Reply
Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,861
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Kitchen facelift - I hired a decorator for the first time in my life.

I've been married 32 years. We've lived in six different homes and I've never had a kitchen that I liked. DH and I decided that life is too short, so I'm taking some money from our savings to give my tiny kitchen a facelift. I hired a decorator, in hopes that I'd be able to make the most of my budget.

So far, I'm very happy with the ideas she's come up with. She's recommending quartz countertops instead of the granite that I always wanted. I think it will look pretty, but I'm concerned about the performance. Is there someone out there who has quartz and can speak to that?

~ house cat ~
Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,570
Registered: ‎09-13-2012

Re: Kitchen facelift - I hired a decorator for the first time in my life.

I don't know about quartz, so forgive me if I'm giving unnecessary info. When I redid my small kitchen years ago, I found that large porcelain or granite tiles can be an inexpensive alternative (although you'd have to add in the price of installation). I saw some 12" x 12" ivory porcelain tiles that would have been attractive, durable, and inexpensive though I didn't go with them. I use the sample I got as a trivet to this day.

I ended up getting Formica with a wood trim on everything except for one special cabinet I chose for under the window at a different level. For that, I used granite tiles that I stumbled upon deeply discounted at Home Depot. I didn't want granite on all countertops because I STUPIDLY thought it was too shiny and modern-looking. The carpenter installed the tiles very close together, and they look great. He took a piece of wood and fancied it up and created a nice wood edge for this cabinet. When everything was installed, I stained and sealed all the wood edging.

Can you put a hot pan right on quartz? You can with granite. I would not get Formica again. It's okay, but when I saw the granite I'd wished I'd gone with that.

Another tip I found when planning my kitchen was that companies that sell sheets of granite and other countertop stone materials sometimes have remnants left that are discounted and can be used for small kitchens.

One thing I wish I'd done is put base cabinets in an L shape in the corner to be used for extra storage and as partial seating for my table. Live and learn!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,861
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Kitchen facelift - I hired a decorator for the first time in my life.

I was told I can put hot pots and pans on the quartz. I hope that's true, because I have a very small kitchen and don't always have a choice of where to put things in a hurry.

~ house cat ~
Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,111
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Kitchen facelift - I hired a decorator for the first time in my life.

We moved around a lot before my husband retired from the service. We had granite countertops in one home that we lived in. They were so rough -- like if you wanted to write on them.

We next moved to a home that had smooth granite countertops. but they had to be sealed a couple times a year to keep them smooth and from pitting.

When we built our house, we put in more modern quartz countertops, that I love. They do not have to be sealed. They can tolerate some heat, but do not put anything really hot on them or you could damage them. Be sure to use trivets or hot pads. Personally, I would never take a pan right out of the oven and put it on any surface without a cooling rack or trivet. We haven't had any problems with our modern quartz countertops.

Be careful of porcelain countertops as they scratch easily.

I would highly recommend quartz. I hope you love your kitchen remodel. I much prefer a smaller kitchen to a big one.

A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal. ~~ Steve Maraboli
Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,954
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Kitchen facelift - I hired a decorator for the first time in my life.

I have quartz that looks like white marble with slight gray veining.

Candace on HGTV uses quartz exclusively on her show.

With quartz, you have no problems with matching slabs...or the quality of the stone. Plus it never needs sealing.

I was going to go with plain white - but the owner of the kitchen store where I purchased my cabinets recommended the marble look - marble is VERY popular now too, but it stains easily.

The homes in my historic district neighborhood are all 100+ years old - I have been in a mansion that featured marble - it wasn't everywhere in the HUGE kitchen (a lot had been destroyed over the years and was replaced with granite) - but it was beautiful and authentic.

My "marble" design combines the durability of quartz with the beauty of stone - I have a small U shaped kitchen, so it wasn't very expensive either..

Good luck to you on your remodel! I would have hired a designed if I could do it all over again - they can save a lot of time and aggravation!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,861
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Kitchen facelift - I hired a decorator for the first time in my life.

Thanks for the feedback, ladies.

It was a real leap of faith (and budget) to hire a designer, but I was overwhelmed with options and thought this would keep me from making a huge mistake. They sure to make life easier, bringing everything to me. I live in a large city and it could take months running around investigating all the possibilities.

~ house cat ~
Honored Contributor
Posts: 16,233
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Kitchen facelift - I hired a decorator for the first time in my life.

Oh, good. We can follow your path through the remodel.

I keep thinking I need to remodel and not just my kitchen. It feels overwhelming to do make all the decisions and decide what to do first, etc. I've been thinking seriously about hiring a decorator to make suggestions and will be looking forward to your experiences, house.

Super Contributor
Posts: 578
Registered: ‎07-30-2011

Re: Kitchen facelift - I hired a decorator for the first time in my life.

Hi hc! I think you'll be very happy with the performance of quartz! It's actually harder and more chip resistant than granite, and also is stain resistant and should give you many years of use and enjoyment. A beautiful piece of stone is a thing of beauty and a joy forever, but the stunning options in quartz make it a very popular choice! I personally would never place a hot pot on any surface, but that's just me! I'm so happy for you that you're remodeling your kitchen!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,954
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Kitchen facelift - I hired a decorator for the first time in my life.

On 1/24/2015 house_cat said:

Thanks for the feedback, ladies.

It was a real leap of faith (and budget) to hire a designer, but I was overwhelmed with options and thought this would keep me from making a huge mistake. They sure to make life easier, bringing everything to me. I live in a large city and it could take months running around investigating all the possibilities.

Please post pics and updates...it's fun and exciting to plan a kitchen remodel.

I'd love to hear what your designer recommends.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,861
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Kitchen facelift - I hired a decorator for the first time in my life.

On 1/24/2015 millieshops said:

Oh, good. We can follow your path through the remodel.

I keep thinking I need to remodel and not just my kitchen. It feels overwhelming to do make all the decisions and decide what to do first, etc. I've been thinking seriously about hiring a decorator to make suggestions and will be looking forward to your experiences, house.

We've lived here for 8 years. The house was freshly painted at that time, with new carpet on the second floor. The first floor has wood. Eight years later, the carpets are gross and the walls are very dirty. I had no idea we were such dirty people, but evidently, we are.

This all started because we wanted to continue the wood up the stairs and throughout the second floor. Also, it needed to be painted. In the "old days", DH and I could tackle the painting ourselves, but not anymore. The paint palette they came up with is so lovely and nothing I would have thought of myself.

We are not sure if we can stay here too much longer. When one of my parents pass on (they are 91 years old), we will have to take the other with us and we have no room here. I figured that these upgrades, if done correctly, would help sell the house.

~ house cat ~