The modern kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s where we serve thanksgiving dinner, help our kids with homework, and have the late-night talks over ice cream. Your kitchen should bring you joy and allow you to focus on the food and family in it. Here are 10 clues you might need a new kitchen.

Sad Styles: If your kitchen includes carved applique mouldings, knotty pine cabinets, or melamine doors it might be time to update your kitchen. Many homeowners are now opting for sleek and simple lines like shaker style or ultra modern cabinets.

Color Catastrophe: An excess of bold and outdated colors can make your kitchen feel like a time capsule. Opt for a more contemporary color palette with neutrals and muted tones. Add an accenting pop of color to tie your kitchen into the rest of your design.

Appliance Anachronisms: If your appliances resemble relics from a bygone era or worse, don’t function, it’s time to bring them into the modern age. Energy-efficient stainless steel appliances or contemporary paneled appliances that blend into your cabinets will make your kitchen more functional and more enjoyable to work in.

Flooring Faux pas: Linoleum, vinyl, and tile should all be left in the 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s. Use hardwood floors to tie your kitchen into the rest of your home.

Lighting Lag: Insufficient, outdated, and hot lighting can ruin even the best intended kitchens. If your one light fixture looks like it belongs in an office ceiling, upgrade your lights to LED recessed can lights. Under-cabinet lighting adds helpful task and accent lighting and pendants help focus and center the design.

Backsplash Blunders: Dirty, cracked and dated back splashes should be exchanged for sleek subway, glass, or even trendy patterned tiles. If your backsplash looks like it’s from a Tuscan village, consider replacing it.

Cruddy Countertops: Laminate and tile countertops a clear indicator of an outdated kitchen. Upgrade to a more durable and stylish granite or quartz countertop. These options not only enhance the beauty of your kitchen, they also increase a kitchens functionality.

Cluttered Cabinets: If your tubber ware falls on the floor every time you open the cabinet door, you need more space. Modern cabinets use the entire wall space and go all the way to the ceiling. European style frameless cabinets provide homeowners with more usable storage and less wasted space from large rails and stiles. Use custom organizers to store anything from your mixer to your tin foil. Click here for more custom cabinet inspiration.

Has been Hardware: Your kitchens doors and drawers should operate smoothly. Soft-close doors and drawers and full-extension drawer slides are standard are high-end, custom cabinets. Knobs and pulls are the jewelry of your kitchen and should be cohesive with the overall style of the kitchen.

Neglected Nooks: If your kitchen has un-used space such as a an old desk nook or if your cabinets do not go to the ceiling, consider replacing your cabinets to make your kitchen more efficient. Consider adding functional elements like an eat at island or built-in pantry to make the most of your space.

Are you ready to update your kitchen but are not sure about the costs? Wondering if your kitchen remodel will hold it’s value over time? Download our free Kitchen Remodeling Price Guide to learn the costs and value of a kitchen remodel in Richmond in 2023.  You can also contact us using the form below.