Anthony Carrino and John Colaneri, stars of HGTV’s “Kitchen Cousins,” are among speakers set for the 34th annual Spring Atlanta Home Show. The home show, Georgia's largest with hundreds of exhibitors, runs March 23-25 at the Cobb Galleria Centre.
Carrino and Colaneri, of New Jersey-based Brunelleschi Construction, are scheduled to speak at 1 and 3 p.m. March 24. They shared a few tips for transforming mediocre kitchens.
Q: What’s a big mistake people make on kitchen projects?
Colaneri: A lot of people don’t understand the process of building and they’ll do things out of order. They’ll think, “I don’t want to get new cabinets yet, but I kind of want a countertop now and maybe then I’ll get the cabinets in three or four years.” But then I’m like, you spent $5,000 on a countertop, now you’re going to rip it out and you can’t use it again. Construction is not one of those things where you just kind of walk in there and throw it together. It’s planning.
Q: How can someone do a kitchen remodel on a budget?
Colaneri: You can change out the hardware. Maybe if you don’t have a backsplash, you can put in a new backsplash. You can also do new fixtures. Those are quick, easy ways to change your kitchen and brighten it up. I always tell people that lighting is one of those big things that people don’t think about in the kitchen. Maybe put in new pendant lights, something that really makes a statement, or a new chandelier that sits over your island. Those are quick, easy ways that aren’t too expensive.
Carrino: If you’ve got a big, bland wall, you can get some kind of a wall cladding [panels that come in different patterns]. We did that in a matter of a few hours [for a kitchen on Season 1] and it just changed the entire dimension of the whole kitchen. That’s a great way to go about it and be super economical and not get into the nitty-gritty of the inner workings of the kitchen.
Q: You often work on kitchens in small spaces in New Jersey and New York. What are some ways people can maximize their kitchen space?
Colaneri: We take a lot from European design. Over in Europe, they don’t have as big appliances as we do. Here in the U.S. ... people get oversized refrigerators and think they have to stuff a thousand things in them. In Europe, they buy for the day. A lot of times for small spaces, we try to go more compact. Maybe a 24-inch [refrigerator], but it’s actually taller and higher, so you get more volume that way. We’ll slim down the dishwasher and go with an 18-inch dishwasher.
Q: What’s your design focus?
Carrino: We love mixing old architecturally significant elements with newer, clean lines, newer material. You get this great juxtaposition of old, rustic, raw products and new, sleek, updated products.
Q: What are some tips for mixing those elements together?
Carrino: We like to mix the color of the cabinetry. If you have an island, maybe do the island cabinetry in a different color than the cabinets on the wall. The other thing that we do is different countertop surfaces. Maybe the main room of the kitchen will have some sort of stone and then we’ll do stainless steel on the island.
Q: Is there a way to reuse items in a kitchen remodel?
Carrino: If you’re changing the layout and have to get new countertops, but your countertops are still good, you can certainly have them recut and maybe use it as a bar top or an island top.
Spring Atlanta Home Show. 10 a.m.–6 p.m. March 23 and March 24; noon–6 p.m. March 25. Cobb Galleria Centre, Two Galleria Parkway, Atlanta. $10 adults; free age 12 and under, or age 65 or older. 770-798-1997, www.AtlantaHomeShow.com.
