While we all love a good kitchen remodel, sometimes it’s hard to know where to start; what to invest in and which upgrades will add the most value to your home… down the line. Spade and Archer has compiled a list of the top 5 kitchen upgrades (with some special tips) that they have seen add the most value to a home.
Painting the cabinets can make an old kitchen new again.
1. Paint the cabinets
Wood species and stain trends come and go faster than you can say "knotty pine”. The one color of cabinets that never goes out of style is white. When it doubt the fastest way to make over a kitchen with the biggest visual impact is a gallon of white paint and a bit of elbow grease. We love Benjamin Moore’s Superwhite in semigloss for the perfect white paint, but this will greatly depend on the white paint already in your house, so choose carefully.
Updating the cabinet hardware can help modernize the look of a kitchen.
2. Replace the cabinet hardware
Cabinet hardware is the jewelry of the kitchen. Changing it will make the largest visual impact with the least amount of effort possible. A simple screw driver is all you need to freshen up a dated looking kitchen. Be careful though, there are various “spreads” available for hardware. Be sure to measure from center line to center line of the two screws to find out what size you will need to replace the existing hardware. Buying the same spread will save you tons of work drilling new holes and patching the old ones. Trust me, you are not going to want to skip this step.
New counter tops can be both beautiful and functional.
3. Replace the counter tops
Older countertops made of wood, tile or laminate can not only date a kitchen, they can also make it difficult to prepare beautiful and tasty meals. Newer materials available like quartz, marble and granite can be lower maintenance and higher performance. Beware, sticking with nuetral colors, and solid patterns will stay in style longer than colorful or hight patterned materials.
A neutral backsplash will make it easy for the next family to envision them selves in the home.
4. Replace the backsplash
Back splashes serve the purpose of preventing splashing on the wall at the back of the countertop, thus the name, backsplash. Utility here is going to be of paramount importance. While stick-on versions can be fast and convenient, they may not stand the test of time. Keep your selection, neutral and pattern free. This can certainly be a place to add fun details, no matter how tempted you are to install the back painted accent glass tile, don’t.
New lighting can add a bit of sparkle to any space.
5. Update the lighting
Lighting trends have changed over the years but a few things have stayed the same. Color temperature is of upmost importance here. Stay away from “Day light” fixtures usually defined at 5000K. Install only “Warm White” fixtures usually defined as 3000K. This more yellow light will feel warmer. As far as style, keep it simple, too much decoration will pull attention way from your beautiful new counters, cabinets, hardware and backsplashes.
We hope you enjoy these tips and tricks and can’t wait to see what upgrades you do in your kitchen. Be sure to tag us on instagram and share your before and after photos!