When Jan Poole and her husband Roger Newton bought a 20-year-old townhome in the Vancouver area, they knew they would need to do something about the dated kitchen.
The original owners had lived there for 16 years. The second owner bought the home in 2019 and did some DIY kitchen renovations that included extending the end of a counter to cover a bar fridge, moving an upper cabinet, and hand painting the cabinet doors. It looked a bit clumsy and some of the units were damaged, but otherwise the kitchen looked okay. But “okay” isn’t the look we want in our kitchens!
Blast From the Past
When Jan contacted 180 Kitchens to turn her ideas into reality, it was with the confidence of having worked with Curtis Murray and his team before. Twice. The first time was before 180 Kitchens was born, when Curt was affiliated with a large hardware store chain. Jan and Roger had noticed that Curt’s team treated each other like family and cared that their clients were happy with the work.
Fast-forward to 2017 when Jan and Roger took the leap into a full kitchen reno. By this time, Curt and his wife Channell were building 180 Kitchens. Jan got a quote from another contractor but felt they’d be happier with Curt’s approach.
The couple wanted to lighten up the kitchen by replacing dark brown upper cabinetry with a lighter finish while keeping the island in the original dark colour. On the suggestion of Amanda Ness, 180 Kitchens’ design consultant, they also added a frosted glass door, which help bring light into the kitchen in addition to the cabinet refacing process. In 2019, Jan and Roger invited 180 Kitchens back to update the island to match the cabinets, refacing the brown cabinetry in white. Jan notes that when they sold the home, six years after the initial work, the cabinets still looked new.
Jan and Roger’s Newest Home
In 2023, with the purchase of their townhome, Jan and Roger knew they could count on 180 Kitchens to correct the issues in the kitchen and improve other areas in their home as well. They were confident that materials would be top-quality and work would be done to a high standard. They also liked knowing that 180 Kitchens is a local family-owned business, employing people in their community, and that 180 Kitchens is environmentally conscientious, keeping cabinet boxes that are in good shape and recycling whatever they can.
As before, Amanda brought samples to the Poole home and worked with them to draw out their vision of a new, modern kitchen with clean lines—and another frosted glass door. One of Amanda’s suggestions was to extend forward the recessed cabinet above the fridge to make it flush with the adjacent pantry. Now the fridge doesn’t jut out; the result is a tidy integration with the nearby cabinetry.
The white upper cabinets keep the space light and airy, grounded by the sage colour of the lower cabinets and the earth tones of the tile. The kitchen feels organic and peaceful. Curt’s team also replaced doors and drawers in two bathroom vanities and a desk area in the family room that had been hand painted. The extra work enhanced the overall flow through the home.
Curt’s team—Kevin, John, and Matt—were punctual, helpful, professional but personable, and cleaned up well each day.
As Jan and Roger had noticed before, they treated each other like family. The installation took only two days and the new kitchen is beautiful.
As Jan notes, the changes were seamless. She was so happy with the kitchen reno that she recommended 180 Kitchens to her son and his wife, who subsequently had their kitchen done.
At 180 Kitchens, that type of referral is golden. We love bringing quality and service from our family to yours.
If you are ready to have your space turned around by 180 Kitchens, book a free in-home estimate and let’s start a project!
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