The number one room homeowners choose to remodel is the kitchen. This is because it is more than just a food preparation area, it is often a family gathering place and a social place to chat while entertaining or preparing a meal. If you’ve decided your kitchen needs an update because it’s poorly designed or just in need of a facelift, here are a few guidelines and tips I’ve accumulated over many years of kitchen remodeling.
choose countertops
Boy, those shiny granite countertops sure look sexy in the center of the home or kitchen showroom, don’t they? Unfortunately, what you won’t realize until you’ve installed one in a kitchen and lived with it is the challenge of keeping them clean. All fingerprints show up, all food spills show up, and they’re surprisingly easy to scratch. Most need to be cleaned with a glass and tile cleaner—everything else leaves streaks. This is why I recommend a low gloss matte finish for a countertop. Most solid surface countertop materials (such as Corian) offer their product in a matte finish. Unless you have a full-time maid on staff, you’ll really appreciate these easier-to-clean surfaces.
If the kids are in the home, consider opting for a time-tested, battle-tested surface: plastic laminate. In my opinion, it’s still the toughest countertop material out there – it’s stain resistant, spill proof, and stands up well to abuse. It’s inexpensive and comes in an incredible variety of textures and colors. All other countertop materials (including sealed granite and concrete) can still stain. The same goes for tile countertops: while the tiles won’t stain, the grout will. There is no grout sealer that can resist grape juice. Most home centers can have a laminate countertop made to your specifications in no time. Don’t like the look of rolled edges? Ask them to install wooden borders; they can even embed matching laminate on the face of the wood trim for a nice touch.
Cabinets: Replace or Remodel?
The most expensive item in a kitchen remodel is new cabinets. If your cabinets are functional, but you don’t like the way they look, don’t replace them. Instead, refinish or paint them, change the hardware, and add trim for a completely different look—and save tens of thousands of dollars!
If your cabinets are made of real wood, they can be painted or distressed to give them a fresh look. (Note: If they are covered with plastic laminate or plastic sheeting, they cannot be painted.) To paint cabinets, remove doors and drawers and all hardware. Clean thoroughly and let dry. Apply a coat of primer and then paint. When dry, reinstall new doors, drawers, and hardware.
Another option is to refurbish. This involves covering the existing cabinet frame with real wood veneer and replacing the door and drawer fronts. Most home centers offer this service through a third-party provider such as Quality Doors (www.qualitydoors.com). You can remodel a kitchen in a weekend and the results are amazing.
If those old cabinets have to go, I suggest you work with a kitchen designer, preferably one certified by the NKBA (National Kitchen and Bath Association – http://www.nkba.org). A certified designer works within the guidelines published by the NKBA and will create a kitchen for you that is both attractive and functional. Non-certified designers are often unaware of these guidelines and may inadvertently place a dishwasher in a corner, blocking access to adjacent cabinets. A certified designer can also think “outside the box” for you. They may look at your house plans and suggest moving a wall or relocating a door or window to greatly improve your kitchen area.
When selecting cabinets, go with a brand you trust. If the budget allows, specify that the cabinet sides be plywood instead of particle board. Plywood cabinets tend to last longer and outperform cabinets made from particle board.
What about appliances?
One of the first things a kitchen designer will ask you is what appliances will be in your new kitchen. That’s because they have to design the cabinets around the appliances to make sure they fit. So…make sure you’ve chosen your appliances before you see a designer, or you’ll have to choose them. Now, everyone would like new appliances in a kitchen makeover, but this is often not financially possible. If this is the case for you, consider buying just one or two appliances you can’t live without: a super-quiet dishwasher or a new stove. Then upgrade the remaining appliances as money allows. If you have these future appliances in mind, be sure to let your designer know now so they can design your kitchen cabinets to fit these future appliances.
From personal experience, I can also offer this tip on kitchen appliances. If you’ve never worked with a wall oven before, you’re really missing something. Even the fittest young chef can appreciate not bending down to watch a roast or slide a heavy Thanksgiving turkey. Mounting an oven on the wall also frees up options for placing a cooktop, such as on a kitchen island.
A word about stoves and pop-up ventilation: For the most part, pop-up fans don’t work anywhere near as well as an over-the-stove fan. Pop-up fans (with the exception of the Gaggenau Vario Telescoping Swivel Downdraft Fan (www.gaggenau.com/US), don’t sit over pots and pans and just can’t ventilate as well as a ceiling unit. They look great at the store, but they just don’t do the job.
Finally, the latest trend in dishwashers is to install them higher than in the past. They typically sit on an installer-built platform and raise the dishwasher 4 to 5 inches above the floor. Once again, backs young and old will appreciate not having to bend over as much to load and unload dishes.
Keep these tips in mind as you begin planning your kitchen remodel and you’ll save time, money and hassle.
