Kitchen Remodel in McLean, VA: Before and After Case Study
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A Real Kitchen Remodel in McLean, VA: The Real Numbers
This one is personal: the kitchen EA’s founder designed and built for his own family in McLean. Every material decision he recommends to clients, tested in his own home.
The Numbers
What this kitchen had to prove
When the person designing kitchens for a living remodels his own, there is nowhere to hide. This McLean kitchen became the testing ground for the cabinet construction, layout logic, and lighting plan EA recommends to clients every week.
Context matters for that figure. In a teardown market like McLean, this level of kitchen is not an indulgence; it is what keeps a mid-century home standing confidently next to the new construction on the same street.
McLean homes carry the highest finish expectations in Northern Virginia, buyers and appraisers here notice the difference between builder-grade and custom immediately. The kitchen had to match that standard.
What went in, and one honest tradeoff
A full gut with a reworked layout: custom cabinetry to the ceiling, a large island engineered for both prep and seating, panel-ready appliances, and a layered lighting plan. Everything photographed here is the real, lived-in result.
The tradeoff: at the $120K+ level, appliance and custom cabinetry lead times drive the calendar as much as construction does. We ordered everything before demolition, the discipline that keeps an 11-week build from becoming a 16-week one.
Before and After: 8 Photos of the Finished Kitchen
28 Design Awards. Four-Time National Winner.
Five-star rated on Google, Houzz, Yelp, and Facebook across nearly 2,000 Northern Virginia projects. Virginia Class A licence #2705157182.
What EA Home Design Clients Say
“We have done many home remodel and upgrade projects over the years. The design team, build team, and project management team at EA Designs are the most professional we have encountered.”
Where This Project Is
Project completed in McLean, Fairfax County. Exact address withheld for the homeowner’s privacy. McLean is the region’s most active teardown market, and a kitchen at this level is what keeps a mid-century house competitive with the new construction on the same street.
Questions McLean Homeowners Ask
What does a kitchen remodel like this cost in McLean?
This project was in the $120K+ range, full gut, layout changes, custom cabinetry, and panel-ready appliances. In McLean, most full remodels we build land between $90K and $200K depending on cabinetry level and how much the layout moves.
Is a $120K kitchen worth it in McLean?
In this market, usually yes, McLean home values support a higher kitchen investment than almost anywhere else in Virginia. The honest caveat: over-improving is still possible on smaller homes, and we will tell you if your budget exceeds what your street supports.
How long does a remodel like this take?
About 11 weeks of construction, plus design and ordering time before demolition ever starts. Fairfax County permits for electrical and plumbing are handled by EA and built into the schedule.
Thinking About Your Own Kitchen in McLean?
Book a free in-home design consultation and see your own kitchen in 3D, priced realistically, before you commit to anything.
Curious what a project like this involves where you live? Start with our kitchen remodeling in McLean, VA page for the full scope, the process, and the neighborhoods we work in.
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