One of the top home-improvement projects in the United States is kitchen remodeling, and it can be one of the most expensive. JoAnne Liebeler, host HGTV's Room for Change, meets with interior designer Lynn Hockmeier for a look at kitchen remodeling on a budget. Kitchen remodeling can be a budget-buster -- especially if you buy all new cabinets and appliances and use expensive materials for countertops and flooring. Kitchens can be dramatically improved for much less by refurbishing existing cabinets, buying used appliances and choosing economical options in countertops and flooring. The kitchen, before, with blond woodwork, a gold-vinyl floor, and an avocado-green stove and oven hood, looks every bit of its 40 years (figure A). The first step in brightening up the kitchen was to refurbish the cabinets by painting them inside and out with white enamel. The original cabinet hardware, which now has a fashionable retro look, was simply cleaned up and put back on the freshly painted cabinets (figure B). New laminate countertops and a new vinyl floor, both professionally installed, considerably brighten the room at a reasonable price. Using solid synthetic, granite or tile would have been considerably more expensive. The original '50s-era stainless-steel kitchen sink was reused and simply fitted with a new faucet (figure C). A great way to save money -- and to recycle -- is to buy used appliances (figure D). Bought new, the refrigerator for this kitchen would cost between $600 and $800. Instead, it was purchased at a used-appliance store for $250. The stove was only $125; previously blackened by an oven fire, it was cleaned, then touched up with paint (figure E). The original avocado-green oven hood was electrostatically painted and looks like new (figure F). This kitchen's brick fireplace is a nice touch. The owners now fill it with burning candles for a warm glow summer and winter (figure G).
RESOURCES :
Lynn Hockmeier, Interior Designer
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