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Before and After Before: 
Cabinets and kitchen circa 1978 with some upper cabinets removed. Refridgerator stood where white spot on wall was. Notice where there are no drawer or door pulls in corner - the refridgerator blocked this whole section so it was never used! After: 
This is the same wall/corner area as the before photo above. Now the entire corner is utilized. Upper cabinet with tall door allows entire corner space to be utilized. Lower cabinet on other side allows full access on bottom to back of corner. Warming drawer is under oven. Removing soffit allows cabinets to end at ceiling height, gaining an extra foot of storage. Before: 
This column/wall was one of a pair that created an open doorway to the dining room. From the column to the wall was a lower cabinet which housed a dishwasher with wall cabinets hung in the area above it. The same was on the opposite side but that had the sink. (BAD design.) There were no cabinets on the back or window wall. The green on the floor is old carpet pad in the dining room. After: 
The kitchen footprint size remained the same but the storage space more than doubled. The two columns were removed. The window opening remained the same at 28" above the floor, but with the sink and cabinets infront of it this allows for an infinity effect of the countertop. A planter box sits 6" below the counter and the entire span of the window. The cabinet depth refridgerator anchors this side of the room and makes a nice wall for the dining room. Bamboo floors run thru both the kitchen and dining room. |
| The Costs There is no way to sugar-coat it, kitchen and bath remodels cost money. They are investment grade projects. These are the rooms in your home that get the most use and have to provide multiple functions at the most complex levels. This complexity is what drives the cost. Both require appliances, fixtures, plumbing, electrical, ventilation, safety considerations, etc. It helps to look at if from this perspective because then the costs from fixtures to finishes to contractor labor make more sense. The other important cost component is durability. Kitchens and bathrooms have permanence. These aren't rooms we change on a whim and each item to be installed properly and should last. There is not a $1000 or even a $3000 kitchen remodel. Master bathrooms are often upwards of $20,000 (without the fancy steam shower, spa tub and heated floor.) These are big dollar rooms. However, if you do them right they will last and you may more than recoup your investment when you sell your home. Facelifts are not remodels. Facelifts are a can of paint, new towels or bar stools and maybe a different light fixture. Remodels include cabinets, countertops, appliances, fixtures, lighting, flooring and can go on from here. Remodels require demolition and re-construction. There are no quick-fixes for remodels. Kitchen appliances are big ticket items. If you cook, buy the best you can and what is most appropriate for your needs. If you don't understand convection cooking and don't want to, buy a standard oven. Investigate what is right for your needs. Another consideration may be efficiency. A $450 dishwasher may cost more to run on a yearly basis in both electricity and water consumption than a high efficiency $750 model. Do your homework. Cabinets are a significant chunk of your budget. Have a kitchen plan BEFORE you buy. Buying cabinets because they only cost $75 is no bargain if they aren't what you need. Kitchen and bathrooms are the most important rooms in the home and not a place to fit in "deals". Do not be afraid of semi-custom or even custom cabinetry. Depending on your space a customizable solution may provide you with access to storage and space utilization you could never achieve with stock cabinets and it may cost less than you might expect. Wasted space will cost money. There are ways to save money in every category. You could select a $4.45 sq. ft. glass mosaic tile and be creative vs. a $75 sq. ft. preplanned mosaic tile design. There are plenty of areas for compromise that will still give you a functional, attractive and durable kitchen or bath space. Always get some numbers from reputable contractors and designers of what your space should cost. Don't put an uneducated number on it first. Know what you can afford, but know what is realistic. Bottom line: first get a plan for any kitchen or bath, price things out and then determine your budget and when you can afford to proceed with the project. Give yourself time to get over the shock of the real costs, they won't change because you don't like them. Then figure 20-25% additional for changes, forgotten items, and your own comfort. If you have to wait a year, it'll be well worth it. |
INSPIRATION Questions to ask when planning for a new kitchen or master bath: For a master bathroom remodel: Shower and/or tub for one or two? Do you like to take a bath? Do you soak, read, listen to music? Need a view? Do you use a lot of product? What and what sizes? Certain chemicals guarantee unhappy results if used on certain surfaces. Do you shave in the shower or at the sink? Do you need privacy for your toilet? One sink or two? Do you both use the bathroom at the same time? How and where does a woman put on her make up? How much storage do you need and for what? Appliances: hairdryer, curling iron, hot rollers, etc.? What size towels do you use and how many? Do you wear a robe? Do you change your clothes in the bathroom or elsewhere?
Kitchen: Do you cook? How do you cook and what? How much time do you spend in your kitchen? Are you a messy or clean cook? What type of utensils and pots/pans do you use? How often? What and how much do you handwash items? Do you need a separate sink for food preparation? Do you need a garbage disposal or do you compost? How many trash and recycle bins do you need in the kitchen? How many sets of dishes to you use? Do you entertain? For how many? Do you like to eat in your kitchen? Full meals or just quick snacks? Where do your kids do homework? How often do you shop for groceries? What kind of storage do you need: dry goods, canned, fresh fruits & veggies, bottled drinks, etc.? What do you hate or love about your current kitchen? Do you need a TV or computer in your kitchen? Do you have lots of kitchen appliances: mixer, toaster overn, coffee maker, etc? Microwave – who uses it and for what? (If is young children you don't want to put it in upper wall cabinets.) How many people cook at the same time? How many cookbooks do you use? How do you store recipies? Do you bake and need a lower countertop for rolling out dough or pastry?
There are many more questions one could ask but this will get you started in the right direction. Kitchen and bathrooms require a large amount of planning and research before you ever get to the design part of it. Answering these questions first will put you well on your way to a successful design.
Why a general contractor? Creating a kitchen involves many elements: plumbing, electrical, carpentry, flooring, painting, etc. A general contractor has people on his staff or sub-contractors he can call on for the various elements and provides the project management skills to coordinate all the different trades. CAUTION: Kitchens are a big deal and involve major money – this is not the place to skimp and decide you can be your own project manager. I have never seen it work well and it ALWAYS ends up costing the homeowner more. I don’t even do it for myself.
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Additional Articles Kitchen Design Tips for Great Results The Big Kitchen and Bath Trend for 2008 – Everything has its' place.
| Green Kitchen Design Products - Cork or bamboo floors
- Recycled glass tile backsplash
- Recycled concrete and glass countertops
- Low VOC paints, adhesives and finishes
- Daylighting
- Energy efficient appliances
Interior Design Factory, Ltd. 29399 Shaker Blvd. Pepper Pike, OH 44124 Phone: 216.255.4143 Fax: 216.765.8065 | How to get fair bids from general contractors
Prepare a written scope of work (bid package) once. I say once because you don’t want to revise it or change it or forget something each time you present it to a new contractor. Be as specific as you can. Outline every detail you have. Include the type of sink, countertop, appliances to be installed, lighting, drawings for architectural changes, hardware, etc. The more details you have the more accurate your quote will be. If you only write “new kitchen faucet” one contractor might budget for a $60 faucet and another for $250 when the reality is you know you want the $450 Hansgrohe one in polished chrome. If you haven’t made a decision on an item yet indicate that. If you know you want granite countertops but not what granite just say “granite countertops to be determined”. In this bid package attach any written plans (drawings) you have received from your kitchen designer, interior designer or architect. Have the designer/architect review plan with potential contractor before bid to make certain contractor understands exactly what is expected.
True Story: Designer reviewed a contract in detail with contractor for a bathroom remodel project. Every detail was on a contract about what was and was not included, type of wall tile, floor tile, etc. Bid = $48,000. Client gave drawings to another contractor who didn't want to review with designer and he presented a once page bid for $25,000 which did not have details and only allowances for different items. Client choose second contractor and ended up paying over $75,000 for the project.
Giving every contractor the same bid package assures you the contractors are bidding on the same scope of work. Good contractors appreciate this. It makes bidding the job much easier. Contractors like clients who make decisions and know what they want.
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