A profitable renovator needs a repertoire of kitchen renovation ideas that will deliver enough wow to engage buyers to pay the price. New kitchens are notoriously expensive and if we are to preserve our profit we must become skilled at delivering showstoppers on a budget.
- Hamptons Style: Simplify cabinetry and hardware for a budget-friendly, serene look.
- Mid-Century Modern Lighting: Use pre-loved or reproduction retro pieces for authenticity.
- Open Timber Shelves: Cost-effective storage that adds rustic warmth and character.
- Green Kitchens: Paint existing timber kitchens green for a modern, temporary update.
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Today I want to share some practical kitchen renovation ideas and trends that you may be able to incorporate into your projects to give them the edge that helps your buyer fall for the home.
Image: @charleygreyantiques
A new Take on Hamptons Style
The Hamptons-style kitchen has exploded in popularity, but frankly, it’s been a bit overdone.
Dismissing the aesthetic entirely would be throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
By paring it back to its essence, you can capture the dreamy, sandwashed serenity of the Hamptons without the fussiness.
Simple cabinetry sans shaker mouldings, understated hardware, and that covetable butler sink in a spacious apron front?
Divine. This approach delivers that breezy, laid-back vibe home buyers crave
Best of all, it’s much kinder to your renovation budget.
Lighting the Mid-Century Modern Aesthetic
Mid-century modern is having a major moment
A trip to Beacon won’t achieve that truly authentic, eclectic vibe.
To nail the look, you’ll want to source pre-loved or reproduction retro lighting pieces that ooze with character and patina.
Scour antique markets, vintage shops, and online vendors for those special finds with aged brass, warm wood tones, and one-of-a-kind designs.
A beautifully weathered metallic sheen blends well with the natural warmth of MCM timber tones.
Open Washed Timber Shelves For Cost Effective Storage
Open-washed timber shelves are a cost-effective brilliant way to provide abundant storage in a kitchen without encroaching on the space with overhead cabinets.
Shelves add rustic warmth, and global inspiration and interest to a kitchen with fairly ordinary cabinetry. Make sure you fill the shelves with some simple vignettes that capture your buyers’ imagination
Combining the aesthetic of the timber with a handmade style splashback tile brings a depth of character and soul while keeping costs down.
Image: @em_henderson
Going Green
The best way to deal with a dated timber kitchen is to paint it and as far as I am concerned the only user case for going green.
Green kitchens are having their 15 minutes of fame right now and I would find it hard to justify installing a brand new green kitchen. Kitchens have a 20 year life span but bold colours have 5 to 10.
So if you are modernizing an existing kitchen buying it an additional 5 or 10 years by painting it a bold colour is perfect.
Right now, the colour of choice is green.
Image: @eyeswoon
Losing the overheads.
Overhead cabinets have long been a staple in traditional kitchen designs, but a growing trend is to forgo them altogether.
This creates an open, European aesthetic and can also be a budget-friendly option.
The lack of upper cabinets looks especially striking when paired with luxurious natural stone countertops and backsplashes, which admittedly come at a higher cost.
Of course, the matter of adequate storage needs to be addressed but this can be achieved with a pantry.
Athena Calderone of @eyeswoon does this look beautifully. ( Thanks to WW Christina Reed for introducing me to Athena, we are currently having a little love affair!!)
Image: @lifewellnested
Bells & Whistles
It’s always nice to add some bells and whistles but beware, it is unlikely these will add to your sale price.
Some trends right now are steam ovens, pet cupboards, recycling centres and my personal favourite, the pot filler.
As is always the case your project needs to meet your market’s needs. A pot filler is unlikely to tickle a first home buyer’s fancy but it may have a downsizer skipping a step!
Kitchen renovation ideas that sell homes don’t have to break the bank.
By staying in touch with design trends and using your tried and tested budget-busting tools like flat packs and upcycling you can create on-trend aesthetics and intelligent storage solutions to achieve a profitable renovation.
With some creative cost-saving techniques, renovators can craft showstopping kitchens that capture buyers’ imaginations and maximize resale.
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