition.

Now it’s time to shine a light on it. A Hollywood-worthy light.

Make an impact with oversized lighting over the center island. Pendant lights with 2-foot diameter drum shades are at the top of the trending list.

The über-sized fixtures do more than light up the room. They become the focal point when you enter the kitchen. They center the room’s energy over the island where food prep and homework happen simultaneously.

Go daring. Use metallic shades to add an extra sparkle and they are easily cleaned compared to a fabric shade when ingredients gain velocity.

Today’s large pendants come in innovative shapes and materials—from bent wood spirals to geodesic dome of punched metal to industrial pipe to concrete cone-shaped clustered pendants.

Get creative. Move beyond your traditional lighting comfort zone.

White kitchen cabinets have never gone out of favor. If anything, they’re increasingly popular. The National Kitchen and Bath Association reports that 67 percent of members claim that white is their top choice for cabinets. That’s an increase of 20% from 2016.  

We often hear from customers that they just sort of expect that they must go with a traditional kitchen if choosing white cabinets over any other color.

Not so.

Some of the best design work today using recycled white kitchen cabinets has a rustic comfortable look to it. Dark wood floors, distressed and hand-hewn are the perfect complement to overhead beams. To keep costs under control, use faux beams which are less than 1/4th of the cost of solid wood beams and take 1/4th of the time to install too! Use natural window coverings, in this case bamboo roll-up Roman Shades in walnut. Black knob handles maintain the casual rustic theme vs. shiny chrome or brass.

The appeal of rustic design—comfortable, not tightly wound—is ideal for family with active lives, pets and school projects. Plus the white cabinetry presents a clean, fresh sensibility.

When you’re ready to remodel your kitchen, let Greencycling Homes be your resource for sensibly-priced, highest quality cabinetry that’s in great shape and is often more quality than the MDF cabinets so popular in ready-to-assemble brands.