Prioritizing Remodeling Projects

Taking Stock

When Dani Taylor bought her 1970s tract home in Northridge, California, the kitchen seemed fine. But when her new husband, Bill, and his three sons moved in, Dani was ready for a kitchen upgrade. "The day I got here, she started talking about the kitchen," Bill says. But with three teenage boys in the house, adding on a family room took priority over the kitchen. Then, when a baby was born, a new master bedroom seemed more important.

When it was finally time for the kitchen remodel, Dani was prepared. She had used those years to figure out exactly what she wanted: white cabinets, light-color granite countertops, new appliances, recessed lighting, and a graceful arch between the kitchen and the family room.

In fact, Dani's dreams for the kitchen had become so defined over the years that her contractor, Pat Patton, says, "Of any person I've ever worked with, she was the most clear.