We have all heard about cosmetic upgrades to a kitchen, but what exactly do they entail? We at Case Design/Remodeling Indy think of these projects as minor remodels, where the kitchens have good functionality and structure already. All they need to look up-to-date is a few tweaks. This home on the East side of Carmel is a great example of how little changes can make large impacts.
Original kitchen: This home is located in the Foster Estates subdivision and was built in 1998. When asked why they decided to remodel, the homeowners responded, “We think our kitchen is the hub of the house. It needed some updating, a refreshed look and a little color added.” The overall layout worked for their family, so their CaseIndy designer helped them add small touches that would give them a more modern look.
1) Updated Backsplash: Installing a new backsplash adds visual interest and texture to a kitchen. For this project, we used natural stone 3×6 pillowed limestone tiles in a Sandalwood Monterrey color, placed in a staggered pattern with pencil molding and desert bloom colored grout.
2) Upgraded Cabinet Molding: Many times just adding new molding to existing cabinetry can bring a whole new look to a kitchen. Here, taller crown molding was attached to the top of all wall cabinets, and was painted to blend with the existing cabinet color. We also installed new light rail molding on the bottom of the wall cabinets. A few cabinets were moved to change the flow of the workspace slightly.
3) New Appliances: Upgrades to appliances change the functionality of a kitchen greatly. Adding new cooking, refrigeration, and ventilation technologies can make the time spent in your space even more pleasant. Another perk of new appliances is a more modern style. These homeowners had already added some new appliances, and completed the process during the remodel for a cohesive look.
4) Additional Lighting: Often the most overlooked aspect of home design, new lighting can give a whole new feel to a space. These homeowners added hard-wired under-cabinet xenon lighting with dimmer switches. According to the homeowner, “Some areas in the kitchen were very dark and now the new lighting hits almost all areas of the countertops. It looks so warm and homey with all the lights on.”
5) New Countertops: Pulling out old laminate countertops and installing updated materials can have the largest impact on the look of a kitchen remodel. There are many good choices out there, but these homeowners selected 3-centimeter Amarello Boreal granite for their new countertops.
6) Finishings: Little touches like new faucets, drawer pulls and cabinet knobs, and light switches are the icing on the cake in a kitchen remodel. These homeowners added a new Delta Leland pull-down faucet in Venetian bronze and matching Amerock oil-rubbed bronze cabinet knobs to finish our their new space.
Final result: An old, outdated kitchen was easily transformed into a show-stopper through small upgrades and minor modifications. According to the homeowner, “We are looking forward to the holidays this year and to having people over for dinner now. We are so glad we remodeled. We’ve already had a lot of compliments on the upgraded kitchen.”
