The South Hill neighborhood in Bellingham is filled with gorgeous homes that take advantage of sun exposure from the south and west and beautiful views of Bellingham Bay.
This brick home in the middle of that neighborhood certainly was no exception.
Hudson Remodeling was hired by the homeowners to remodel the kitchen area on the upper floor, renovate the southern portion of the existing basement, and update the garage. In the kitchen, the homeowners’ main desires were to take better advantage of the view and create more floor space. Hudson’s plans in the kitchen area were to remove the wall between the kitchen and dining area and remove a set of stairs into the basement. In remodeling the basement, the objective was to clean up the overall look of the space by enclosing the plumbing, heating and electrical supply lines; enclosing the boiler area; creating storage areas; and adding cabinetry and countertops in the laundry area and snack bar. The goal of the garage remodel was to create a clean and insulated space in which to park a car.
Kitchen:
In the dining room, a large picture window opens to a stunning view of Bellingham Bay. That view was unavailable from the kitchen, however, thanks to a wall separating the two spaces. Hudson Remodeling removed that wall, replacing it with a structural support beam over a newly installed 42-inch-high countertop and bar that extends partway into the new space and allows for comfortable kitchen seating.
A good chunk of the kitchen space also had been taken up by stairs leading down into the basement. Removing those stairs — and the walls that surrounded it — created a large amount of additional usable space in the kitchen. In that new space, Hudson’s crews installed a double oven along the wall and a peninsula counter that houses a 36-inch gas cooktop. A prep sink was added along that wall as well, and the main sink and dishwasher were moved to the previously bare east wall under two windows that look out over the yard and neighborhood.
All windows and doors in the kitchen were replaced, as were the green vinyl flooring and matching countertops. Hudson’s crews installed custom-made shaker-style cabinets from Northwest Woodslayer in Bellingham. The new flooring in the space is pre-finished solid maple over a hydronic floor heating system from Rehau.
Basement and garage:
The removal of the stairs up to the kitchen naturally freed up space in the daylight basement as well. Hudson’s crews were able to turn this space into a closet and utility room, which now encompasses (and hides) the large boiler.
The walls and ceilings throughout the basement and garage areas were demolished down to the studs. Where there were bare concrete walls, Hudson installed 2×4 walls to accommodate the new electrical and plumbing work and allow for a smooth drywall finish. New laminate cabinets and counters — also from Northwest Woodslayer — were installed throughout the space, along with appliances.
The lower floor had previously been a mess of wiring, ducting, plumbing and exposed framing. With all of that now hidden in the walls and behind other enclosures, the new basement space is clean and inviting.
Of course, the best part of any remodel is seeing and hearing the homeowners’ reactions to their new spaces. This Bellingham remodeling job was a huge hit with the clients. Just consider this recommendation:
“Thank you for all your hard work, patience and professionalism. Your responsiveness was unsurpassed by your peers in the community. I cannot thank you enough for providing quality service; more importantly, trustworthy service. You’ve instilled a belief in me that there still are people who will stand by their word and not take advantage of others during challenging times. I’m a reference if ever you need one!”
View a gallery of more photos from this project.