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 How to know when to splurge and how to save! |
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 nhand that hammer: there are much easier—and less expensive—ways to “remodel” an outgrown kitchen. A couple of top American kitchen designers recently shared their best ideas with Wilsonart, the laminate manufacturer. Their suggestions include: l Upgrade the lighting. “Add low-voltage halogen lighting,” says Marcello Luzi, one of Philadelphia’s top kitchen designers. The brighter the lamps, the more lively the kitchen. As a bonus, he says, “Even the food looks better.” l Make over solid cabinet doors with glass. Top Atlanta designer John Oetgen suggests replacing the center cabinet panels with clear or frosted glass. “It’s a lot cheaper than replacing the cabinets themselves,” he points out. Other glass options include colored and textured glass, and new, low-voltage lighting inside the cabinets. l Add the Midas touch of metallics. “Stainless steel is like jewelry for the kitchen,” says Marcello Luzi. While the real thing looks—and costs—high-end, laminates like MetalFX and Metalaminates from Wilsonart capture the effect for a fraction of the cost. Luzi especially likes the look of metallic laminate backsplashes. l Spice things up with color. Forget all that advice against using strong colors in small spaces; instead, color every inch dramatic with unexpected hues, such as bright lime and aqua, back-again Fifties orange, and that sure-fire trio: warm blue/yellow/ brightest white. Luzi takes the colorful approach a step further, insetting laminate countertops with laminate borders and creating designs in contrasting colors for cabinets and doors, as well. l Brightest idea of all: instead of ordinary lighting, Oetgen likes to hang a snappy chandelier over the kitchen island. Fit it out with hooks and it can double as a highly decorative pot rack, the designer points out. • |
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TOP: A natural beauty. Small is warm in this U-shaped kitchen that’s rich with wood tones and quarry tiles—in their natural terra-cotta coloring. Inexpensive touch: rack hung with polished copper pans adds a welcome gleam. photo: Philip Clayton-Thompson |
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 Paint for Pennies. Color brings an old-fashioned cottage kitchen fast-forward to keep pace with this young family’s life. Cost of the upgrade: one can each lime, bright blue and semi-gloss white paint (plus the vintage range, a lucky buy at $500). photo: Eric Roth |
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 A step back in time. This tiny kitchen packs great vintage charm, centered with an antique Hoosier-style cupboard. (Its original green paint inspired the color scheme.) It’s okay to splurge on great focal point pieces like this (but you can sometimes find them for a steal at flea markets!). photo: Philip Clayton-Thompson Where To Splurge/ Where To Save SPLURGE on one really eye-catching item, say, a piece of freestanding furniture like an antique Hoosier cabinet or vintage cookstove, or a lookalike repro. Approximately $3,000 and up (one source is Elmira Stove Works: elmirastoveworks.com). SAVE on countertop materials. Laminates are long-lived, hard to wreck, easy to change-out and available in a great range of colors and faux effects, including metallics and stone looks. Approximately $2–2.50/square foot (one source is Wilsonart; countertop.com). SPLURGE on real hardwood flooring. It’s kind to the cook’s feet, forgiving of spills, warm and long-wearing underfoot. Besides, you won’t need much in a small kitchen. Approximately $4–10/square foot (for information: hardwoodinfo.com). SAVE on cabinet makeovers. It’s possible to replace just the doors themselves, if you have standard-size cabinets with full overlay doors. It is also quicker and much less expensive to resurface old cabinets than to replace the entire box (expect to pay approximately $6,000 and up for a small kitchen). Sears is one well-known source of resurfacing services: sears.com; go to “Home Services”. |
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