Update your Home by Refreshing your Kitchen or Bath
April 25, 2019
A kitchen or bath “refresh” is a super-easy and cost-effective way to update your kitchen or bath. The impact of relatively simple updates can be significant. Most importantly, you and your family will enjoy the fresh feel of your updated space each and every day. And if you are thinking of selling your home within the next few years, your updated rooms will still be fresh and appealing to potential buyers.
For most of us, just thinking about a home improvement project causes great angst. It usually raises more questions than we can possibly address ourselves. The fear of the unknown is substantial. Here are the 4 top questions that we hear about kitchen or bath refresh projects:
What are some high-payback updates?
How do I choose people to help me?
How long will my refresh take?
How much will all this cost?
Let’s unpack these questions and give you the answers you need as you consider the possibility of a refresh.
Before Photo of Kitchen Refresh in Medina, MN. The client had been in their house over 10 years and was never happy with the kitchen or like how dark it was.
After: The Studio M Kitchen & Bath Refresh team was able to make a few updates such as painting the cabinets, new quartz countertops, hardware, backsplash, sink and faucets and appliances.
High-Payback Updates
Here are some of our more popular kitchen updates:
Countertops
Backsplash tile
Cabinet hardware
Cabinet lighting
Sinks and faucets
And some of our more popular bath updates:
Vanities
Bath lighting
Lighted mirrors
Bath and shower tile
Frameless shower doors
Sinks and faucets
Featured here is the new backsplash Emser tile, Caesarstone quartz countertops and Viking cooktop.
How to Choose Your Team
Your refresh project is definitely an investment. You don’t want to trust your investments to just anyone! You want to choose partners with integrity – and that means choosing professionals with a proven track record and a great reputation in your community. It also means working with a skilled design team and skilled installers.
You will definitely want to check a potential design firm’s website, Houzz, Pinterest, and other online resources to get an idea of the type of projects they do. You will want to set up an initial meeting with your top choices. Bring photos of your space and explain your project goals. And ask lots of questions! This discussion will help you determine whether the fit is right.
At Studio M Kitchen & Bath, we take “fit” seriously, too. We are proud of our team and our process. The very first thing we do with potential clients is LISTEN! We ask many questions that help us better understand your thoughts and your vision for your space. We EXPLAIN our design process, our selection process, and our installation process. And last but not least, we DELIVER! We can accommodate projects of any size, and we have a large team of professionals that can do the work – or we can work with your preferred team.
After Photo: The bar cabinets were painted the same color as the island, a light warm gray, a new bar Blanco Siligranit sink and faucet, and bar fridge were installed. For the fireplace, stacked stone was installed and extended to the ceiling to make a focal point.
Project Timeline
With Studio M, your “downtime” for a typical Kitchen or Bath Refresh of countertops, sink(s), and faucet(s) can be as little as three days. If you will be replacing tile backsplashes or showers, you will need to add more time to the total project, but you can use your kitchen or vanity again in about three days. Compare that to three to six weeks for a full bath remodel, and six to ten weeks for a full kitchen remodel.
Each project is, of course, unique, so once we have established the scope and particulars of your project, we will provide you with a specific timeline for your Kitchen or Bath Refresh. We will address those fears, answer all your questions, and make sure you are comfortable with the timeline. Remember, this isn’t our first rodeo, and we have lots of tips for helping you deal with the temporary inconvenience.
Studio M can suggest experienced installers, schedule the work, and manage the process, saving you time and reducing stress. Our preferred installers understand the process and will coordinate their efforts to minimize downtime. If your project is more extensive, we can suggest several trusted general contractors with whom we frequently work.
The size of the countertop on the island was increased for more usability for entertaining and everyday use.
Cost Considerations
A kitchen or bath refresh is a cost-effective alternative to a remodel. A typical kitchen refresh, with approximately 50 square feet of US-made quartz countertop, a new sink, a new faucet, and a new backsplash, will cost roughly $12,000 to $15,000. On the other hand, the budget for a complete remodel, including redesign and replacement of cabinets and new appliances, is generally 10–25% of your home’s value. For a $500,000 home, that would be $50,000 to over $100,000.
To refresh a 60-80-square-foot bathroom, you can expect to spend approximately $10,000 – $15,000. A complete remodel of that same bathroom will generally run $15,000 – $25,000.
At Studio M, a refresh project, just as any other remodeling project, deserves the benefit of good design. Our clients have found that their investment in design services has often saved them from making costly mistakes or choosing “upgrades” that are not consistent with the overall look of their home or will not increase their home’s appeal to future buyers. Your designer will help you select products that are consistent with your project goals and budget and will continue to support you throughout the duration of your project. A typical refresh project will require approximately 2 hours of design time for product selection and 2-3 hours of time for project coordination.
We recommend that you discuss design fees with your top choice designers and ask specifically what those fees cover. After your initial consultation at Studio M, our design fees are $150 per hour.
Thank you for the kind words about Cindy and Mingle!! Cindy does a great job making the refresh process easy and fun. We are so happy you love your new kitchen and thank you for working with us!
I love your tip to choose professionals with a strong track record to redesign your kitchen. We’re actually thinking of installing new countertops. We think it would add an extra pop to our kitchen.
We absolutely believe in choosing experienced and trustworthy professionals to redesign your kitchen! Countertops are a great way to add an extra pop to your kitchen, and we find that installing new countertops can completely transform the look and feel of your space.
Thank you for the comment and reading the Mingle blog!
[…] Before you start worrying about saving for an extensive remodel, know that you do not need a fully renovated kitchen in order to make a sale. There are a number of improvements you can make to your current kitchen in order to give it an updated look and feel. We recommend investing in a few upgrades that will refresh the look of your space and enhance its overall design. Make sure to check out our blog on kitchen refreshes. […]
Your Blog gives a thorough and accurate estimate before beginning the job and even helped in design decisions. I am very satisfied after reading this blog post we had general ideas of what we wanted in our new kitchen but we weren’t sure of the specifics. We really wanted (but weren’t sure how to achieve it) to have more counter space and a more functional layout. Really very inspirational blog. Thanks for posting.
