Re-Thinking your Kitchen
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Desert Life, 02/10/2010
Re-Thinking your Kitchen
You’re not quite ready to move, but your house is feeling a bit tired and stale. You decide to give it some freshening up, and you’ve heard that updated kitchens add to a home’s value. You watch with envy as HGTV gives some lucky homeowner an extreme makeover, but you’re not up for spending $50,000 on a project…
In fact, many Phoenix homeowners are further restricted by narrow property lines &/or Home Owner’s Associations, making a kitchen expansion impossible even if it was the desired option.
Today we’re going to share some ideas, and hopefully some inspiration, for updating the kitchen you already have – (and spending a lot less money!) Whether your kitchen, and your budget, is large or small, you can give it a fresh look.
Note – You’re welcome to give us a call if you want to discuss what you have in mind & how it might affect your home’s value. And if you need a referral for a good contractor, we can help with that too.
Your current kitchen
Your current kitchen (and this newsletter) can be broken down into individual components:
Appliances
Cabinets, Molding, and Hardware
Countertops
Walls
Flooring
Lighting
Sink
Hardware
Accessories
Photos – lots of examples
Changing any of these components will give your kitchen a new “feel”; changing all of them will give you a completely new kitchen.
Appliances
Typically your fridge, oven/range, dishwasher, and microwave. There are literally hundreds of options to choose from, offering different combinations of colors & functionality. Your goal here is to find a style & color which suits both your needs and your kitchen’s personality.
a microwave that fits under the counter. (via Lowe’s)
refrigerator with a window in the door, via www.subzero.com
refrigerator disguised as a cabinet (via the Subzero Wolf showroom at 15570 N 83rd Way in Scottsdale. Lori Ozment @ 480-921-0900 will take great care of you!)
refrigerators in fun designer colors (via www.vikingrange.com)
Cabinets, Molding and Hardware
There are probably more choices for cabinets than there are for appliances, and that doesn’t even include re-facing your existing cabinets as an alternative to buying new ones!
pictures taken at Lowe’s
Choose your wood: oak, maple, cherry, pine, walnut, etc. (or choose a different material altogether..)
Choose your size: 32”, 36”, 42”, or stagger the heights to add some visual texture.
Choose your molding: anything goes, from clean & simple to highly intricate and ornate.
pictures taken at Lowe’s
Choose your hardware: changing (or adding) your knobs and handles can, all by itself, give your kitchen a completely different look. And yes, there are a bazillion choices out there.
pictures from The Great Indoors in Scottsdale
Countertops
You already know what I’m going to say here… More Choices! Your counters should be reflective of your neighborhood; ideally (from a re-sale/value standpoint) you would have the best kitchen in the neighborhood without going overboard on cost to get there. In other words, you don’t need to put down granite if everyone else in your neighborhood has laminate – you can spend less on a high-quality laminate and get just as much value out of it.
Basic – a good laminate or an upgrade to Corian can make an effective kitchen counter. They’re clean, durable, and come in hundreds of colors to compliment the rest of your kitchen.
Granite (and other stones) – a richer look and higher quality (and cost) compared with laminate. If your neighbors have granite and you don’t, this will cost you dearly when it’s time to sell. Not only are there a hundred colors to choose from, but you can also design the thickness, the type of edging, and whole-slab vs tile.
Custom – while granite works just fine in multi-million dollar homes, it’s not uncommon to see custom surfaces in higher-end neighborhoods as well. Concrete, slate, tile, wood, and mosaic are some of the custom countertops I’ve seen lately.
(Great Indoors)
(Lowe’s)
Walls
The right color paint, or wallpaper, or decorations can bring your whole kitchen together. So can a good piece of art. And don’t forget about the backsplash – this can be a continuation of the countertop or something completely different.
Decorative wood paneling gives this kitchen a different texture. (Subzero Wolf Showroom)
a ceiling to floor waterfall adds ambiance. (The Great Indoors)
more backsplash styles than you can shake a stick at! (The Great Indoors)
Flooring
The choices here are fairly obvious – tile, wood, laminate, linoleum – I’m not going to break any new ground here. What I will say is you don’t want updates throughout the rest of your kitchen to be undermined by what’s on the floor – your old 8” or 12” tile is going to make your kitchen look dated regardless of how many new cabinets you add. Just make sure your flooring compliments the rest of your work in both color and style.
Lighting
Getting rid of your track lighting from the 1980’s, or your “kitchen light” from the 1960’s, will help complete your upgrade. Recessed lights have been the standard for last 5-8 years, so that’s a safe bet right now. We’ve seen a trend developing towards pendent lights lately, but it’s still in its early stages.
Sink
Now’s your chance to get rid of that boring, shallow sink the builder gave you and add something infinitely more fun and functional. Deep or extra-deep, 50-50 split or off-set split, or one large undivided sink (who needs 2 sides anyway?) Steel, ceramic, graphite? And many colors to choose from!
(Lowe’s)
Windows & Window Coverings
Blinds, shades, panels, drapes, valance – this is a great place to add a complimenting color & texture to your new kitchen masterpiece.
Additionally, if your kitchen faces an exterior wall, you might consider adding a new window to let in additional light. Or adding a window (or glass block) to the backsplash, pictured below.
Accessories
Accessories can add color, storage, functionality, and personality to your kitchen. A large kitchen might want to display a butcher-block knife holder, which a small kitchen might have a knife-magnet hanging above the stove. A hanging pot rack, high-end mixer, and nice bowl of fruit or flowers might complete the look.
The Great Indoors
The Great Indoors
Subzero Wolf Showroom
Quality Counts
Regardless of which options you choose, and how much money you spend, keep in mind that quality counts. When it’s time to sell your now-beautiful home, buyers will notice the details. High quality materials and high quality workmanship will add more value over time.
Photos & examples
(all above from Subzero Wolf showroom)
(both above from Lowe’s)
We hope this gives you some new ideas &/or inspiration to make your kitchen a better place. Please feel free to call/email us if you have specific questions or want to discuss your home & your neighborhood; we’d love to see your home in person and help brainstorm some good ideas!
Until next month,
Happy February!
Chris & Heather, The Phoenix Agents
at Thompson’s Realty
http://thephoenixagents.com
623-570-9940 Chris
602-999-8831 Heather
Chris Butterworth and Heather Barr are The Phoenix Agents at Thompson’s Realty. The Phoenix Agents are Realtors in the Greater Phoenix area, who have built a loyal following over the years by offering superior service levels coupled with a low-pressure approach. You can visit http://ThePhoenixAgents.com online to learn more about Chris, Heather, and the Phoenix-area real estate market. If you have real estate questions or needs, please contact us anytime; we’d love to hear from you.
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