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Hot in the Kitchen

Hot in The Kitchen by Becky Kalajian

Published in "Life on Holiday" magazine

If you can update one thing in your house, make it your kitchen.

According to HGTV, new kitchens recoup 92.9 percent of cost.  Getting the most bang for your buck means focusing on the cabinetry first, said Angela Goodall from Kitchen Choreography in Traverse City.

"If the cabinetry is not in good shape, painting it or replacing the doors and drawer fronts does not give you the benefit of new hardware and storage organization" said Goodall, who was voted #1 Red Hot Best Designer 2015 by Traverse Magazine.  "It also traps you with the existing layout."

Goodalls Other Tips:

Performing appliances are a must.  They can be a significant investment, but most of my clients are installing Wolf and Subzero appliances.  We recommend a trip to Max's Service Appliance & TV to see them firsthand.  It's important to discuss the features with the sales people.  We also have a few appliances installed in our showroom that get used daily.  Our designers have attended the Subzero/Wolf training in Auburn Hills, so we can guide that decision making as well.

Two hot trends for kitchens are technology and materials.  I love steam oven technology and hope that it will start to replace microwaves.  Steam cooking is highly touted for its nutritional benefits and great for reheating leftover foods since steam re-hydrates.  As for materials in the kitchen, we have Corian installed in our showroom, but we are also 

using more slab materials versus lots of tiles.

There are quick fixes that homeowners can do to update their kitchen without a full remodel.  If you are staying in your home for longer than five years, we recommend consulting a professional to assess the materials in your home and what should stay in place for future updates.  Most people will want to do countertops, but this is thinking backward.  Think flooring and cabinetry before countertops.  Install inexpensive countertops if the budget will not allow stone material, but invest in good cabinetry.

Four hot trends to watch are: New countertop surfaces that look like aged metal, hardware and lighting in mixed metals, a resurgence of gold undertones and outdoor kitchens with lots of appliances, storage and counter space. 

Orchestrating your vision.