So, You Want to Remodel Your Kitchen?
Hearing the ins and outs directly from a local remodeling contractor
Houses are expensive, and that’s not just hyperbole, there's data behind it. According to the Federal Reserve, the average price of a new home in 2020 was $377,700. Today, that number is $532,600. That is a 41% increase in five years. Material costs have stabilized, but they are up significantly. Labor costs are up, and so are interest rates. As a result, Americans are staying in their homes longer. The average length of home ownership is now 12 years, whereas it used to be around seven years. All of this means remodeling will become more appealing as people seek to stay in their homes, and make them more functional and enjoyable in the future.
Kitchens are at the top of the list for function and entertainment. They have become the gathering space of the American home. The top questions I get are, “How much is this going to cost,” and “How long will it take?” The old rule of thumb holds true: A new kitchen is about the cost of a nice, new pickup truck. Today, that’s about $80,000 to $120,000. Few come in under $60,000. If you choose to delay, the costs will most likely increase 5% to 10% per year. Design and product selection will take a couple of months; construction will take about four months, depending on the extent of the remodel.
Begin With Thoughtful Design
Let’s not do this twice. Think outside the box. Look at how you actually use the kitchen. Which countertop appliances are important to you? What are you doing for spices, cutting boards, cookie sheets, and garbage? Where are you going to store that giant frying pan or the turkey roaster? Sure, you rarely use them, but they still need a home. A well-designed kitchen will provide vastly more storage and functionality than a “cookie-cutter, slap-it-in, just-get-me-more-counter-space” type of kitchen.
The Three Basic Kitchen Layouts
The galley is the oldest style, often found in homes from the 1920’s –1960’s, and they take up the least amount of space. They’re distinguished by a narrow room with cabinets on one or two sides. Offering the benefit of function and concealment, they are small and are accompanied by a formal dining room.
The peninsula style of kitchen came into vogue in the 1970’s and offered a wider kitchen for two or three people. They feature a bank of cabinets with an eating countertop closing off the kitchen space. The weakness of this design is that they end up with a lot of wasted space in the center.
Enter, the island kitchen of the 1990’s. The island has become the dominant style, providing better traffic flow and counter service. Their weakness is that they require the widest amount of space, not length, with a minimum of 12-and-a-half feet for a narrow island. For reference, a galley kitchen is about eight feet wide; a peninsula is about 10 feet.
Base Cabinets
Once you have decided on the basic kitchen layout, you’ll want to place your sink, range, and refrigerator. Ideally, you’ll want to create the “holy triangle” between the three. The sink at the window, the range on an outside wall, and the fridge opposite them.
Then, think about the base cabinets. There has been a strong trend towards “all drawers” in the base cabinets to ease access. Drawers are also trending larger and deeper with dividers to maximize storage. Even sink and garbage cabinets get a rollout in the bottom.
For garbage rollouts, don’t go for the cheap, pre-made option. They often fail and you are tied to their specific garbage cans. A garbage rollout will accommodate two generic 13 gallon cans. Place your garbage where it can be easily accessed from both the range and the sink.
The Pantry
Consider your pantry. A well designed pantry adds tremendous storage and accessibility to your kitchen. I like to utilize heavy duty rollouts in the bottom for canned goods. In the middle, a lighted appliance garage with a flip-up door assembly. This is popular for both the hated microwave and the beloved mixer. When the guests come, just pull out the door and lower it down. Up top, shelves and spice racks handle lighter items.
The “Blind Access” Cabinet
On the topic of access, we must discuss the dreaded “blind access” cabinet. This is the cabinet in the corner. There are no good options here. My preference, if you have enough cabinetry, is to simply block it off and lose the space. That isn’t usually an option.
One path is to create a simple, shallow shelf that goes all the way back. This is a great option if you want to forget you own certain things.
The lazy susan was the standard for decades, but they waste space, and some new options have become available. There is the “carousel” and the “cloud.” The carousel is the most efficient. As you pull out the drawers, you pivot them to the side, while the “blind access” portion slides into the opening. This is an expensive option, adding about $1,500 each. It is a complicated piece of hardware.
The cloud is much simpler and about half the cost. It features a kidney-shaped shelf that pivots and slides out of the cabinet. These have been popular in recent years.
There are many other considerations to fine tune your kitchen layout. Working with an experienced remodeling contractor is a tremendous help in getting it thought through. Look for an experienced contractor with a reputation for doing fine work. Whether or not your kitchen is fancy, you will appreciate their guidance, and that the work will be done well.
Betts Bros. Remodeling
Phone: (715) 533-0168
Email: tim@bettsbros.com
Location: Based in Mondovi, Wis.
