Kitchen Remodeling Decisions You’ll Never Regret

We see lots of kitchen trends, 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.

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 “2015 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 67% 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 love 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 “2013 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.

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.

#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.

#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.

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.

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.

Avoid These Bedroom Designs

Decorating for the senses

When starting a new decorating project, the big decisions are mostly about how the results will look. And the visuals of a room or house are important. But another big part of how a space feels to us is how we perceive it with our other senses. Think of how a luxuriously soft throw tossed across a worn leather chair makes a reading spot seem extra appealing or how the background scent of eucalyptus makes a spa seem clean and calming. Keeping all the senses in mind when making decorating choices will create spaces that feel more inviting and are a pleasure to inhabit. Here are some ideas:

Taste
Decorating for the sense of taste is all about implication—creating a space where food is enjoyed and celebrated. Make sure your house facilitates easy, communal eating by assessing your dining spaces. Is your table large enough for extra guests and durable enough to handle inevitable food and drink spills? Do sitting areas have handy spots for people to set drinks upon? Do you have room for an outdoor dining space? Other ideas: create a window sill garden with herbs, tiny hot peppers or tomatoes or a lettuce mix for cutting fresh mesclun. Plant a fruit tree that's visible from the kitchen or living room window. Set a warm pot of fragrant herbal tea on a guest's night table at bedtime. And don't forget the time-tested standby—a bowl full of seasonal fresh fruit.

Smell
When appealing to the sense of smell, subtlety is key. Try incorporating the outdoors by using the fresh scents of nature. Hang a eucalyptus cutting on a shower head to release a fresh, clean scent with every steamy shower. Plant a fragrant bush like honeysuckle, rose, or gardenia under a bedroom window to wake up the scent of flowers wafting in. Put a lavender plant in a bedroom or bathroom. Plant a rosemary shrub by the front door—whenever someone brushes by it, it will release its piney scent. Go seasonal with outdoor scents, bringing pine boughs in during December or fresh flowers in spring. Cedar blocks or shelves in a closet smell pleasantly old-fashioned and keep moths away too. Toss scented pine cones into the fire on wintry nights. Or just open a window and let a fresh breeze drift in.

Sight
Whether your taste is classic, mid-century modern or eclectic, there are certain visual rules that apply for all styles: Create a focal point in each space. Use harmonious colors for calm and high contrast for excitement. Group like things together and display objects in odd numbers. Allow for plenty of clear spaces on table tops and other surfaces for the eye to rest. Use a variety of light sources, including natural lighting and task lighting, and incorporate candlelight and light from a fireplace. For a cost-free makeover, walk through the room looking at everything as though seeing it for the first time. Purge art and objects that no longer suit you and rearrange furniture to engage with the space in a fresh way.

Touch
Engage the sense of touch with contrasts. Contrast crisp sheets with a soft warm comforter and big puffy pillows. Set off the smooth tiles of a bathroom with oversized fluffy towel or drape a luxe silky throw over a modernist chair. Add things that can be touched and look fun to touch, like a worn handmade wooden table, a curvy piece of sculpture, or a nubby throw pillow. Think about what flooring would feel best under your feet—the cool minimalist feel of tile or polished cement or the cushy warmth of carpet with thick padding underneath? When putting in new fixtures like door knobs, faucet handles and light switches, consider their feel. Do they move smoothly? Do they have a nice weight to them and feel good in your hand? Consider investing in luxurious items like heated towel racks, a premium showerhead, heated floors, or a quiet ceiling fan to bring in a cool breeze.

Sound
Appealing to the sense of sound is not only about emphasizing pleasant sounds but de-emphasizing or eliminating unpleasant sounds. The most obvious way to bring sound into a space is with music, but other ways include adding water feature, bamboo wind chimes or even just opening a window to bring in the sounds of the outdoors. Run a fan or white noise machine at night to create a peaceful sleeping space and install double-paned windows to mask traffic noises. Soften the sound of large open rooms with textiles and cork flooring. And don't forget ambient noise: oil squeaky doors, fix rattling appliances, knocking pipes, and creaky stairs.