Homes for Sale

Home Values

Real Estate Trends

Mortgage Info

A recent Better Homes & Gardens article gives several easy and affordable ideas to transform your kitchen. You can tackle all of them or you can only tackle the ones that strike your fancy – it’s your choice!

1. Beautiful floors. You can create the look of a parquet wood floor with the help of a decorative painter. It won’t be cheap (these painters average $45 to $50 per hour and can run much higher in urban locations), but it will be much cheaper than the real thing.
2. Fancy faucets. You would be surprised at how a new faucet can transform the look of your kitchen. Buying a $400 or so faucet can provide a richer look and make everyday tasks much easier, as expensive faucets often come with upgraded features.
3. Fresh backsplashes. Consider using art tile sparingly to upgrade the look of a mundane or dated tile countertop. Tile patterns designed by artists can be expensive, but you can create your own look from several tiles found at home centers for about $70.
4. Chic stools. If you have a kitchen island or a breakfast bar, a few stools can make a big impact. Designer stools often cost $400 or more, but you only need a few to make a statement. Alternatively, stores like Cost Plus World Market, Target or Pier 1 Imports often have interesting designs for low prices.
5. Fantastic pulls. You don’t have to rip out your cupboards to create a new look. Think about buying new pulls and handles instead. A number of different and interesting designs using a multitude of materials are available in home design stores.
6. Creative cabinets. Can’t afford to replace your cabinets? Create a new look and show off beautiful china, pottery or collections by replacing doors on upper cabinets with glass panels. Etched or smoked glass creates a contemporary look.
7. Lovely lighting. Dramatic lighting under cabinets or inside glass-front cabinets is practical and aesthetically pleasing.
8. Parading pots. Make your pots easily accessible, create a new look and open up space with a custom-made pot rack. Usually $400 to $800, a custom pot rack can be a work of art. You should allow about 42 inches between the countertop and the bottom of a rack. Keep in mind that most pot racks will require at least an 8-foot ceiling.
9. Contemporary coffee. Think of the money you would save without your morning trip to the coffee shop! A small commercial coffee machine runs about $1,500 and allows you to brew coffee and steam milk simultaneously and create interesting espresso drinks.
10. Terrific twofers. One of the hottest kitchen trends today is twofers: two dishwashers, two ovens. A kitchen island plumbed for a prep sink is a perfect place for an additional, simple dishwasher (about $300).
11. Wonderful wine. Whether you’re a wine enthusiast or just interested in the wine trend, it is now easy to create a mini-wine cellar in your kitchen. Freestanding and undercounter refrigerated wine cabinets are now affordable at about $400.
12. Warm cuisine. The ability to keep a meal warm comes in handy with today’s chaotic schedules. Warming drawers start at about $800 and can become invaluable.