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By the Des Moines Register
October 1, 2009
Before Susan and Greg Bridge bought their West Des Moines home in 1990, the house had been owned by a business executive and a doctor.
"I guess when this was new, it was the best of the best," says Greg, a business systems consultant with Wells Fargo Technology.
But that was 1972. Now, the kitchen needed re-energizing, so the Bridges remodeled with the help of Granite Transformations in Urbandale.
"We weren't interested in changing the footprint, so this was a nice alternative to freshen the look," Susan says. "We're pretty convinced that everything we updated was the original."
The couple had always assumed they would move after their two sons Trevor, 15, and Ethan, 11 finished attending elementary school just down the street.
"But with the economy the way it is, we decided it would be better to be happy with what we have," Susan says.
Over the years, they had painted the "'70s-ugly, apartment-grade dark brown" cabinetry a "Green Bay Packer green." They also had installed almond-colored tile for a backsplash.
Granite Transformations sanded off the old green paint, "down to the bare wood," Greg says. They installed new drawers and new doors in a cherry finish.
"We have a lot of cherry furniture, so that's why we went with that," Greg says. "We also selected the pulls and the knobs."
The remodelers took measurements, and new countertops were constructed at Granite Transformations. Pieces were cut from prefabricated slabs made from ground granite stones, quartz and polyester resin that is mixed, formed, baked in kilns and polished. The custom-made countertops fit over existing counters.
The Bridges' new backsplash is made of Italian glass mosaic that comes in sheets, says Granite Transformations owner Teresa Egli.
During construction, the Bridges cooked meals in a microwave sitting on the kitchen table. But the inconvenience was short-lived.
"They started Monday about 8 a.m., and they were out of here by 10:30 a.m. Thursday," Susan says. "If they wanted to hustle, they probably could have been done Wednesday night."
The project cost no more than what they would pay for a late-model used car, Greg says.
"It was an investment that definitely was worth the cost," Susan says. "It was an attractive, affordable value."
Jane Schorer Meisner writes for the Homestyle section of the Des Moines Register.
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