Burke is a census-designated place or CDP located in Fairfax County. It was named after farmer Silas Burke, who was also a local politician. He owned a big plot of land in the area overlooking the valley of Pohick Creek around 1824. At that time, Burke was 17,000 acres larger that it is now, because it included what is now known as Burke Centre, a planned community south of Burke CDP, and eventually became a CDP as well.

The separation of Burke CDP and Burke Centre in 2010 reduced the population of Burke CDP to 41,055 from about 57,000, and the total area to 8.7 square miles from 11.5. Despite the separation, the median household income in Burke remains high at $134,618 as of 2013, more than double the state median of $62,666 for the same period. The population is quite mixed, with 62.1% white, 20.6% Asian, 9.7% Hispanic, and 4.5^ African American. Quite a few residents had been born outside the US. At approximately 10,000 strong, that is nearly double the average for Virginia overall.

Like many high-end suburbs in Virginia, many celebrities have either come from Burke, or have gone there to live. Sports commentator and former professional wrestler Byron Saxton, born Bryan Jesus Kelly is a native, while American gymnast Justin Spring, professional wrestlers Sonjay Dutt (aka Retesh Bhalla) and Big John Studd (aka John William Minton) and chose to make their home in Burke. American soccer player Mia Hamm and NBA player Hubert Davis both attended Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke at roughly the same time.

Things to Do Around Burke

One of the distinctive features of Burke CDP is the extent of Burke Lake Park. A self-contained outdoors activity center, it covers just over 888 acres of land. It is built around a large recreational lake where you can go boating, set up camp, or and have picnics. The park also has numerous jogging and bike trails. It also features an 18-hole par three course and driving range for gold enthusiasts. For non-golfers, you can still enjoy putting around the miniature golf course.

The best time to visit Burke is from May to October on Saturdays when the fair weather makes it a pleasure to browse the Farmers’ Market located at the VRE parking garage. The annual fall festival of Burke is also held around this time for two days in September.

Family Kitchen Gets a Complete Makeover

The clients were a young couple with two small children. They inherited a semi-detached house from an uncle who favored linoleum and ceramic tiles for the kitchen. The home was built in 1985, and it was well-maintained, the kitchen did require extensive updating. The clients wanted to make a complete kitchen remodel , including the floors, sink, countertops, and backsplash. They also wanted to remove the wall separating it from the dining room and replace it with an island. They contacted us to give them an estimate for the remodel. We made an appointment to do a free consultation the next day.

Consultation

The home was quite cozy, ideal for a young family, and the clients were anxious to make the kitchen a hub for the whole family. The floor the dining area was hardwood, and the kitchen was of good quality ceramic tile, and we pointed out to the client that it would be possible to repair the minor damage so they could avoid the costs of replacing it. However, they wanted hardwood flooring for the kitchen as well, and it was actually a good call because when the wall is knocked down, it would enhance the flow from kitchen to dining room. We made our measurements based on the clients desired layout for the new kitchen, and invited them to the showroom to pick out the materials for the remodel.

Picking out the materials

The clients arrived at the office and we suggested they choose the countertop stones first, as this would unify the look of the kitchen. Our staffer assisted them as they looked through the marble and granite slabs. There was a lot from which to choose, but they finally agreed on a Sucuri granite slab, which would look very well with the hardwood floor in the dining room. We suggested black cabinets to go with it, which would look well with the stainless steel appliances they had just ordered. They chose the Touchstone Aurora in thermofoil, which had a contemporary two-toned edge.

To avoid making the kitchen look too dark with the black cabinets and dark hardwood floors, we suggested white mosaic tiles for the full backsplash, and off-white paint for the new island. The clients liked the idea of a black and white kitchen, so we went ahead and gave them a quote. After a short discussion, we agreed on a project price. We gave them a project duration of three weeks, which would include demotion, construction, installation, and cleanup. We advised them that the kitchen and dining area would be unusable for the duration. The clients decided to stay with relatives while construction was underway. We agreed to a start date on the following Monday.

Workflow

The messiest part of the project was the demolition. A work area was set up in the backyard, and with the large amount of materials that needed to be carted away, we stationed a dumpster in the driveway. It took four days to move the existing appliances to the covered garage, prep the area, tear down the walls, pull down the existing cabinets, and tear up the kitchen floor.

It took another day to clean up the room and prep the floor for the new hardwood floors. While that was going on, the crew worked on assembling components of the kitchen island purchased by the clients. They modified it to accommodate a bar sink and support the granite slab. With the floor laid, the crew was ready to install the new cabinets, backsplash, sinks and island. By the end of two weeks, the tops were ready for the fabricator to make templates. It took another two days to cut and install the granite countertops, and one more day to clean up. We finished two days ahead of schedule.

Post Installation

The clients were very happy about the early end of the project, and more so when they say the transformation. They were diligent about visiting the worksite on a daily basis , so we were able to make timely adjustments based on their feedback. As a result of our collaboration, the end product was very much to their liking and saved us a lot of trouble. They saw no fault with the work, and happily turned over the balance of the payment after a thorough inspection.