Real Life Renovation Story: My Kitchen Transformation

Following a slow bathroom renovation, Gillie Hutchinson tries a different tack for the transformation of her kitchen

Ren-o-vate: to restore to good condition; to create a sense of wellbeing in a familiar, personal space. This is something we can all relate to in current times. Renovations can be daunting and often expensive, yet they can be extremely satisfying and give your home a new lease of life which is certainly cheaper than moving.

My first foray into renovation at my holiday home on the Côte d’Azur began in the summer of 2021 during a brief period of relaxed during a brief period of relaxed Covid travel restrictions. After 32 years, the ‘bijou’ bathroom was crying out to be modernised. I was determined to create more space by hauling out the giant peach bathtub and installing a corner shower.

Of course, renovations of a small kind can still feel like a major undertaking, the disruption was the same as if it was an entire French farmhouse – the huge amounts of dust from drilled concrete flooring seeps into every nook and cranny; the carnage of shattered tiles; the noise levels, not to mention the anxiety that a water pipe may burst at any moment. I hired a freelance plumber whose flier I found in my letterbox. Jean Marc promised to be prompt and reliable. He was affordable and he was available immediately. Since my summer sojourn had just begun, I figured I’d get the work done and still have time to relax in the Mediterranean sun.

So, off we went in Jean Marc’s white transit van to ‘Castorama’, the local DIY box store, to choose my new bathroom ‘furniture’ – shower unit, shower head, sink, tap, wall panels and more white floor tiles. My chatty plumber would show up most days between 8am and 9am. Some days he didn’t show up at all, citing other commitments. Some days he’d hang around until the early evening. His cell phone rang constantly, interrupting his work flow, and he regularly took three-hour lunches. My air conditioning ran all day long…

The job took him three weeks. The cost, €3,000. While I was very pleased with the final result, it took a lot of my time and patience and could have been done in six days.

Bring on the summer of 2022 and my kitchen make- over! This time I went with a professional outfit rather than an individual, deciding to pay the money to get the best quality and service. I was not disappointed. Schmidt is a nationwide enterprise that began its life in Germany over 60 years ago. During the war, founder Hubert Schmidt relocated to Alsace, where the factory still fabricates the made-to-measure units for every outlet in France.

When I met Monsieur Tartarin, head of the Fréjus branch first opened by his parents in 2007, he explained more about the company: 70% of his business comes from kitchens, of which 50% is for holiday homes or maisons secondaires, which includes owners from UK, Holland, Belgium and Germany. Typical budgets range from €5,000 to €20,000 with an average of 200 contracts per year. Designs can be agreed online via Zoom or via email without the client having to be on site until installation. “Ca reste en humain,” said Tartarin, promoting the exclusive one-on-one relationship each client has with their design consultant throughout the contract. “Le principal c’est que le client soit satisfait,” he said, proudly adding that 33% of his clientele are repeat customers.

My personal consultant, Andrea Declerck, measured up and designed my new kitchen and pulled up the computer model on her laptop screen. I received an all-in price of €9,200, including all new appliances, from design to fitting to final completion, and I felt confident as I chose my leather-clad bar stools.

Preparation is key before any renovation and sometimes ruthless decisions have to be made. This can get quite emotional, and as I stood and watched the old cane sideboard I had chosen with my parents 33 years earlier be carted off to make way for the new units, it wasn’t without some remorse. It had served the family well. At some point, you have to let go of things to make room for change and here I was, doing just that.

Despite the mid-October fuel strike in France, my kitchen units and appliances were safely delivered by truck from Alsace on the morning of 18 October. The kitchen fitter, Stanislas (I called him Stan), arrived later that day, keen to get a head start. He removed the outdated blue units, the dysfunctional oven and rusting electric hob rings. He took away the old fridge with its little freezer unit, just big enough for plastic ice trays for my G&TS. By 5pm he had fitted the lower cupboard carcasses.

The next day he installed the white crystallite sink and mixer tap, Whirlpool dishwasher, Bosch oven, Whirlpool induction hob and under- counter Bosch fridge. And on the third day, the gorgeous vintage oak counter tops, with matching backsplash panelling and upper units were fitted along with the stainless steel electric hood, an over-sink LED light and the bar/table. I was in awe. So much transformation in such a short time!

Stan was duly rewarded with lunch in the village and a very decent bottle of wine from Château de Berne (Flayosc). The following day, Andrea arrived with a bottle of champagne from Alsace as a ‘thank you’ for my business, and to check that the work had been satisfactorily completed. The only thing outstanding were the bar stools which sadly had been delayed. A small hiccup in the scheme of things.

Top renovation tips

• Do your research; ask neighbours for recommendations
• Consider using a reputable company rather than an individual Set a realistic budget plus an ‘extras’ allowance
• Set a realistic timeframe
• Be clear about your renovation needs and keep designs simple to keep costs down
• Have a list of questions ready; what the budget includes, dates, length of job etc
• Be present both during and after the work is being done i.e. plan relevant travel accordingly, allowing for possible delays* (e.g. weather, deliveries, breakages)
• Provide your own dust sheets to protect your furniture, and storage boxes for all your personal items plus kitchen (or bathroom) supplies, pans, dishes, glasses etc
• Speak the language or have someone with you who speaks French and can communicate effectively with your design consultant and fitter

*Schmidt’s Alsace factory could not meet my initial delivery dates by the time I paid the 30% deposit, which meant I had to change my return flight home at a personal cost of $450. Thankfully, I was awarded a new set of induction pans from Andrea!

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