How to Refresh Your Kitchen with Minimal Work

Have you ever had friends or family over for a special occasion? You spend the whole day cleaning your entire home, but then once they arrive you think to yourself that there’s really only one place you should have focused on in preparation for your guests’ arrival. It’s always the place everyone seems to naturally gravitate towards to hang out and connect — your kitchen.

I may be an appliance expert, but I’m no stranger to home renovations and design refreshes. Even if you’re not doing a complete overhaul, there are some easy ways to make your kitchen feel fresh and new.

Full-blown kitchen renovations can get expensive quickly, but a thoughtfully planned, minor kitchen refresh can have a major return on your investment — approximately 81%.

That means that if you dedicate $21,000 to your kitchen refresh, you’re likely to recoup $17,000 of it. So a kitchen refresh is not only a way to enhance your living experience, it’s also a sound financial investment.

We’ve rounded up several ways you can refresh your kitchen in a way that makes a big impact without the headache and costs of a big renovation project.

Refinish Your Cabinets

Take a quick glance at your kitchen. What do you see first? Cabinetry is the major focal point of the kitchen. Painting your tired cabinets is a great way to modernize your kitchen’s look. A fresh clean white, pale grey, or taupe can give your kitchen a more airy vibe. Darker moody colors like black and deep greens are currently all the rage for giving your kitchen a high contrast luxurious feel. A fresh coat of paint with a quick swap of modern hardware, and your kitchen looks brand new without ever breaking out a sledgehammer.

 

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Quick Tip: Make sure the changes you make will still align with the look and feel of your appliances if you're not planning to purchase any new ones. If you ARE - you could consider panel-ready models to really scale things up.

- Al

Upgrade Your Sink and Faucet

Sometimes we tend to fixate on our countertops if they are a dated style. If we could just swap out our tired laminate finishes with Carrara marble everything would be perfect, right?

But upgrading countertops can be a big financial commitment and it often leads to additional costly upgrades. The backsplash you were once okay with, suddenly doesn’t look so great with your new expensive marble.

 

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A little focal point can go a long way. After you’ve refreshed your cabinets with a paint color that better highlights your current countertops, go for a sink and faucet upgrade for a finishing pop! A fresh white farmhouse sink can sparkle where a contractor grade steel sink can fall flat. Adding a luxury faucet with features like no touch options is a fun and functional way to make you (and future homebuyers) forget all about those countertops you’re cutting your veggies on.

Create a Special Space for the Things You Love

How we experience our kitchens is often more important than having every corner of the space decked out in the latest and greatest. Sometimes it’s more about having that one special space that really caters to your lifestyle. Little moments of personalization can go a long way.

For the coffee lover whose morning cup is their favorite time of day, include a barista nook. A built-in coffee machine can free up your counter space and bring the coffeehouse experience right to your home. One of our favorites here at Just Ask Al is the Miele CVA 6805 Coffee Maker. Or, if you are less of a barista and more of an entertaining host, consider adding a beverage center for guests’ easy access to your wine and beer collection.

Incorporate a Wow Factor

Where renovations are about a complete overhaul of a space, you may be picking up at this point that we think a kitchen refresh is more about identifying a few intentional opportunities for making a big impact.

It’s easy to get caught up dreaming about layouts and paint colors, but when it comes to the kitchen, your appliances are the true stars of the space. Future home-buyers are willing to pay more for high-end finishes and thoughtful upgrades. Of buyers who bought homes without certain features, 69% surveyed said they would have paid more for new appliances.

 

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If your refrigerator is a focal point of your kitchen, and there’s no cost benefit to a layout remodel, invest in a refrigerator that wows. Our Just Ask Al Refrigerator Buying Guide can help you make the right choice.

A beautiful kitchen falls short if your appliances are a point of frustration. A high-end cooktop range can make someone excited to work in the kitchen, even if the light fixtures are a bit dated.  Investing in a luxury appliance that wows is a smart and easy way to spruce up the heart of your home.

With decades of industry insight and candid community conversations about appliances, Just Ask Al can help you find the right appliance for your kitchen refresh. Sign up for the forum to get started!

Looking to give your home appliances a refresh? Head to Plessers.com or call 1-877-957-5377 and tell them Al sent you!