Thinking About a Kitchen Remodel?



If you are looking for the biggest BANG for your buck, it's the kitchen.  And I know I've said this before, but it is worthy of repeating.  Kitchens and Master bedroom spaces SELL homes! I've worked in residential home design for many years and have helped thousands of homeowners define their space and personal style.  Here are just a few questions I've received regarding kitchen design and remodels.

Question:
I'm remodeling my kitchen, how important will two ovens be?

The Grape:

Don't only think about your needs today, think about the future as well. In other words, just because you are not interested in cooking, what about if you sell?  Double ovens are a big deal for most families.  So, if it fits into the budget, I'd recommend the double-ovens as essential. That does not mean an oven with a micro-wave above it.  It means two 30" ovens.  A money saving solution would be a micro/oven combo wall built-in, with a range slide-in (oven with cook-top) in the island or in between a bank of cabinets.  Be sure to use heat shields on the cabinets on either side of the slide in. Even if you only use the ovens once or twice a year, believe me, when your Real Estate professional markets your home, they will capitalize on the fact that you offer double ovens.

Question:
What type of refrigerator should I purchase and if I want that "built-in" look, do I have to do custom cabinetry?

The Grape:
Great question. While not everyone has the option of doing a fancy built-in refrigerator, everyone should look for a counter-top depth refridge. Your base cabinet counter-top depth is 24", the counter-top depth refrigerators will match that depth pretty closely. And with the genius in the manufacturing today, you won't sacrifice space and you'll get a far smoother look.
Working with a kitchen designer, even from one of the "Big Box" stores is a great way to get the expertise, without spending the bank.  Tell your designer what you are looking for and most importantly, tell them your budget.  Cabinetry above the refridge can be specified  as "full depth" so that it creates the top portion of the built-in feature, side panels or a single side panel on one side, paired with a wall, will create a built-in look, without spending on custom cabinetry.

Question:
Induction or hybrid, electric or gas?

The Grape:
It depends on if you cook a little or a lot.  Most chefs or even wanna-be chefs, want gas.  But if gas is not an option in your home, I'd highly recommend spending the extra money and going with induction cooking over traditional electric.  Induction heats without the thermal heating element.
An induction stove doesn't actually generate heat itself, but rather induces it the pot or pan. It does this using a rapidly oscillating magnetic field. This field induces an electric current in the pan which generates heat, thus heating the food.
Induction stoves are faster, safer, and more energy efficient than traditional electric stoves. It requires significantly less electricity to create the magnetic field than it does to drive enough current through a resistor to make it heat up. They are safer because they don't actually generate heat themselves. After taking a pot off the "burner" (glass surface) it quickly begins to cool.  I can boil a spaghetti pot full of water in minutes with my induction cook-top.

Question:
What type of counter-top should I select and what is an integral sink?

The Grape:
The type of counter-top you select will depend on your budget.  From the lower price point of  laminate or tile, to the higher pricing of solid surface, granite, concrete, glass, stainless.
I've done beautiful kitchens where budgets were small, but the look of high design was desired using some of the beautiful  granite "look alike" laminates of Formica.  Jazz it up with a beveled edge, rather than the plain old straight edge and on first glance, you'd swear it was granite. 
Take a look at Formica's solid surface line if the budget is a little larger. Like the idea of taking the old and making it new again? Than Formica's E line will fit that bill. Each sheet contains15% of recycled materials. Corian has a wonderful new line of solid surface products as well.  And their quartz product line of Zodiaq has the look and feel of granite, but offers a ten year warranty. Unlike granite, Zodiaq which is a man made product, has 100% color consistency.  And as with most solid surface materials a  big benefit is in the integral sinks, which are seamless. As with granite or concrete, you can also use an under-mount stainless or porcelain sink with these products.  The granite choices are endless.  From the exotics to the more familiar colors of Baltic, butterfly, tan-brown, etc.  When selecting granite, make sure you get to go to the granite yard and select your particular slabs.  Just specifying a color is not enough because it is a natural material with high variations. There are many solid surface materials on the market today, do you research, find the one with the best warranty and a color you can't live without and go ahead and splurge!

Question:
Do I really need a kitchen back splash?

The Design Grape:
Yes, you do.  Not only are back splashes utilitarian, they add so much personality to your kitchen.  At the kitchen sink, they add a seal between the water and your drywall and at the cook-top, they protect drywall from getting your favorite marinara all over the walls.  Just be sure to cancel the standard 3" counter-top back splash if you are installing a back splash material.  That way you will get a clean line from bottom of cabinets to counter-top.  Typical back splash height is 18".  When selecting a tile with a pattern, be sure to account for your wall outlets.  Instead of spacing multiple outlets, think strategically and do 4-plex instead of 2-plex.

Question:
I love the look of stainless appliances, but what about my kitchen lights, is it a no-no to mix my metals?

The Grape:
Everyone loves stainless and with the new finishes today, even finger prints aren't as big of a deal as they once were.  I love the look of bronze metals and wrought iron mixed with stainless.  I'm a big believer in taking your time in selecting the right lighting for your space.  The more individualized it looks, the higher the "love in love" factor is.  So, forget about Home Depot and Lowes, start your hunt on-line and in antique markets.  Some of the best lighting fixtures are re-purposed like these show here:



http://www.re-modern.com/store/pc/Color-Block-Hanging-Light-3-Stripes-14p50.htm





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