Nice job I like the bold black cabinets.

yeah it was old but that old kitchen had personality

Yes it had a lot of charm. But you cant tell how things function from these photos or if that charm becomes a look of delapidation in person. And they gave the place a whole new and brave look.

I loved the old kitchen in the pictures, but I know that a 55 year old kitchen was beyond help.And I know that it could not have all been original. Beautiful 2015 job.

I loved the rustic old cabinet doors..wish you would have kept them.

The remodel is lovely, but a common modern kitchen.

I think it's great but really miss the sink and oven hood. Very nice window.

I agree one should be diplomatic when voicing a negative opinion, and there's a point where it's sometimes better to just say nothing. Such is the joy of the internet. It does get pretty boring, though, when everybody just says "oh, that's fabulous."

The reno is stunning but, truthfully, I like the old kitchen!

Stamps Design Service, from your words you have told me that I would be in trouble choosing you for my designer. It would be your way or no way. Why? It is MY kitchen you are designing.

I don't think you really want them to enjoy

I'm flabbergasted at the ill will that is becoming more prevalent on Houzz. Kindness does work, it brings joy to the giver and receiver.

Everyone giving you such a hard time for destroying the "character" should follow your link to the beautiful restoration you did on the dining room.

I love the sink/drainboard from the original kitchen and would have wanted to keep it, but otherwise I love your update. I know that the older sink would not have 'fit in' with the rest of the updates.

I guess a lot of you people who preferred to keep the old cabinets missed the designers comment regarding the condition of them. They were rotted and the floors were cracked. I don't know about the rest of you but I for one would prefer non-rotted cabinets in my kitchen-remolded or otherwise. Cracked floors would not be preferable to me either. With some accessorizing and color, this will be a very nice kitchen.

As far as the microwave goes, one can see that there is not a lot of cabinet or counter space in this kitchen. In my opinion, placing the microwave over the stove helps preserve the maximum amount of cabinet space and counter space while still providing the homeowner with the convenience of that appliance. Sometimes I think Houzzers forget about function and budget. Every project requires compromises.

This is the exact same color scheme of my kitchen, so of course I love it! While white or cream cabinetry would have been more appropriate for the style of that awesome window, they are very difficult to keep clean in a home with children. Those cabinets will look fantastic all the time, and dings are easily touched-up with wood stain markers. The flooring is gorgeous! I can hardly make out a grout line.....beautiful job.

So happy to see you left the arch over the sink, your redesign looks awesome

Wow. So the owners wanted a new, clean kitchen instead of a 35 yr old one (can you imagine the dirt and grease on a 35 yr old hood?). Good for them. The remodel is beautiful and obviously their taste. They were obviously over the old kitchen. Maybe someone bought the old sink and refinished it and used it. Whatever. From old to new. From dingy to bright and clean. What's there not to like?

Very nice work. I'm sure they're very happy. :)

Finally a new kitchen that doesn't have white cabinets! I am sick of white kitchens. It's rude to tell people what they should have kept. Theirs were beyond repair. Well done.

I couldn't agree more, godoggoone. I'm sick of seeing white cabainets, I think everyone in the country must have them but me! I can't believe anyone would like the before kitchen better, it looked like a disintegrating mess! The new kitchen is nice, and functional. Sophie wheeler, do you ever say anything nice about anything?

The transformation is amazing. If it weren't for the unique window (which was handled beautifully) I'd have thought it a completely different house. As to the negative Nelly's, don't criticize before you know the whole story. IF you have been through a remodel you don't know what was bad or good or problematic along the way. I love the way the colors harmonize even to your stairs. Great kitchen!

How could anyone in their right mind think the original kitchen is better than the remodel? I mean really? I went first to the other photos and was very impressed with the brought-forward beauty of the other rooms...the taste of the kitchen belongs to the owners and I too think it is elegant. I am only wondering about why there is no island! I would love to see this home fully furnished (and the exterior too), for I think it would make all the difference especially to the nay-sayers!

I'm in my right mind, and I think the remodel looks like so many others...snooooooooz

It's the owners money & what they like, but when you show it off here, you're basically asking for critique.

Just because it has become the "norm", doesn't make it warm, cozy or appealing. I read an article today on the "old house guy" site. There was a study done by advertisers on what people found to be "pleasing". What they said & what their brain conveyed are total opposites!

I tend to believe the brain over the mouth...

Scroll down to Psycology & Architecture: Or, read the entire website!

http://www.oldhouseguy.com/aesthetics-the-solution/

Old House Guy...I do hope you don't mind me sharing. You know we're on the same wavelength!!

Geez, the after is not a bad looking kitchen!!! I've seen much much worse!!! Not all of us have unlimited budgets and can install the kitchens of our dreams.

Looks modern, clean and fresh. The floor space is large enough for an island, and the space seems incomplete without one. I think an island would make the kitchen look more finished.

I liked the before since it resembles more my taste, but the after is stunning and to each their own. We are not cookie cutter people, people. Why should we all be forced to assimilate into one type? I appreciate the link to the Old House Guy's site. It made me think a bit more about the subject of design and why I like certain traditional styles. I just loved the comment in the Conclusion as well as the comment by the author Jonathan Hale, in his book, The Old Way of Seeing: I am most happy driving through a subdivision of French Country and English Tudor style houses any day. Oh and throw in a few Castles too! lol

The comments here have taken an ugly turn. If you all are so fond of "The Old Way of Seeing" - consider "The Old Adage" If you can't say something nice, don't say anything!

Barbara,

What part of telling the owner, Morganco, that the after remodel was stunning, is ugly? And what part of saying that we are all unique, is ugly? And that we should keep our individuality and not all become like one type, is ugly? And that I appreciated the link to the site from Bungalowmo, because I really enjoyed reading what The Old House Guy had to say about the balance between the scale of the architecture. The Greeks (and then the Romans) looked to nature and man as a model for design, discovering in both places a proportion so perfect they called it the golden ratio. And what part that Jonathan Hale wrote in his book, "The Old Way of Seeing", is ugly? Here is an excerpt from his book. "A great building can give us the same exhilaration we experience in a
natural landscape. We expect that of great buildings; but we tend to
forget that a town scape of ordinary buildings, embodying the same
principles, can also exhilarate us – exhilarate, and make us feel we
belong." Before you begin throwing comments to the wind and stir up the dust, maybe you should re-read a post and at least try to understand what the author of the post is actually saying instead of inserting your own biased mindset. Here is the link to The Old House Guy's site again. http://www.oldhouseguy.com/aesthetics-the-solution/ . I wasn't being ugly. Emphasis on wasn't. Good Grief!

Oh and this is an awesome link too... http://www.house-design-coffee.com/

I love the new kitchen. Looks like you paid attention to what your clients wanted and delivered it.

Great job updating a very dated kitchen!

Nice!!

Inspiring!

Now THAT is a transformation!

I love the old kitchen, but if parts of it were dilapidated (not just "dated", a really stupid word) and crumbling obviously they needed replacing. Most important, it is the owner's money and their right to have what they want. I am very glad that the lovely window was preserved.

It behooves us all to remember that yes, opinions were asked for and should be offered with thoughtfulness and respect.

I will take function over charm in a kitchen any time. Charm can be added, I cannot imagine anyone wanting to work in a kitchen with rotting cabinets! And what decade do you think 35 yrs ago was? 1980s! If you keep up with Houzz at all, and have read the articles on decor from that era coming back, most commenters do not want to return to that time, style wise. The contractor did an awesome job! I prefer white cabinets for my kitchen, but this one has so much natural light, the dark ones look great!

I like the updates overall. I am hoping that the home owners have decorated the kitchen to include some vintage elements though, to warm it up. It looks pretty cold and sort of "floating" between eras as is. I hope that the designer or homeowner will post some pictures of the kitchen as it is "lived in." Also, I think it cries for an island.

Intresting to read all the comments above. I see both sides as to style, charm, old vs new look. But at the end of the day agree that your job as there general contractor was/ is carrying out your clients vision while making suggestions along the way. Great work!!!

Love it. I especially love the cabinets.

Wow!! what a transformation.

Looks nice but needs an island or something to make it look cozier.

Pretty generic and sad looking in its blandness. Also, why not put an island in the big open space?

Another perspective: These comments can serve to provide ideas to others who are considering similar changes and perhaps guide them to think twice about changing a charm-filled kitchen (badly in need of restorative work) into the various possibilities. If only positive comments are posted that can be quite misleading. I'd always like to encourage anyone considering substantial changes to a house to think about what is already there and whether there is anything worth preserving or perhaps, recreating.

For those of you who didn't like the final results, all you had to do was hit the backspace key. Your negative comments served no purpose whatsoever. The project was complete, the client happy, and I assume the contractor paid.

What a boring world if everybody's taste was the same.

Good job Morganco.

I agree with qam999 and not FinallyHome. I read comments looking for all points of view, positive AND negative. I often learn more from the negative. As long as it's not said in an insulting way, people that post projects on Houzz should be thick skinned enough to understand that they are going to get varying opinions and not just positive ones.

i actually thought they would have kept the old sink with those windows. it looked to be just the thing with them. kudos to the rest of the kitchen though.

Looks great!

Beautiful transformation!!

Great job!!

Great job!!

Wow, beautiful makeover.

Its interesting how the use of lighter colors and darker cabinets open up the space. Love this!