Til-Kismet, I’ll join Cavig’s in offering congratulations on the purchase of your new home. I’m not handy but I really love to cook and entertain AND more relevant to your posting, I survived a major kitchen redesign project two plus years ago. I gutted my entire kitchen to obtain a more functional layout suitable for day-to-day use and entertaining and also to change the look to better reflect my personal taste and style. Because the job was a full-scale remodel, I used a general contractor and worked with a kitchen designer to spec out the new layout and fine-tune the design aesthetic that I wanted. It was an expensive undertaking but worth it in the end.
Your plan to live with the existing kitchen is a sound one and I highly recommend this approach. I lived with my old kitchen for more than a year to figure out what worked and didn’t work for me, and to think about how I could use the space more efficiently. I also used that time to research materials and finishes, cabinets, countertaps, flooring, appliances, lighting, and fixture. Then I figured out how much I was willing to spend to get what I wanted.
Budget is key as is a detailed and prioritized list of “must haves” so that you can decide how and on what you will spend your money. And whatever your final number is, be sure to factor in an additonal 15-20% because it always costs more than you expect. Same with time. I had workers coming and going from my kitchen for much longer than I anticipated. Do your best to follow your design plan because I’ve seen cases where people overspent in certain areas and then they either ran out of money and couldn’t finish the job or they put in cheap finishes that diminished the overall effect of the remodel.
When you’re making decisions about things like countertops - butcher block vs. quartz/granite vs. stainless steel vs. concrete vs. solid surface (e.g. Corian) the most important consideration will be cost. A full stainless steel kitchen or concrete counters will run you about $100/square foot. Both are very expensive design choices. Concrete is trendy but unless you and your wife absolutely love it I wouldn’t go that route because it has limited mass appeal. A full stainless kitchen is a real showstopper however in addition to the expense, it would not appeal to as many potential buyers as some of your other options, it’s not as durable as you might think and the fragile surface requires a lot of care and maintenance.
Based on what you said in your post, if your home is already near the top-end value in your neighborhood, you might find that a solid surface countertop such as Corian is a better option for you. It’s midrange in terms of price and aesthetics, available in a wide range of colors/patterns and complementary backsplashes, holds up well and is easy to maintain. I chose granite because I really like the look of it and it was the best fit for the design aesthetic I wanted to achieve. It’s also less porous than any other surface and that matters when it comes to keeping surfaces clean and free from bacteria such as e-coli. BTW…butcher block is among the least sanitary of the surfaces you mentioned. Granite is also relatively easy to maintain. Many home buyers also expect to see granite in a kitchen remodel - along with stainless steel appliances which I highly recommend as well. Stainless appliances add a bit of sophistication to any kitchen and there are many options in terms of costs.
You said that you planned to refinish your existing cabinets. If they are in good shape and meet your storage needs this will save you a lot of money, which you can then use for other aspects of your remodel. I went the custom route so the cabinets were a considerable expense. I incorporated my cabinets and appliances into the architectural elements of the redesign and I really like how it looks. Original kitchen lighting in older homes leaves a lot to be desired, so as you think about your remodel, don’t overlook your functional and aesthetic lighting requirements - overhead, undercabinet, food prep areas, ambient and accent.
Using an island to separate the kitchen from the dining room is a great design aesthetic in addition to being very functional. Think about how you plan to use the island - food prep, an informal eating area with a couple of stools, entertaining, storage, etc. To a large extent, function will impact design. If you want to use it mainly as a room divider, then the emphasis could be more architectural and less functional. However if the island will also function as an extension of your kitchen, then the island could be a functional piece of furniture with a architectural twist.
It’s always best when a kitchen remodel complements a home’s overall interior design and style and doesn’t conflict with it. For example, an ultrasleek, all stainless kitchen (countertops, cabinets, appliances, etc) would look best in a contemporary home, yet look out of place in a more traditional home. Buyers will expect the kitchen to fit the style of the rest of your home. If you don’t already do it, you might watch some of the home-buying related programs on HGTV to get a vibe on what buyers look for in kitchens and also check out some of their design-related programs which feature current trends, design ideas, potential problems/pitfalls, and discussions about costs/tradeoffs.
Hope this helps!
