Kitchen Remodeling

As the heart of your home, the kitchen is a gathering place for family and friends. Unfortunately, many homes in the Bay Area hardly leave enough room for one person in the kitchen, let alone your entire family. Closed spaces are a thing of the past. Don your hosting hat with pride while showing off a kitchen renovation that is as stylish and modern as you are.

Our Kitchen Remodeling Services

If you have a home in the Silicon Valley area or are shopping around, you may be considering expanding or renovating your kitchen. A small or dysfunctional kitchen can make you feel claustrophobic and isolated from the rest of the family.

When visualizing a perfect weekend morning enjoying a homecooked breakfast with your kids, you should see yourself sitting with them — not going back and forth between the kitchen and dining room or hovering hot plates over their heads because you do not have enough room to pass the dishes. With a team of experts, you can say goodbye to cramped spaces and outdated fixtures and say hello to the kitchen of your dreams. With Valley Home Builders, you can enjoy the following benefits with our kitchen remodeling services:

Customized Designs

The process begins with designing a kitchen that perfectly fits your lifestyle. Whether you want to tear down every wall and start from scratch, or maintain your layout and add modern touches, this is your chance to be creative. Working with us allows you to create a functional kitchen layout alongside experts who will be there every step of the way. The key is to incorporate style, quality and function into your kitchen remodel.

The Bay area is renowned for industry-leading innovations, so why not let your home reflect that identity? A waterfall kitchen island, open concept fireplace or even an indoor-outdoor connection can add value to your home and lifestyle.

Transparency With Time, Budget and Space

Kitchen renovations encompass a wide range of considerations and timelines. With our private online portal, you have immediate access to all the details of your kitchen renovation. You will be able to view the projected timeline, contracts, product choices, warranties and photos while having direct communication with the building team.

There should not be any surprises when it comes to the renovation process, including the budget. You will have transparency and minimal disruption as the team works within your home.

Comprehensive Service

When it comes to kitchen expansions and remodels, it is always better to use a firm that does it all. Instead of hiring carpenters, electricians, plumbers and painters separately, you get a one-stop shop that takes care of all your needs. With one accessible line of communication, the process becomes simplified. We take care of all your renovation needs, including:

• A free consultation
• Our free renovation guide
• 3D computer design simulations
• Customized islands and peninsulas
• Kitchen expansions and extensions
• Flooring installation
• Plumbing fixture and lighting installation
• Countertop and backsplash installation
• Wall-mounted appliances and faucets
• Custom cabinet designs
• ADU kitchens
• Obtaining necessary permits
• Green building

Things to Consider in Your Kitchen Remodeling or Expansion Project

Planning major kitchen remodeling can feel like a daunting process. Even after spending hours on Pinterest and Architectural Digest, you still may not know where or how to start. The following questions can serve as a guide to help find the right kitchen designs for your home and lifestyle.

1. What Is the Purpose of Your Kitchen?

This may seem like an obvious question, but the amount that you use your kitchen and the reasons why you use it will play a major role in your kitchen remodel. If your children do their homework or crafts in the kitchen, a large peninsula would be ideal. If you love to cook and try new recipes, a wall-mounted faucet by the stove could be a game-changing addition. To get your creative wheels turning, answer the following questions:

• How many cooks are in the kitchen at one time? The answer to this question can help you decide whether an entire layout change is in order, or if a smaller expansion will do. Having more cooks in the kitchen at once requires accessibility to drawers and cabinets, especially if your kids want to help. If you host a family dinner every Saturday, you will need enough sitting and standing room so everyone can be together.
• Where do you like to eat your meals? A cozy breakfast nook may be the perfect addition to your morning routine. If you prefer an open layout so the house feels larger and brighter, a dining room may not be as important during the design process. You may want to consider the type of home you have and whether you want the kitchen to reflect a similar aesthetic. A Mediterranean kitchen may not necessarily fit with a Cape Cod layout.
• Are you a chef who takes their cooking seriously, or are you more laid back in the kitchen? If Julia Child and Wolfgang Puck are your inspiration, now is your chance to create your dream chef’s kitchen! There are many innovative design options that will enhance your cooking experience and make you never want to leave your kitchen. An appliance garage, two-tiered granite countertops, a warming drawer and secondary island sink are features your kitchen designer can work into the blueprints of your dream kitchen.

2. Are You Adding or Expanding?

If you are looking to renovate your kitchen, now is the perfect time to expand your space or add features that you wish the original unit had. The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in a home. It is where people gather, eat and make beautiful memories. It is important to make such a special room feel like a home you never want to leave. If you feel stressed by the amount of clutter or your lack of space, a kitchen renovation offers an opportunity to change these factors.

It can be difficult to imagine how to expand your kitchen. Are you taking space away from another room, or combining two rooms together? It is easier to make these decisions and watch your vision come to life with our experienced kitchen builders and designers. Sometimes adding to your kitchen really translates to increasing the amount of storage or counter space. For a major kitchen remodel, you can create a layout that better connects your kitchen to the other rooms in the house for a more inclusive flow.

3. Do You Want an Outdoor Kitchen?

You also have the option of taking your dream kitchen into new territory —outside. From Sunnyvale to San Mateo, the weather and landscape are beautiful all year round. Take advantage of the sunshine with outdoor amenities.

Your options are not limited to the four walls of a room when you can choose to add easy access to outside cooking and dining. A deck off of the kitchen, large sliding glass doors, brick ovens for cooking and an outside dining space can completely open up your home and add value to it. Your kitchen can cross boundaries while seamlessly bringing together indoor-outdoor elements.

Accessory Dwelling Unit Kitchen Services

Living in a city usually means sacrificing space for greater convenience. With an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), you do not have to make that compromise. You can have all the amenities of a full-sized kitchen in a cozy ADU to accommodate your living space and make the most out of your property. Consider outfitting your ADU kitchen for casual dining, formal dining, entertaining family or cooking your favorite meals.

We offer ADU kitchen services to help you design your ideal cooking and entertainment space. Since we are an experienced ADU builder, we have the tools and expertise necessary for your kitchen addition project.

Design Considerations for Your ADU Kitchen

As you work with us to create your ADU kitchen, think about some of these factors:

• Size: Your guests should have plenty of room to sit and should be able to help themselves conveniently. Consider how large you want your kitchen to be, depending on building code requirements and your budget. You may want a smaller kitchen if you do not entertain often, or you may want to extend your kitchen if you enjoy cooking regularly.
• Convenience: Think about what features would make your ADU kitchen more convenient for you to use. Your kitchen should follow a functional work area where the fridge, sink and stove form a triangle. Add a built-in banquette to provide additional storage, seating and prep space to your kitchen. You can also maximize corner space with pull-out storage drawers.
• Natural light: Sunlight allows your living space to appear more spacious and inviting. Find ways to incorporate natural light in your kitchen, especially if you will be entertaining guests. Consider positioning your sink near a window with a view to the outside.
• Electricity and other utilities: Like the rest of your ADU, the kitchen should have access to electricity and plumbing. Plan for plenty of outlets throughout the kitchen to make cooking and cleaning more convenient. You can also opt for under-cabinet lighting to provide more lights for preparing meals.
• Finishing touches: After planning the appliances you want to include, think about what design or functional elements would make your ADU kitchen special.

Making the Most of Your Space

Unlike your home, an accessory dwelling unit only has so much room. Fortunately, there are ways to save space while still ensuring your ADU has adequate room and amenities. You can still feature the same conveniences as a standard kitchen, even with less space. Adding a pull-out pantry, magnetic strips, windowsill dining and even a fold-down table will maximize your space. With an ADU, you can make the most of your area by catering to more than just the need to cook and store food.

Since we use full-sized appliances in your ADU kitchen design, you can have everything you need while maximizing your property’s usable space. You can also request design elements such as skylights and natural lighting to make your kitchen feel more open and inviting. We design our ADU kitchens to maximize your property size, but we do not cut corners on appliances or design features just because there is limited space. Instead, we design your ADU kitchen in a way that makes your cooking area appear aesthetically pleasing and functional.

Build the Kitchen of Your Dreams

There are countless options to choose from when it comes to your kitchen’s lighting, countertops and cabinets. It is easy to get lost in the decision-making, but the solution is to take it one step at a time and work your way from the floor up. The following walks you through the design elements you will navigate when you build the kitchen of your dreams with Valley Home Builders:

1. Flooring

Once you have decided on a design, you can start choosing the elements that will bring it to life. Every room begins with flooring. Once you have decided on the type and color of flooring you want, you can build the rest of the kitchen around it. Choosing your flooring is one of the easiest decisions to make during the renovation process.

Start by considering the overall look you want your kitchen to have. Do you love a country farmhouse kitchen, or a modern minimalistic setting? Hardwood floors are a classic, but you may prefer a tile flooring that is easier to clean. There are hundreds of colors, patterns and mediums to choose from. Your daily habits, routines and personal style will help inform your decision.

2. Cabinets

As modern taste and trends make their way into the home, wood-finished cabinets are often replaced with open shelving and glass paned doors. If you prefer to have a lot of storage or a fully stocked pantry, having more cabinet space can make a huge difference in your kitchen.

You should also think about how high you want your cabinets to reach. Units that go up to the ceiling may add more storage space, but they can make your kitchen feel smaller. You will have to consider the design and placement of wall cabinets, base cabinets and drawers when building your dream kitchen. Or you can add your own flair with custom cabinets that are completely unique.

3. Islands and Peninsulas

Kitchen islands got their start in the 1950s and have only gained popularity since. Along with extra cooking space, islands can offer additional storage, a place to sit and eat and the discreet placement of a dishwasher or wine cooler. It seamlessly combines the living and kitchen spaces while still offering style and personalization.

One of the more popular and modern adaptations of an island is the waterfall kitchen island. Unlike traditional kitchen peninsulas, which are flat slabs of granite or marble placed on top of base cabinets, waterfall islands are one piece that flow to the floor. Along with using classic materials like marble, you can choose quartz, stainless steel, a butcher block and even concrete for waterfall countertops and islands.

4. Backsplash and Paint

A dash of paint and a new backsplash can add the right pop of color to your new kitchen. How do you know which tiles to choose, or where to add the backsplash? Start by comparing backsplash tiles to your countertops to see if the colors match and work well together. The tiles you end up with should be cohesive with the lighting fixtures, hardware and counters. Do not be afraid to play around with different colors, shapes and finishes until you find the right look.

When choosing paint for your kitchen, stay within the color scheme. Your flooring, cabinets, appliances and fixtures should work together for a balanced aesthetic. A great rule is to match your walls and cabinets to your island, then add an accent color with your backsplash tile. If you love a dramatic monochromatic look, keep all your walls one color and change the shade of your cabinets so they are just one hue up or down from the wall color.

5. Appliances

Perhaps the biggest investment in your kitchen, your appliances play a major role in the design and functionality of the space. Modern stainless steel and classic vintage cutouts each have their purpose and place when creating your perfect kitchen renovation. The most recent trend is camouflaged appliances, which are flawlessly masked as additional cabinets or storage. This allows your space to appear cleaner and minimalistic while still holding the same functions and convenience.

The appliances you choose for your kitchen will last about 10 years. A built-in refrigerator will save space while looking stylish. Adding a dual oven or microwave drawer can make cooking user-friendly and more enjoyable. You have the opportunity to explore the best ways to highlight your new appliances or tuck them away to surprise your guests.

6. Storage

Before you finalize your designs, double and triple check that you have more than enough storage. Often, kitchen remodelers underestimate the amount of food they buy, how much cookware they have and how much space their appliances really take up.

Reflect on where exactly you want to store your food. Do you want to expand your kitchen with a separate pantry, or include additional cabinets that are designated for snacks? Do you like the idea of hideaway storage, such as a tip out tray for under your sink, a pull-out cutting board, building racks, hanging storage or hidden shelves behind the backsplash?

With kitchen technology developing and expanding, you can consider how to save space while still having everything you need right at your fingertips.

7. Smaller Details

It is the smaller details that add the most character to a space. There are millions of kitchens out there, but this one is special because it is uniquely yours.

A vintage faucet can add charm and character to your kitchen. Under cabinet lighting, tile niches, a pot filler by the stove and a special place for your herbs and spices can subtly show off your flair while adding functionality. Remember, you have more than enough time to find the smaller details that best fit your home. Consult with our experts in kitchen design services to bring charisma and efficiency into your space.

Contact Valley Home Builders for Kitchen Design and Building Services

At Valley Home Builders, the Bay Area has been our home since 2005. As the premier kitchen renovation, remodeling and expansion builders in the area, our award-winning designs are a reflection of our dedication and love for the Silicon Valley.

Our focus is providing you exceptional service and adding value to your home by acting as a one-stop shop for your entire kitchen renovation. With our team of experts, no project is too big and no detail is too small. We work together to design your dream kitchen so you never have to compromise in your forever home.

No matter where you reside in the area, from San Jose to San Mateo, Los Gatos to Freemont, we provide the highest quality service while working within the city’s regulations. Contact us today to start designing your dream kitchen and see your vision come to life.