Are your kitchen cabinets ready for 2016 — and beyond?
A kitchen can make or break the value of your home, since it’s a high-traffic area, and more people than ever want chef-worthy kitchens.
An outdated kitchen can outdate your entire home, because it’s one of the first rooms buyers (and guests!) look at. Cabinets take up a lot of real estate in a kitchen, and can set the entire aesthetic of the room for better or worse. For 2016, the biggest trend is a hanger-on from 2015 with white and/or natural light wood looks, especially with Shaker-style cabinets.
Quick Updates
If you have wooden cabinets, it’s understandable that you don’t want to replace them (unless, of course, your budget allows for new solid wood cabinets). A more cost-effective solution is a new coat of paint, or perhaps sanding them down and painting them a new color. If the cabinet doors have an outdated look, it’s much easier to replace them with custom doors rather than the entire cabinet system.
Don’t forget about the hardware, either! Sometimes swapping out the hardware is all you need to make an impact. Trends in hardware in 2016 include pull-cup handles in either glossy or brushed silver, or a brushed cast iron look. Brushed silver has become a classic, but do make sure that it’s a non-smudge material if you go this route. Also remember to match the hardware size to the size of your cabinets and kitchen.
Cabinetry for Today’s Kitchens
Older homes that are upgrading to a chef’s kitchen have unique needs: The cabinets of yesteryear don’t fit the appliances and fixtures you want today! For example, installing a farmhouse/apron sink is a gorgeous improvement, but since it’s not a drop-in sink, the cabinetry around the sink also will need an upgrade. The good news? Farmhouse sinks take up a lot of space, don’t require intricate countertop cuttings, and you’ll save a little money on the cabinetry.
More homeowners than ever before are going with cooktops and double wall-in ovens, as well as oversized microwaves with a trim kit. Older homes don’t usually accommodate this setup naturally, so if you’re upgrading your kitchen appliances, don’t forget about the necessary upgrades to your cabinetry too. Cabinets for wall-in ovens need to be especially crafted to allow for enough space and ventilation to avoid fire risks as well.
For all your kitchen cabinet needs in 2016 and beyond, call AWA Kitchen Cabinets.