Thumb through glossy kitchen magazines and what jumps off the pages is far more than jazzy countertops, to-die for cabinets and glitzy appliances.
So does the money. Big bucks, astronomical costs, “how-can-they-afford-this?” expenditures.
Kitchens are perhaps the most expensive makeovers in the house. The average U.S. kitchen remodel is $32,000, according to the trade publication Kitchen and Bath Design News.
Welcome to sticker shock, homeowner style. Even a $9,000 refurbishing–paltry by many standards–was an eye opener for Gabriella and Eric Cyranski of Ukranian Village. The couple sanded and sealed wood floors, yanked cabinets to accommodate their one splurge, a Viking gas stove, and installed spiffy new lights.
“I was pretty shocked about what it all cost,” says Gabriella, a marketing manager at a medical technology company. “I just had no idea what it would cost. I was floored.” Still, they valued the kitchen. Eric loves to cook, and Gabriella describes the kitchen “as a focal point of the house.”
What if you’re among the host of people for whom a major makeover isn’t in the cards? No worries. Oodles of stylistic options–from refacing cabinets to improving lighting–await budget-conscious homeowners.
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Big plans, small budget?
Cost-cutting choices
If you’d like to make your kitchen look and live better without spending more than you can afford, here are ideas to get you started.
Counters
Dressing up counters can have a major impact on a kitchen’s look.
Resurface: If you like the look of natural stone but your budget doesn’t allow for the $40 to $60 a square foot for base-grade granite, consider laminate lookalikes–textured laminates that resemble stone.
Carmen Sanchez of B & B Formica Appliers in Chicago estimates installed prices for such premium laminates are $20 to $30 per linear foot–a bit pricier than the $10 a square foot for more basic styles. And the cost may rise if quirky angles or miter cuts are involved.
Andi Cassem, of Andi Cassem Interior Design in Shorewood, also offers another low-price option: ceramic-tile countertops. After removing existing surfaces, customers have “built a frame of wood, then inlaid ceramic tiles, grouted and sealed it,” she says. Ask suppliers for overstock tiles you can get at a discount.
Add moldings: Installing wood trim (stained or painted) to the perimeter is an inexpensive way to dress up counters. If you don’t have the woodworking skills or correct tools, hire the job out. The cost should be $500 or less.
Add a backsplash: The most common choice is ceramic or glass tile, but other material choices include laminates, stainless steel and even metal ceiling squares. A nice touch is to incorporate specialty tiles–say a leaf or other motif–on a random basis.
Replace a section: Finally, if you want granite counters but you think they’ll bust your budget, consider a mix of surfaces. For example, use granite on the island and less costly materials on other counter surfaces.
Cabinets
Total cabinet replacement is a big-ticket item. But why buy filet when ground chuck will do?
Change doors: The fastest, most economical way to give your cabinets a fresh lease on life is new doors. David Casden, owner of Refacing Pros in Wheeling, has seen demand for new doors increase 20 percent during the past five years. “It’s a big market out there. A few years ago people didn’t know much about new doors, but they do now,” Casden says. New doors cost approximately one-third of what new cabinets do.
Door options include laminates, laminate foils, raised panels and solid wood, such as maple and cherry or glass inlays. On the low end of the price scale are refinished doors at $50 to $75 per door, but you’re limited to the existing style. New doors of solid laminate are roughly $150 per door, installed. Wood doors cost $250 to $300 each. Prices vary, depending on the size of the door.
The high-end look of glass inlays are popular, but you’ll spend an extra $150 per door and perhaps more if sand etching is involved, Casden says.
Keep in mind that you should restain or repaint adjacent cabinet surfaces to match.
Go with stock cabinets: If your cabinets aren’t worth saving, consider stock cabinets over custom ones–and stick to the original layout, when possible. Ikea cabinets are a darling of designers who favor a contemporary but affordable look.
Replace hardware: Pulls, handles and new hinges are instant upgrades. You can spend a few dollars for plastic knobs and pulls to $15 and beyond for solid brass, sand-cast or ceramic hardware.
Upgrade interiors: Don’t overlook the chance to upgrade kitchen storage. Drawer boxes with new slides, pullout shelves and tilt-out trays are good ideas. If you have an unused nook, why not add a two-door pantry?
Gabriella Cyranski of Chicago knows what it’s like to give up storage space. She and her husband, Eric, rue the decision to pull cabinets. “I definitely would’ve given more thought to additional storage,” Gabriella says. “We just lost so much space. Even if we would have built a pantry to increase storage, that would have helped.”
Ceilings
As a rule, ceilings get scant attention during kitchen rehabs. A coat of paint coordinated with cabinet or counter tones makes a big impact. Other choices:
Add crown moldings: Moldings lower perceived ceiling height and beautifully define ceiling dimensions.
Cover ceilings: Get the look of stamped metal or “boxcar” wood for $2 to $3 per square foot. Firms such as Armstrong produce these materials in panels that can be easily and quickly installed by do-it-yourselfers.
Add storage: Ease your storage woes with pot-and-pan racks suspended from the ceiling. Racks come in a variety of shapes–oval, square or round–and finishes–stainless, brushed metal or natural rust. Racks cost $150 to $500. Be sure to affix the racks directly into ceiling studs.
Improve lighting: If your ceiling has a central light fixture, you already have the electrical source to accommodate canister, track or suspension lighting. These lights can be linked to rheostats so they can be dimmed. Canisters are in the $10 range each, while track lights range from $200 to $1,000 for a multilight track or suspension system. You’ll pay extra for halogen lights.
Floors
Give old floors new life or cover them with new materials.
Refinish: If your wood floor is worn, chances are it needs a refinishing. But the dust and mess of deep sanding is a big inconvenience and can take days to complete. And at $3.50 to $4 per square foot, it isn’t cheap.
If it’s not worn to bare wood, consider dust-free refinishing. Matthew Zivkovic, of Chicago Carpet Cleaning, says this reduced-mess process takes four to five hours from start-to-finish for a typical 1,000-square-foot floor. Budget $1 to $1.25 per square foot.
Cover: Home centers now carry easily laid ceramic tile, faux-wood or vinyl floor systems for as little as $5 per square foot, self-installed. In many cases these interlocking panels or tiles don’t require special prep work other than removing existing floor materials. Some tiles essentially “float” atop subflooring and have flexible grout that resists cracking. It’s a good weekend project. You’ll be done in time for the Bears game.
Appliances and sinks
If your appliances work well but look worn or dated, consider these options:
Reface: Appliance dealers can help with face kits you can install, although you may be out of luck on out-of-production models. Panel kits can be custom-ordered for almost any appliance at www.frigodesign.com. Costs range from about $200 to more than $1,000.
Repaint: Custom paint shops update colors for $100 to $300 per surface. Try an appliance refinisher or autobody shop.
Replace sinks and fixtures: You might also ditch your old sink. Sinks in spiffy colors abound, and specialty faucets and hardware in a variety of metallic finishes are popular. Expect to pay $400 for top-end sinks. Tack on another $250 or so for top-shelf hardware.
Can Chicagoans get by on budget kitchens? You bet, says Gabriella Cyranski. “You can be patient as far as sales go, and there are less expensive avenues like Target that have really nice things.”
— David Bradley
