We are welcoming another summer season and peoples’ thoughts may turn to… kitchens. What? The idea is not as odd as it sounds.
Summer is a time for hot days on the water and cool evenings around a fire pit, but it is also a time for family gatherings and get-togethers with friends. In today’s homes, gatherings now often center around the kitchen.
No longer are cooks laboring in closed-off kitchens, separated from the rest of their guests.
According to local experts, whether a house is a primary residence or a second home, people want “open and airy” spaces where friends and family can congregate for not only food preparation, but for fellowship and laughter as meals are prepared.
Particularly in the Northern Neck-Middle Peninsula area, where perhaps two-thirds of existing homes are older outdated homes, there are many prime candidates for kitchen updates and/or renovations. Design firms can thrive while helping customers get a workable, modern kitchen.
The continuing desire for open design also means that designers are doing more than just the kitchen space itself: today’s kitchen designs may also include items like a dedicated pantry, more windows, connecting mudrooms or renovations that may necessitate construction elements like removal of walls or even an addition to add more space.
The desire for an “open, airy kitchen” are right in line with national trends. Amid the on-going desire for an open kitchen area, new 2023 kitchen trends mention items such as: multi-functional tables instead of islands; interesting finishes for cabinets and a return to lighter natural wood tones; lower kitchen drawers instead of lower cabinets; concealed storage areas; some upper open shelving in lieu of all upper cabinets; and a desire for lighter countertops like quartz, which in addition to beauty requires little maintenance. Because open kitchens are continuously visible, this is also influencing how homeowners want a kitchen to function and look in an open-style plan.
Another interesting tidbit: although some homeowners may do updates to make a house more “sellable” before putting it up for sale, experts say the majority of kitchen makeovers they are currently seeing locally are commissioned by customers who just want to make their kitchens comfortable and functional for their own use.
When it comes to kitchens, an update can run the gamut, from simpler cosmetic changes for a new look to full “gut jobs” that include structural changes and complete renovation. It all depends on your budget, needs and desires. Because cabinetry can occupy up to 75 percent of a kitchen’s wall space, take up at least 30 percent of a renovation budget and are a focal point of any kitchen, most homeowners begin there when it comes to planning kitchen updates. Cabinets come in four quality grades: custom, semi-custom, stock and ready-to-assemble (think IKEA), with custom cabinets being the most costly.
If your current cabinets are structurally sound and in good physical shape and you do not need or want to change the kitchen’s layout, several coats of paint on existing cabinets, new wall paint and new cabinet hardware can dramatically transform your kitchen and provide a new look. Experts recommend evaluating your current cabinets before considering the paint option, with the number one criteria being: are my current cabinets in good condition?
Sturdy frames are essential for any upgrade that uses your existing cabinet “boxes.” Knowing the type of wood you have is also important: you can paint over the finish on natural wood cabinets. Kitchen bloggers say the most common cabinets that homeowners want painted are oak, but they also note that the heavy wood grain inherent in oak and some other wood types can be challenging to completely cover with paint.
Another consideration: what is your goal for the upgrade? Painting can be a good option if you want a quick improvement before you take on a full remodel or if you want to simply spruce up your kitchen before selling your home. If your budget is limited, remember than smaller projects, like changing or adding a backsplash or swapping dated lighting fixtures for something more current in style, can improve your kitchen’s look if a full remodel has to be postponed.
If your current kitchen is small, remember the lighter the kitchen, the larger it feels; a light color palette can make a small kitchen feel more open. On renovator Bob Villa’s website www. This Old House.com, the suggestion to splurge on a new quality faucet is one way to make a kitchen update stand out.
A step up from painting is the process known as cabinet refacing, where existing framework and cabinets remain but are “refaced” with a veneer of real wood or laminate. Some experts call refacing “an economical middle ground” between painting and full-blown kitchen renovation.
In refacing (some refer to it as “reskinning”), cabinet doors and drawers are removed and the cabinet boxes are covered with a wood or laminate veneer. The cabinet sides are also covered with this same veneer and new doors, drawer fronts and hardware (hinges, knobs or pulls) are installed. As in painting, cabinet condition is critical. The best candidates for refacing are cabinets that include face frames made of solid hardwood; have good internal hardware, like drawer tracks (meaning drawers operate smoothly); and sturdy box construction in good condition.
Refacing is best done by a professional and can take two to four days depending on kitchen size. Last year Home Advisor said that refacing typically begins at $4,300, with total costs depending on kitchen size; some sources estimate that overall, refacing can cost 40-50 percent less than full cabinet replacement. Some experts say if well-cared for, refaced cabinets can endure for 15 years or more.
Unless your countertops are in new/great condition, most homeowners will also have new countertops installed to complete their “new look” kitchen. If your countertops are dated, the “new look” achieved via refacing or painting is for naught.
The final option—removing and replacing all your cabinets and countertops-is the costliest option and often part of a full-blown kitchen renovation. National experts say the new trend for having one portion of the kitchen feature tall upper cabinets, with open shelving for the rest of the room, versus traditional all-closed upper cabinetry, continues. Local shops say although they are seeing some open shelving being used in renovations, many people do not want others to “see their stuff” on open shelves that normally would be concealed by solid door cabinetry.
One local expert’s advice if you are concerned about cost: keep your current appliances when redoing a kitchen. Replacing appliances can cause costs to skyrocket, depending on the brands you select. Even “standard” appliances can contribute to $5,000 to $8,000 of a kitchen renovation’s cost. Total costs also vary greatly, from a new $35,000 kitchen that provides a fresh new look to a “go all out” kitchen where a customer could wind up spending $100,000 or more via custom kitchen designs and renovations.
The second piece of advice regarding lowering costs: keep your existing kitchen layout.
Removing walls and other major structural changes necessary to totally change kitchen layouts can quickly point the cost needle upwards.
Custom kitchen designers acknowledge that they cannot compete with big-box stores when it comes to cost, due to chain stores’ cabinet lines and how much their personnel are paid versus the pay for custom craftspeople and/or custom-built cabinetry. Smaller custom businesses offer not only years of expertise and tailored-to-you advice, they emphasize customer service, know your name and embody the “you are not a number” philosophy, as you might be if you go the box store route.
Regarding countertop choice, both national and local experts say the current trend is away from dark colors and toward lighter countertops like quartz (an engineered stone made from quartz and resins that has antimicrobial properties). New countertops tend to be clean-looking in soft muted shades and work in complementary ways with the warmer wood tones in cabinets that are reemerging as a 2023 kitchen trend.
While classic white kitchens are not going away, designers say 2023 color schemes include dusty greens, blues and soft hues like creamy white. That is being replicated locally, with customers choosing a lot of greens and natural wood tones. One local designer says customers in this area are “smart enough to not do something super-trendy.” Most know what they do not like or do not want, and many are opting for earthy or neutral tones when it comes to choosing colors. Simple cabinet doors and Shaker styles remain popular when it comes to cabinetry, but some experts also saying they expect to see newer, sleeker variations of Shaker styles, too.
At the same time all these trends are happening, some homeowners are incorporating classic beaded inset cabinets amid vintage or inherited pieces like buffet cabinets into new renovations, a trend the social network Pinterest calls “new ways to honor old stuff.”
One local expert says 75 percent of customers “have no idea” when it comes to kitchen renovation costs, not unlike the sticker shock someone who has not bought a new car recently may experience when they go new car shopping. Professional design firms will try to find out customers’ budgets and work around the figure. They will likely ask customers some necessary questions, such as: What activities take place in your kitchen? Is your entertaining style informal or formal? Do you have any photos or ideas for your new kitchen? What do you dislike about your current kitchen? Such questions help professional designers gauge what a customer truly would like a kitchen renovation to accomplish.
Realize that preparing a house to sell (or being a house flipper) encompasses an entirely different purpose than updating or renovating your personal home or second home to better fit your needs. Creating a new kitchen for your home, one that works, represents your tastes and needs and meets your goals for style and function, in the end is a personal decision.
Regardless of what you choose—some updates versus a full kitchen renovation—have some fun! A kitchen remodel should make you happier in the space where we all spend so much time.