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When you enter the world of remodeling, you find it is filled with decisions. You must decide on the budget, extent of work to be done, and much more. The most important decision is which remodeling firm to entrust with your renovation. That one decision can determine how easy or how hard the rest of the many decisions will be.

When it comes time to make selections (cabinets, countertops, tile, hardware, paint colors, etc.), many remodelers hand you a long list of decisions to make with a firm date to finalize. No guidance. No help. Just a list, a deadline, and a push out the door to a showroom to wander around on your own.

Homeowners who choose Wood Wise for their remodeling all have designer Kathy Walker accompany them to the various showrooms to help with all the selections. With 10 years of experience designing renovations, Kathy has developed a logical, organized approach. She gently guides clients through the selections process, step-by-step in a specific order. Kathy makes it easy.

There are multiple building-related showrooms in the area but through the years, Kathy has landed on those that provide top quality products, variety, and, equally important, great customer service.

Kathy’s favorite showrooms:

• Wood Wise Design & Remodeling: we have a beautiful cabinet showroom at our office that features KraftMaid and Waypoint cabinets. Cabinets are the first stop in the selections process.-  https://woodwisedesign.com/what-we-do/raleigh-cabinet-company-showroom/
• Byrd Tile: tile for kitchen backsplash, showers, laundry rooms, bathroom floors, etc.- http://byrdtile.com/
• Fergusons: plumbing, lighting, cabinet hardware, etc. – https://www.ferguson.com/
• Carolina Custom Kitchen & Bath: countertop fabrication- http://www.carolinacustomkitchen.com/
• Cosmos Granite & Marble: granite, quartz, marble slabs (importer) – http://www.cosmosgranite.com/raleigh

Kathy coordinates appointments with each showroom and our Wood Wise clients. 

This 1970’s Raleigh home has benefited from taking down walls to open up the kitchen to the living and dining rooms. It now lives larger, the kitchen is more accessible, and the cook is no longer separated from the family or guests. The tiered island becomes a great solution for keeping food prep out of sight while providing additional seating. Sporting a painted finish in contrast to the stained wood perimeter cabinets, the island looks beautiful and has tons of great storage.

This mid-century inside-the-beltline home was designed by a professor in the NCSU College of Design. The current homeowners love the modern layout of the home but needed an updated kitchen and family room. Because the house is built on a slab, the plumbing was in place and dictated a similar before and after kitchen layout. Wood Wise designer Kathy Walker created a larger island with additional seating and storage. KraftMaid “Putnam” style cabinets in Honey Spice finish are a great contrast to the existing terrazzo floor. The perimeter cabinets feature an area of open shelving to display a beautiful collection of glass. The subway style backsplash in glass is easy to clean and reflects the light. Good-looking granite countertops add warmth and character to this great kitchen.

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A favorite mountain resort was the inspiration for this master bathroom remodel. The homeowners wanted to create the spa-like feel including the barn door to the large shower. Wood Wise designer Kathy Walker guided them through the design and selection process and achieved exactly what they were wanting. Now these homeowners can enjoy the pampered feel of a mountain spa without leaving their comfortable home.

A favorite remodeling request from homeowners is to take out walls and open up. Older kitchens are often isolated, making the cook miss out on family and guest activities. These homeowners came to Wood Wise with that exact issue: they were faced with a small kitchen that was closed off from the dining and living rooms. The solution was to remove two walls which makes the kitchen larger and unites the three areas. The tiered island features seating for four as well as space to lay out a buffet. The results is an inviting home ready for family and community.

Details make all the difference in a room. In this recently remodeled kitchen by Wood Wise, the homeowners chose KraftMaid cherry Shaker-style cabinets in Honey Spice. The large island boasts beautiful matching wood corbels also by KraftMaid that support the granite countertop above and help hide electrical outlets below. With plenty of storage and seating for 4, this island blends the best of beauty and convenience.

A friend of Wood Wise shared the following comments that were made on her Nextdoor neighborhood app. A reader asked for recommendations for a remodeler. Some of her neighbors, past Wood Wise clients, had the most wonderful things to say.

We appreciate our homeowners and are thankful to have the privilege of serving them.

Convenience, beauty, storage, and lighting often top the list of reasons why a homeowner wants a kitchen remodel. These homeowners loved their home and location but needed the kitchen to be aesthetically and functionally better. Wood Wise designer Kathy Walker found a solution to better storage in the KraftMaid cabinets. She removed the inefficient pantry closet and created a wall of cabinets that more than doubles their storage. The desk area was replaced with a docking station cabinet for easy access to phones and tablets yet keeps them nicely hidden from view. Same wall but new look and more storage.

What a great time we had at the Raleigh Downtown Home show this past weekend! The warm weather encouraged lots of people to come out and start thinking about home improvement projects. We enjoyed meeting old friends and making new ones. It was a joy to help homeowners think through their goals and dreams for improving their homes.

Whether you came to the home show or not, we would love to talk with you about your goals and dreams for home improvement. Give us a call at 919 783 9330 or email: [email protected]. We want to help you enjoy your home more.