It’s always tough to decide which wood to use in your home. There are so many choices and different shades to coordinate. And who knows what it’ll look like when it’s finished? When you decide to remodel, you probably have a vision of your desired finished product. Here are a few considerations to take when remodeling your kitchen.

1. What do you want your kitchen to say about you? Dark cabinets are interesting. They’re on the mysterious side since they create a shadowy interior, and they’re unusual, so they’re a bit of a surprise. Light cabinets are bright and sunny. They’re more welcoming, and light colors put people at ease. That doesn’t mean dark cabinets will chase people away or make them feel unwanted: dark cabinets are cozier; light cabinets are more clean and defined.
2. How clean do you keep your kitchen? If you have children, this may be the deciding factor. Dark cabinets won’t show dents or scratches as easily, and spills show up more readily on light cabinets. Also, dark wood tends to look new longer. But if scratches and spills aren’t a concern, light cabinets can be great for reflecting light rays to keep the room more visible at all times of the day, so your kids won’t be afraid to maneuver the kitchen with the lights out.
3. What other materials are you working with? Do you have other shades of wood in the room, such as wood flooring or trim? What color are your counter tops and fixtures? Coordinating colors can tie the room together, so if you want everything to run seamlessly together, match dark with dark or light with light. If you want to highlight some previously hidden features in the room, contrasting colors may be just what you need.
4. There’s no rule book. Once you’ve taken everything into consideration, keep in mind that it’s your home.  If you have your heart set on a certain look, don’t settle for something you won’t be happy with. There’s always the option of picking and choosing several different colors to mix. You could coordinate your kitchen island with the floors and choose a contrasting color for the cabinets. You could choose a cabinet color that matches the floors but contrasts fixtures to highlight various part of the room. The possibilities are endless, and your kitchen will look beautiful when you make your final decisions.

Most homeowners have a long list of modifications and remodeling projects they want done. However, whether or not these improvements get completed depends greatly on finances. So, what can you afford? This question can seem overwhelming, but hiring a contractor to tackle this difficult question for you is not the right answer. To help you create a budget right for you, we’ve compiled these four easy steps:

1. Determine how long you’ll stay in the home. How long you stay in your current home impacts how much you should be investing in it. If you plan on staying in the home for at least the next ten years, it is often worth investing in it to make it your dream home. However, if you are planning on moving within the next few years, you might want to rethink the project. Check real estate comparisons in your neighborhood and keep your investment in line with the average sales price. You don’t want to spend too much on an investment you won’t be able to recover when selling.
2. Make a list of expenses. Excluding groceries, utilities and other general expenses, this list should include your monthly expenses. These expenses should include your credit card, car, mortgage and any other fixed monthly payments.
3. Determine your gross monthly income. Add up all income you receive each month, including income you would list when filling out a loan application.
4. Complete the following worksheet. This formula from the National Association of Remodeling Industry should help you better understand your budget:

Step 1 – DTI 
Lenders use a simple Debt-to-Income (DTI) ratio to determine if a homeowner can afford the additional debt of a remodeling project.
DTI
Enter Your Total Monthly Expenses $__________
Add the Estimated Monthly Payment for the Remodeling
Project + $__________
Total = $__________
Divide the Total by Your Gross Monthly Income $__________
DTI % = __________
Each lender will approve loans at a specific DTI percentage (most lenders will tell you what their set DTI ratio is, if you ask). For example, if the lender accepts DTI ratios of 45 percent and your DTI ratio is 30 percent, your loan would be approved. However, if your DTI ratio is 55 percent, you would need to find other financing options. Perhaps your lender offers debt consolidation loans that could reduce your DTI ratio, which brings us to the next step:
Step 2 – The Maximum Payment
The next step is to determine the maximum monthly payment you can afford for remodeling. Multiply your monthly gross income amount by the lender’s maximum DTI allowance, and subtract your current total monthly expenses, excluding the estimated remodeling payment.
Gross Monthly Income $__________
Lender’s DTI ratio x __________
Subtotal $__________
Total Monthly Expenses – $__________
Maximum Affordable Payment = $__________
If the last line is negative, you will not be able to borrow from that lender. See step 3 for further options.
Step 3 – Consolidation 
If your DTI ratio was above the lender’s accepted percentage, or if your maximum affordable payment was too low, you may want to consider a debt consolidation loan. This would incorporate your current debts into the home improvement loan. Not only does this allow you to roll your debts into what may be a tax deductible loan, it also provides one easy payment for your debts and lowers your DTI percentage. In addition, the interest rate on a debt consolidation loan may be lower, which will save you additional money.

With a new year comes a flood of new trends for sprucing up your home. If you’re looking to give your kitchen a face lift, there are certainly some hot new kitchen styles you should know about. Here’s a list of just a few trends that designers are suggesting for 2013.

1. Neutral finishes: Whether it’s on countertops, cabinets or even flooring designers are avoiding the bright, bold colors of older kitchens and sticking to shades of brown and white this year. These neutral colors give your kitchen a warm, clean, inviting look that will stand the test of time. And good news; you don’t have to completely replace your current cabinetry to achieve this new look! Refinish or reface your kitchen cabinets to update your kitchens look without destroying your budget. “When refacing cabinets, a clean, simple contemporary look is winning out, both from an updating standpoint, and a trend to eliminate unnecessary clutter and fussy details that equate to high maintenance and complicated living,” said Kathleen Donohue, an award-winning designer with Neil Kelly Designs.
2. Hardwood Floors: That’s right. Hardwood kitchen floors remain a hot kitchen remodeling trend this year. Whether you want to go with a dark wood to offset your white cabinetry, or a light wood to contrast your dark cabinetry, you can’t go wrong with hardwood floors. Is there anything that looks better in a kitchen than gleaming, clean wooden floors? We don’t think so!
3. Functionality: Whether you’re entertaining a big group, or cooking with your mother-in-law, your kitchen should perform as effortlessly as possible under all types of pressure. Most importantly, your kitchen should be designed for convenient cabinet access and storage. If cooking with others is a struggle in your kitchen because one of you is always in the way, it might be time to either rearrange your drawers or upgrade to more accessible cabinetry. In fact, most designers and contractors agree that cabinetry is the area to splurge on when you remodel your kitchen. Cabinets are constantly used around the kitchen, so it is essential that the cabinets you choose during your remodel project resist wear for at least 20 years.
4. Mixed cabinet colors: If you’re bored with the same cabinet colors all around your kitchen, now’s the time to mix it up. One of the more popular cabinet color trends is to use different, darker color cabinets on island cabinets or on the lower cabinets. This way, when children get into lower cabinets they won’t stain or gray light colored cabinetry. Some color trends include mix-and-match kitchen cabinetry painted in those neutral shades of cream, taupe and gray.

If the contents of your kitchen cabinets need some order, we have a few tips which will help reduce the chaos in your kitchen. Follow these simple steps to make it easier to find what you need in your kitchen and make cooking more enjoyable.

1. Map It. Draw a map of your kitchen dividing sections into workstations on countertops.
2. Assign locations. Identify the purpose of your kitchen cabinets on the map. Determine the types of items that the cabinets above each workstation would be most convenient to store. We suggest you store dishes near the sink area and cooking utensils next to the stove.
3. Label kitchen cabinets. Write on a sticky note what type of items go in each cabinet
4. Sort. Empty kitchen cabinets and sort according to the categories determined on your map. Get rid of items if you no longer use them or if you have duplicates. Dispose of items that are cracked, stained or damaged. Also, discard expired pantry items.
5. Evaluate. Evaluate the contents of your kitchen cabinets once it’s sorted to see if there is enough cabinet space to accommodate what you have. Plan to put heavier items such as skillets and food processers in lower cabinets and lighter items such as glasses and dishes in upper cabinets.
6. Clean. With cabinets empty, clean them inside and out. Replace liners, if desired.
7. Select containers. Choose containers for bulk items such as flour, sugar and rice. Also, choose containers for small items such as flavored drink packets, spice packets, etc. Dispose of containers that you no longer need or are broken.
8. Fill cabinets. Stock cabinets according to your map. Label cabinets to help family members find items in their new locations.

Consider space-saving items like organizing racks and stacking shelves to maximize the kitchen cabinet space. If you go through this process and find your cabinets no longer fit your needs, please contact us about redesigning your kitchen cabinets so that they are more efficient.

While our customers are often focused on the style of their kitchen sink when remodeling their kitchen, we believe it’s important to select a sink that will work well throughout years of daily use. For that reason, when looking to purchase a kitchen sink, we recommend considering how your family plans to use their kitchen sink rather than just selecting one based on style.

Number of sinks
These days, most kitchens have a double-bowl sink. This sink style was designed primarily for washing dishes. But, with most households using a dishwasher for these purposes, kitchen sinks are not often used for merely washing dishes.

Instead, today, homeowners often use their kitchen sinks to hand wash large pans, pots and baking sheets. For this reason, it may be preferable to have at least one oversized sink. If you must have double sinks but space is an issue, an oversized bowl and a small bowl combination can be a good solution. In those kitchens which have adequate space, one oversized and one standard sized bowl is ideal.

Sink Choices
Kitchen sinks are made from composites, enamel-coated cast iron, stainless steel and solid surfaces.

• Composite sinks: This is newer style of sink which can be made of several different materials. These sinks are a good option for the homeowner who is remodeling their kitchen on a tight budget. Composite sinks come in many colors, so this is also a nice feature of these products. Unfortunately, polyester/acrylic sinks aren’t as durable as other sink options and these drop-in sinks are not as easy to clean as some other sinks.
• Enamel-coated cast iron sinks: While they’ve been around many years, these are still useful for today’s families. They’re very nice looking sinks, but since enamel can scratch and wear, it’s not the best kitchen sink choice for those who are tough on their sinks.
• Stainless sinks: For those homeowners who are hard on sinks, frequently throwing things into them, stainless is often a good choice.
• Solid surface sinks: This is a great option for families looking for a kitchen sink and countertop that are very easy to clean, even though you still need to clean the joint between the countertop and the underside. Scratches can be buffed out of a solid surface sink, but the material can chip. Also, if you transfer hot pots and pans directly from the cooktop to the sink, a solid surface can become damaged.

When considering the treatment of kitchen walls, two main choices are available: painting and wallpapering. The usual criteria for paint or wall paper can be different for the kitchen setting than other rooms, so in this article we will describe the advantages and disadvantages of each to help you make an informed decision.

Paint
Paint can be a wonderful choice, especially for the indecisive. Color palettes for paint are seemingly endless, offering thousands of options that can be combined and designed in the perfect pattern. Additionally, there are the different kinds of coating, from gloss to semi- gloss or even matte, offer just the right solution for your decorating needs. Preparation for painting takes less time and effort than wallpapering, however, while it’s inexpensive, paint is easily damaged and won’t hold up as long as wall paper. These can be significant issues, especially in high traffic areas like a kitchen.

Wallpaper
The other option is wallpaper which can also offer plenty of choices. Most wallpaper comes in patterns, from subtle to loud. It is made from paper or vinyl, allowing you to set the perfect tone to your kitchen aesthetic. It is more durable than paint and can be scrubbed down when dirty. While it doesn’t chip, the adhesive can become weak in high moisture rooms like the kitchen. Installation is a little trickier, especially if you must remove old wallpaper first.
When remodeling your home, specifically a room like the kitchen where families spend a lot of time, it’s important to take the time to make decisions you will be happy with for a long time.

If this article has given you ideas for your kitchen, stop by our showroom or visit our website www.republicwest.com, and we will be happy to help you design your new project.

If you’re remodeling your kitchen for aesthetic or functional reasons, flooring is an important area to consider since it’s the part of a kitchen that gets used the most and gets worn down the fastest.

The two most common choices are tile and hardwood.

Tile Flooring

There are several key benefits of tile flooring. Tiles are waterproof, which is especially useful in a kitchen where spills are frequent and appliances can leak. Aesthetically, tile offers many decorative options. There are different sizes, colors and shapes of tiles, the kind of variety that can’t be achieved with hardwood. In addition, tiles don’t scratch which can be a benefit especially if you have pets or children. One of the biggest downsides of tile is that it can crack. Additionally, grout can get dirty and chip, taking away from the uniform look.

Hardwood Flooring

If you’re a person who loves to cook and you spend more time in the kitchen than anywhere else, hardwood flooring may be a better choice. Because it has some flex to its surface, cooks who spend a lot of time standing in the kitchen cooking will suffer less fatigue in their legs and feet. It’s also less expensive than tile and takes less labor to install. If your kitchen is smaller, hardwood is beneficial because it can make the space look larger. The most significant disadvantage of hardwood is that it isn’t water resistant which can be an issue in a kitchen. It also needs to be refinished often to maintain the surface protection.

If this blog has inspired your remodeling ideas, we’d love to help make them happen. Give us a call at 480-423-9300, visit our website at republicwesthome.com or stop in to our showroom.

When we talk to our customers about kitchen remodeling, they almost always bring up the subject of how their project will influence the resale value of their home. What we tell our customers is that their kitchen renovation, done the smart way, can add significant value to their home, even in this economy.

We believe a smart kitchen design takes into account these four factors:

1. Don’t Go Overboard: When planning a kitchen remodel, consider the neighborhood in which your home is located. If you decided on a high-end kitchen remodel in a modestly priced neighborhood, you probably aren’t going to recover the costs you spent on this project when you sell your home. Keep your kitchen renovation project in scale with the value of your home and your neighborhood. According to research reported in Remodeling Magazine’s annual Cost vs. Value Report, the average minor kitchen remodeling project returned 72% of its value. Major kitchen remodels recoup slightly less. To get a good bang for your buck, we recommend updating cabinets. Kitchen cabinet refinishing, refacing and replacing is affordable for most budgets and can dramatically improve a kitchen’s appearance.
2. Focus on Essentials: Smart kitchen remodeling planning should focus on the elements that are most important to you. If durability is important to your family, pay for products that will be most durable. If space is an issue in your home, put your money in features that will help you use your space in the most efficient manner.
3. Get a Good Contractor. One of the most important ways to ensure good value for your project is to hire a good kitchen remodeling contractor. Your contractors will be in your home for several days, so you’ll want to trust them and feel comfortable with them. Remember, while you may think you’re saving money going with a cheaper contractor, poor workmanship often costs more in the long run.
4. Planning: We’ve found that our customers who do careful planning at the beginning of their kitchen remodel process are less apt to change their minds later. Why is this important? Because changing your mind often leads to extra costs. For this reason, we talk with our customers from the beginning about traffic flow through the kitchen and how exactly customers plan to use the space. Families who entertain, have kids who do homework in the kitchen, are expecting a baby or cook three meals a day all have different needs. A kitchen’s design should take into consideration how the space will be used on a daily bases. Good kitchen design also means locating elements within the space (dishwasher, garbage, sink, etc.) so that you can work most efficiently.

If you consider these four important factors, you should be well on your way to remodeling your kitchen the smart way.

Kitchen cabinet refacing has become quite popular because it meets the needs of many homeowners wishing to upgrade their kitchens’ looks. But with so much talk about this process, we’ve found that a lot of confusion also still remains. To help answer some common questions we get about kitchen cabinet refacing, in a two-part series, we will answer some of the FAQs about refacing.

Q. What exactly is cabinet refacing?

A. Kitchen cabinet refacing involves the process of selecting new cabinet doors and drawer fronts and replacing the cabinets’ exposed surfaces with matching veneer. The new doors and drawer fronts are custom made to fit your cabinet boxes and the boxes are faced with wood to match the color you have chosen for your new doors and drawer fronts.  When complete, the only untouched part of your old cabinet is the interior.

Q. What portions of my kitchen cabinets will be refaced?

A. Actually, when we do kitchen cabinet refacing, we will be both refacing and replacing of elements of your existing cabinets.

• Cabinet doors are removed and replaced
• Drawer front are removed and replaced
• The entire exterior portion of the cabinet boxes are veneered
• Fine trim and cabinet undersides are replaced
• ·         Hinges and glides are replaced

Q. Can my very old kitchen cabinets be refaced?              

A. As long as your boxes are structurally sound, we will most likely be able to reface them. In fact, sometimes we find that the older kitchen cabinets are actually sturdier than the newer boxes, so they’re excellent candidates for refacing.

Q. Do you use real wood for the veneer?                                                                    

A. Yes, and you can even select from a variety of wood species including alder, , birch, cherry, hickory, maple, oak and more!

Q. Could I reface my kitchen cabinets myself?

A. Kitchen cabinet refacing as a DIY project would be quite a challenging undertaking. It would be fairly easy to replace the kitchen cabinet doors and drawer fronts, but veneering is a skill that is best left to professional tradesmen like we have at Republic West Home. Cabinet veneering is not a skill that can be quickly learned.

Be sure to check out Cabinet Refacing FAQs Part 2 for more answers to refacing questions!

Intrigued by what you’ve heard so far? Call us for a free quote today! 480-423-9300

Kitchen cabinet refacing has become quite popular because it meets the needs of many homeowners wishing to upgrade their kitchens’ looks. But with so much talk about this process, we’ve found that a lot of confusion also still remains. To help answer some common questions we get about kitchen cabinet refacing, in a two-part series, we will answer some of the FAQs about refacing.

Q. How long does will it take Republic West Home to complete the cabinet refacing in my kitchen?

A. We generally complete our kitchen cabinet refacing jobs in 2-4 days. A single foreman will be assigned to your project to maximize use of time while eliminating delays and communication problems.

Q. Will I run into problems with the wood veneer peeling off after a few years?

A. When the correct materials are used and installed by trained and experienced installers, peeling is not an issue.  Because we install the wood veneer carefully and correctly, it will generally not peel. Additionally, we use material that is not apt to peel.

Q. Why is kitchen cabinet refacing is considered eco-friendly?

A. Refacing is considered eco-friendly because:

• It prevents more cabinet boxes (often made of MDF which contains formaldehyde, a hazardous chemical) from ending up in a landfill.
• It prevents more trees from being cut down to construct new cabinet boxes.
• It reduces the carbon footprint because of the above!

Q. Will you discard my old cabinet doors and drawer fronts for us?

A. Yes, we take all trash and unusable materials from your home and dispose of them in our own trash receptacles.

Q. Is kitchen cabinet refacing costly?

A. Actually, kitchen cabinet refacing is one of the most economical ways to upgrade your kitchen and add value to your home! Cabinet refacing often costs about half the amount of custom cabinet installation.

Be sure to check out Cabinet Refacing FAQs Part 1 for more answers to refacing questions!

Does this sound like it could be the solution you’re looking for in your kitchen? Call us for a free quote today! 480-423-9300