For the practical person, a budget for a new kitchen is a must. As you research what you want and how much it will cost you’ll find you can go cheap or expensive and all the way in between. If you’re planning on keeping your home for any length of time or selling is within a couple of years that should enter into the equation as well.
Cheap will never help sell your home, and expensive may have the same results. A happy medium may work and one where the basics will win in the long run. So consider what you like, and then look around at model homes, magazines and see what is popular today. A black kitchen with black appliances may appeal to you, but a buyer may not like it at all. The same goes for any off the wall colors, so keep the colors simple and let your new kitchen do the selling.
As you set up your budget realize that many things help to take the costs higher than you budgeted. For instance check out the kitchen faucets. The cheap ones offer no modern features so set them aside and go for quality rather than unusual. The type of wood you choose will figure greatly in the end results.
Real solid wood is rarely used in kitchens today. Many companies use veneers that look and feel solid. If they do the job properly, you can hardly tell the difference, and with a little care the cupboards will last for many years.
Sinks are another area where cheap doesn’t work and quality can be both reasonable and workable without the high cost. The difference in the price range varies wildly but you’ll want something that will last and keep its luster.
There are wide gaps in the price of door handles and there again go for quality not price. You won’t want to replace them anytime soon. Some cabinets have finger pulls, so you don’t even need the handles.
Countertops in the mid price range can be beautiful, and you don’t really need marble do you? Many do, and that will be your greatest budget crasher. Just remember you get what you pay for so choose accordingly.
The contractor you choose to do the job will be another factor. Ask for more than one quote, and ask to see their references. Make sure they are licensed, insured and bonded. They should have a place of business and not work out of their garage. Never pay a contractor in full, but pay a reasonable down payment with payments during the job and the final when you are satisfied with their work.
Home Improvement Guide specializes in Southern California home improvement, Coto De Caza home improvement and Orange County kitchen remodeling.
Showing posts with label orange county kitchens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label orange county kitchens. Show all posts
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Concrete Countertops Are The New Craze
The conversations usually start like this:
“You’re kidding right?”
“Nope! Not kidding. Concrete countertops are the new craze.”
“But why would I want a driveway in my kitchen? Besides, I want granite! Everyone wants granite, and almost everyone I know has some type of granite countertop in their home, either in the kitchen or in the bathroom. I want granite.”
“Let me explain the advantages that you’ll have with a new concrete countertop.”
And so the conversation goes.
Although concrete is one of the oldest building material around concrete countertops are replacing granite, solid surface, and even laminate as the new material of choice. Concrete countertops look nothing like your driveway, and no one will recognize it as concrete. Only recently have contractors started working with concrete and they have created an entirely new look.
When customers realized the versatility of concrete, how it was molded, shaped, stained, and even glazed, but now they have to be convinced that is lighter than granite. They had to compare granite countertops with a concrete countertop before they were convinced that it had the same level of durability, color, and maintenance.
They still weren’t convinced. They usually come in 1½ to 2 inch thickness depending on the customer’s preferences. Color is also up to the customer, and you won’t have to go to a granite store to pick out your piece of granite that will stain, have to be resealed, and still have lines where the pieces come together. Remember granite is a natural rock and the developer has no control over the colors.
However concrete countertops are made by hand. They are sized to your specifications. They can have swirls and stamped areas of color or even have your name stamped in them.
To have a totally unique concrete countertop you’ll have to find a contractor that has created his own images into the concrete. Every single countertop will be a different and unusual project, and the customer will be the guide when they explain what they want.
Once you’ve had your concrete countertop installed, don’t stop there. They can do the same to your entryway, to a wall, your sidewalks and even your driveway. It’s an entirely new business and not every contractor that has installed a driveway will know how to go about creating a countertop. If they’re smart though, they’ll realize what is ahead and learn the process as the building industry takes off again, and it will.
Home Improvement Guide specializes in Southern California home improvement, Mission Viejo home improvement and Orange County kitchen countertops.
“You’re kidding right?”
“Nope! Not kidding. Concrete countertops are the new craze.”
“But why would I want a driveway in my kitchen? Besides, I want granite! Everyone wants granite, and almost everyone I know has some type of granite countertop in their home, either in the kitchen or in the bathroom. I want granite.”
“Let me explain the advantages that you’ll have with a new concrete countertop.”
And so the conversation goes.
Although concrete is one of the oldest building material around concrete countertops are replacing granite, solid surface, and even laminate as the new material of choice. Concrete countertops look nothing like your driveway, and no one will recognize it as concrete. Only recently have contractors started working with concrete and they have created an entirely new look.
When customers realized the versatility of concrete, how it was molded, shaped, stained, and even glazed, but now they have to be convinced that is lighter than granite. They had to compare granite countertops with a concrete countertop before they were convinced that it had the same level of durability, color, and maintenance.
They still weren’t convinced. They usually come in 1½ to 2 inch thickness depending on the customer’s preferences. Color is also up to the customer, and you won’t have to go to a granite store to pick out your piece of granite that will stain, have to be resealed, and still have lines where the pieces come together. Remember granite is a natural rock and the developer has no control over the colors.
However concrete countertops are made by hand. They are sized to your specifications. They can have swirls and stamped areas of color or even have your name stamped in them.
To have a totally unique concrete countertop you’ll have to find a contractor that has created his own images into the concrete. Every single countertop will be a different and unusual project, and the customer will be the guide when they explain what they want.
Once you’ve had your concrete countertop installed, don’t stop there. They can do the same to your entryway, to a wall, your sidewalks and even your driveway. It’s an entirely new business and not every contractor that has installed a driveway will know how to go about creating a countertop. If they’re smart though, they’ll realize what is ahead and learn the process as the building industry takes off again, and it will.
Home Improvement Guide specializes in Southern California home improvement, Mission Viejo home improvement and Orange County kitchen countertops.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Solutions for Small Kitchens
When your goal is to have a small kitchen free of clutter you will find that the solutions are easily obtained and much cheaper than having a complete kitchen overhaul. There are many things you can do to increase your working space.
If you have an unusable corner cabinet in your kitchen, you know that you can’t reach anything in that far corner. There are now corner rollouts or a lazy susan made specifically for the corner. You’ll find that cabinet to be one of your favorites. For a deep cabinet possibly beneath the stove or stovetop that is a good place to store your mixer, toaster, or pots and pans.
When you replace the double sink in your kitchen, consider one large sink, or even one large and one small. Install a new faucet with a pullout sprayer and that will give your kitchen an entirely new look. Keep going and have a roll-out installed under the sink that sits right on the floor, and that back area is good for soap, bleach, window cleaner and other cleaning products. A tilt tray right in front of your sink can provide a place for small scrapers, sponges and brushes.
If your microwave sits on the counter, consider buying one that will hang above your stove that will have a fan to remove steam from the room. That countertop space is now available as a place to prepare dinner. If there are cabinets above the now hanging micro, put items that you rarely use there.
Drawer space is another fixable place that can give you additional space if you use it wisely. There are drawer guides to keep your utensils organized. Place items that you don’t use regularly in the back of the guide. Put recipes or notes under the guide, but don’t stack bills there.
Consider pull down shelves that attach under your kitchen cabinets. They have them specially made for cookbooks or other items.
Some companies will replace your drawers, cabinet doors, and rollouts. They call that re-facing and will give your kitchen an entirely new look. They aren’t that expensive when you consider the price of a totally new kitchen. You can add new knobs or leave the knobs completely off.
Businesses are hungry today and many have gone out of business because of our economy. Go online and find a local company that can help you as you hunt for solutions for your small kitchen. They will come to your home and tell you exactly how much it will cost. It’s hard to begin, but when your kitchen is completed you’ll shine in your new kitchen.
Home Improvement Guide specializes in Orange County home improvement, Orange County general contractors, and San Diego home improvement.
If you have an unusable corner cabinet in your kitchen, you know that you can’t reach anything in that far corner. There are now corner rollouts or a lazy susan made specifically for the corner. You’ll find that cabinet to be one of your favorites. For a deep cabinet possibly beneath the stove or stovetop that is a good place to store your mixer, toaster, or pots and pans.
When you replace the double sink in your kitchen, consider one large sink, or even one large and one small. Install a new faucet with a pullout sprayer and that will give your kitchen an entirely new look. Keep going and have a roll-out installed under the sink that sits right on the floor, and that back area is good for soap, bleach, window cleaner and other cleaning products. A tilt tray right in front of your sink can provide a place for small scrapers, sponges and brushes.
If your microwave sits on the counter, consider buying one that will hang above your stove that will have a fan to remove steam from the room. That countertop space is now available as a place to prepare dinner. If there are cabinets above the now hanging micro, put items that you rarely use there.
Drawer space is another fixable place that can give you additional space if you use it wisely. There are drawer guides to keep your utensils organized. Place items that you don’t use regularly in the back of the guide. Put recipes or notes under the guide, but don’t stack bills there.
Consider pull down shelves that attach under your kitchen cabinets. They have them specially made for cookbooks or other items.
Some companies will replace your drawers, cabinet doors, and rollouts. They call that re-facing and will give your kitchen an entirely new look. They aren’t that expensive when you consider the price of a totally new kitchen. You can add new knobs or leave the knobs completely off.
Businesses are hungry today and many have gone out of business because of our economy. Go online and find a local company that can help you as you hunt for solutions for your small kitchen. They will come to your home and tell you exactly how much it will cost. It’s hard to begin, but when your kitchen is completed you’ll shine in your new kitchen.
Home Improvement Guide specializes in Orange County home improvement, Orange County general contractors, and San Diego home improvement.
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