Homeowners find ways to maximize style without breaking the bank

Consumers may be cutting back on expenditures in response to the difficult economy, but according to area kitchen designers, they still want a nice, comfortable place to live where they can entertain their family and friends and live an organized, uncluttered life. So they are spending money to get those things.

But buyers' tastes and requirements have evolved.

“Today's buyers are focusing on value, functionality and long-term style,” explained Kevin Kunzweiler, owner of Concept Kitchen and Bath in Algonquin.

“We are seeing more people trying to work with what they already have and make improvements,” said Sandy Hagen, design/build sales consultant with McDowell Remodeling in St. Charles. “For instance, if their appliances are still working, they don't replace them.”

“We are primarily redoing kitchens that were built in the '80s and '90s and were well-designed to begin with. So we don't have to rip everything out. We just need to update what is there so our average kitchen remodeling job today prices out in the $20,000s,” said Bruce Pinsler, president of Galaxie Home Remodeling of Lincolnwood.

But “people's wishes haven't completely adjusted to the new reality,” Kunzweiler admitted. “I am still quoting lots of the high-end stuff and then when people see what it costs, we are backing it all off to something more affordable.”

Consequently, those who might have opted for the very high-end cabinets are now settling for something that looks very similar but might not have the big name. And those who might have chosen a mid-grade cabinet before are making other adjustments.

“I am seeing homeowners choosing builder grade cabinet doors but upgrading to dovetailed drawers so that they don't fall apart in a few years,” said Linette Fleura, head of cabinet sales and design for Richards Building Supply in Lindenhurst.

And Pinsler added that his customers are also anxious to update their kitchen cabinets so they can get the hidden trash bins, organizing units and rollouts inside the cabinets.

When it comes to finishes on those cabinets, Kunzweiler said that the Tuscan look that was so popular five years ago is no longer requested. Similarly, the exotic woods like bamboo and wenge have never caught on. Instead, buyers are looking for the very traditional maple and cherry or plain white paint, without the glazes that everyone wanted a few years ago.

Hagen agreed. “In the past, people wanted lots of glazes and raised panels. Today they are looking for a cleaner, more affordable look with flat panel doors and simpler crown molding.”

“Trends come and go and people have had enough with all of the adornment in kitchens. That look has run its course,” said Sue McDowell, president of McDowell Remodeling.

Timeless and classic seem to be the watchwords today as people try to maximize their investment.

“Life takes place in the kitchen, so people are trying to make it as functional as possible while maximizing their space and they are taking a hard look at quality and value for the price,” Fleura added.

The big countertop sellers are, without a doubt, granite and quartz, which sells under various brand names including Silestone, according to Kunzweiler. Their environmentally friendly competition like recycled glass and paper are still too expensive for most people to justify; concrete and ceramic tile have revealed themselves to be too difficult to maintain; Corian is simply out of favor; and only builders put in laminate countertops today, he said.

Fleura disagreed. “I see laminate countertops making a huge comeback thanks to the new colors and high-definition styles. This is one of the places I see my customers cutting corners in order to invest money elsewhere. They know that a year or two down the road they can always get granite if they still want it.”

On the other hand, “many homeowners choose to just give their kitchen a fresh, contemporary look with new countertops or a new tile backsplash, leaving their cabinets in place,” Hagen added. “That can make a huge impact.”

When the subject of kitchen sinks and faucets comes up, many homeowners today are choosing to purchase one large bowl instead of the traditional double bowl sink because they want to be able to wash larger items. As far as sink material goes, stainless is still king, with quartzite running second.

“You rarely see people buying enamel over cast iron anymore because of the coining effect, caused by aluminum pans rubbing against the enamel, which is difficult to scrub off,” Kunzweiler explained. “Copper is also hard to maintain and fire clay is not durable enough for daily use.”

As far as faucets go, single lever, pullout faucets sell at all different price points and they are most popular. But a few homeowners are opting to invest in the tall restaurant-style prep faucets with the swinging hoses, he continued.

“Brand names like Grohe, Koehler and LK are important to people since they use these things day in and day out and they are expensive to replace,” Hagen said. “So I see a lot of people buying the low end of a well-known, high-quality brand in order to save money but not skimp on durability.”

“Whatever makes each workstation most efficient — that is what people want,” Fleura said.

People are also scaling back on appliances. Warming drawers, built-in coffee makers and wine coolers are now considered impractical, Kunzweiler said.

“People aren't willing to give up cabinet space to put those things in anymore and they have realized that if you have two ovens, you can use one to warm things. Why do you need an additional warming drawer except maybe on a big holiday?” he said.

And despite manufacturers' efforts to move people away from stainless steel, it remains the most popular appliance finish because of its neutrality and the fact that it goes with everything. Black appliances are starting to make inroads, however, and wood paneled appliances are also coming back, Pinsler said.

Many, but not all, of those investing in a new kitchen are also cutting back on expensive lighting. While the kitchen designers agreed that recessed can lights are still everyone's first choice, Kunzweiler said he has seen more people opting for surface lights in order to avoid the high cost of ripping out a ceiling to install cans. Under cabinet lights remain very popular, too, because they are inexpensive to install and they direct light onto the countertops where people need it.

Hagen said, however, that she is replacing many large, unpleasant fluorescent lights over islands with two or three pendants or recessed canned lights. That has been a high priority for many kitchen-updaters, Pinsler agreed.

When it comes to kitchen floors, tile and hardwood remain the favorites and Pinsler said he is simply refinishing many existing wood floors for his customers. Marble is too soft, denting and cracking when things are dropped on it. Bamboo and cork, while they give an interesting look, have never caught on. And some homeowners are even opting for the new solid vinyl floors, Kunzweiler said.

But Fleura is also seeing traditional vinyl laminate making a comeback because it works for many people's busy lives and because they would rather spend their money on more functional aspects of their kitchen.

Those wishing to open up their kitchens to make them more roomy are generally choosing to open up a wall to the family room or adjoining eating area, often adding a breakfast bar, according to Kunzweiler. Few of his customers are choosing a costly addition today, he said.

But Pinsler stressed that it depends on the customer, their budget and the house. Some homeowners are still choosing to expand their kitchens into their seldom-used dining rooms, for instance, and with newer homes where the walls are made of drywall and the electrical work is encased in conduit, this can be relatively inexpensive.

“I enjoy advising my customers on what makes sense in this economy,” Pinsler said. “You can make a striking difference in your house without breaking the bank.”

As long as the wall the homeowner chooses to open up is not loading-bearing, opening up a wall is not a terribly expensive proposition, Kunzweiler added. So it is a popular solution to those needing a less cramped feeling in their kitchen.

Fleura, Hagen and Pinsler are also helping customers remove soffits so that they can install taller cabinets for more storage space in a small kitchen and they are seeing many homeowners who wish to remove their peninsula counters and replace them with an island for better traffic flow.

“People are realizing that they need to continue to maintain and update their homes, even though things are scary economically right now because, in the long run, the home won't sell well later if you don't keep it updated,” McDowell said.

Consequently, McDowell Remodeling is doing many jobs that they call “kitchen tuneups.” They only replace the high-impact items like countertops, lighting and cabinet hardware. When it comes to the cabinets themselves, they paint or refinish them, but do not remove and replace them.

Concept Kitchen and Bath, 230 Souwanas Trail, Algonquin, www.conceptkitchenbath.com; 224-653-0471

Galaxie Home Remodeling, 4761 S. Touhy Ave., Lincolnwood, www.galaxieconstruction.com; 847-677-8300

McDowell Remodeling, 521 W. Main St., St. Charles, www.remodelwithmcdowell.com; 630-584-2255

Richards Building Supply, 2952 Falling Waters Blvd., Lindenhurst, www.richards-supply.com; 847-265-5200