If you’re unhappy with your kitchen and don’t want to spend the money for a complete remodel, consider restyling as an economical way to change the look and the functionality of your kitchen.
“Most of what we do is restyling,” said John McInnis of Kitchen Tune-Up in Burlington. “There are very few kitchens where people will go for a fresh new look and have the functionality stay the same.”
The most common thing that people complain about is that cupboard spaces underneath the counters are not well used and are inaccessible. “There are a couple of ways to fix that,” McInnis said. “We can install roll-out trays and we can convert the doors to drawers.”
Also, homeowners are buying bigger appliances so the old cabinetry just won’t work anymore. Kitchen Tune-Up will cut down cabinets to incorporate modern additions such as an over-the-stove microwave. Other possible changes and additions include converting a desk area into a pantry or adding an island, and adding detail like crown mouldings.
Whether the decision is to reface, restyle or replace, each project is treated the same at Kitchen Tune-Up. Everyone is asked to fill out a pre-design consultation form to help them think about how the kitchen is used, who uses it, what they’ve liked about other kitchens and what they want to incorporate into their new kitchens.
Then a design consultant visits the home to understand what the homeowner is trying to achieve and what changes they want to make. Once the consultant understands that, then they propose a number of options so the homeowner can make an informed decision.
While the whole process is more economical than replacing and starting from scratch, the money-saving factor depends on how far the homeowner wants to take it.
“If you’re trying to turn what you have into something dramatically different, it would be more cost-effective to start over again. The point of restyling is the more of the original structure we reuse the more cost-effective it is.”
One of the advantages of restyling is that it only takes four days and you get your kitchen back at the end of each day. “It would be very unusual for a total kitchen restyling to take more than a week. We have a mobile shop, we clean at the end of each day, and all the cutting is done out of the home, if possible, so it’s a clean, low disruption process.
For more information visit www.kitchentuneup.com