Before & After: RTA kitchen cabinet makeovers
Making over or installing a new kitchen doesn’t need to cost a pretty penny to have a big impact on the feel and value of your home. Installing ready-to-assemble (RTA) cabinets are an affordable and fast option if you want to upgrade or create a new kitchen.
To help decide if you want to take on the challenge of creating or remodeling a kitchen with RTA cabinets, here are three before and after scenarios highlighting the success of some of our past customers who remodeled their kitchens.
These real-life renovations will show how homeowners tackled their cabinet installations and created their dream kitchens.
Before: Drab, drab, kitchen cabinets
While this kitchen sports a popular kitchen layout and looks very light given the color of the floors, cabinets and counter-tops, it was anything but visually appealing and lacked functionality.
The long, box-shaped lighting in the ceiling looked dated, and the lack of a back-splash around the stove drew attention to the dated appliance. The microwave sat on one of the inexpensive laminate counters (not in the photo), taking up precious space.
The kitchen had a closet pantry with pull-out doors that took up space when opened and made it difficult to work around the stove. The pantry may look like it was a good size, but in reality, it was very small. This was not a good use of space.
In general, this kitchen fell flat and screamed “makeover”!
After: From drab to fab!
Wow! What a beautiful change for a small, L-shaped kitchen design.
The new cabinet doors are a darker, richer brown and accented with brass hardware. The bases were stained to match. A new stove, microwave, and back-splash were added and really jazzed up this small kitchen making it look new and fresh.
LED flat, round ceiling lights replaced the dated recessed box lighting and granite countertops were added giving the kitchen a more modern look and glow.
The closet pantry was replaced with a wet bar and tall cabinet without losing any storage space.
Another cool feature in this newly remodeled kitchen you may have missed? The floor tile is the same, but the grout was replaced with a lighter color. This is a very smart way to save money and change the look of your kitchen floors.
This new kitchen looks clean, fresh and modern, definitely a great makeover.
Before: Nice but lacked pizzaz
The look and layout of this kitchen was OK and worked for many years, but the owner wanted a more updated look and feel without completely gutting the kitchen and starting over.
After: From OK to gorgeous
Isn’t this a gorgeous kitchen now? It’s really stunning.
All of the appliances were updated, an exhaust vent was added over the new gas cooktop, and double ovens were installed in tall cabinets. The biggest visual change was the island; a new configuration added seating and wine storage as well as a sink and more counter space.
The variegated granite and back-splash pull in the cabinet colors making this kitchen look polished and new.
Before: Functional but too plain
The family in this home liked the useful kitchen layout and functional use of space but felt the tile countertops were dated and the area was too plain in general. They wanted something more modern and eye-catching but were concerned about the cost of a remodel given a large number of cabinets both above and below the countertops.
They were also concerned that upgrading the kitchen cabinets may take away some of the “homey” feel they had grown to love.
One of the best things about RTA cabinets is their low-cost, high-quality look and the number of options available. There are cabinets at every price point and in every style, making a redesign like this one manageable.
After: Still homey but sophisticated
This kitchen now boasts a transitional and homey style. New cabinet doors and a darker, richer stain replaced the outdated oak and stainless steel hardware was added. Notice how the cabinet over the stove is higher than the others; this gives style and depth to these RTA kitchen cabinets.
A new refrigerator was installed, and to save money, the ovens were reused.
A soft green back-splash was added to bring warmth to the kitchen and complement the light, rich-colored granite countertops. This kitchen now has an upscale design while still being the homey spot this family loves.
The end result of these kitchen makeovers was stunning. All of the kitchens had a lot going for them, to begin with, but with upgrades and new RTA kitchen cabinets? The results were bright, highly functional spaces that added value to the home.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chris is Director of Product & Design here at CabinetSelect.com. He's certified as a Florida State Building Contractor (CBC1256670) with many years of construction experience. Most important, Chris is passionate about kitchen design – Whether you're building a new home or remodeling an old one, he has plenty of experience and the right tools, ideas and solutions to help create a beautiful kitchen in any space, large or small.
