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Catherine Neitzey of Reico Kitchen & Bath is reflected along with some kitchen cabinets in mirrors that are part of a pair
This is one of several kitchen displays at Reico Kitchen & Bath in Fredericksburg that give customers an idea
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EMODELING IS how people can get a new home without moving. And while America remains a very mobile society, more and more Americans are choosing to change their surroundings while staying put.
The most popular remodeling projects are kitchens and baths, but on remodeling projects in general, Americans spent about $224 billion in 2004--a $10 billion increase in just one year, according to the National Association of the Remodeling Industry.
The organization projects that 4 million kitchens will be remodeled in 2005, a figure that has consistently risen by 100,000 each year since 1999.
In 2001, the average cost of a major kitchen redo was $43,800 (including counters, cabinets, appliances and flooring for a 200-square-foot kitchen). The project would recoup upon resale an estimated $33,100, or 75 percent of its value.
If you are contemplating a major kitchen remodel, good luck. Experts say you won't know how much you depend on your kitchen until you have to do without it for a period of time.
If you're ready to go ahead anyway, consider three things: how much you want to spend, how much you want to accomplish, and whether you want to do the work yourself or call in a professional.
Reico Kitchen & Bath, which has an outlet in the Fredericksburg Design Center on Gateway Boulevard, is one of several area businesses that can offer guidance as well as an array of remodeling supplies. You can buy what you need to do it yourself, or simply make choices and let it happen. The company also offers periodic do-it-yourself remodeling seminars that are open to the public.
"It's up to us to get a feel for what the customer wants, and that will tell us whether the budget they have set is realistic," said Jennifer Schatzer, Reico's branch manager here. "Then we'll look at everything, from the overall big picture down to the smallest details."
Schatzer said that preparing a customer for the disruption of a kitchen remodeling project comes with the territory.
"We make sure they understand that this isn't going to be done in a weekend. We tell them to expect the unexpected, and be prepared to take it in stride if something doesn't go according to plan," she said.
"There are so many decisions to make, so many questions to ask--it's important you have a designer you can trust," no matter where you go, she said.
Catherine Neitzey, a Reico sales associate and designer, said that a major change the industry has seen is in the knowledge consumers bring with them.
"It has a lot to do with HGTV. They've seen the options. They've seen what can be done," said Neitzey.
She said customers have different priorities. If they are willing to sacrifice cabinet space for a big range hood, then they'll know the customer is more interested in form than function.
Schatzer said it's impossible to offer even a ballpark figure of what someone might expect to spend on a kitchen remodel because of the variables involved. Obviously the customer has to consider what is affordable and how drastic an overhaul is desired.
Cost and style decisions need to be made on every segment of the remodel.
With cabinets, for example, a wide range of prices is available, but by using certain design techniques and hardware, less expensive cabinetry can have a rich look.
Then there is the question of glass inserts, which are becoming more popular, and what wood, finish or texture to choose, or what paint color to use.
And that's not all. More customers are choosing to do away with the basic, straight-line row of cabinets, opting instead for staggered heights, or cabinets that bump in or out. Then there is "negative space," which leaves a bit of wall space between the cabinets. Symmetry is not as important to design today as it once was.
With countertops today, Neitzey said the basic choices are either laminate or solid surface, and a customer's budget will help decide that. Any solid material, such as natural granite or synthetic stone, will add significant cost compared with laminates, the longtime standard countertop.
Bilevel islands also are becoming popular as the kitchen becomes the heart of the home and the center of entertaining.
One of Reico's kitchen displays has become what the staff calls its "just like that" kitchen, because so many people will take one look at it and say they want a kitchen "just like that." Whether they can afford exactly that is the question. But because there is a range of prices for each element, the designers can come up with a kitchen that is almost "just like that," for a price that is significantly less.
Many of the same considerations apply to bathroom remodeling. Nothing is sacred, from vanity height to cabinets and shelving. Design innovations allow everything from towels to hampers to have their own out-of-sight place.
The one constant in kitchen and bath design these days, Schatzer said, is change. Manufacturers are always churning out new cabinet finishes, countertop materials, sinks and fixtures. The periodic changes in Reico's showroom displays are aimed at keeping customers apprised of the latest product lines, she said.
To reach RICHARD AMRHINE: 540/374-5406 ramrhine@freelancestar.com
