Kitchen Save v. Splurge

We all know that renovations can spiral out of control. Because if you’re going to replace the kitchen floors you might as well replace the living room floors. And I guess if we’re going to do the living room floors we should paint the living room. And the living room and the dining room share a wall so we’ll carry that into the dining room. But I’ve always wanted wallpaper above the chair rail …

You get where I’m going :)

On Thursday, October 20th I had the pleasure of being the guest speaker at DesignPort and Aitoro Appliances “Bang for your Buck with Meredith Huck” discussing areas to save and areas to splure for your kitchen renovation.

Save

• Tile

  • You can find stunning tile for $60+/sqft, and you can also find the perfect tile for $10/sqft. Backsplash is one of our favorite areas to splurge because you aren’t touching it, it’s purely aesthetic and a great place to save some dollars.

• Light Fixtures

  • There are definitely times that I love a statement fixture that costs more than your average light fixture, but there are some beautiful retail options at places like CB2, Crate and Barrel and Pottery Barn. Especially when it is not a focal point of the room (like a dining room chandelier) look to save money on the light fixtures.

• Hardware

  • I know what you are thinking. Hardware? Woopty doo. But I’m serious! Go in your kitchen today and county how many cabinets/drawers you have and think about it. I have 43. So I can buy stunning hardware for $80/pull and spend $3,440 or $10/pull and spend $430. It adds up!

• Runners

  • So there is a catch here … cheap runners will feel cheap. They may even look cheap. BUT if you are OK replacing every 6-12 months (like our playroom room!) than I say go for it. Maybe you want to live in your kitchen for a bit before you invest in a runner. Or maybe you don’t want to invest at all. Go cheap! Just know you’ll likely be replacing them every year or so.

Splurge

• Appliances

  • My go-to are from Monogram and they are beyond stunning. They’re also the reason I now know I wasn’t a bad cook, it was my appliances :) You don’t want to be replacing or fixing your appliances every few years (hellooooo Samsung Fridge that no one likes) so it is best to invest in your appliances.

• Countertops

  • You are going to be seeing and touching and serving on your countertops, this is a great area to get ones that are perfect for your space. Another thing I like to think about what saving v. splurging is “how easy are these to replace” and lets just say replacing your counters are not exactly a DIY Sunday afternoon activity.

• Flooring

  • You don’t need to necessarily spend a lot of money on your floors but … if I had a dime for every time a client wanted to keep their existing hardwoods during a home renovation … well .. you know how the saying ends. You are spending all of this money renovating your space, get the perfect floors you’ve always dreamed of so it’s not 3 years from now and you’re thinking “Ugh, it would’ve only been another $7,000 and in the grand scheme of things that isn’t much more”

• Your Team

  • I mean this! Ask your friends .. how many have had a Contractor that tried to cover up mistakes or cut corners? How many have designed themselves and on accident ordered the wrong Pottery Barn light fixtures and the return window has passed? Or maybe you purchased a brass faucet and antique brass hardware not realizing they aren’t the same? Invest in a great team that is going to save you from costly mistakes (not to mention let you focus your time on something else while they handle the brunt work). You’ll thank me later!