Crafting a new kitchen

David Haimovich of Renaissance Renovations transformed what was a claustrophobic and outdated kitchen in the Briar Oaks building in Riverdale into a bright and spacious cook’s dream.

Mr. Haimovich maximized the space in the kitchen by knocking down two walls, opening it up to the hallway, living room and dining areas. Light from the large north-facing windows now enters the kitchen where it barely did before. A new center light and light under the counters illuminate areas that would have otherwise been in a shadow.

Mr. Haimovich installed new cabinets and stainless Samsung appliances (fridge/freezer, gas stove, built-in microwave). He redid the floor in dark porcelain and installed a glass mosaic tile backsplash that runs from floor to ceiling.

In addition, all of the countertops are new, sparkling Silestone, a proprietary quartz product, which Mr. Haimovich said is stronger than many of the alternatives, is easy to clean and doesn’t stain.

He got the material for the countertops and floor from Express Tile in Yonkers, where he said he found great products at excellent prices.

The work was more than cosmetic. Mr. Haimovich also installed a water purification system that filters all the water that enters the apartment — even the water used in the new freezer’s ice machine.

He installed new outlets, taking the extra time to put in separate lines to minimize the chance of blowing a fuse by plugging in too many appliances at once.

Mr. Haimovich managed to reduce his client’s discomfort, speeding the entire process along by doing much of the work offsite. For example, he built the cabinets outside the apartment so his clients didn’t have to live with material in their kitchen while the work was being done. He was able to simply bring the cabinets in and install them without much disruption or fuss.

The entire renovation of the kitchen — and two bathrooms (not pictured) — took two and a half fairly painless months.