Articles Tagged "Kitchen Remodel"

A beautiful, functional kitchen is one of the home's greatest assets. If you love cooking or wining and dining company on the weekends, investing in the kitchen is a great way to wow your guests.

Cooking just happens to be one of our favorite hobbies, and our real estate agents are always investing in the latest and greatest kitchen gadgets. But what kitchen gadgets will you actually utilize, and which ones will just collect dust? If you're looking to enhance your cooking skills or just make things more convenient, here are some of the best gadgets to add to your kitchen:

• An Air Fryer
  Love the taste of crispy, deep-fried cuisine, but don't love the calories? An air fryer might be a great option for you. You can air-fry almost any type of food, and the entire process is quick and easy. This gadget makes cooking a delicious dinner a breeze.
   
• An Immersion Blender
  If you're looking for a quick and easy way to blend smoothies, soups, and stews, invest in a good immersion blender. Traditional blenders can take up a ton of counter space, but immersion blenders are small and easy to store. 
  
  
• A Waffle Maker
  Waffles are the staple of any brunch, and a nice waffle iron makes them super easy. Use it to serve up some fresh, tasty waffles to your friends on the weekends. Waffle irons can take up some storage space, so if your cabinets are too small, it might be time to upgrade to one of these Dallas homes for sale.
  
  
• A Manual Food Chopper
  Looking to break up ground beef in the frying pan? Lose the spatula and invest in a manual food chopper instead. These gadgets make it simple to separate meat, and the best part is -- they don't damage your cookware. 
  
  
• A Spiralizer
  Spiralizers have traditionally been used to thinly cut pasta, but now they're the go-to item for creating your own zucchini noodles, sweet potato noodles, or even creating thinly sliced potatoes. This gadget makes it super easy to prepare healthy meals.
  
  
• An Electric Kettle
  If you drink a lot of tea or enjoy pour-over coffee, an electric kettle will change your life. Just fill it up with water, plug it in, and press the button, and you have boiling water in just a couple of minutes.
  
  
• An Electric Can Opener
  Sometimes a manual can opener can be tricky to use and can occasionally get stuck. An electric can opener takes away the unpredictability of opening a can by making the process quick and easy.
  
  
• The Traditional Toaster Oven
  The basic toaster is limited in its functionality, so it might be time to upgrade to the toaster oven. These small, compact appliances fit nicely on the counter and can not only make toast but can also be great for heating up any leftovers.
  
  
• The Instant Pot
  You're sure to find Instant Pots in the kitchens of many of these Fort Worth homes for sale. So many people swear by The Instant Pot -- it makes cooking super easy. This revolutionary kitchen appliance is a pressure cooker, slow cooker, and food warmer all in one. You can put almost anything in The Instant Pot.

Cooking is fun and easy when your kitchen is equipped with the best gadgets and appliances. For more tips on how to make the most out of your kitchen, contact us today.

Do you love baking but wish your kitchen was more functional for your culinary needs? Or, do you want to create a space that makes it easier for you to bake your favorite dishes?

By making a few simple changes to your kitchen, you can improve the functionality and efficiency of your kitchen. Our real estate agents know that many of these projects will make your home more appealing to potential buyers.

Here are some features and additions that we recommend to make your kitchen more baking-friendly. 

1. Add Storage Accessories to Your Cabinets for Your Sheet Pans and Baking Equipment
   If you have to dig through your cabinets to find a specific piece of baking equipment, outfit your cabinets with pullout shelves or drawers. This makes it easy for you to find the pan or baking sheet you're looking for without having to pull every single item out. Pullout shelves also work well for housing heavy appliances, like your stand mixer or bread machine, when they aren't in use, so you have more counter space. 

2. Integrate Open Shelving into Your Kitchen Design
   Open shelving is an excellent way to store and display items that you frequently use when baking, like measuring cups and mixing bowls. If you have any bakeware with a gorgeous design that can also function as decor (like ceramic pieces in a vibrant color or print or items in a seasonal holiday print), open shelves are a terrific option to show them off. Or, perhaps you have cookbooks or family recipes that you utilize during your baking sessions. Open shelves work well for housing cookbooks or even displaying a written family recipe as a decorative piece. Many buyers find open shelving appealing, making this a smart addition before you add your home to the inventory of Fort Worth homes for sale. 

3. Opt for Pull-Out Cabinets to Store Baking Ingredients
   If you're willing to consider more dramatic upgrades, pullout cabinets are a versatile addition that enables you to set up a more functional baking station. While pullout cabinets are frequently used for trashcans, another idea is to use them to house baking supplies that you might purchase in large quantities, like different types of flour and sugar. The design of a pullout cabinet is perfect for housing containers to store your baking ingredients. Another benefit of adding pullout cabinets is that they're a buyer-friendly upgrade when you add your home to the list of Dallas homes for sale. 

4. Set Up a Kitchen Island
   A kitchen island is an excellent alternative for expanding your counter space so that you have more room for preparing your recipes, decorating cakes and cookies, and sampling your finished product. While you can install a kitchen island that utilizes your current cabinets and counters, this isn't your only option. Many furniture retailers sell rolling kitchen islands that add extra prep space and allow you to move the island according to your culinary needs. 

Want a home with a larger kitchen so that you have additional space for baking? Contact us today to get started!

Having a well-appointed kitchen is a must, especially if you plan on selling your house in the near future. Kitchen updates hold their value when you resell, plus it's just nice to enjoy cooking in a clean, modern kitchen with new appliances. Here are five updates our real estate agents promise you'll enjoy, and the boost in your home's appeal to buyers won't hurt either.

• Smart Fridge
  You may have seen smart kitchen appliances before in Dallas homes for sale or glimpsed refrigerators with big screens on the front of them while shopping. While it may seem like overkill, it makes total sense for our kitchens to use the same smart technology that we use in the rest of our lives. For instance, a smart fridge can display a calendar on that screen with the entire family's schedules, or it can let you know when you're running low on something. It can even add to your shopping list! A smart fridge can also act as the communication hub in your upgraded kitchen and control other smart appliances. For instance, from an app on your phone, you could direct the smart fridge to start the dishwasher.
  
  
• Smart Oven
  After the fridge, the next appliance that can benefit from a "smart" upgrade is your oven. With a smart oven, you never have to worry about having left it on, as you can check that from an app, even after you've left the house. Plus, you can preheat the oven or even start cooking remotely using the app.
  
  
• Induction Stove
  Speaking of cooking, if you haven't cooked on an induction stove yet, you don't know what you're missing. An induction stove is the best of both worlds, electric versus gas. You get the easy-to-clean smooth service of a glass-top electric stove, but with a heat source that is as fast as gas, if not faster. Plus, since induction stoves use magnetic fields to generate heat, the stove's surfaces don't get hot, making this top-of-the-line type of stove a preferred option for professional-level chefs and parents alike.
  
  
• Refrigerated Drawer
  A popular trend in kitchens is to install drawers instead of cabinets for easier access. Drawers aren't just for pots, pans, and pantries, either. A refrigerated drawer under the counter puts what you're looking for right at your fingertips. For instance, a drawer instead of a more traditional wine fridge makes it easier to see all of your options at once. Likewise, a produce drawer makes it easier to eat healthy, whether you're preparing dinner or grabbing a snack.
  
  
• Second Sink
  While it's not strictly a kitchen appliance, having a prep sink or a butler's pantry with its own sink should be high on your list of kitchen upgrades. Having a second sink enables you to get more done in the kitchen when prepping for big meals, or even just a separate sink for the family to use for hand washing while you're cooking.

Just think, with a few carefully chosen kitchen upgrades in 2022, by this time next year, you'll be cooking for the holidays in a much different kitchen... or perhaps in an entirely different home if you're planning a move in 2022! If you're ready to start the search for your dream home or just want to get some information about upgrading your current home to sell, contact us today.

We see lots of kitchen trends at HouseLogic, so we know it's easy to get swept along with what's in vogue, only to get bummed out by your faddish design choices a few years later. Thank you -- and damn you -- Pinterest.

But chances are you're only going to remodel your current kitchen once. After all, a complete kitchen renovation has a national median cost of $60,000, according to the "Remodeling Impact Report" from the National Association of REALTORS®. With that much on the line, you want to make all the right moves. If you do, you could recover about 62% of your investment if you sell.

So we're here to future-proof you from angst by naming the seven definitive kitchen features that will retain their beauty, marketability, and value — all while giving you lasting enjoyment.

#1: White is the Dominant Color

Bottom line: White is the most marketable color. You'll always find it atop the National Kitchen and Bath Association's annual survey of most popular kitchen colors. It simply doesn't go out of style.

• Throughout history, it's been associated with happiness, purity (think Snow White), and new beginnings.
• It's a bright color that reflects light and makes even small kitchens feel larger.
• It's a neatnik's dream — dirt has no place to hide.

Even better, it's uber-tolerant of both your budget and taste: A standard color for any manufacturer, you'll find white cabinets, tile, counters, faucets, sinks, and appliances at any price point.

And with a white backdrop, you can be as conservative or expressive as you want. After all, it's about your enjoyment, not just dollars and cents. For example:

• Add your personal touch with colored glass knobs and pulls.
• Show off antique Fiesta ware on open shelves or in upper cabinets with glass fronts.
• Paint walls the color du jour — even off-white!

Heck, with a white palette, you can change your mind about paint color on a whim. Those all-white basics will make any hue you choose look fresh and contemporary.

#2: Hardwood for Flooring

It's been our foot fetish for years. That's especially true ever since hardwood flooring was mass-produced during the Industrial Revolution, making beautiful flooring readily available at a reasonable cost.

Today, more than half of home buyers who purchased a home without hardwood floors say they would have paid an extra $2,080 for them, according to the "Home Features Survey" from the National Association of REALTORS®. And among buyers of any age, upwards of 80% say hardwood floors are "somewhat" or "very important."

"It's the one feature men and women agree on," says Debe Robinson, NKBA treasurer and owner of Kitchen Expressions Inc. in Sheffield, Ala., who's also worked in the flooring industry. 

Why? The love of wood is in our genes. Our nesting instincts know that hardwood has warmth, personality, and makes our homes cozy and inviting. That's why this clever chameleon pairs well with any kitchen style — from casual cottage and sleek contemporary to the most chi-chi Park Avenue traditional. 

More reasons why wood flooring is the goof-proof option:

Perfect for open floor plans. It flows beautifully from the kitchen into adjoining rooms.

It's tough. Hardwoods such as oak, ash, and maple will shrug off your kitchen's high-traffic punishment for years. Solid hardwood flooring can be refinished 10 to 12 times during it's typical 100-year lifespan.

It's eco-friendly. Hardwood is considered a green building material when it's certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and comes from sustainably managed forests.

Related: The Best Choices for Kitchen Flooring

#3: Shaker Style for Cabinets

Thank heaven for the Shakers. While they were busy reducing life to its essentials, they made cabinets with clean, simple lines that will forever be in style. 

Shaker cabinets are an enduring legacy of American style and, like wood flooring, have the knack for looking good in any setting. Their simple frame-and-panel design helps reduce the amount of busyness in a kitchen, making it a soothing, friendly place to be.

"In a kitchen with a timeless look, you want the cabinets to be part of the backdrop," says Alan Zielinski, a former president of the National Kitchen and Bath Association. "You don't want to be overpowered. You're looking for plain, simple, clean lines."

Those plain, simple, clean lines are a perfect fit for transitional style — a beautiful combo of traditional and contemporary styles. In fact, the National Kitchen and Bath Association says that after creeping up on traditional for years, transitional is now the most popular kitchen style.

As our families grow more diverse, transitional style will only get more popular. It lets us personalize and blend cultural influences — Latin, Asian, Mideastern — into our homes; it's the perfect balance of old and new, just like Shaker-style cabinets.

Related: How to Choose Kitchen Cabinets for the Best Value

#4: Carrara Marble for Countertops

 

 

Carrara marble is a timeless classic that's been used in homes for thousands of years. (Michelangelo's "David" was carved from Carrara.) It'll look as good in the next millennium as it does now.

Here's why:

• Carrara's lacy graining and subtle white colors look terrific in a white kitchen (or any kitchen, for that matter).
• It has a whiteness you won't find in other natural stones.
• It's readily available, making it less expensive than other high-end choices, such as quartz.
• It'll last for generations.

If you Google it, you'll find a lot of debate about it (and marble in general) because it stains easily. But if you want something truly timeless, Carrara is the answer. And with today's sealants, the problem of staining is almost moot if you reseal once or twice a year.

Related: How to Get the Look of Marble Without the Cost

Still not sold? Or don't have the budget? Laminate countertops are relatively inexpensive and can be upgraded to stone when you do have the budget.

#5: Subway Tile for the Backsplash

Subway tile goes back to the early 1900s, when it was used to line New York's first subway tunnels. Classic subway tiles are white, 3-inch-by-6-inch rectangles — a look that became popular in American kitchens and baths, and has stuck around ever since. Now it's an iconic part of the American design vernacular, destined never to go out of style. 

In the kitchen, ceramic tile excels as a backsplash, where it guards against moisture, is a snap to clean, lasts forever, and always looks classy. 

Sure, a backsplash can be an opportunity for a blast of color and pattern, but neutrals will always be current and blend with any look. Plus, a subway tile backsplash and a marble countertop make a dashing couple that will stand the test of time.

To make it even more enduring, keep it achromatic and camouflage dirt with gray or beige grout.

#6: Ergonomic Design

Adaptability and universal design features mean easy living at any age. A recent survey on kitchens from the American Institute of Architects points to the growing popularity of smart ergonomic design, a sign that kitchen adaptability will stay in vogue. 

Smart ergonomics simply mean convenience — for young or old, party people or homebodies — a key factor when remodeling a kitchen that will function well, retain its value, and always feel right.

No matter you or your buyer's current or future needs, everyone wins with these approaches:

Create different countertop heights. Standard height is 36 inches, but you can raise or lower sections of cabinets by altering the height of the base. Add color-match shim strips to the bases of countertops that don't include sinks or appliances. You (or a new owner) can easily remove them or add to them to adjust the height.

Swap a standard range for a wall oven and a cooktop. Ranges have fixed heights. There's no getting around the fact you have to bend to access the oven. But a wall oven conveniently installs about waist-high.

Add pull-out shelves to base cabinets. Lower cabinets with doors mean having to twist like a pretzel to see what's inside. Pull-out shelves put everything at your fingertips.

Keep wide clearances. Kitchens attract people, and with open floor plans, you're apt to have folks hunting for snacks, helping you cook, or just hanging out while you prep meals. Keep traffic flowing with a minimum of 42 inches between counters and islands.

Related: 5 Kitchen Layout Ideas to Avoid

#7: Smart Storage

Today's families store about 47% of their kitchen stuff outside the kitchen — in laundry rooms, basements, even sheds — according to data released at the 2013 Kitchen and Bath Industry Show.

We blame it on the fact that kitchens have evolved from a tucked-away place at the back of the house into a multiple-chef, multi-tasking space that's the hub of family life. Plus, our love of open kitchens and stocking up at warehouse stores means less wall space and more stuff, kitchen design expert Robinson says.

The solution: smart storage. Cabinet manufacturers have you covered with nearly unlimited storage options -- shelves and compartments that unfold, turn, extend, and slide.

But it's not just about having storage, it's about designing it smartly. Follow these guidelines to make your storage timeless:

Create a primary storage zone. This is an area 30 to 60 inches high and within two feet on either side of your body. Store your most-used items here -- your favorite work knives, measuring cups, salt and pepper for cooking, your trusty pots and pans. With one easy motion, you can grab what you use all the time.

Plan for the unknown. A truly timeless kitchen anticipates and adapts to future needs, such as:

• A space that can easily convert to an office, wine storage, or a closet.
• Lower cabinet spaces that can accommodate a wine cooler, under-counter refrigerator, a second dishwasher, or new must-have kitchen appliances on the horizon. (Remember when microwaves didn't exist?)
• An open space that fits a freestanding desk or favorite antique that can personalize the kitchen — no matter who owns the home.

-Houselogic - June 2020