Kitchen Remodel · Carmichael, CA · case study
Forest-green galley kitchen · Carmichael
Deep forest-green flat-panel perimeter, a white shaker island that grounds the room, a full-height honed Calacatta marble backsplash, a panel-ready French-door refrigerator that disappears, and a dual-fuel range with hand-finished brass knobs.
Days on site
42
Service
Kitchen Remodel
Where
Carmichael
Scope tier
Luxury scope
Before / after
Drag to see what changed
Same camera angle, same room — drag the slider to reveal the before and after.
After
The brief
What the homeowner wanted
An older Carmichael home with a closed-off galley kitchen and a load-bearing wall that separated the cook from the living room. The homeowners wanted to open the room, keep the warmth of the original 1960s ranch, and land on a palette that wouldn't feel dated in five years. We pulled the load-bearing wall (engineered beam dropped to ceiling height so the ceiling plane stays clean), built a deep forest-green perimeter, and grounded the new opening with a white shaker island. The Calacatta backsplash runs floor-to-ceiling behind the range — a single uninterrupted plane of book-matched stone.
The scope
Exactly what we built
A scope checklist is how every Tanbark project starts. Below is the real list we worked from on this build — the same level of specificity goes into the itemized estimate you'll get after your in-home walk-through.
- Demo of existing cabinets, counters, soffit, and load-bearing wall
- Structural engineer-stamped beam + posts to replace the load-bearing wall
- Re-route of plumbing + gas + electrical for new layout
- Custom flat-panel perimeter cabinets, sprayed forest green
- White shaker island with butcher-block + stone counter zones
- Book-matched honed Calacatta marble full-height backsplash behind the range
- Panel-ready French-door refrigerator with millwork integration
- Pro 48" dual-fuel range with brass knobs + matching range hood
- Three-circuit dimmable lighting (overhead, island, accent)
- Engineered hardwood floor in warm oak tone
Materials + finishes
What we specified
We publish the actual material specs because finishes are what make a build feel custom — and because the cheap version of every line below is the difference between a one-year project and a twenty-year project.
- Sprayed forest-green flat-panel perimeter cabinetry
- White shaker island with mixed butcher-block + honed quartz counters
- Honed Calacatta marble (book-matched) full-height backsplash
- Panel-ready French-door refrigerator with custom millwork doors
- Pro 48" dual-fuel range with hand-finished brass knobs
- Engineered white oak hardwood floor
Material + finish detail
The details up close
Day by day
How 42 working days actually go
Visitors love seeing the schedule honestly. Below is how this project actually broke down. Your timeline will look similar; the exact day count lives in your written estimate.
- 1
Design + engineering
Pre-buildStructural engineer drawings for the beam, cabinet drawings, stone selected at the yard.
- 2
Demo + structural
Day 1-9Wall removed, engineered beam set, posts hidden in millwork, ceiling re-finished.
- 3
Rough-in + floor
Day 10-18Plumbing + gas + electrical re-routed, engineered hardwood floor laid.
- 4
Cabinets
Day 19-28Forest-green perimeter and white island cabinets installed and adjusted.
- 5
Stone + appliances
Day 29-37Honed Calacatta backsplash book-matched and set; appliances + hood installed under permit.
- 6
Lighting + finish
Day 38-41Three-circuit lighting wired and dimmer-tested, brass hardware installed across cabinetry.
- 7
Final + reveal
Day 42City of Sacramento final inspection, deep clean, walk-through and warranty handover.
Why this build matters
The details that took it from good to great
- Pulling the load-bearing wall is the move that changed everything — the room reads twice as large with the same footprint.
- Book-matched marble means we hand-pick two adjacent slabs at the yard so the vein patterns mirror across the seam. It's a small detail that completely changes how the backsplash reads.
- Brass hardware ages — we use unlacquered solid brass on purpose so it warms over time instead of looking factory-fresh forever.
“We thought the green would be too much. It's the thing every guest comments on. Worth the patience on the structural week.”
— Carmichael homeowner
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Want the same scope-checklist for your project?
Grab the free 2026 Sacramento Remodel Planning Kit — the same scope worksheet, contractor question list, and material spec sheet we use on builds like this kitchen remodel in Carmichael.
- Scope-Built Quote Worksheet — for apples-to-apples bids
- 10 questions every Sacramento contractor should answer
- Sacramento permit reality check by jurisdiction
- The 5 line items that blow most remodel budgets
- Material + finish cheat sheet (what to spec, what to skip)
About the number on a project like this:
We don't publish project totals because the same build can cost very differently depending on the home, the existing conditions, the finish level you actually want, and how much custom millwork or stone the design calls for. The right number for your project lives in your itemized written estimate, which we deliver within 48 hours of your in-home walk-through.
On the walk we bring the same scope-checklist approach you see above. By the end of the visit you'll know exactly which line items are fixed scope, which are selections, and where the real budget pressure lives.
Articles about this kind of project
Sacramento-area context for a kitchen remodel like this — permits, timeline drivers, and scope decisions.
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Roseville kitchen remodel: when to keep the layout, when to open it up
Should you rebuild your Roseville kitchen in the existing footprint or pull walls to open it to the great room? A scope-tier walkthrough of what each direction costs (in scope and timeline, not dollars) and how to decide.
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Article · Sacramento
How to read a Sacramento kitchen remodel quote (and 7 line items most homeowners miss)
Comparing kitchen remodel bids in Sacramento is hard because no two contractors itemize the same way. Here is exactly what should be in every quote, what the seven most-missed line items are, and how to spot a low bid that is going to balloon.
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Next step
Want a build like this on your home?
Book a free in-home walk-through. A Tanbark Project Manager (not a salesperson) will measure, ask the right questions, and bring you an itemized scope-built estimate within 48 hours.
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