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 Formica countertops that look like granite (about $300); engineered hardwood flooring ($200); Pull-out faucet ($225) and an upscale real slate tile backsplash (expensive) create a budget kitchen makeover.
By Dermot Mack In Metro Vancouver’s still white-hot housing market, it is easy for homeowners to be seduced into overspending on renovations, yet, as this condo kitchen attests, a home’s value can be raised without breaking the bank.
The owner, a South Surrey single mom with a teenage son, was adamant when she called in contractor Jeffrey Rebiffe: she wanted a bigger, brighter, better kitchen but she couldn’t spend more than $20,000. Not wouldn’t; couldn’t.
Fortunately, Rebiffe, who specializes in cabinets and space design with Shell Busey’s HouseSmart Renovations, is tuned into lower-cost kitchen makeovers.
Despite the fact that the entire 30-year-old kitchen was gutted, a wall removed and the entire space reversed and finished with new cabinets, countertop, sinks, faucets and flooring, the final price came in well below budget.
“With today’s materials, you don’t have to spend a lot to get a great looking kitchen that works well,” Rebiffe said.
 Before: Cramped kitchen in a three-year-old townhouse was gutted and the wall removed
The counter material looks like granite but it is Formica’s “butter rum granite,” a hardwearing laminate which cost about $30 per lineal foot, compared with $150 per lineal foot, on average, for granite, and looks a lot like the real thing.
The kitchen cabinets were all redone in a solid maple frame, with recessed doors in maple veneer. Rebiffe added a bit of “oomph” by using three-inch frames rather than standard two-inch frames. This provided more weight and better aesthetics for less than a $200 upgrade.
The kitchen sink is a standard drop-in stainless steel unit, and the pullout faucet may look like a fancy, expensive import but it is a Canadian model for $225. “You can spend $1,000 on a faucet,” Rebiffe said, but the lower cost, local models work just as well and they are immediately available.”
The floor is a dead-ringer for hardwood, but it is an engineered hardwood over plywood substrate (the apartment has infloor radiant heating). “The kitchen is 40 square feet, and the engineered hardwood cost $5 per square foot and is easy to install,” Rebiffe said.
Lighting was improved by dropping the ceiling by three inches and installing a series of seven pot lights, along with two hanging pendant lights over the new bar, and five under-cabinet puck lights. Rebiffe installed Xenon lightbulbs, which cost a bit more than conventional bulbs but use less energy and last about six times longer.
When working to a tight budget, you must throw in some luxury pizzazz, Rebiffe said. In this case, it is the real slate tiled backsplash. While expensive, it adds an upscale look and “is the first thing you see.”
Other touches included “soft touch” closures on all drawers and cabinets and a fresh paint scheme.
By using easy-to-access materials and planning the project precisely, the client saved on labour, with two tradesmen handling the job smoothly and quickly, Rebiffe added. Reprinted from: Home Makeover November/December 2007 |
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