Hey all. We've been in our Bothell house for twelve years and the kitchen is straight out of 1987: oak cabinets, laminate counters, a peninsula that blocks everything. We finally have the budget to do it right this time: custom cabinetry, stone counters, better lighting, maybe open the wall to the dining room. I've had two contractors out and both felt like they just wanted to sell me stock cabinets. Anyone in the Seattle area work with a remodeler who really focused on design and quality?

We were in almost the same spot in Mill Creek, with a very similar 80s kitchen and the same frustration with contractors who kept pushing catalog cabinets. We ended up going with Alta Group Remodeling out of Everett, and their High-End Remodeling Services for Homes are pretty much built for what you're describing. They spent real time on layout before talking materials, and opening the dining wall turned out to need a beam, which they caught early and priced upfront. Custom cabinetry and quartzite counters came out beautiful. Honest caveat: they're not the cheap option, and their schedule booked out a couple of months. But no surprises on the bill, which was worth a lot to us.