March 13, 2024

The Refresh: How to transform your Tacoma kitchen or bathroom without a full remodel

The Refresh: How to transform your Tacoma kitchen or bathroom without a full remodel

Your kitchen and your bathroom are two of the most functional spaces in your home, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t also be welcoming and beautiful.

When most people imagine making updates, though, they picture a full remodel.

Remodels can work wonders, but it’s not always the right time in your home or in your life for that level of work. That’s when we recommend our clients focus on a refresh instead.

A refresh asks, “How can you get that updated feeling you want without the full remodel process?”

Everyone knows how a new paint color can change a space. But over the years we’ve come up with a few key refresh options that delight our clients with their relative ease and transformative results.

Refreshed Cabinets Create Eye-Level Impact

When you hang art on your walls you usually want it at eye level when standing. But in your kitchen and bathroom, cabinets often occupy much of that wall space. 

That’s why updating your cabinets makes such a visual difference.

But you don’t necessarily need to tear out the cabinets you have and put in new ones. Often it’s enough to refinish the ones you have. You change the stain, the color, or even add glass or mesh to the doors. 

Then every time you walk into your kitchen and bathroom you’ll be met with a pleasing new look.

New Countertops Give You that New Home Experience

Choosing new countertops gives your house an immediate visual update.

Color, pattern, texture, gloss/matte level—you can dial in the most-used surfaces in your house to bring you satisfaction every time you use them.

But new countertops are more than just an aesthetic improvement. Older countertops accumulate nicks and scratches, and their finish can become porous over time, making a bacterial breeding ground right where you need cleanliness.

A new countertop gives you confidence that your surfaces are truly clean.

New Lighting Adds Dimension and Utility to Your Space

Your lighting is an incredibly versatile tool for making your space exactly what you want and need it to be.

It can add elegance, drama, or usability. And when designed well it can let you tune your space to the occasion and the mood that you’re after.

Unfortunately, most lighting is installed without this level of thought. But that’s exactly what makes it such a powerful update. A little bit of thought and planning for your new lighting will make your space feel fresh, inviting, and more usable than ever.

Updated Fixtures Change the Personality of the Space

Nothing shows you the character of a kitchen or bathroom like the faucet and fixtures.

Are they modern? Classical? Utilitarian?

By updating your faucet and the surrounding fixtures—drawer pulls, cabinet handles, towel bars, etc.—you can give your space a new personality overnight.

Tell the Story You Want with New Window Treatments

Your windows are the storytellers of your home.

Not only do they give the outside world a glimpse of what’s happening inside. But imagine looking out past a flowing linen curtain vs. through dark wood shutters.

Those are two different stories.

Do you want gauzy curtains? Mid-century roll up sunshades? Bold colors and patterns? Calming neutrals?

Replacing your outdated blinds not only adds sophistication to your space. It lets you tell the story you want your home to be telling.

Make Everything Just Right with Custom Touches

Sometimes your space is nearly perfect. But not quite. 

You don’t need to remodel the whole thing, you just need someone with the requisite skill and care to add a cabinet here or remove a fixture there to dial it in just how you’d like it.

These custom touches can be the difference between a space that feels fine for general use, and one that feels uniquely and perfectly yours.

York Enterprises is Tacoma’s premier home remodeling company. We specialize in updating spaces to delight our clients, without the confusion and hassle that comes with many general contractors.

If you think your kitchen or bathroom might be ready for a refresh, get in touch and we’ll help you think through the details to make sure it’s just right.

RELATED Articles

The Tacoma Guide to Planning Your Perfect Cabinets—On Any Budget

Your cabinets are the heart of your kitchen and bathroom. They set the visual tone. But they also determine how functional your spaces are. So when they clash with your aesthetic sense or don’t have the right spaces, then every meal and morning routine is harder than it needs to be.

Learn More

10 Reasons to Love York Enterprises: Tacoma's Premier Home Remodeler

From Duke's humble beginnings, York Enterprises is more than a remodeler; it's a passionate connection with Tacoma. As a nod to the famous movie that was filmed in our ten, here are 10 things to love about York Enterprises.

Learn More