Subscribe To This Site
Formica Countertops For a Kitchen Remodel
by Cheryl
Kitchens Sell Houses and kitchen counter tops are a big part of it! I had gotten into the flipping houses business before the real estate crash and would often find myself in the kitchen stores looking at available kitchen counter tops. I found that the right kitchen counter tops would give the biggest bang when redoing a home. I would choose different materials to use based on the location of the house I was working on at the time. In this example, I had purchased a home in a lower class suburb of Buffalo, Cheektowaga NY. These were hardworking people who wanted the better things in life, but did not have the means to pay for it all. In this particular home all the cabinets were replaced and therefore the need for new kitchen counter tops was necessary as well. Typical Formica countertops of the past were obviously cheap looking and feeling and some of the better countertops in more affluent areas were kitchen granite countertops and concrete kitchen counter tops. I thought about both of the nicer, more popular kitchen counter tops but they were too expensive for the area in which this home was located. I chose to stick with the newer type of Formica countertops that were available. Some of the new patterns that they have now are truly gorgeous! The one I chose had a look of granite and was available in a multitude of color combinations and styles. I looked for one that would go great with the new kitchen design in this home. The one I chose was a combination of tans and black which matched my kitchen design ideas perfectly. I chose lighter wood shaker style kitchen cabinets and used satin nickel cabinet hardware. I used black appliances that had some stainless steel accents. The Formica countertops did not need to be brought into the house as one piece much like kitchen granite countertops would. In fact it was brought into the house as three pieces and the joints were to be put together when in place. It looked beautiful except for one thing; the seams were clearly visible where the three sections were brought together. For this house it was ok, but if I had chosen to do this in a more affluent area, it may have hurt the sale price. For the lower income family, it was perfect as they had the appearance of kitchen granite countertops, without the large cost added to the home. Aside from the joint that were apparent, it really looked like a really nice kitchen design. I am not sure how the countertops held up to wear and tear after the house was sold, but I still have Formica countertops in my house which was built in 1949 and it still stands strong! I believe this was the best choice for this house that we did a kitchen remodel on, especially given the price range of the homes in the area. If I were doing a kitchen remodel in a more affluent area I would probably stick with kitchen granite countertops or quartz countertops, whichever was more economical at the time. Both of these luxury types of kitchen countertops are fairly similar in strength and upkeep, although I was told that quartz required less maintenance. Formica countertops really do have a place in new kitchen design. Depending on your kitchen remodeling budget, they can be a great surface with a huge amount of colors and patterns to chose from. |