kitchen

Today's Market Ready post on NYTimes.com is all about trying to sell a house with a less-than-desirable layout. Should you remodel it first, or leave it for the buyer? Their advice is spot-on, and is even something Metamorphosis has done before: get some plans drawn up to show potential buyers the possibilities.

For when you're cooking for one, two, or when you're hungry enough to eat a horse, this ingenious pasta measuring tool helps you measure the right amount so you don't end up wasting noodles. There's even a kid-size portion. Made in Iceland, and sold online here.

Seen at TheFoxIsBlack.com.

We're proud to show off these photos of a recently completed kitchen remodel near Lake Nokomis. Click here to read all about it and to see more stunning before & after photos.

Introducing Morph Experts: A weekly blog feature where a "Morph Expert" answers some tough questions about their field. Everything home related - real estate, leasing, construction, and design!

How much should my kitchen project cost?
by Morph Expert: Samantha J. Strong

I get this question a lot. "How much should I budget for my kitchen?" That is a loaded question, since everyone's situation is different. It's not a question of if you have the money, it's how you should spend it. In this market, with the volatility we've seen, the last thing I'd suggest to do is sink more in to your house than you can reasonably expect a return on. Generally speaking, a kitchen renovation will recoup 80% of your expenses. Obviously, a DIY project will recoup much more, while a project done by a company charging high Profit & Overhead will recoup less (and that's a whole different conversation, to be addressed later).
The first question I ask is, "How long are you going to stay in this home?" Of course, life happens and no one knows for sure, so unless I hear an adamant "They'll be taking me out of here in a box!" then we approach the project more conservatively. A really basic budget guideline for a kitchen renovation is about 10% of your home's value, or what I call The 10% Rule, give or take a few thousand. If you want to go out and splurge on the best of the best, go right ahead. But remember, when you go to sell (you're not in your last house, right?), the next buyer likely won't be willing to pay much more for that honed slate countertop or Viking range.
So this 10% Rule is just a measure to help guide your decisions.

On the flipside, a kitchen done by a contractor will cost more than doing it yourself, and probably more than you thought it would. There will be a lower limit of what it costs to get new cabinets, countertops, flooring, electrical, plumbing, and even heating. If the number still is too high, maybe it's time to revisit the scope of work (do you really need to open that wall?) or look for more affordable appliances (black is an attractive substitute for stainless and shows less fingerprints).

We do a little calculation of our own here. On every project, I do a "gut check". If the numbers and the results don't make sense for the value of the home, it's time for a heart-to-heart with the homeowners. Maybe it's time to reduce the scope of work, or even consider moving as the best long term plan. You see, I can't sleep at night if we're only helping you get yourself into a resale nightmare. We want to work with you again and again, each time making smart, attractive improvements to the biggest investment of your life.

By Morph Expert: Samantha J. Strong, EcoBroker® & General Contractor.

Do you have a question for a "Morph Expert"? Submit it here.

This NYTimes graphic breaks down the cost comparison of fast food versus a home-cooked meal. It shows a meal for four bought at McDonald's costing $27.89, with a homemade meal for four costing $13.78, or $9.26 for a vegetarian meal. It's no new idea that homemade is better for you than fast food, but this shows that it can also be significantly cheaper.

Is anyone else appalled at how much that fast food meal costs these days?

We saw this great idea on Remodelista.com and had to share it - take out a drawer and fit a dowel inside for a built-in paper towel holder! This is a fairly simple example, but you could always spruce it up even more: re-install the drawer front onto the cabinet with hinges along with the bottom so that it's hidden when not in use, or install a metal edge inside the opening as a tear-off strip. Remodelista also suggests storing extra rolls in the back of the cubby.

This would help free up your countertops if you're short on space, but could also eat into valuable drawer storage. What do you think? Innovative storage idea, or inefficient use of space?

This Lake Nokomis kitchen remodel that we started work on in early August is coming along nicely! Here are a few progress photos of the work that's being done...

Before:


During demolition:

This kitchen remodel in the Kingfield neighborhood is a great example of how a few simple updates can bring new life into a space! We put in new cabinets, countertops, and appliances, and left the structure and the flooring the same, and now it feels like a whole new space! Click here for more photos.

These Fusion Raw Cork Tiles are a DIY dream come true...they're made from recycled wine cork waste, they come unfinished and able to adapt to any application, and they just look really cool.

You can seal them with polyurethane to use them in a bathroom...
...or stain them to make patterns...or just use around the house, like on these stairs.

More pictures here, but you have to scroll all the way to the bottom...

This has to be one of the worst 'before' pictures that Design*Sponge has ever posted:

But this 'after' picture is a great example of how a renter can fix even the ugliest features of a home:
A white peg-board covers up unsightly horrors, and provides useful storage space. A few well-placed colorful fabrics here and there, and you've got a completely transformed kitchen. Well done! More on how they did it here.