Creative Kitchens – Kitchen Remodeling Tips

The kitchen — everyone wants a bigger one, a better one, a more beautiful one. In fact, in a 2009 Consumer Reports poll, homeowners chose the kitchen as their favorite room to remodel.

Check out what some local experts have been doing for your neighbors around town … and start planning your own kitchen remodeling.

The projects below are only some examples of the companies’ work. All these remodelers offer a range of services and work within a variety of budgets. Note that all costs may vary based on project specs and manufacturers’ current pricing.

$2,800 for flooring — Capitol Floors & Decorating

When they replaced their kitchen flooring, one Chesterfield County couple wanted to go with an eco-friendly material. While ceramic, stone and bamboo were all on Capitol Floors & Decorating’s list of recommendations, the couple chose cork because it’s also easy on a cook’s feet, legs and back. Plus, cork is a little less expensive than ceramic tile. “The styling and designing of cork has dramatically expanded recently,” says Capitol’s president, Marc Vest, giving homeowners more choices than ever.

$7,500 for countertops, backsplash, plumbing and knee wall — Royal Virginia Granite

The owners of this Glen Allen home hired Royal Virginia Granite to give their kitchen a fresh look. While the name might sound like the company does only granite, it has expanded to include a variety of remodeling services. For this couple, the company rebuilt a knee wall, fabricated and installed exotic granite countertops, designed and installed backsplash tile, replaced the sink, faucet and garbage disposal, and rebuilt the plumbing. “They have recommended us to their friends,” says Tod Pearson, president of Royal Virginia Granite, which is perhaps the highest form of praise.

$21,000 for cabinets and countertops — Old River Cabinets

“People buy our cabinets because they can get what they want,” says Victor Morrissette, president and owner of Old River Cabinets, which custom-designs and builds high-quality cabinetry and countertops. In this Stonewall Court kitchen, the homeowner needed not only new cabinets and countertops but also extra counter space and seating that would work comfortably within his existing space. Old River Cabinets designed a curved island that fit his space perfectly and matched the maple, raised-panel cabinets and bullnose granite countertops that the company designed and installed in the rest of his kitchen. This kitchen was totally transformed.

$30,000 for full kitchen remodeling (not including appliances) — Kitchen Crafters & Bath

The owner of this West End kitchen wanted to update her kitchen while giving it a more open feel. To transform the room from cramped and closed-in to open and airy, Kitchen Crafters & Bath upgraded the lighting, enlarged the doorway between the kitchen and family room, and removed the soffits, appropriating the extra space for the new cherry cabinetry. To save the customer money, rather than replacing the desk and the cabinets above it, the company painted them and added glass in the cabinet doors, says Steve Huber, certified kitchen designer and sales manager for Kitchen Crafters & Bath, which specializes in complete kitchen and bath remodeling. Quartz countertops, a ceramic tile backsplash and hardwood floors completed the updated look.

$47,800 for full kitchen remodeling (not including appliances) — Custom Kitchens

Making a 92-square-foot kitchen in a Richmond condo near Dogwood Dell look more open and elegant might sound like an impossible feat, but not for Custom Kitchens, which has been pulling off challenges like this for more than half a century. “We cut a pass-through into the back wall (overlooking the living room) and used mirrored backsplashes to make the space feel larger than it actually is,” says Doug Leake, certified kitchen designer with Custom Kitchens. The full-service kitchen and bath design/build firm also outfitted the customer’s compact kitchen with beautifully crafted solid-wood cabinets, wood fronts on appliances (to keep from detracting from the cabinets) and top-quality granite countertops. Four-member crown molding and hardwood flooring elegantly tie the stunning room together.

Terri L. Jones is a Richmond freelance writer.