Change is Good

The saying goes that, “the only thing in life that is constant is change”. Having said that there is another saying the states, “the more things change the more they stay the same.” You might be scratching your head and wondering which is it are we changing constantly or are we staying the same? The truth is that we are doing both things at the same time. I like to think of these juxtaposed ideas and apply them to decorating. For instance, kitchen designs have changed throughout the years and seem to still be changing now. Kitchen color has changed, countertops have changed, and finally door styles have changed but the one thing that stays the same is that you must have a kitchen. The kitchen is the constant and the style of the kitchen is the subject of the change. Webster’s Dictionary defines change as, “to alter or make different, to put one thing for another.” So then, if change is constant, then we should strive to make change good, and that we can do constantly; especially when it comes to decorating! Let’s take a peek at an amazing kitchen makeover of an Arlington Courtyard Villa model that is a good change somewhere in the heart of The Villages.

• Oak cabinetsAfter, Light bright and Big, Arlington Courtyard Villa model, Finishing Touch - by Ruth Dyer.
This model was purchased with dark oak cabinets. Unfortunately, the homeowners did not like the grainy oak and wanted a change. Changing out oak cabinetry is always a great investment in a home.

• White cabinetry
The homeowners wanted a white kitchen and that is always a classic. A white kitchen is light, bright, and considered one of the cleanest colors for a kitchen.
White kitchens never go out of style; they are a constant. Though you may be seeing other colors like lime green or blue kitchens being installed on TV shows, in real life the majority of consumers will chose a white kitchen when they are purchasing it themselves.

• Lower the bar
The homeowners made a great choice to lower the bar in the kitchen. The raised bar was designed to hide the mess of the kitchen but still keep the kitchen open. How much can you hide with a six in inch lip? Once, the bar is cut down and becomes one big slab of granite the homeowners gained so much square footage of counter space. Now when they come in from the grocery store they have a large flat surface to set everything down until it can be put away. If they are entertaining there is lots of room for food service and seating! The island becomes a multi-functional workhorse for the homeowner.

• Add drawers
Since the homeowners were purchasing all new cabinets they made some significant changes in the way the kitchen performs. Homeowners today are requesting more drawers. Drawers can be large for pots and pans or they can be made varying sizes to fit the need of the homeowners. Why are they requesting more drawers you ask? Drawers are easier to use because you can open a drawer and see everything in the drawer without having to get down on your knees and look back into the cabinet. Drawers can be pulled out once and closed once and there is not middle style dividing them. People have installed pullouts in existing cabinets but so much space is lost because the lower cabinets usually have the style bar in the middle to accommodate the door. Drawers provide more space and more function. They are always a great investment in homes that are in a fifty-five plus community.

• Raise the upper cabinets
We raised the upper cabinets from 36 to 42 in height. The point of raising the cabinets is not just to have more cabinet space but it also makes the kitchen look more customized and expanded! The taller cabinets draw the eye up making everything look big and when a kitchen looks bigger it has more value. The homeowners wanted the upper cabinets to have glass for display which looks nice. If you need the storage space for real storage stay away from glass. When you chose glass it is only for pretty storage.

• What type of cabinets
When purchasing white cabinets you want to be mindful of the type of cabinet that you buy. White cabinetry is always painted. When buying painted cabinets I always chose an MDF painted door rather than a wood painted door. Painted wood doors can expand and contract leaving visible joint lines in the paint that look like cracked corners. When you call the company that installed them they will not change them because that is the nature of wood. MDF doors are constructed the same way a wood door is constructed so they look the same but MDF is smoother, receives paint better, and does not tend to expand and contract like wood. Finally, MDF is less expensive. Wood doors are great for stain but not as good for paint. This is a very controversial topic and when customers hear this they are thrown for a loop. However, there are lots of videos on line to reiterate what I am writing about.

• Granite countertops with a full backsplash
The homeowners chose beautiful granite and it was installed as the backsplash too. The full backsplash is great for a seamless look and there is no grout to worry about. The granite received a 15-year seal that comes with a guarantee.

• Wainscot
Finally, the homeowner added white wainscot to the island. This application of wainscot is framed bead board and it looks so good on an island. The white island is now visually connected to the kitchen and the space looks light, bright, and fresh.

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Before and After Images Below