Have A Better Summer

Kitchens Are Made For Bringing Families Together

Thanksgiving is less than three months away.  Can you believe it? Time flies! Is your entire family coming to your house this year?  And if so---is your kitchen ready for them all? If you are ready for a new kitchen, NOW is the time to get started.

 

A kitchen makeover can be as easy and affordable as painting your existing cabinets, updating your cabinet hardware (knobs and pulls), and adding new flooring, countertops, and a custom backsplash.  Or as complex and expensive as a complete remodel: new design, cabinets, appliances . . . .a brand new kitchen! We can assist you with either scenario.

To help you get started, here are some of the most common questions our clients ask about Kitchen Makeovers.

Will a kitchen remodel add value to my home?

Breathing new life into an outdated or inefficient kitchen can be the smartest money a homeowner spends. Kitchen remodels deliver more bang for the buck than any other home project, offering 80-85 percent return on investment. When planning your kitchen redo, the first step is setting a budget.

What is the average cost of a kitchen remodel?

REMODELING Magazine does an extensive survey every year of recent kitchen remodels in Atlanta.  In 2017, a minor kitchen remodel averaged $21,230.  A major kitchen remodel was $64,074. An upscale kitchen renovation averaged $127,292.  These are all-inclusive prices, including new appliances, countertops, sink and faucet, flooring and paint. What is the distinction between a minor and major kitchen remodel? Primarily what is done with the cabinets.   A major kitchen remodel includes new cabinets. A minor remodel does not include changing the cabinet boxes, only refinishing the cabinets, or painting the existing cabinets.  

 

One of the biggest cost drivers for a kitchen remodel is structural issues. Changing the footprint of your kitchen in any way will bump up your budget. Moving the kitchen or building an addition involves major construction as well as new electrical, plumbing and flooring.   Opening up to another room could require structural work and unforeseen costs if load-bearing walls are involved. Even relocating the sink or range would mean moving the plumbing or gas lines.

Every remodeling project is unique, and costs vary depending on the homeowner's budget, tastes, and priorities.  In general, however, materials account for 80 percent of the budget, while labor costs represent 20 percent. According to the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), the largest expense in a kitchen remodel is cabinetry, which can 

account for up to 50 percent of the budget. After labor, appliances are the next biggest expense, eating up about 15 percent of the budget. Countertops are about 10 percent, and flooring makes up 7 percent. The smallest expenses, at about 5 percent each, are lighting, plumbing fixtures, doors and windows, and walls and ceilings.  Understanding that there are no standard costs for a remodel -- every home is unique because of its age, layout and construction type -- will help you be more realistic about the potential costs of your project.

What are some trends in kitchen design?

~Today's kitchen looks less like the mechanized, high-tech kitchen of the Jetsons and more like your Grandma's kitchen--homier, more organic, less angular, like a comfy sitting room where you happen to cook

~Emerging trends include wall-mounted flat screen televisions in the kitchen, induction and steam cooking, more color, and French door ovens

~Social kitchens with adequate and comfortable seating

~Open floor plans, kitchens that are open to the family room

~Cabinets installed all the way up to the ceiling

~Black stainless steel appliances (white appliances are "out")

~Cabinets that look like furniture

~Farmhouse kitchens featuring natural materials, lots of wood (usually rustic), unpretentious design, and cooking spaces that can accommodate large meals

~Clean lines and simple designs

~Touch activated faucets, pull-out faucets

~White and grey are the most popular colors for the kitchen, followed by blue, black, and beige.  

~Per a recent Houzz survey, the most popular cabinet color choices are white (34 percent), medium to dark wood tones (27 percent), and gray (9 percent)

~Under cabinet lighting, task lighting

~Best-selling hardware finishes are chrome and nickel (both available polished or brushed), oil rubbed bronze, and black. Gold and rose gold are coming on strong

~Smart storage solutions like lazy Susans to make potentially wasted corners fully functional, pull-out drawers, customized drawers and cabinets

~Large sinks with deep bowls

~Barrier-free design and products:  they make life easier for children, pregnant women, and seniors as well as individuals with disabilities

How long should it take from showroom visit to finished kitchen?

It can take several months, even after the design is finalized.  Custom cabinets usually take around four to six weeks for delivery.  The extent of the job, the contractor's workload and the availability of materials also have an effect.  Once the materials have been delivered, installation can often be completed in as little as two to four weeks.

Where do I start?  What do I need to be thinking about?

Start by putting together a detailed wish list indicating your goals for remodeling. Do you want more space? More storage? More style? A built-in dog bed? Organize it 

by priority, from the "must-haves" to the "in our dreams."

Use websites like Pinterest and Houzz to view and collect pictures of rooms, products, materials, and architectural details that appeal to you. Visit model homes and vendor showrooms and make pictures of what appeals to you.  Make notes on what you like about friends' kitchens (and hate about your own) and general concepts translated from other areas of your life. For example, glass-front cabinets and open shelving are very popular, but if you are not a cleaning fanatic you may be happier with solid doors that conceal clutter.

What makes a kitchen remodel more or less expensive?

~Structural changes can be minimal or extensive.  Cabinets account for about one-third to one-half the total cost of a typical project and range in price considerably based on quality, the type of material they are made of, and whether they are stock (ready made in specific sizes) or custom (produced specifically for your kitchen in whatever sizes and finishes are needed).

~The material you choose for surfaces including counters, backsplashes and floors can also account for variations in price.

~Other key elements that factor in to the equation are talent and workmanship.  In the remodeling business, you tend to get what you pay for.  An accomplished designer, skilled tradesmen and expert installation crew will cost more.  But you'll appreciate their ability every time you use your kitchen.

What is a Kitchen Designer?

A Kitchen Designer is a professional, qualified by education and experience to research, design, plan and supervise the installation of residential kitchens.  Enhance Floors & More uses a Kitchen Designer as part of the renovation process, particularly in the design and layout of the cabinetry. Our Kitchen Designer will meet with you and survey your existing kitchen to develop the design plan for your new kitchen. There is a fee for this service, however, it is well worth the nominal charge to meet with a true kitchen expert.

What is the kitchen "work triangle" and why is it important?

The "work triangle" is the kitchen area from the refrigerator to the main cooking area to the main sink.  Connect the three and it should form a triangle (unless you have a 'one-wall' kitchen).  It's important because at or immediately adjacent to the triangle's points, all the key kitchen activities - food preparation, cooking and clean up - take place.  The work triangle helps to ensure that your kitchen will be functional.  It keeps cooking activities centered in one area, with all the necessities close at hand. Whatever your plan, the sink should take central position if at all possible, as it's used more often than either the refrigerator or the stove. If you locate the sink on the same wall as the stove, with the main work area in the middle, you won't drip water on the floor when you go from the sink to the cooktop. When placing the refrigerator, make sure the single-door model, when open, faces into the work triangle, not out of it.

What types of kitchen counter tops are best?

Replacing counter tops is a great way to update your kitchen. Hard surface counters such as quartz, granite and marble are the most widely used at this time. Their price varies depending on your stone selection. Quartz holds up as well or better than granite, never needs sealing, and costs a little more than granite, but usually less than marble.

What are pull-outs?  pot drawers? appliance garages?

These are just a few of the specialty features that increase the functionality of your cabinets.  If you have not looked at new cabinets recently, you will be amazed at the options that are now available.  A pull-out is a shelf that can be independently extended from the cabinet for easier surveying and retrieval, like a drawer.  Waste cans are now often on pull-outs. Pot drawers are an upgrade from shelves that pull out. They lend themselves nicely to storing all types of kitchen cooking and storage necessities. As they are full extension drawers, you will have maximum storage and complete access to items in the back of them with no digging to the back of your kitchen cabinets.  An appliance garage is a general term used to reference any number of customized countertop compartments that are specifically designed to house and conceal large kitchen appliances. The appliance garage will usually be on the countertop and will match the facade of the existing top cabinetry. Within the compartment, there is typically a dedicated electrical outlet for the assigned appliance. Appliance garages will usually house appliances like coffee pots, microwaves or other large movable kitchen machines.

How many electrical outlets does my kitchen need?

A guide is outlets every four feet along your kitchen counter tops and at least one on the side of a kitchen island or peninsula. You will also need outlets for your stove, microwave, garbage disposal and dish washer. If you want less clutter on your walls above your kitchen counters, power strips can be installed under the wall cabinets. The strips will create convenient locations to plug in your kitchen appliances without the clutter of wall outlets.  Many clients are adding charging stations (usually drawers) as part of their kitchen renovation.

Do all my new kitchen cabinets need to be the same style and color?

This is personal preference.  Depending on your taste, your new kitchen can be designed with contrasting cabinets. Unique looks can be achieved by contrasting the kitchen island cabinets from the wall mounted upper and lower cabinets. Contrasting upper cabinets from the lower cabinets will create a custom look.

Contrasting countertops is another design tool used to customize kitchens and create unique looks.

What is installed first-my new cabinets or my new flooring?

Floors are almost always installed after the cabinets.  We will go over the timeline once we have visited your home and your product selections have been made.

What is the process?

An Enhance Design Consultant will meet with you in the showroom to discuss the scope of your project.   We will assist you in our Design Center with the preliminary selection of cabinets, countertops, backsplash and flooring.  We will schedule appointments for you to meet with our Kitchen Designer and to visit our vendor partners for fixture and appliance selection. Remember, the best-case timeline for a kitchen remodel is three to four months start to finish, so if there is a deadline for your new kitchen, be sure to begin the process well in advance.