This Norristown home needed more than a facelift. The kitchen was closed off from the living space, the bathrooms were dated, and the basement was dark wood paneling and old tile. We renovated the whole house: opened up the main floor, built a new kitchen and a custom coffee bar, redid the bathrooms, and finished the basement with a new laundry area. Here is how it came together, from the first demo day to the finished rooms.
Where we started
The basement had wood paneling, a drop ceiling, and worn quarry tile. Upstairs, the bathrooms had original tile, cultured-marble vanity tops, and walls that had already been opened for repairs.
Designed in 3D before demo
Before anything was torn out, we built 3D renderings of the kitchen, coffee bar, and bathrooms during preconstruction. Renderings let homeowners see layout, cabinet colors, and tile choices in the actual space and make decisions before materials are ordered, which is far cheaper than changing direction mid-build. Some selections were refined after the renderings, which is exactly what this step is for.
Demo and opening the main floor
We took the walls between the kitchen, dining, and living areas down to the studs, gutted the kitchen to the subfloor, and stripped the bathrooms. Opening walls means dealing with whatever runs through them, so the wiring and mechanicals in the way were handled while the framing was exposed.
The finished kitchen
The new kitchen opens directly to the living room. A long island with a gas cooktop and seating anchors the space, with two-tone cabinetry: wood-grain uppers and green lowers and island. Quartz countertops, a subway tile backsplash, stacked wall ovens, glass pendants, and dark-stained wood floors tie it together. A sliding barn door closes off the basement stairs without swinging into the walkway.
A built-in coffee bar
Across from the kitchen, a wall of tall green pantry cabinets frames a coffee bar with a quartz top, subway tile, and lit floating shelves. It adds serious storage without crowding the kitchen. Compare the rendering to the finished build below.
New bathrooms
Each bathroom was taken down to the studs and rebuilt with new tile, recessed shower niches, sliding glass shower doors, and matte black fixtures. One kept a tub with a full tile surround; another became a walk-in shower. As with the kitchen, the renderings set the direction and the final tile and finishes were dialed in from there.
A finished basement and laundry
The paneled basement became bright, usable space with a painted open ceiling, wood-look flooring, and a laundry area with cabinets, a counter for folding, and open shelving.
Planning a whole-home renovation?
Projects like this go smoothly when the big decisions are made before demo day: layout, which walls come out, cabinet and tile selections, and how the work is sequenced room by room. That is what our renovation preconstruction process is built for, with transparent cost-plus pricing so you see exactly where the money goes.
McClave Builders renovates homes in Norristown and across Montgomery and Chester Counties. See more of our work in the portfolio, or schedule a consultation and call (610) 300-5585.
