Chesterfield Kitchen Remodeling Project

When the customers came to us and asked us to help remodel their original Chesterfield kitchen from the early 2000s, we were happy to oblige.

Existing Chesterfield Kitchen Before Remodel

The existing kitchen was original from when the house was built and really was in need of updating. The kitchen cabinets were your typical 42″ high, thermofoil wrapped cabinets. The countertops were white Corian solid surface material and they were showing their age.

Some of the appliances had been replaced like the new stainless steel free-standing refrigerator. However, the old white glass electric down-draft cooktop and the smaller 27″ oven and microwave were on their way out. The lighting of the space also left much to be desired. All of the lighting in the kitchen was provided by 3 light fixtures – one over the sink, one over the kitchen island and one over the kitchen table. Aside from a recently added tile backsplash and updated wood floors, not much had changed within the space.

Proposed Chesterfield Kitchen Design Ideas

Like all Thompson Price Kitchen and Bathroom remodels, our 4P Process was followed to help take this kitchen from what it was to what we wanted it to become. Perfect Plan begins with a site visit performed by members of the Thompson Price Design Team.

We have multiple goals at this stage. The first is to take complete and accurate dimensions of the existing space. We also take around 100 photos of existing kitchen spaces so we can recreate the existing space along with the utilities to begin the design phase. In most cases, Perfect Plan starts with two complete new designs for each kitchen or bathroom remodel.

Kitchen Design Plan A

Our first design, Plan A, focused on reframing the walls of the pantry to create more physical space in the kitchen area by reducing storage space in the pantry and integrating a desk/work area at the customer’s request. We also set the refrigerator back further to allow a larger walkway around the kitchen island.

In this kitchen design, we took the cabinets up to the ceiling at 108″ overall height but stayed with single doors instead of stacked doors to help keep costs down. The island in this configuration increased in size as well because everyone wants a larger island? We also showed a professional style 36″ dual-fuel range with a wall mounted hood as a focal point for the space.  

Kitchen Design Plan B

Plan B, our second kitchen design option for this space, removed all of the pantry area and the closet near the garage entry into the space. By doing this, we relocated the entry into the kitchen to get a much larger kitchen and turned the island to fit the full width of the space.

We also showed a large wood decorative hood sized for the proper ventilation for a 48″ range. This design shows stacked wall cabinets going up to the ceiling. No question, this plan was the more premium option out of the two starting designs.

Chesterfield Kitchen Design Revisions and Product Specifications

Every customer is different and some make design decisions faster than others. This project went through 4 or 5 revisions before getting to the version we specified and priced. The final kitchen design concept we priced is shown below.

We showed several alternatives to reworking the pantry area and turning the kitchen island. Once we have the design complete, that’s when we move into Perfect Products. Our design team will specify products based on design considerations, budget considerations and style-preferences. The goal is to essentially give every customer multiple price points for each project.

It’s like getting multiple bids but each price is based on the same design so we’re comparing apples to apples.  Once specifications are completed, we move into Perfect Price which is obviously the pricing stage of the kitchen remodeling project. 

Chesterfield Kitchen Remodel: Pricing and product alternatives

So, here’s the part everyone dreads…the pricing. Now, with every kitchen or bathroom remodeling project, budget is one of the first things we discuss and we do everything we can to come up with a realistic budget. However, it’s not uncommon for the design phase and the product specification phase to grow in one way or another.

Maybe the physical size of the space grows. Maybe the customer decides they want to go with that $30,000 appliance package. Either way, it’s not uncommon for our first round of pricing to be higher than we originally discussed.  Regardless, our goal at Thompson Price is to always provide at least two complete prices for each kitchen or bathroom design we create.  

Sometimes this is achieved by using different products entirely.  Sometimes this is achieved by scaling back on certain items to save on cost and sometimes this is achieved by going back and modifying the actual kitchen or bathroom plan to get where we need to be price-wise.  Our goal is to value engineer every kitchen or bathroom remodel for every client we work with.  

Chesterfield Kitchen Construction Phase

Once the design, pricing and scope are agreed upon, Perfect Project begins. Perfect Project is our all encompassing term for everything from ordering, scheduling, delivering and installing each project. The design team comes out to confirm all of the dimensions and site conditions. We totally agree with the “measure twice cut once” philosophy. All orders are written and submitted and all of the timelines are arranged with our installers and vendor partners.

This project features our custom cabinet line so shop drawings were created so everyone was on the same page with how the cabinets and related items would be built and installed. Permits are also filed with St Louis County and any other municipalities required for each project.  You can see some of the photos from the kitchen remodel throughout the different phases.  

How Long Did This Chesterfield Kitchen Remodel Take?

From the first day of demolition to the final cleanup, this kitchen remodeling project took a total of 13 weeks.

Week 1-2:
Site preparation, demolition and debris removal.
Framing of new kitchen walls
Rough electric, plumbing, mechanical
Rough inspections 

Week 3-5:
Drywall hanging and taping, painting, new flooring for areas where walls and cabinetry changed. Since the customer was using their existing flooring, the project required a good amount of floor patching.

Week 6:
Installation of the new custom kitchen cabinetry. A kitchen countertop template was scheduled for late the sixth week.

Week 7-9:
Miscellaneous work while waiting for countertop installation. Appliances that could be set were set at this time. Turnaround for this kitchen counter was three weeks from template.

Week 10:
New quartz countertops installed

Week 11 – 12:
Tile backsplash installation.  Installation and reconnecting plumbing fixtures, appliances and electrical items like under-cabinet and recessed lighting.  Final painting and touch ups took place at this time as well.

Week 13:
Final clean up, trash haul, final inspections and final walkthrough where we double to check to make sure everything looks and functions as it should.

Completed Chesterfield Kitchen Remodel Images