Our kitchen reno is finally done!

FutureMrsMerati

Just wanted to share with you our kitchen renovation now that it's finally done! Here's a breakdown of the cost (we live in a very HCOL area):

- Wall removal and island installation: $4,500 | This was something we vacillated on for quite a while, but in the end it's really opened up our living space and created such a nice environment. We couldn't be happier with our decision! 

- New appliances: $5,300 | we got high-end appliances for comparably not much money because we were able to shop Black Friday sales and lock in the rates for a late-January delivery

- Cabinet refurbishing: $1,200

- Hardware: $400

- New faucet: $350

- Marble backsplash: $12.50/sqft installed + ~$30 for grout, caulk, etc. = $405

Grand  total: $11,750

Would love to know what others think about our experiences vs. theirs if they've gone through a similar renovation! Do you think we got a "good bang for our buck"?  

Before: 

After:

hortons0510

I have never done a renovation so I don't have anything to compare, but it looks very nice! I like it.

AprilZ81

We did a total gut job on ours last summer.  We spent $33k (including remodeling the downstairs powder room) and did some work ourselves that was really stressful.

You guys got a great bang for your buck, but you had good bones to work with!  Awesome job!

formerlyGDaisy09

looks beautiful, those white cabinets make a HUGE difference, I've been thinking about painting ours. 

cbee817

It looks great!

We did a full gut of our kitchen in 2010 about 4 months before DD#1 was born. Our cabinets were unusable and we moved the sink and stove. Total cost with appliances was about $21,000- that included cabinets, quartz counters, fridge, stove, dishwasher, hood, subway tile, lighting, plumbing, electrical. The only thing we saved was the hardwood floors that were original to the room. I don't regret a single thing- super happy that we finished before our girls were born and that we can enjoy the space as a family. 

Before (we actually painted the cabinets white and lived with that for about 2.5 years):

After (before backsplash):

With backsplash:

short+sassy

Gorgeous!  Look at those shiny new appliances .

I totally agree with the decision to take down the wall and add an island.  That kind of more open living space is what has been popular with home buyers for a very long time now.  I'm sure you aren't planning to sell your home anytime soon...but I'd guess the extra $4500 you spent for that raised your home value by more, plus now you all can enjoy it.

I redid my tenant's kitchen about one year ago.  The cabinets are only along one 10' wall.  I originally wanted to refurbish them, like you did, but once we stripped the paint off, the wood was in terrible condition.  So we ripped them out and bought new.  The cabinets, hardware, plus labor was about $1900.

We also installed an interesting backsplash.  It looks like shiny copper, but is actually a type of hard, thin plastic.  The materials were around $300 and my husband installed them. 

I don't have a before pic handy, but here is an after pic.  The backsplash wasn't quite done at this point, but you can see what I am talking about.

jessica490

That looks amazing!! White cabinets are my absolute favorite! They make everything look so modern and clean! Great job!

hoffse

Holy moly - what a transformation!

I think you got an excellent bang for your buck!

Can you comment on the cabinet refurb?  Did you hire that out?  H and I are thinking of doing that instead of replacing our cabinets if/when we tackle our kitchen next year.  Our current cabinets aren't really high-end, but we really like the footprint.  Seems silly to rip out old cabinets and keep the footprint.

vlagrl29

I love the remodel.  So much brighter and pretty!  We've never redone anything in our house.  On our list is basement and hardwood floors.  Basement first because it makes more sense since we have a kid.

TravelJunkie1234

That looks amazing, what a great job! I love how the island really opens up the space. Oh, and I think we might have bought the same fridge on Black Friday!

What did you think about the cabinet refurbishing? We're debating doing that with our kitchen--originally wanted to replace all the cabinets/counters/floors, but I'm thinking we can just refurb the cabinets and put the money we would have spent towards a down payment on a bigger place in a few years instead of towards a whole kitchen reno.

FutureMrsMerati

Thanks so much for the positive feedback! I'm glad the savvy MM contributors feel we got a decent return on our investment! As a matter of fact, we purchased our home on New Year's Eve and found out a few weeks ago that there were two homes within 1/2 mile that couldn't stack up to ours (either in terms of square footage, acreage, or finishes/fixtures) and both were listed for $100k more than we purchased ours for, so a great feeling for us!

@TravelJunkie1234 and @hoffse - We are very happy with our cabinet refurbishing! $1,200 was much easier to swallow than the $10k+ we were quoted for new cabinets. As some others have mentioned, I agree the important thing to do is to ensure you've got a good foundation - solid wood cabinets that can withstand some sanding and will be durable for years to come. If you've got good bones, I'd encourage you to have at it! I know there are some products (I believe Restoleum has a line called Cabinet Transformations) that allow you to DIY the painting, but because we had a general contractor in our house already for other renovations, we had him do it so it would be professional grade. We are also not especially skilled in the DIY department (something we're hoping to change in the months to come now that we're home owners!), and I didn't want to take the chance of having such a high profile mistake! The only thing that was a bit of a surprise at the time (but we have since seen it on Property Brothers and other home improvement shows) is that they don't suggest painting the inside of the cabinets because the paint has a tendency to reactivate when exposed to things that are warm or wet (like dishes coming out of the dishwasher) The insides of our cabinets are still the same color as our "before" photos, but since it's the inside and only we see it, I don't mind as much as I expected to. 

FutureMrsMerati

cbee817: I love that range hood! So dramatic looking. H wanted one but we opted for a space-saving over the range vented microwave instead.

short+sassy: The backsplash is so neat looking, I would have sworn they were copper tiles. So lucky to have a handy husband!

JoanE2012

Beautiful!  I think taking down that wall was a very good decision!  Really gives an open feeling.

als1982

LOVE the Carrara marble - and the fun layout!  We're considering the same for our bathroom remodel!  Great job!

lifeonthehill

I love it! It looks amazing!

Erikan73

Looks great!!!

juliebeannn

This is awesome! Thanks for sharing.  We're about to start a complete gut renovation for our kitchen this summer, so this is perfect timing. 

You definitely look like you got the best bang for your buck.  The cost of tearing down the wall and adding the island will pay for itself in re-sale!  Love it!!

thisuser

The backsplash is amazing! Great remodel and use of your money! We also recently painted our cabinets and can lament with you over the task! It makes such a difference and saves so much money, though!!