Michelle and Scott Kearney live in Lewiston, in the house that Michelle grew up in. When they purchased the home from her parents in 2005, it was simply a small, ranch-style home at the end of a quiet, neighborhood street.

“The house has grown organically over the years,” said Scott, and now includes an in-law apartment for Michelle’s parents and a sun/family room in the back of the house where there used to be a patio.

With three growing children, “The kitchen didn’t work for us,” according to Michelle, because it was small but long and galley-like. “We are always in the kitchen together and every time we opened the door to the refrigerator no one could get by — it was a game of dodge-the-family-member.”

And with the significant lack of space, there was no room for a breakfast bar – a feature the family wanted.

There was an island in the middle of the kitchen with two floor to ceiling walls on either side. Both were load bearing walls, which presented problems when it came to their removal. In addition to a really bad use of space, the island had been problematic because of the cabinets above the countertop. “Scott kept hitting his head on them,” said Michelle.

In addition, “The countertops were a pinkish Corian that matched the funky pink wallpaper,” said Michelle, and because of how the wallpaper was prepared and hung, “We couldn’t peel it, so we tried to paint over it.” Unsuccessfully.

There was a raspberry border hung above the backsplash and when it was painted the Kearneys were left with an unappealing visible ridge at the edge of the border.

With renovations to the rest of the house essentially complete, it was clearly time to focus on the kitchen.

The Kearneys had heard good things about Hammond Lumber, and so chose to use their expertise. “We met with [kitchen and bath designer] Jessica Rice. She was knowledgeable and made us feel comfortable,” said Michelle.

Rice also came to the house and met with Don Lavoie of Lavoie Construction, their contractor.

“I had a vision of this kitchen in my head for about eight years,” said Michelle. “Jessica worked with our ideas and kept tweaking it to complete the design.”

After about a month of planning, the demolition began during the week of July 4th.

Like most guys, Scott’s favorite part of the project was tearing apart the old kitchen. Whoever installed the original cabinets was “very liberal with the nails and the screws,” he said, making it difficult to tear out the cabinets.

Michelle’s favorite part of the renovation was watching her father and Scott take out the island and cabinets: “Scott and my dad went to town.” It was very entertaining … to say the least.

Unfortunately, working full time left Scott precious little time for destruction. He recalls chipping tile late one night when his tween daughter wandered out of her bedroom to complain about her noisy father – a cute reversal of roles.

Upon removing the load-bearing walls on either side of the island, the ceiling had a noticeable sag. The existing beams were insufficient to support the ceiling so they built a frame to provide temporary support and replaced the existing beams with larger beams made of several pieces put together.

They also removed two additional walls, opening up what once was a hallway that led to the children’s rooms, and a smaller wall that separated the kitchen from the spacious dining and living room, to accommodate a high breakfast bar that would seat all five family members.

“We let the kids draw and write on the walls before we ripped them out,” said Scott. His other favorite part of the project was the look on the children’s faces when they handed them the markers, crayons and paints. “They asked us three times [if they really could do it], and we even let them take a couple of whacks at it with a hammer.”

Son Austin, who happened into the room around this point in this interview, smiled and shouted: “Give me the crayons, I’m gonna do it again.” The result: a quick but jovial “NO” from both parents.

After living with white cabinets, the Kearneys chose to install a darker cherry shade of cabinetry, and to continue the cabinets all the way to the ceiling. Lighting will be installed underneath the cabinets to supplement the recessed lighting above.

They chose granite for their countertops because they like how it looks. According to Scott, granite “provided the best balance between cost and quality.”

“Plus, we fell in love with this shade,” added Michelle. Although the original kitchen had a pantry, with a plethora of new and efficient cabinet spaces the new kitchen does not need one.

Michelle selected a large flat stovetop with five burners, including a warming spot. “I like the look of it, and the size,” said Michelle. “It’s also easier to clean.”

They also installed a built-in microwave and an oven with a convection option. Additional stainless steel appliances, including a dishwasher and a new refrigerator, will be in soon.

At the far end of the kitchen, in front of the large windows that overlook the back yard, there is a space for a computer and the telephone “and for the children to do their homework, while I am cooking,” said Michelle. “I love that I can sit at the desk and watch the kids play in the backyard,” she added.

Also at the far end of the kitchen, a sliding door previously led from the kitchen to the sun/family room. The unnecessary slider was removed in favor of light and to open up the space.

Though it’s presently on backorder, the kitchen project will be complete with the installation of hardwood flooring.

With this renovation, the Kearneys have nearly quadrupled the size of their kitchen. Although Caitlin and her mom both like the new breakfast bar best – “My son said ‘It’s like a restaurant now’,” said Michelle – Scott likes the absence of the island.

“The house seemed so choppy before,” he said, “and now it flows and is open.”