Kitchens and Baths
Remodeled kitchens and bathrooms can add significant value to a home, and with careful planning and material sourcing, they don’t have to “break the bank,” according to Pasquale Sardina. Sardina Construction knows lots of tricks of the trade to help homeowners realize their dreams of having a bigger kitchen or bath with new materials, technologies and features that were only available for luxury homes in the past.
New Custom Cabinets or Perfect Refacing
Aside from the time homeowners spend sleeping, most families use their kitchens and bathrooms more than any other rooms in the house. And activities such as cooking, entertaining, sanitation and cosmetic applications take their toll on kitchen and bath cabinetry and countertops. Cabinetry and countertops are also the two areas that “date” the look of these rooms, mirroring design and fashion trends from decades past. Sardina Construction’s finish carpentry expertise allows the company to offer fully customized cabinetry in any style, design, material or configuration. But consumers can also realize big savings by refacing cabinets, adding new or refaced doors, drawers and guides.
Countertops
Most people will tell you that they don’t have enough counter space in their San Diego kitchens and baths. Kitchen islands and peninsulas are a great solution for adding counter, storage and clean-up areas. It’s important to pick surfaces for the way they perform and complement the overall style of the room. When selecting kitchen countertops, think about the types of foods that will be prepared on it. For example, foods with citric acid should be prepared on a non-porous surface. Marble would be a poor choice for this kind of cooking since it is not stain resistant. Granite is ultra durable, highly heat and scratch resistant and, because of its popularity, is cost effective and yields a comparatively high return on your investment.
The biggest difference in countertop materials is the price.
- Laminate is very cost-effective and can mimic the look of a wide array of materials including stone, metal, and wood.
- Stone has the largest price range, with exotic marble costing a few hundred dollars per linear foot, to locally quarried limestone costing somewhere between $60 and $70 per linear foot. Other ways of reducing the cost of stone is by using stone tiles, which can cut a huge chunk off the price tag, although the end product will have grout lines.
- Stainless steel is more expensive, but is very stain resistant and gives a kitchen a very sleek and modern look.
Kitchen Lighting
Lighting has a big impact on the look and feel of both kitchens and bathrooms. The right layout for lighting your kitchen depends on the size and complexity of the room. Small kitchens may require only a central ceiling fixture and task lighting tucked under a cabinet. More elaborate kitchens will demand a blend of general, task and accent lighting.
Functional kitchen lighting fixtures provide well-diffused general lighting, great for moving safely around the room, viewing inside drawers and cabinets, and performing typical kitchen activities. While large, surface fluorescents have been popular in the past, the latest lighting designs revolve around recessed lights and low voltage, industrial styles, often with a metal finish.
Recessed downlights are also very popular, assuring even illumination. Installing them over the stove and sink areas creates functional task lighting for cooking and cleaning. The latest trends in decorative lighting finishes include wrought iron, often in rust or other earth tones. Painted finishes are also popular. Colored glass has bypassed plain white in popularity. Pewter and satin nickel finishes are often used now to replace the basic brass look.
Bathroom Lighting
Bathrooms have special lighting needs. Proper lighting is a must for people to see themselves in a complimentary light, whether they are putting on makeup or combing their hair. Like the rest of the house, the bathroom reflects consumer’s changing lifestyles. More spacious and multifunctional, these once-utilitarian water closets have become private retreats designed for relaxation, escape and self-indulgence.
The bathroom is the part of the house with the densest assortment of materials and finishes,” says Dan Blitzer, Manhattan, NY-based continuing educator for the American Lighting Association. “You have wall tile, floor tile, shower tile, faucet hardware, towel bars, wallpaper and paint all in a space often smaller than 100 sq. ft.”
Whether new or remodeled, today’s more complex bathrooms demand intricate lighting solutions. Task lighting must be bright enough to do its job, but work well with indirect accent lighting designed to soften the room’s ambience by providing a warm glow. Lighting fixtures and finishes should complement, rather than compete with plumbing accessories, tile, paint and wallpaper.
