N.J. Home Makeover: Woodcliff Lake couple creates a $90Kdream kitchen

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Lisa Bucco had a clear vision of the kitchen she wanted.

Before the first sledgehammer was raised to knock down the back wall of her 1974 Center HallColonial in Woodcliff Lake, she had selected every appliance and decided on each detail from thedrawer pulls to the counters and the flooring.

"I had pored over a lot of magazines andHouzz," she said. "I really tried to find all of my favoritethings."

Initially, Bucco worried that all those favorites might not work together. ButKitchens by Ken Bauerof Hillsdale was able to harmoniously combine each of her choices, she said. "They did a great job ofcoming up with the layout."

The renovation

Crews from BNS Construction in Woodcliff Lake gutted the original kitchen, carving space from thebackyard for a 9-foot extension that brought the remodeled kitchen to roughly 600 square feet.

"A lot of people can fit in here comfortably," Bucco said of the enlarged kitchen. "We have a growingfamily and we entertain a lot, so a beautiful white kitchen for entertaining was my dream," sheadded.

Bucco, a pharmacist, and her firefighter and real estate agent husband, John, had lived in their3,055-square-foot-home for about 9 months before beginning the project. Lisa Bucco says thekitchen project was the first step in updating the four-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom house theyshare with their two children, ages 6 and 3.

The kitchen is the center of activity, andLisa Bucco chose many of its features tomake it more accommodating forgatherings.

Two sparkling chandeliers hang over alarge center island. "I can put out all myplatters, and people can come around andserve themselves," she said. The islandbecomes a buffet serving area for parties.At other times it's a food-prep station or aplace for casual family dining.

The island has a wine refrigerator and a Sharp microwave drawer, which can be installed into thecabinetry of sleek designer kitchens. Near the island, a warming unit is hidden in a cabinet drawerto hold prepared foods at serving temperature. The kitchen's flooring is low-maintenance porcelaintile that resembles planks of weathered wood.

The couple tappedConsumer Reports for their appliance choices, selecting a Samsung refrigerator, aBosch dishwasher, a Wolf cooktop and a KitchenAid double oven.

They altered the initial design proposed for their kitchen, eliminating plans to replace a sliding doorinto the backyard. "I wanted to have the cabinets wrap around the entire room," Lisa Bucco said.

The kitchen gets enough natural light through a large window above the new farmhouse-style sink,she said. And the room is also brightened by recessed ceiling fixtures, the chandeliers and otherlighting.

In addition more storage space, Lisa Bucco said the continuous stretch of white cabinetry makes thekitchen look more spacious. They also worked with the understated styling she had envisioned.

"I wanted something that would be traditional, not overly trendy. Something that would be a classicstyle," she says. "With the chandeliers, I got a little glamour, too."

How long it took

Work began last April, and the project was completed in 10 weeks.

Where they splurged

The counter tops. "The quartz was a particular style (Calcutta Royal) with yellow and gray veining ona white base," Lisa Bucco said. They also splurged on the Wolf cooktop. "The Wolf, I felt, went withhaving a high-end kitchen."

Who did the work

BNS Construction did the addition; Bauer did the kitchen remodel

How much it cost

More than $90,000

How they saved

"We knew what we wanted, and we shopped around to make sure we were getting the best price,"Lisa Bucco said. Her husband found good prices on everything, including the contractors who didthe work, she said. He talked with five kitchen design centers before they made a decision.

If they had it to do over

"We have no regrets and are very happy," John Bucco said.

Kimberly L. Jackson may be reached athome@starledger.com.FindNJ.com Entertainment onFacebook.