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Pro Spotlight: Why You Should Try ‘Design By Elimination’
Knowing what you want in your home is just as important as knowing what you don’t like, a Chapel Hill contractor says
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Who: Bill Cederberg of Cederberg Kitchens & Additions
Where: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
In his own words: “I like giving people something that makes their lives better. They like coming home!”
Having a home that’s both beautiful and efficient, especially when it comes to the kitchen, is every homeowner’s dream. Bill Cederberg, who owns Chapel Hill-based Cederberg Kitchens & Additions, specializes in custom renovations that focus on both aesthetics and functionality. “The key is adapting the space to fit your personal style,” he says.
Where: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
In his own words: “I like giving people something that makes their lives better. They like coming home!”
Having a home that’s both beautiful and efficient, especially when it comes to the kitchen, is every homeowner’s dream. Bill Cederberg, who owns Chapel Hill-based Cederberg Kitchens & Additions, specializes in custom renovations that focus on both aesthetics and functionality. “The key is adapting the space to fit your personal style,” he says.
An accidental builder. After graduating from college with a degree in history, Cederberg worked in management jobs in a number of fields before being offered a project management position in construction and remodeling in 1986. He learned on the job and found it a good fit. “I like that you see tangible results in a few months,” he says. Now a licensed contractor, he partnered with his father-in-law to start Cederberg Kitchens & Additions in 1991.
Exploring the options.Cederberg finds that most people know what they don’t like but aren’t as confident about what they want. “I call it design by elimination,” he says. He focuses on listening to homeowners’ ideas and noting any limitations they might have, such as keeping a window or wall. He also tries to offer suggestions for improvements they hadn’t considered.
Below, Cederberg suggests some options for making your home function more efficiently.
Below, Cederberg suggests some options for making your home function more efficiently.
1. Plan for the Long Term
Think about how your renovations will work for you in the future. “Take everything into consideration before you start, even if you have to postpone some of it,” Cederberg says. “You don’t want to backtrack.” For example, he planned ahead for an active retired couple in Chapel Hill who wanted to remodel the outdated kitchen in their multilevel home.
Cederberg started with the kitchen, seen here, opening it up to the dining and living room. He also suggested they add a garage and master bedroom suite on the same level to create a single-story living space. Although the homeowners didn’t need the accessible spaces at the time, the new layout soon proved useful when the wife had knee surgery. “The physical therapists were happy with how well the home was set up for her recovery,” Cederberg says.
See more of this project
Think about how your renovations will work for you in the future. “Take everything into consideration before you start, even if you have to postpone some of it,” Cederberg says. “You don’t want to backtrack.” For example, he planned ahead for an active retired couple in Chapel Hill who wanted to remodel the outdated kitchen in their multilevel home.
Cederberg started with the kitchen, seen here, opening it up to the dining and living room. He also suggested they add a garage and master bedroom suite on the same level to create a single-story living space. Although the homeowners didn’t need the accessible spaces at the time, the new layout soon proved useful when the wife had knee surgery. “The physical therapists were happy with how well the home was set up for her recovery,” Cederberg says.
See more of this project
2. Maximize Unused Spaces
Before you decide to add on, see if you can find ways to improve how you use your existing space. For example, “you can close off unneeded doorways or expand into unused rooms or the garage,” Cederberg says. “If you do add on, adding only 2 feet can make a difference.”
When a couple inherited the 1930s bungalow in the Watts Hospital-Hillandale neighborhood of Durham where the wife had grown up, they soon realized it didn’t work for their family. Cederberg removed the walls between the kitchen and adjoining porch and dining room, both of which were not used much. The new kitchen, seen here, is larger and more functional. It includes an angled island that allows access to the main sink while providing a place for prep work, relaxing and eating.
See more of this project
Before you decide to add on, see if you can find ways to improve how you use your existing space. For example, “you can close off unneeded doorways or expand into unused rooms or the garage,” Cederberg says. “If you do add on, adding only 2 feet can make a difference.”
When a couple inherited the 1930s bungalow in the Watts Hospital-Hillandale neighborhood of Durham where the wife had grown up, they soon realized it didn’t work for their family. Cederberg removed the walls between the kitchen and adjoining porch and dining room, both of which were not used much. The new kitchen, seen here, is larger and more functional. It includes an angled island that allows access to the main sink while providing a place for prep work, relaxing and eating.
See more of this project
3. Bring In More Light
Enlarge your windows to admit more light into a room, especially if your ceilings are low. “Even expanding a window marginally can make a big difference,” Cederberg says. He replaced multipaned double-hung windows in this Carrboro kitchen remodel with a fixed picture window. “It provided a better view and felt better without being cost-prohibitive,” he says. Lighter finishes on the cabinetry and countertops also help reflect the natural light throughout the room.
See more of this project
More: For more information on Bill Cederberg and examples of his work, visit Cederberg Kitchens & Additions’ Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
Enlarge your windows to admit more light into a room, especially if your ceilings are low. “Even expanding a window marginally can make a big difference,” Cederberg says. He replaced multipaned double-hung windows in this Carrboro kitchen remodel with a fixed picture window. “It provided a better view and felt better without being cost-prohibitive,” he says. Lighter finishes on the cabinetry and countertops also help reflect the natural light throughout the room.
See more of this project
More: For more information on Bill Cederberg and examples of his work, visit Cederberg Kitchens & Additions’ Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
At Cederberg Kitchens and Renovations we are a team of Residential remodeling designers & contractors working in... Read More
Review by Chris Leach:
I have been working with Bill and Team since the late 1980s, and every job has been great. The latest was a master bath upgrade that turned out wonderful. We came in with a design to maximize the spa...More