Oh kitchen, my kitchen. How do I love thee? Even when you are just a wee bit...outdated?

How do I love thee? Even when you are just a wee bit...outdated? Instead of turning you in for something new, how about a mini kitchen redo? 
 
Many times it is hard to figure out how to revive what already exists. How do you freshen it up without tearing it all down or starting over? So became the case with this kitchen project. 
 
Here were my client’s thoughts during our kitchen walkthrough:

• Don't like the appliances. The black appliances don't look "today". I want all stainless steel.
• Don't like the floors. They are boring, big white tiles. Wood is in! I want wood floors! 
• Cabinets are top quality, but not my first choice in color. Maybe we can just paint them? And I think I like the look of pull hardware vs knobs.
• Countertops. They’re not granite. What is this anyway? (It appears to be a Corian countertop, which was quite popular some time ago). Again, it’s not granite. Tolerable, but not granite. But, the kitchen island is granite. A mix of black and dark green. How do I make this all work?!
• Kitchen furniture. Really don’t like. Really makes the kitchen seem outdated.
• Wall color. Deep red. Not my first choice. This is a big kitchen and it makes the room seem smaller. Though it is a warm room.
• Window coverings. Along with the furniture, these window treatments are outdated. Want something fresh and new.

 
Let’s take a general look at the cost of that. Now this is just an approximation. It includes an average-priced item along with installation cost. Also depends on the size of your space. These estimates are for a large kitchen. Could be less, could be more. Homewyse is a great source to figure out for all types of remodeling costs. I highly recommend them.
 

For a big chunk of money, the client  could make all of these changes. And it would be a fantastic kitchen! But alas, it seems that our dreams are bigger than our budget. But, that doesn’t mean we can’t make our dreams come true! And really, a complete remodel is not always needed!
 
Here’s a toast to dreaming smarter. Think easy. Think simple. Think fresh.
 
Take a look:

See the price difference?! It’s huge!
Depending on your taste and budget, you could be spending close to $9500 on the low end when you can really update your kitchen look for just $2500! Savings of approx $7000. And on the high end, for those that want the best of everything…whew! Look out! On the high end of kitchen remodels, you could easily be spending $30,000+ (my numbers are still fairly conservative here). But with some basic changes, you can transform the look of your kitchen for a fraction of the cost and still have your dream result. 
 
Many factors went into the final decision, mainly driven by the budget! Not to mention that all the appliances, cabinetry, and flooring in our kitchen are top-notch, albeit many (many) years old. It just didn’t feel right to swap it out with something of a lesser quality and it felt rather wasteful. So we sunk our teeth and money into areas that were easier to control and manage in terms of trendiness, functionality, cost, and ability.

Can I tell you how great if felt to freshen up this kitchen for less? Instead of spending four or five times the amount on a complete kitchen remodel, we achieved the same desired result on so much less!  

See Before & After Photos