Kitchen Design for Foodies

KITCHEN REMODEL: REPLACEMENT OR RE-DESIGN?

August 14, 2008 at 4:51 am (Design Layout, Project Management, Uncategorized) (affordable kitchens, contractor, kitchen design, kitchen designer, kitchen remodel)

Understanding the difference can save you time, money, and heartache

By Donald Silvers and Moorea Hoffman

You’re excited.  You’re about to do your kitchen.  Where will you go?  To Home Depot?  An intimate showroom? The Great Indoors? Or an independent kitchen designer?  What about an architect?  How do you choose?

You first have to ask yourself, do I like the way my kitchen works? If you’re happy with the way it works you’re a candidate for a replacement kitchen.  To determine if your kitchen is as functional as you need it to be, ask yourself, “Can I have more than one person work in my kitchen comfortably?  What is the largest group of people I will cook for in a sit down dinner, and is it easy to do so?”  Also consider the amount of time you spend in your kitchen: can you do an hour’s work in an hour’s time? 

If your answer to any of these questions is no, or “I’m not sure,” then you need to look at the elements that have a part in making your kitchen functional.  Do you have enough counter space? Enough storage?  Is you’re sink large enough?  Are you stuck with one sink station?  What are your appliances like?  Most importantly, consider the kind of cooking or entertaining you need or want to do.  People who like to bake have different requirements than those who prefer grilling or making stocks, candy etc.

It’s time for you to do your research.  Go to the library, get on the internet and buy some design books.  What you’re trying to do is to figure out what you want and who can help you get it.

Kitchen remodels fall into two broad categories: replacement and re-design.  Replacement projects include aesthetic changes (out with old, in with the new) but the essential functionality and layout of the kitchen stays the same.  Re-design projects are bigger, more expensive and more drastic—they can include moving or re-moving walls, changing appliance and plumbing locations, adding onto the home, and moving windows and doors.  It is important to understand this difference so you can budget accordingly and get the appropriate help to complete your project.

Here are some guidelines to help you figure out what you need.

If your counters are in good shape and you don’t want to replace them:

You could paint, stain or resurface your cabinets to update the look. When you paint or stain the cabinet, you change the color, perhaps the handles, but in essence everything else remains the same.  Resurfacing involves replacing the doors and covering your existing finish with very thin sheets of wood or vinyl.  It is more expensive than paint but allows you to change the door style or wood species.  You can add decorative glass doors and create a very different look, going from traditional to contemporary, or vice versa.  However, the cost of re-facing is not far below the cost of new cabinets from a lower-priced modular line.   

Budget aside, the only reason to paint or resurface instead of buying new cabinets is keeping your existing counter.  Be aware that if your counter will need replacing in the next few years (and you are not planning on selling the house) it may be just as cost-effective to install new, inexpensive cabinetry now, with new counters and get your improved kitchen done once and done right.  Although you will be paying more for the installation and you will have to update the counters and the backsplash now instead of later, you will be able to invest in better drawers, roll-outs and make small changes to the layout, like moving your microwave or refrigerator.  Ultimately, this means that you get a much better result for the same money—you just have to spend the money all at once.

If you want new cabinets but want to keep your appliances and sinks where they are:

You have many cabinet providers to choose from.  The key question is, how much personalized attention do you want?  The “big box” stores carry medium- to low-end cabinetry and will install it for you.  Average installation cost should be 10% to 15% of the cost of the cabinetry—more if you want something custom or complicated.  You can also go to a kitchen showroom.  They will have a range of products from high- to low-end.  Lumber yards that do kitchen remodels have medium- to low-end product lines.  Independent designers who work with cabinet makers are another option.  Again, you have to ask yourself how much attention you want.  Independent designers or kitchen showrooms will be your best bet for personalized service, but they will probably cost a bit more, too.

No matter where you buy your cabinets, the dealer must also do the installation.  Don’t fall for the low cabinetry installation price your contractor may give you.  If there is a problem during installation, the cabinet dealer will blame the contractor, who’ll blame the dealer and ultimately you will foot the bill to fix whatever is wrong.  By having the cabinet provider install the cabinets, he or she has all the accountability and you are protected.

So far, we’ve been talking about leaving the kitchen layout as is and making cosmetic improvements, or tearing out old products but replacing things as they were originally designed. 

What if you want to change everything: 

The kitchen doesn’t work—it’s driving you nuts.  Not enough counter space.  Appliances that are too small or located in the wrong place.  The kitchen needs light so you want to add a skylight or a window.  You decide to tear everything out, down to its bare walls.  You now realize you need help beyond what a cabinet salesperson can offer.  Do you need an architect? A kitchen designer?  What’s the difference?  Are all kitchen designers the same, and how do you determine the differences?

When you approach re-designing a kitchen, the first thing to recognize is that the kitchen is a very unique and complex space and cannot be driven by beauty alone.  It really doesn’t matter whether you hire an architect, kitchen designer, or interior designer.  What matters is how experienced that person is at designing highly functional and beautiful kitchens.  Some interior designers can do this, but many times the kitchen will require a specialist.  There are architects who can do it, although very few and far between because their training is focused on the outside, not the inside of the home.  Here is the first question to ask any design professional:

“Do you know how to cook a sit-down dinner for ten to twelve people without using a microwave or frozen food?” 

This probably sounds silly at first, but think about it.  It is essential that anyone designing a kitchen be able to take raw food to a finished, delicious product.  If they say, “No, I don’t cook,” don’t walk, run someplace else.  The person who designs your kitchen must understand electrical, plumbing, cabinet installation, counter surface materials, backsplash materials, and all the other myriad details that form a completed kitchen.  But unless they understand how to cook, there is no way the kitchen will work.  Remember, in the final analysis, you have to cook in the kitchen.

At this point, you may be thinking, “I only cook for my family of four, I don’t need a gourmet kitchen.”  It is always a mistake to design for the minimum requirements of a space instead of the maximum.  While you may not cook a sit-down meal for twelve very often, a dysfunctional kitchen can hurt you everyday by making food preparation take longer than it should.  The right appliances and the right layout means an hour’s worth of work will take you one hour, not more.  When you do decide to cook for more than six, the experience will be enjoyable, even relaxed, instead of hectic and frustrating. 

When you think about your kitchen in the context of function, understand that the cost of doing a kitchen that works well is the same or only slightly more than ignoring function completely.  But six months after the kitchen is done, when you’re enjoying the space with friends and family, you won’t remember ten percent of additional money invested—unless you didn’t spend it.

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