Welcome to Pauline’s kitchen
Today, we hand this space over to Pauline, whose home we recently worked on to give her the kitchen she dreamed of. She explains how the renovation process went for her.
I’d been tired of my kitchen for a few years. I wasn’t crazy about my cupboards anymore, my counter was out of style and in rough shape, and I yearned for a daily living space that was more practically functional. After looking through a ton of photos, I finally told myself it was time to stop dreaming and do something. So I looked around for the names of contractors that could handle my project. When I came upon Groupe 3R’s website, I read the testimonials and checked out their renovation work. It was enough to convince me to contact them via the form on the site.
It didn’t take long at all for my phone to ring. I got a call from a representative who wanted to know a little more about my project. I explained that I knew nothing about renovations, but I knew what I liked and I needed someone to guide me. In fact, I wanted somebody who could take complete charge of the project and make it a reality. The representative explained that what I was describing was a turnkey project. This meant that Groupe 3R would take charge of every step. I had nothing to do other than describe what I wanted, choose the materials, and approve the plans.
BEFORE THE WORK:
My main idea was to redesign the layout of the room to transform the peninsula into an island and make space for a wine cellar. I wanted the result to be more modern and timeless, because I’m not the kind of person who looks forward to redoing my kitchen any time soon! The representative clearly explained that there would be nothing to pay until the quote was signed when I’d made my final decisions after the first two in-person meetings. At the end of our conversation, he proposed a few dates to meet up and take a look at my kitchen.
A few days later, they came in person and took photos and measurements. They really took the time to take note of all my needs so that they could pass the project onto Fanny, the designer. They explained that they would prepare a first draft of the plans and a quote for our showroom appointment. I was concerned about the schedule: when the work would start, how long it was going to take, and so on. They put their cards on the table and explained that the main issue was the supply of materials. They gave me realistic deadlines, which was a transparency that I greatly appreciated. I needed to know how much time my kitchen was going to be out of bounds, not promises that couldn’t be met in the end.
My meeting with Fanny went really well. We talked about materials and the kitchen layout: the design, the drawers, where things would go, and so on. Initially, I envisioned a wine cellar at the height of the counter, but instead she suggested a full-sized cellar. That’s when the overall form really began to take shape. I was excited by her ideas for materials, the cupboards and the counters, but I also truly felt that she listened to me and guided me so that I could make the best possible choices. I was given the time to think it over with the quote in hand to make my decision.
Two weeks later, I called them to give the project the green light. We made an appointment for them to take final measurements at my place, then I met Fanny again to approve the new layout and make the final choices about materials: cupboards, counters, ceramic tiles, paint, handles and so on. From then on, my role was finished. The designer prepared the final plans and as the work progressed, I could follow the calendar and keep track. I received the invoices as the work moved forward.
The demolition and reconstruction work started with the Groupe 3R team of workers under the supervision of the project manager. I was a little afraid there would be a lot of people and a big mess, but in the end, the schedule was arranged so that only one type of work was carried out at a time. They explained that this helped better manage the work site and create less waste and fewer eventual repairs. Everything ran smoothly. I felt that the team really ran a tight ship, and this was reassuring. Once the finishings were done, they carried out quality control to ensure that everything was up to snuff. And finally, I could enjoy my new kitchen. I’m super happy with the result! My custom-designed kitchen in top-quality materials makes me want to cook more than ever now.
