How to Update Your Outdated Kitchen
Dear CJ,
My husband & I are empty nesters. When we built our home in 1992 we loved our kitchen. We have solid oak cabinets. Brass hardware & lighting. The floor is also oak. The counters are a dark granite that we always enjoyed but open to changing them. We plan to stay in the home for another 5-7 years so we are looking for a way to update the look of our kitchen without going through the hassle of a major renovation. We are also trying to be cost conscious as we plan to retire in 10 years.
What recommendations do you have on how to update our outdated kitchen?
Kindly,
Janice M.
Dear Janice,
Thank you for reaching out to me. I have worked with several clients over the years with similar situations. Designers that our specific to kitchen & bath design would try to encourage you to replace everything. However, I know from experience that you can achieve transformational results without all the hassle of a major renovation or costs associated with that path.
Here are 8 improvements to consider for updating your outdated kitchen without a major renovation.
It might be that you only need to apply some of them to achieve your desired results.
Paint Your Cabinets
I remember the first time a client asked if they could update their cabinets by having them painted. It was July of 2008. It might seem odd that I remember it so clearly. It was my first project with this client & they live less than 5 minutes from me. I was eager to impress them but honestly the only cabinets I had experience with painting were my own simple farmhouse cabinets, which my husband & I painted green with a distressed look. I knew that look wasn’t going to fly in this home. Plus their cabinets were melamine….not even wood! In my mind it made much more sense to replace them. However, they were perfectly happy with the layout & didn’t want the hassle & cost of replacing them.
So…I made a few calls to my painters to find out if they had experience with this. BINGO! One of my decorative painters (with a degree from the Art Institute of Chicago) had done this many times. At the time oil based paint was still available in Illinois. (now we have to go to Wisconsin or Michigan to purchase it) That’s what Scott liked to work with. Funny thing is he lives in Michigan now & travels down to paint my clients cabinets when I need him to.
Well the results were spectacular. We had him paint them a soft ivory with a burnt umber glaze (brown/black). 12 years later their cabinets still look perfect. An occasional touch up is needed but honestly you would never know that their cabinets were not even wood. They were so pleased I have since redesigned just about every room in their home including the home office featured in this post and the spa bathroom featured in this post.
Here’s another kitchen I had Scott paint more recently.
Before
Although these were quality cabinets the oak was outdated.
After
With only painting the cabinets & the walls, we achieved transformational results.
Add Raised Paneling to the Ends of Your Cabinets & Around Your Island or Peninsula
Many times I find that the original cabinets installed when the home was built have flat panels around the island & the ends of the cabinets. It’s a cost effective way for builders to stay within budget. So when I meet with clients regarding updating their kitchen it’s one of the first suggestions I make. It’s basically just adding door panels that match the cabinet profile. You can purchase them through the cabinet company that manufactured your cabinets or find a dealer who works with WalzKraft. They are a manufacturer of cabinet doors & components based out of Lacrosse, Wisconsin. The retailer can send them one of your doors & WalzKraft will find the closest match or can produce a custom door to get an exact match. I have had great success with the close match which saved on the cost to my client.
New Cabinet Hardware
Cabinet hardware is like jewelry. It can make or break the look of your cabinets. Outdated brass or builders grade hardware can look like a dime-store necklace. There are thousands of options to choose from and a variety of price points to fit any budget. It might be the single most important decision to update your outdated kitchen. This will be a fun purchase. New cabinet hardware is an opportunity to add some pizzazz.
The latest trends are satin brass, black or polished nickel. But, maybe you prefer something less trendy like brushed nickel, copper or oil rubbed bronze. Just like jewelry, we all have our preferences. Go with that, but follow suit on your lighting. One of my favorite online vendors for hardware is Signature Hardware.
Although the holes in your existing cabinet doors can be filled & patched to accommodate a different size, it’s best to find drawer pulls that have the same spread you already have. Knobs are easy to replace.
In regards to placement, I prefer pulls (handles) or bin pulls on the drawers & knobs on the doors. Look for a pull that doesn’t extend past the handle portion. This style catches the loops on your jeans or the ties on your apron. I advise against them.
New Lighting
Lighting is exciting. Another fashion statement & place to show off your taste & style. It used to be that you had to spend hundreds & thousands of dollars to update your lighting. Now, lines like West Elm and Shades of Light have affordable & stylish fixtures.
Before you start the search for new fixtures revisit your lighting plan and add fixtures where needed. My earlier post, Home Lighting for Your Health & Well-Being will help guide you on what is appropriate for your kitchen. When working with my clients on updating their kitchens I often find that they are lacking sufficient lighting.
Whether you decide to purchase LED fixtures or fixtures that accept incandescent lighting be sure to stay consistent within your kitchen. This will give you a cohesive illumination throughout. Refer to my earlier post Healthy Home Lighting for more in depth information on LED vs Incandescent.
New Appliances
Appliances will be your biggest expense for updating your kitchen. If you have already been replacing them one at time then that will save you now. It’s such an important investment especially if you enjoy gourmet cooking. The cost is all over the map with what you can spend. This is a purchase you need to really do some research on. List out your objectives. Take time to visit local appliance stores. Read the reviews. Don’t be hasty with your appliance purchase. This one will have a major impact on your culinary experiences. It’s important that cooking is enjoyable.
New Countertops
If your counter-tops are time worn or a color you are tired of then it’s a well worth investment, and will go a long way in updating your outdated kitchen. The most popular choices are Quartz (engineered stone) & natural stones like Granite & Quartzite (the most expensive.) This will be your second largest expense. You can select Quartz (engineered stone) by looking at samples. However, take it a step further and ask the fabricator to show you photos of projects they have used that particular choice before. Sometimes you’ll see some nice veining on the sample yet be surprised that there are some areas that have none. That’s not necessarily a bad thing but it’s nice to know what to expect ahead of time.
When it comes to natural stone you definitely want to take it a step further and select your own slabs. From there you’ll want to have them tape off the sections to show you how the cuts will layout. If there is an area of the stone you really don’t like ask them to work around it. Some fabricators will provide you with a computer rendering on how the stone will line up on your counters. It’s important to find a quality fabricator that will provide you with the best tools to understand how the end results will look. It’s too large of an investment not to. You should be thrilled with the end results.
If stone isn’t in your budget, then laminate is affordable and can pull off a great look. When we were doubling the size of our 1893 Farmhouse back in 2002, as you might imagine we had exceeded our budget. At the last minute I chose to do laminate kitchen countertops instead of granite. I had the intention of replacing the counters in the future. 18 years later, I still have the original laminate counters. I just haven’t been able to justify replacing them because they still look good. My base cabinets are black to match my Viking 48”, black range. The counters are Wilsonart Blackstar Granite in the shiny finish. I can’t begin to tell you how many people, including appraisers, have mistaken them for the real thing. I know it’s crazy. My point is, that if solid stone is not in your budget, then consider laminate. There are some surprisingly beautiful options for a quarter of the price.
A Mosaic Tile with Movement will Soften the Linear Lines.
Foliage by Artistic Tile did just that for my Client.
New Backsplash Tile
There was a time when a backsplash was simply a practical & functional element of the kitchen. A protection to keep spaghetti sauce from splattering & staining your walls. BUT NOW….although it still does exactly that, it’s a statement piece. This is a place to show your creative side or your organized side. Whatever it is, have fun adding something new. If you have an existing 4” stone backsplash that matches your counters opt to remove that portion and replace it with a tile that adds more character to your kitchen.
If your brain functions better on the Left Side, opt for a simple, clean geometric. You can achieve great results with classic subway or an updated look like this from The Tile Shop. Glass, Stone, Porcelain are all great choices. Be sure that you ask questions about clean-ability and maintenance. Glass & Porcelain will be easier to maintain and clean than Natural Stone because the are less porous.
Have fun expressing yourself
Replace or Refinish Floors
Flooring can have a huge impact on updating your outdated kitchen. Even your outdated golden oak floors can be revived by having them sanded and stained a darker tone. This article has some great inspiration photos of how your outdated oak floor can look. A sample board is helpful in selecting a stain color, however, wood varies & has a mind of it’s own. Have your flooring expert show you a few options on your floor once they have been sanded down. Recheck it before they apply the finish coat so you can decide if the color is rich enough or whether it needs an additional coat of stain.
Another option would be to remove & replace your existing golden oak with a prefinished engineered wood floor. There are a variety of species and stain colors to choose from. Some of the benefits to this are that you know exactly what you’re getting and it has a factory finish that will wear longer than a finish done on site. The downside is it might require more labor. If the existing floors go under the cabinets, island and appliances then to replace it properly it should be replaced under those areas too.
If you prefer the look and functionality of a porcelain or vinyl tile then you will be up against the same decisions that I mentioned above.
The best way to weigh out your decision is to bring out a flooring expert that will educate & guide you on your final decision.
I hope this will help you move forward with how to update your outdated kitchen.
If you’re still struggling, consider my Local or Online Design Services!
I’m here to help!
Your Home Loving Expert,
CJ
