Kitchen Face Lift

[konapoppy]

Like many, I have decided this is the year for home improvements.

We are redoing our master closet, both bathrooms, our fence and some landscaping.

Now I am thinking I may want to do a facelift in our small kitchen. The layout is fine, but it is just pretty dark. I would like to paint the cabinets, get a new countertop, switch to an undivided sink, and maybe change the range to gas. The floor plan and ovens and fridge wouldn’t change.

How big of a project does this sound like? We would hire it out, so obviously I will get bids, but trust this group’s thoughts

[aprilsails]

If you’re not planning on changing your flooring or cabinets it wouldn’t be too bad in terms of inconvenience. Cabinet fronts can be removed and painted off site and that can take a week. Countertop replacement and plumbing replacement would take 4 days at most if the timing is coordinated (1 day demo, 1 day new plumbing rough in, 1 day new countertop install, 1 day plumbing final connections and faucet installation).

Gas stove just requires running a line. If you have accessible ceilings and a basement or crawl space this is pretty easily done, although it generally costs $600+ depending on the distance from the furnace connection or gas entrance. I would suggest a hybrid range if you go that route, with gas tops and an electric oven since you already have the electrical connection. They just work better. Gas ovens are finicky.

[konapoppy]

Nov 11, 2020 11:11:29 GMT -5 aprilsails said:

If you’re not planning on changing your flooring or cabinets it wouldn’t be too bad in terms of inconvenience. Cabinet fronts can be removed and painted off site and that can take a week. Countertop replacement and plumbing replacement would take 4 days at most if the timing is coordinated (1 day demo, 1 day new plumbing rough in, 1 day new countertop install, 1 day plumbing final connections and faucet installation).

Gas stove just requires running a line. If you have accessible ceilings and a basement or crawl space this is pretty easily done, although it generally costs $600+ depending on the distance from the furnace connection or gas entrance. I would suggest a hybrid range if you go that route, with gas tops and an electric oven since you already have the electrical connection. They just work better. Gas ovens are finicky.

Thank you! That really doesn’t sound too bad.

We will keep our electric ovens - we have two stacked. So it would just be the cooktop that would switch over.

[mccallister84]

We had a contractor out to give us a quote for something similar. He said we would only be without a working kitchen for two days and maybe even one if the counter could be installed in the morning and the sink that afternoon. Overall he said about 2 weeks but probably less than five days of active work. We aren’t doing a stove conversion FYI.

[konapoppy]

Nov 20, 2020 21:20:22 GMT -5 mccallister84 said:

We had a contractor out to give us a quote for something similar. He said we would only be without a working kitchen for two days and maybe even one if the counter could be installed in the morning and the sink that afternoon. Overall he said about 2 weeks but probably less than five days of active work. We aren’t doing a stove conversion FYI.

Awesome! I actually think we will stick with electric. I am excited!

[mccallister84]

Nov 20, 2020 22:03:18 GMT -5 konapoppy said:

Nov 20, 2020 21:20:22 GMT -5 mccallister84 said:

We had a contractor out to give us a quote for something similar. He said we would only be without a working kitchen for two days and maybe even one if the counter could be installed in the morning and the sink that afternoon. Overall he said about 2 weeks but probably less than five days of active work. We aren’t doing a stove conversion FYI.

Awesome! I actually think we will stick with electric. I am excited!

I’m jealous! We had the quote done when we first went under contract on a rental property we are selling. The buyer bailed at the list minute 😖 so we put it on hold. We’re under contract again and will move forward with signing the contract the day we close.

[konapoppy]

Nov 20, 2020 22:14:38 GMT -5 mccallister84 said:

Nov 20, 2020 22:03:18 GMT -5 konapoppy said:

Awesome! I actually think we will stick with electric. I am excited!

I’m jealous! We had the quote done when we first went under contract on a rental property we are selling. The buyer bailed at the list minute 😖 so we put it on hold. We’re under contract again and will move forward with signing the contract the day we close.

🤞🤞🤞

[treedimensional]

Ok, you identified a problem: "the room is pretty dark", but you're not adding lighting?

[konapoppy]

Nov 24, 2020 9:44:26 GMT -5 treedimensional said:

Ok, you identified a problem: "the room is pretty dark", but you're not adding lighting?

The lighting is fine and there are a lot of windows! The wood cabinets are dark in a small space, especially when compared to the current trend of white kitchens.

[treedimensional]

Nov 24, 2020 13:02:52 GMT -5 konapoppy said:

Nov 24, 2020 9:44:26 GMT -5 treedimensional said:

Ok, you identified a problem: "the room is pretty dark", but you're not adding lighting?

The lighting is fine and there are a lot of windows! The wood cabinets are dark in a small space, especially when compared to the current trend of white kitchens.

To each, her own. My spouse and I have been looking at a lot of houses this year, and all the white kitchens are an immediate turn off. 

 

[SusanBAnthony]

Nov 27, 2020 13:46:26 GMT -5 treedimensional said:

Nov 24, 2020 13:02:52 GMT -5 konapoppy said:

The lighting is fine and there are a lot of windows! The wood cabinets are dark in a small space, especially when compared to the current trend of white kitchens.

To each, her own. My spouse and I have been looking at a lot of houses this year, and all the white kitchens are an immediate turn off. 

 

I'm curious what colors/styles you are looking for, and how much white is a turn off vs ok.

[treedimensional]

Nov 28, 2020 11:24:23 GMT -5 SusanBAnthony said:

Nov 27, 2020 13:46:26 GMT -5 treedimensional said:

To each, her own. My spouse and I have been looking at a lot of houses this year, and all the white kitchens are an immediate turn off. 

 

I'm curious what colors/styles you are looking for, and how much white is a turn off vs ok.

I like wood cabinets in natural brown hues, and color on walls. I like vibrant, rich, saturated colors. I dislike white cabinets and walls. White in general just seems really washed out, clinical, uninviting, unfinished, and unappealing to me.

[dr.girlfriend]

If it helps I love my white kitchen cabinets. Makes my kitchen look much bigger than before. 😁