By Kaitlin Candelaria
Maria and George Dikis moved to Vestavia Hills last year. Their daughter, Evie, was approaching school age and they were interested in the education system.
They compromised on their home; George loved the modern mid-century building, whereas the painted brick gave the house a cottage-feel that catered to Maria’s more traditional style.
However, there was one thing they both agreed on – the kitchen had to go.
“The kitchen looked like no one had touched it since the 1960s,” Maria said. “The layout was very odd. For example, the stove was right next to the refrigerator so I always felt like I was going to catch it on fire when I cooked dinner.”
The couple put their heads together and hatched a plan to update their kitchen. They contacted AllSouth Appliance Group in Homewood and began working to create their dream room.
“My husband likes the modern style, so he wanted a very modern kitchen,” Maria said. “We definitely wanted the stainless steel appliances. We loved the trendy grays and white color pallets we saw online and in magazines, but we went with AllSouth’s shaker cabinets to give it a little more of a traditional feel.”
George was very hands on and handled all of the general contracting throughout the project. However, even with an involved approach, the project still took the couple the better part of ten weeks.
“Not having a kitchen for that long with a 5-year-old was the biggest challenge,” Maria said. “We did a makeshift kitchen downstairs and used the grill a lot.”
Now that the kitchen is completed, Maria said she is enjoying the fresh look.
“I love the streamlined cleanliness of it,” she said. “The counter top space is there now. I love my soft close cabinets and drawers, especially with a young child in the house.”
The couple was also able to add a pantry to the room, which Maria said she missed desperately from their previous home.
“It isn’t large, but it has pull-out shelves and it’s awesome,” she said. “I didn’t even realize how much I missed it until I got it back.”
She advises anyone who’s considering a similar remodel to be patient.
“You can’t prepare for it,” she said. “I felt like we were prepared and it worked, but it wasn’t as seamless as I thought it would be. Be prepared for extra time. Be prepared to wait on people.”
Now that the family has completed the redo, they have another big project on the horizon: kindergarten.
“It’s an exciting time for us right now,” Maria said. “That’s our big focus now that the kitchen is finished.” 
