Image courtesy of Pinterest
Are you thinking about updating your home in a more established part of town? Maybe Rancho Bel Air or Section 10? Where should you start first? Updating the kitchen will always provide the property owner with a strong return on their investment and adds value to the home. Buyers are often enticed by a modern kitchen (as they are with bathrooms) when they view properties. They know they won’t have to go through the headache of hiring a contractor or shelling out thousands of dollars to create a new kitchen, they can just move in and enjoy it.
For those thinking of undertaking a face lift for the kitchen, what are the latest trends?
Face Off
If you like the layout of your kitchen, but are on a budget, refacing the cabinets is a great alternative. Refacing is pretty straight forward; you simply swap out the cabinet doors, update hardware and then attach self-sticking veneer over the cabinets. Obviously this all takes a little bit of work (Don’t forget to measure twice, cut once) but it is quicker, cleaner and cheaper than a full on kitchen renovation. I've refaced cabinets on a flip home we refurbished and it came out great. I still prefer a total remodel though and I think it’s more fun.
Rock of Ages
Why bother with granite anymore when you can go with quartz counter-tops? Quartz is naturally durable. In fact it’s one of the strongest materials out there, virtually immune from scratches and heat. Quartz is produced from real stone but in combination with man-made products. This yields a much more resilient product which is better suited for a kitchen then a soft stone like granite. Another great feature is that there is no need to reseal or recondition it. Unlike stone it’s also non porous, which means it’s much safer in regards to spreading bacteria. I’m beginning to see quite a few homes for sale with quartz counters and anticipate more for 2016.
Deep sinks
Our family considers the kitchen the heart of our home. We cook nearly all of our meals and because of that spend a great deal of time together there. As one cooks, the other may clean. At the very least we have dishes to wash up after the meal. Because of this it’s imperative that we have plenty of room for cleanup. So it’s not a surprise that a trend I like seeing are deep bowl sinks. There is nothing worse than having a sink that will not accommodate your pots and pans for cleanup and getting water everywhere. Often times when something is stylish it’s not necessarily functional. In this case deep bowl sinks are both functional and stylish.
What other design elements are cool in Las Vegas right now?
What's your favorite color baby?
I see this in a lot of new builds all over the valley and really like it. One of my favorites is having a wood island that is darker than the corresponding cabinets. Although I’ve also seen many homes now that have different colors for upper and lower cabinets. Often these have lighter colors on top and darker colors on the bottom. This isn’t necessarily my style, but I still appreciate the design aspect and realize its appeal. Mixing up the colors can be a fun way to incorporate your personality into a kitchen. Just remember that if you’re goal is to resell the home soon, try and stick to what is trending but leaning neutral. If it’s for your personal enjoyment, then feel free to mix it up anyway you want. Be brave and go for it.
Finally
If you’re putting up your home for sale soon, or simply remodeling the kitchen for your personal enjoyment, there are plenty of great new ideas to inspire and motivate you this year! Have fun.