A Budget Kitchen Makeover … With Style

This kitchen makeover is a good example of what can be done with a limited budget.  Our clients craved a fresh new look for their kitchen – one of the only remaining spaces in their 1980’s home that they had not remodeled since purchasing the home a five years ago. Although they were happy with the kitchen’s existing layout, the inexpensive Formica countertops, melamine factory cabinets, and Home Depot wall tile did not appeal to our clients: a professional engineer and novice art collector.  The kitchen’s tired finishes “had to go” along with the faltering cabinets and the suite of 20 year-old appliances.  That said, our clients wanted to keep expenses down; their total budget for the kitchen remodel (including appliances) was $50K.  And, thus we were presented with a significant challenge: recreate the kitchen with tasteful, high-end finishes and quality materials for a very modest kitchen price tag.

In an effort to meet our client’s overriding budget objective, we proposed making a few simple changes architecturally – to clean up the kitchen’s rather choppy lines and to create a logical perimeter for artful backsplash tile – along with the following changes that carefully balance goals, cost and aesthetic impact:

• Custom cabinet doors and drawers (crafted by our cabinet maker and enameled on site)
• Blum soft-touch hinges and drawer runners (our engineer client was very happy)
• Stainless appliances (selected at a modest price point)
• Stone countertops (quartzite was chosen for its fresh color palette and stain resistance)
• Sophisticated backsplash tile (the iridescent glass tile compliments colors and art found throughout the home)
• Transitional hardware (the splash of chrome lends a tailored look to the kitchen)
• Artisan pendant lighting to supplement overhead cans (these help define and brighten the island seating area)
• Under cabinet lighting (to brighten task-specific areas)
• Custom island trim panels to allow for a larger counter (more working and eating room – Mom and kids are happy)

In the end, we met all of our client’s objectives by coming in under budget, upgrading the quality level of the kitchen, polishing the overall design aesthetic, and updating the finishes.  Our clients are thrilled with the new space; saying they wish they had remodeled the kitchen years ago!