Kitchen Remodel Helps Ease a Drab Winter’s Chill
This home, a one-time 1930s beach cabin, got so cold in winter that its owner would routinely flee to Mexico for three months. But after six years of annual escapes, it was time to put down year-round roots. And a foundation.
This renovated kitchen was the final flourish to an extended whole-house remodel that included installing a foundation and weatherizing with plenty of insulation, so much that it snuffed out what was once living space in the attic.
General contractor Chuckanut Builders, with interior designer Robin Luchsinger of Bellevue, carefully retained the home’s historic character by keeping the original windows and stone fireplace, and closely matching the wood paneling from the house’s Depression-era roots.
The kitchen was updated with finishes like Marmoleum flooring, subway tile, and stainless steel appliances, along with new plumbing and electrical, including undercabinet LED lighting that showcases custom cabinets installed by New Whatcom Interiors.
Removing an interior wall ushered in natural light and a beautiful bay view from the kitchen, where an eating bar was installed, and removing steps to the attic loft added nearly 100 feet to the 1,700-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bath – room cabin.
The project was jump-started by an audit through Sustainable Connections’ Community Energy Challenge, where homeowners pay to have their home evaluated for energy efficiency and then receive subsidies and incentives to fix it.
The cabin, located on a plateau off Chuckanut Drive, got woeful scores initially. But this year, with a house sealed up and cozy, the owner spent his first full winter at home, except for three weeks in Mexico during Bellingham’s rainy February. Can you blame him?
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