For many homeowners, the kitchen is one of the most personal rooms in the home. It’s a highly functional room that sees a lot of activity, which means little points of friction and irritation are extremely noticeable. You don’t just want a kitchen; you want your kitchen.
That’s why kitchen renovations are one of the most common remodels here in New Jersey. Home buyers look for specific kitchen features and, if they can’t find them, commit to adding them as soon as they can.
Knowing what people are looking for in a kitchen can be important for a lot of different reasons, too. If you’re considering buying a home, it gives you some idea of what you should look for in your own kitchen. If you’re planning to sell your home, it can give you an idea of what simple renovations you can do to increase your home’s value. Even if you aren’t planning a move any time soon, it can show you trends and give you ideas for your own kitchen.
So, what do people in New Jersey look for in a kitchen? Let’s run down the list.
Modernization
Quite possibly one of the biggest draws to a home buyer is a modernized kitchen. But that doesn’t mean a modern aesthetic; it means updates for modern sensibilities.
Old kitchen designs can turn off a home buyer, even if the kitchen itself is functional. Moreover, a lot of those design elements are surface-level. Old colors of cabinetry, old backsplash colors and designs, retro or vintage wallpaper, dim lighting, old appliances, all of these can turn off a buyer.
Sometimes, modernizing a kitchen just means a quick refresh. Fresh paint, new hardware for the cupboards, a sleek backsplash, and a new set of appliances can all make the kitchen look and feel more modern and valuable, even if the underlying structure and flow of the room is vintage.
It’s no wonder that even minor kitchen renovations have significant returns on the investment for those selling the home. In fact, low-end refreshes often have a greater return on investment than major renovations.
Better Kitchen Storage
Recent surveys of homebuyers indicate that one of the most sought-after and attractive features of a kitchen is deep and extensive storage.
This isn’t just about cupboards and drawers, though. In fact, one of the features that ranks at the top time and again is a walk-in pantry. Instead of tucking ingredients and staples away in a dozen different cupboards, having them all in a single walk-in pantry is convenient and useful.
Adding a walk-in pantry when you don’t have one can be a more significant renovation, but if you have a kitchen-adjacent closet, converting it into a walk-in pantry is extremely attractive to New Jersey home buyers.
Surprisingly, the aesthetics of storage aren’t as important to most home buyers. Many buyers recognize that cupboards can be painted and hardware can be changed, so the aesthetics aren’t a huge swing. It’s more about the design and utility of the cabinetry.
Custom cabinetry that fits the space perfectly is more attractive than clunky, modular cabinetry that leaves odd gaps and wasted space. If you’re interested in a mid-range renovation, getting custom cabinetry that intelligently uses the space you have is a huge draw.
Consider details like pull-out pantry access, hidden drawers for more space in unexpected spaces, and even appliance garages where portable appliances like toasters and coffee makers can be tucked away when not in use.
It’s important not to go too overboard with customized internals for the cupboards, though. If every cupboard has a unique drawer, lazy susan, organizer, or design, they feel more “locked in” to a specific purpose, which reduces the flexibility of the space. People want to be able to customize their kitchens, and organizers can take away from that flexibility. A few unique organizers in spaces that are otherwise difficult to use are fine, but most of the cabinetry should be just your typical cabinet, with shelves and little else.
Open Kitchen Layouts
The smaller and more cramped your kitchen is, the less attractive it will be. People who don’t cook as often still enjoy a more open and welcoming kitchen design, while people who do cook want a kitchen design with plenty of space to move around in and work.
A large, open kitchen can take many forms. Some of them center around a central island that serves as both a work station and a dining location. Others combine a kitchen working space and a dining room with a table and chairs. Still others are somewhat smaller, but have a half-open wall with a breakfast bar or pass-through shelving to a living room.
Even smaller and more cramped kitchens can be made to feel more open in a few different ways. Better and brighter lighting, more open and clean windows, lighter colors for cabinets and backsplashes, and even brushed steel appliances that reflect and diffuse more light can all contribute.
What a buyer wants is to walk into the kitchen and feel like they have room to work, to eat, and to live. If they immediately start picturing bumping into people or rubbing elbows at a prep station, it’s going to be a turn-off.
It might also be important to consider the work triangle, or the concept of kitchen zones.
A traditional kitchen work triangle is the arrangement and efficiency of working between the sink, the fridge, and the oven. Being able to access all of them, with minimal loss of efficiency of movement, is ideal for single-cook kitchens. A bad triangle layout can also get in the way of more than one person working in the space.
Kitchen zones are a more updated way of looking at a kitchen design, and provide more flexibility in layout, while also incorporating additional features like a breakfast nook, a drinks area, or more task-focused areas. A lot depends on what a buyer wants to do with a kitchen, but considering some intentional design can help a lot when you’re aiming for a larger renovation.
Attractive Kitchen Appliances
Appliances are somewhat contentious, actually, and there’s not always a clear consensus on what is better.
Older appliances tend to be less attractive, since they represent a financial burden; when will this appliance die? It’s a cost that ends up built into the kitchen.
Newer appliances, though, come in different forms. One of the biggest sources of contention is smart appliances. From the refrigerator with a screen that shows what’s inside it, to digitally-controlled induction stoves, to touchless faucets, some people absolutely love the idea of a smart home.
On the other hand, some people reject putting computers and internet connections into appliances that don’t need them. They present another point of failure, and often include features most people don’t need, so they feel extraneous and excessive.
Newer, more modern appliances also come with greater energy efficiency, which is another benefit many home buyers look for.
Durable and Low-Maintenance Countertops
A few decades ago, the go-to countertops were laminate. They were decently durable but accumulated damage over time, required more maintenance, and could stain more easily. But they were cheap and lightweight, so they were easier to install.
Over time, more durable countertops took over, with granite being the big draw. Recently, though, the shine has worn off on granite. They chip, they can crack, they can be left with visible seams and gaps, and they need routine sealing to keep them safe to use.
Today, the most popular countertop style is marble. Marble has all of the same benefits as stone, but since it’s an engineered material, it’s more consistent, more durable, and requires a lot less maintenance.
Some buyers may be attracted by specific kinds of niche countertop materials, like butcher block or stainless steel, but these are less broadly common, so they aren’t as popular. Some people also find things like stainless steel to feel too clinical and commercial. And, while butcher block can be useful and attractive, wooden counters face challenges in NJ’s humid environment, so they aren’t very common.
Simple Value-Add Amenities and Details
Beyond the big design elements, a lot of small details add up to make a kitchen more attractive to New Jersey home buyers.
An interesting one is a double sink. Stainless steel sinks are the most popular, though there’s a bit of a growing trend towards granite sinks that match granite countertops.
Sinks with a deep basin tend to do better than shallower sinks. There’s also growing interest in farmhouse-style (that is, wide without a divider) sinks, which provide all the same space as a double sink. Some people prefer two basins, while others are fine with just the one as long as there’s enough space.
One trend that has been growing over the last couple of years is a blend of modern design with vintage color. We’re seeing a resurgence in color schemes like navy-and-gold, with muted jewel tones and matte metals combining with lighter walls and countertops for a timeless look.
One thing’s certain: the ultramodern white-and-gray design that took over the last decade is being left behind. Home buyers today want some color, some vibrance, something to feel bold and lively rather than sterile and colorless.
The only risk to these color schemes is that a darker base color can make a smaller kitchen feel enclosed and claustrophobic. It’s important to pick a color palette and design that fits the space.
Kitchen Mistakes to Avoid
It can also be useful to turn things on their head and look at kitchen design elements that turn off home buyers.
Mismatched appliances are a big one. It’s not necessarily about the branding on the appliances, but more about their design and their age. If the kitchen has a brand-new oven, microwave, and dishwasher, but the fridge has more years on it, it stands out as a red flag that will need replacing.
Mismatching in design can also be a turn-off, though maybe not as much. Having a couple of stainless-steel appliances and one or two in white or black makes the room feel less cohesive. Some people may recognize that the appliances were picked for their longevity or utility instead of their design, but that’s not always the case, and not everyone pays attention (or agrees with the determination in the first place.)
Outdated lighting is another serious flaw. Many older kitchen styles have very dated lighting, with the worst offenders still using fluorescent box lighting. Brighter, modern LED lighting represents both good lighting for the kitchen and energy efficiency. LEDs can also be subtly tinted to accentuate natural lighting or offset darker colors, making the whole room pop.
Another turn-off is too overt a kitchen “theme” in design elements. For example, if the backsplash and counters are checkerboard tiled and the appliances are red enamel, the whole thing feels more like a 50s diner than a home.
Any overt theme takes away from the kitchen’s attractiveness to anyone who isn’t all-in on the same theme. It might be fine for an Airbnb, but not the home you live in.
Building a Dream Kitchen in New Jersey
Whether you’re looking to build a kitchen that makes you happy to be in or you want to add value before a sale with a kitchen renovation, it’s important to have the right people on the job. Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place. As long-time experts in the New Jersey market, our team at Magnolia understands what home buyers want. We’re more than happy to work with you on a new, modern, attractive kitchen design, within your budget and with your goals in mind.
To get started, reach out. We’ll chat about what you want out of your kitchen remodel, and we can work with you every step of the way. You can also browse our portfolio of past kitchen remodels to see what kinds of kitchens we’ve produced. We’re sure you’ll be satisfied, and we look forward to working with you.
