Couple transform kitchen and lounge despite having three kids and working full-time – World News

By admin On Jun 13, 2021

A couple have completely transformed their living room and kitchen spaces all by themselves – all while balancing busy full-time jobs and looking after their three children throughout lockdown.

Brady and Kassie Berkhof, both 35, from Duluth, Minnesota, worked hard on their DIY project, but only had time during the evenings and weekends, meaning it took longer than they’d have liked to complete.

The couple, who are parents to Madeline, 10, Hudson, seven, and Ayla, five, did almost all the world themselves, saving them thousands of pounds.

But the DIY project has come at a cost, with the family forced to eat microwave meals on the floor for months while they transformed the rooms.

The couple purchased their split-level home in 2011 for $215,000 and over lockdown decided to change the look of their living room and kitchen, as they felt the spaces were dull and out-dated.

Kassie took charge of the design while her partner Brady, who works as a journeyman plumber, completed the installation and builds.

Brady and Kassie Berkhof home renovations — The kitchen space was outdated before
(Image: Jam Press/@northerlyhome)

They started the project in November 2020, removing the floating wall separating the two rooms, as well as removing the kitchen flooring and peninsula to create an open plan living space.

Brady and Kassie installed new white kitchen cabinets and quartz countertops from Home Depot and new faucets from Delta.

They also installed new lights and a chandelier from Ferguson, a new backsplash and a brand-new sink.

Additionally, the family added a fireplace and redid the ceiling.

The family-of-five lived at home during the renovation process and lived off microwave meals for weeks – even washing their dishes in the laundry room and sitting on the floor to eat their meals.

“We had to set up a temporary kitchen that consisted of microwave, air fryer, instapot, toaster and cooked out of those,” Kassie told Jam Press.

“We also had to wash dishes in the laundry room.

“We did live at home during the renovation and had no furniture upstairs for several months, which meant picnics on the floor most day.

“Brady and I both work full time jobs so we had to work on the renovation in the evenings and weekends, which is why it took us a longer time to complete.”

Brady and Kassie also purchased new appliances and redecorated the space, bringing the cost to a total of $40,000 (£28,300)

The entire renovation took the couple six months to complete.

“We love the outcome,” Kassie, who works as a business analyst at a hospital, added.

“We gravitate toward minimal, functional designs that aren’t too trendy and I think we’ve accomplished just that.

“I can see us enjoying our new space for years to come.

“The most enjoyable part of the renovation was working together to bring our vision to life.

“We trust each other and have similar tastes when developing design ideas, which makes working together fun.

“We really enjoy the whole process, from the beginning stages of designing to install to the final touches.

“It’s very rewarding to see the end result of all the hard work.

“However, we experienced delays and some damages in receiving a lot of the materials, which was frustrating.

“It pushed out completion of the project.”

In a few words of advice to others who wish to renovate their home, Kassie added: “Always plan a little wiggle room in your budget for unexpected expenses.

“Try to visualise the flow of the space when you start the design, where you will store things and what makes the most sense for where appliances should go, how cabinet doors will open etc.