Television Kitchens

 

Most baby boomers grew up watching "Leave it to Beaver" or some other famous sitcom and felt like  their home was your home. Watching June Cleaver bake cookies or prepare dinner for Ward and the boys while wearing a dress and hardly breaking a sweat brings back fond memories for me. After I began installing and designing kitchens myself I noticed that every time I watched a sitcom or even a commercial I began to wonder how the design and layout of these TV kitchens could be improved.What would happen if we gave June Cleaver more counter space between the stove and refrigerator?

Or let’s knock down the wall of Archie and Edith’s kitchen on "All in the Family" and put in a nice big island, but we would lose hours of laughter watching Archie get hit by that infamous swinging door. 

How about the open concept kitchen that was shown on the "Brady Bunch" featuring that bright orange Formica on the walls? We laugh at it now but that was “state of the art” for its time. I remember seeing Wood Mode brochures from that time period and those types of colors and layouts were what was primarily featured. 

We look at the kitchens on our favorite TV shows and some we love but some we can't imagine how anyone could possibly boil water in. If you can remember “The Honeymooners” kitchen you'll recall it was nothing more than a sink, an ice box and a stove. Zero counter space!

What are some of your all time favorite (or not so favorite) TV kitchens? What would you like to see improved in the  kitchen designs on your favorite shows?  We would love to hear your comments.

 - Jay Sponenberg

Should I Put New Granite Countertops on Old Cabinets?

Many people recognize that remodeling their kitchen can increase their home's value tremendously. I wonder, though, if in their desire to make an upgrade many people are making hasty decisions and doing a "half job" on their kitchens. This may well result in making it much more costly if they decide to do a bigger kitchen remodeling job in the future.

For example, some people decide to install brand new granite counters on cabinets that are either very old and poorly made and/or have a poor design. Many have fallen into the trap of thinking that those new granite tops are going to totally transform their "blah" kitchen into something they have seen pictured in  high-end design magazines. This can result in the disappointment of investing $3,500-$5,000 only to realize they are stuck with the same old cabinets and kitchen design for many years to come.

Some people have tried to re-use their counters when they have their cabinets replaced. This in itself can be a very expensive project. I am working with someone who wanted to save their counters but change their cabinets. Fortunately, they liked the kitchen design so there were no modifications needed for the countertops. However, the cost to remove, set aside, and return to re-install was around $1,400 and it couldn't be guaranteed that there would be no damage to the tops during removal.

So what does this mean? Should nobody get new granite countertops on their cabinets? No, but homeowners need to avoid making a quick decision and end up doing the kitchen backwards. Give some real thought to how well the layout of your kitchen is working for you. Are the appliances in the best location? Will they need to be replaced soon? Then, look at the cabinets. Do you like the finish? Are the drawers and hinges working correctly? Basically, see what it would cost to do a modest kitchen renovation. You may be surprised that, all in all, it will end up being a much better investment and save you major aggravation later on. It has the added benefit of greatly increasing the value of your home!