It's Surprisingly Affordable To Revamp Your Kitchen Right Now

Linda Roth Conte wanted to expand her home to create a dream kitchen, but she didn't have the money. But she was desperate to do something.

"I jury-rigged the place," Conte says, recounting how she had used thick tape to bridge the sizable gaps between her countertops and the appliances.

But sometimes when she cooked, the tape melted and only glue remained. And she got bruises from pots and pans sticking out at odd angles.

Last year, without adding an inch of space or new appliances, she transformed her kitchen with a better floor plan, taller cabinets, sleek lighting and countertops that synched up to her existing appliances.

"I have the same exact space but so much more room to work," says Conte, a Washington, D.C., resident who works in public relations and spent about $25,000 on the remodel.

As the economy improves, many homeowners are showing a renewed interest in renovating their kitchens without breaking the bank.

"This space is once again the real heartbeat of a home, with open design and integration with other living space," Kermit Baker, chief economist for the American Institute of Architects, said in releasing AIA's most recent survey on kitchen and bath trends. He said kitchens fell as a design priority during the nadir of the housing downturn but have since taken on new functions "with dedicated computer areas and recharging stations."

The AIA survey, which covered the fourth quarter of 2011, also found customers want -- in descending order -- renewable flooring materials, a recycling center, universal design, larger pantry space, renewable countertop materials, drinking water filtration systems and natural wood cabinets.

"They all want the kitchen to be the focal point," says Richard Loosle of Washington, D.C.-based Kube Architecture -- even clients who don't cook. He says they no longer ask for a formal dining room, preferring instead to entertain friends in a kitchen that offers comfortable seating and opens to a living area, as well as the outdoors.

Tight budgets are driving decisions, says Debra Toney of Three Week Kitchens/Baths In A Week, a remodeling firm with offices in Denver and North Richland Hills, Texas. She says customers eschew bells and whistles for simpler appliances and cabinets without moldings.

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It's Surprisingly Affordable To Revamp Your Kitchen Right Now