Cost-effective answer for tired kitchens
By simply changing doors, drawer fronts, panels and benchtops, homeowners can find themselves with a new-look kitchen for a fraction of the cost of a new one.
So says Indu Sudhakar, an interior designer and the newest franchise owner of global firm Dream Doors Kitchens, New Zealand’s largest kitchen door replacement company.
‘‘Facelifts are becoming increasingly popular, as not only are they more economical but giving existing cabinetry longer life keeps the process environmentally friendlier.’’
Based in Wellington, Indu is putting her 20 years’ of interior design skills and knowledge to good use by ensuring homeowners get personalised and functional kitchens.
‘‘Kitchens are the heart and soul of a home, where the family huddles, children banter and often important decisions are made, all while performing the main function of being an area for preparing and cooking.
‘‘It’s about creating an environment that is practical, space efficient and comfortable, yet stylish, intriguing and inspiring,’’ says Indu.
The beauty of these facelifts, she says, is that the result is aesthetically pleasing, it’s achievable quickly and causes minimal disruption.
‘‘It takes two to three days on average to refit a kitchen, all people have to do is empty out their cupboards, they don’t have to move out or do anything else, and by the end of day three they have a fully functional new kitchen.’’
Indu speaks of a Petone couple whose kitchen has undergone a facelift.
‘‘If this option was not there, there was no way for them to think it was even possible to take their kitchen from what it was to what it has ended up - they couldn’t believe the transformation.’’
Another couple who gave the kitchen of their investment property a facelift, sold their property within a day of listing it.
‘‘They were so thrilled with the result, that we even did a facelift for the kitchen in the home they live in,’’ says Indu.
Revamping a kitchen can really change a whole house, she says.
‘‘It gives a home a huge lift, the whole ambience changes, and from that space the positive vibe extends to other areas of the house, it really has a knock-on effect.’’
However, homeowners often put up with tired, dysfunctional kitchens because of potential costs and disruptions.
‘‘People are living with kitchens that are really, really old, that don’t function very well, contain cupboards you can’t get to the back of, cabinets with dead space…
‘‘Because they think they have to gut out the whole kitchen, it can be quite daunting - the thought of huge costs, time and upheaval puts them off, and then they never get around to doing anything about it.’’
Facelifts, on the other hand, can give you the ‘‘whole shebang’’ for less than half the cost of a new kitchen, says Indu.
There are a few things to consider though before heading down that track.
First ensure that the existing layout works well. Then check if the existing cabinets are in good condition and will last another eight to 10 years.
If there is no need to change the footprint of the kitchen, that is keep the cooking range where it is and plumbing lines where they are, then the space can be enhanced with new doors, drawer fronts and even accessories.
‘‘You can still improve a kitchen and make it more user-friendly by retro-fitting things like pull-out drawers and pull-out units.
‘‘It’s about being a little bit clever, thinking a bit harder and figuring out what you can fit in existing cabinets in order to improve functionality.’’
Longevity is key – all standard doors, panels and drawer fronts are made of MDF and finished with melamine, thermoform vinyl or acrylic, and come with 10-year warranties.
‘‘None of the doors or drawer fronts will bulge or go out of shape and there’s no problem of the top layer peeling off – the melamine is fused onto the substrate, so there are no join lines and moisture can’t get in.’’
Hardware such as hinges, runners and drawer systems are German-made and come with lifetime warranties.
Homeowners can choose from a range of different handles, or they can opt for handle-less, or push-to-open doors and drawer fronts. The doors themselves come in numerous styles and colours too.
Indu says people are beginning to move away from white and are leaning toward more organic colours, like sage green, charcoal and grey.
Most people are opting for handles but some are choosing handle-less for that very modern, clean, minimalistic look, she says.
Whatever the desired look, Indu knows homeowners will be happy with their kitchen transformation.
‘‘We’ve worked with 35-yearold kitchens where the cabinets were made with doors inset, and the hinges were visible.
‘‘Fit new doors on the outside so that the framework is completely hidden, create a whole lot more space on the inside with creative solutions, and it does look completely different.
‘‘You might have a small-ish kitchen that isn’t very effective space-wise, so really it is about what you do with it that counts,’’ says Indu.
‘‘It could be a small but very efficient kitchen if you plan it carefully and upgrade it and bring it to a level where it can function properly – it really can turn into your dream kitchen.’’ Ensure that the existing layout works well.
Check if the existing cabinets are in good condition.
CAn you keep the cooking range where it is and plumbing lines where they are?