Let's face it, everyone is on a budget. Some are big budgets, and some are small, but everyone sets their spending limits. In these economic times, budgeting is more important than ever, and we like to keep that in mind when designing kitchens. Sure, we could stack trim, add fancy posts and corbels, and customize every cabinet in your kitchen, but things like that can wipe out a budget. Here are a few things to think about when you're on a smaller budget:

1. The cabinets look fantastic on their own. Just replacing your existing cabinets with new ones is gong to have a major impact on your house. Pick a nice finish that suits your personality and style, and let the cabinets speak for themselves!

2. Adding a simple style of crown molding takes the look to a new level without breaking the budget. You don't have to have the largest crown molding available, and then apply dentil or rope molding, to have a nice looking kitchen. When you do that, not only does the cost of the trim go up, but the labor also doubles, as it is twice the amount of work.

3. Adding under-cabinet light rail molding also enhances the look without a huge price increase. This molding is an upgrade that really does a lot for the overall look of your kitchen, but doesn't break the bank. Keep in mind though, if you have to scale back, this is a good place to start.

4. Decorative range hoods are getting more and more popular and it's true that they can be a major focal point of your kitchen. When working on a tight budget, however, try to be open to the idea of letting us use our creative juices to come up with a good-looking, less expensive alternative to the higher priced hoods.

5. Staggering wall cabinet heights is a great way to give your kitchen a high end look at a low cost. If your budget allows, staggering cabinet depths adds a new dimension as well.

6. While laminate tops are not as popular as they once were, with the decreasing prices of solid surface and granite, they are still a very reliable, economical countertop surface. There are also hundreds of finishes to choose from (including granite and solid surface look-alikes), along with several different edge details. The possibilities are great, along with the price. Don't sacrifice the look and quality of your cabinets for a high end top surface. Tops are much easier to replace down the road than cabinets!

7. Your hardware selection can make a big difference in the overall look of your kitchen as well. While knobs and pulls can get expensive, there are several manufacturers that keep their pricing affordable and have very nice looking selections.
   

At Mountain Creek Kitchen & Bath, we do our best to get the overall look and feel of your kitchen to turn out how you envisioned it. If your budget doesn't allow for all of the bells and whistles you want, we'll look for alternatives to get you the best "bang for your buck".

Kent Burnett

Dreaming of a new kitchen for Christmas? If you would like to have a new kitchen for the holidays, now is the time to start your project. The time frame for most remodels is about 4 to 6 weeks, so waiting until November to begin can be cutting it close and leave you without a kitchen for all of your holiday cooking.

The best time to start a remodel is approximately two months before you would like to see the project completed. This allows enough time to have the materials purchased, installation take place, and any final, loose ends taken care of by the projected completion date. So, if your Christmas wish is a new, updated kitchen, then call us for a consultation appointment or come by and see us today!