About Thehughesgallery

Why We Stick to Older Kitchens

Thehughesgallery is a kitchen remodeling contractor in Newport Beach, and we have chosen to spend most of our time in one kind of house: the ones built across Eastbluff, Harbor View Hills and Dover Shores in the 1960s and 1970s. Those homes have good bones, generous lots and views people move across the country for. Their kitchens, on the other hand, were designed for a different way of living. They are closed off, often dark, short on outlets and usually sit behind a wall that separates whoever is cooking from everyone else.

Working in the same era of house again and again teaches you where the trouble hides. We know that a soffit over the upper cabinets is probably carrying a duct. We know to look in the attic before promising that a wall can simply come out. We know the electrical panel may need attention before a new range can go in, and that a sink moved to an island means cutting the concrete slab for a drain line. Knowing these things early is what keeps a budget honest.

How We Run a Job

• We look before we design. Attic, soffit, panel and plumbing are checked before a layout is final.
• We bring in the right people. A structural engineer on any wall that carries load, and plans submitted to the City of Newport Beach for review and inspection.
• We test before we tear out. Paint, textured ceilings and old flooring are sampled for lead and asbestos in homes of this age.
• We tell you when not to spend. Solid original cabinet boxes can be refaced, and a sink that already sits in the right place should stay there.

Neighbors and Associations

Many of the communities we work in have associations with set work hours, rules on where trucks and dumpsters can sit, and architectural review for anything visible from outside. We plan the schedule around those rules from the first meeting so the project does not stall waiting on a letter.

Get in Touch

If you live in an older Newport Beach home and the kitchen is the room that never quite worked, call (949) 581-0087. Our office is at 1408 Ford Rd, Newport Beach, CA 92661.