The Best Bang for The Buck

by Merilee Elliott IIDA
Merilee Elliott Interiors, Inc.

The single largest expense in refurbishing the kitchen is the cabinets. Whatever your budget is, the cabinets are 60% of the pie. If you spend another 30% on appliances, you are left with only 10% for your decorative finishes and details. This 90/10 ratio means than you may run out of money BEFORE you get to those all important finishing details. But if you didn’t have to replace the cabinets, you could spend 50% of your budget on appliances and really go for the top of the line, and have another 50% for upgrading the flooring, counter tops, back splashes, hardware, and millwork trim and wall treatments. Those are the areas your eye is drawn to and create the “envelope”. The cabinets merely blend into the setting. I am not saying that new, gorgeous cabinets wouldn’t be wonderful. I am saying that adhering to a reasonable budget means compromise and this is the first trade off I would consider. After all, kitchen cabinets are really just boxes with decorative faces.

Evaluate
Stand in your kitchen and take a really good look at your cabinets. Are they really so bad? Are they terminally ugly, or are poor handles and bad countertops making them look worse? Be open minded. Explore without prejudice the concept of working your project around the existing cabinetry so you can spend your dollars where they may be most noticed – the floor, the backsplash, the counter top, the lighting and eating nook.

Do some Imaging.
Ask your designer, to go through as many interior design magazines as possible and rip out all the pictures of kitchens that have the same cabinet “color” or “stain” as yours. If you have white cabinets, find at least 5 pictures of kitchens that you like that also have white cabinets. Don’t look at anything else in the magazine except for kitchens with white cabinets..
If you have natural maple, cherry, or walnut, do the same. Exam what else was done in those rooms that made you like the picture. What counter top looked the best . What hardware looked the best? What back splash material did you like the most? What was the flooring? Did their cabinets look better than yours because of the millwork trim?

Explore the options
Five suggestions for how to update your existing cabinets:
1. Replace the doors. Companys such as www.lasertron.com, www.Premoule.com in Cananda, and Elements are great sources.
2. Switch out old hardware for new, updated looks. Pulls are jewelry for your cabinets like how a great pair of earrings can lighten up your face.
3. Remove cabinet doors completely; use open shelves to display dishware
4. Add pre-made/pre-cut moulding for a more distinguished, substantial look. Attach crown moulding to the top of cabinets and/or smaller moulding pieces to cabinet faces to create an internal border.

Layout the Wall elevations
Re-think your storage options. Can you remove the drywall soffit and go to the ceiling? Is it possible to add open shelving above the cabinets to make storage 42” of height instead of 36”? Can you leave the base cabinets and only change the wall cabinets? Remember, they don’t have to match, especially if the upper cabinets have glass doors.

Backsplashes
This is the area of the kitchen where you can really add the decorative touch. No more is it okay to have a 4” backsplash of the counter top material and painted walls. Today’s designs all include An important element in common. The blacksplash material starts flush with the counter top and finishes right under the upper cabinets – 24” of potential visual impact. some of the current trends in backsplash design include:

• Ceramic tiles – This is the most popular choice due to the wide variety of colors and textures. Ceramic is a fairly inexpensive option, but the grout must be routinely cleaned and re-sealed in order to prolong the life of the tiles.
• Textured glass – This popular look from the ‘50s is all the rage again with folks looking to “go retro”.
• Mosaics – Mosaic tiles are quite sturdy and provide a vast array of design options.
• Metal – Embossed metals like copper and brass are easy to clean and are perfect for achieving a contemporary look.
• Stone – Stone surfaces like granite are elegant and durable
• Bamboo – This unconventional backsplash material is fast becoming a favorite of environmentally

Counter tops
Yes, you are finally going to get rid of your old counter tops. No, they don’t have to be granite. There are many other products to consider other than stone. Re-constituted glass, sile stone, and all sorts of acrylics are very contempory and durable alternatives. Glass is the biggest immerging material trend. Made from sand, there is no danger of running out of the raw materials any time soon.

Floors
The is porcelain ceramic tile being made now that is sound durable, you could run a truck over it without cracking or chipping. And some look so much like stone, marble, or wood that you have to bend down to touch it and then you still will not be certain.

For finishing touches choose a deep sink with a high goose neck faucet. If your unit is a lockout or sleep two, there is the two drawer dishwasher that does half loads and the refrigerator drawers for fresh foods. Sharp is now making microwave drawers. Install a designer exhaust fan hood. Your budget can afford it because you planned in advance to spend 50% on “show” and 50% on “go”. I guarantee you that with new backsplash, counters. appliances and flooring, you can feel like you have a brand new kitchen even if you don’t change the cabinets. And you’ll get the best bang for your buck.