Bespoke kitchen and bath remodeling creates lasting value by favoring enduring materials over trend-driven excess. Minor, well-considered updates to a kitchen or bathroom often recoup more of their cost at resale than major renovations, while both rank among the projects homeowners enjoy most after completion. True value combines both measures: what a home returns at sale, and what it gives back every day. At Alice Benjamin Interiors, I believe that the same discipline should guide every kitchen and bath remodeling decision.
Cost and value are not the same thing. According to Zonda's 2025 Cost vs. Value Report, a minor kitchen remodel, including refaced cabinetry, new countertops, and updated appliances, recoups 112.9% of its $28,458 average cost at resale, the only interior project in the report's top five nationally.
JLC's companion analysis of the same study shows a mid-range bathroom remodel, updated tub, tile, vanity, and fixtures within the existing layout, recouping a comparable share of its cost. In both rooms, larger, highly customized projects cost far more and return less, since finishes chosen for one household's taste appeal to fewer buyers.
Resale is only half the equation. The National Association of Realtors' 2025 Remodeling Impact Report found that kitchen upgrades earn a perfect Joy Score of 10 out of 10, the highest rating homeowners give any project. The same report notes that Realtors observed a marked rise in buyer demand for bathroom renovations too. A remodel that scores well on both fronts, financial return and daily enjoyment, is the clearest sign of lasting value, in the kitchen or the bath.
Chicago's housing stock - vintage greystones, prewar co-ops, and newer high-rises - ages differently from newly built suburban homes elsewhere. Chicago kitchen remodeling that respects a building's original proportions tends to hold its appeal longer than a passing trend, and the same holds true for a bathroom sized and finished for the home it sits in.
At Alice Benjamin Interiors, we treat every kitchen and bath as an extension of the home, not a showroom transplant.
Quarried stone, solid wood, honestly detailed tile: these age with intention rather than date within a few years, in a kitchen or bathroom alike. The distinction between a kitchen and bathroom remodeling contractor who understands this and one who does not often decides whether a space still feels right in a decade.
No. Recouped percentage tends to fall as project scope and cost rise, in both kitchens and bathrooms, since customized finishes appeal to fewer buyers.
Often, yes. A well-built kitchen or bathroom serves daily life for as long as you remain in the home, independent of resale return.
Look for a documented portfolio of completed, lived-in projects and clear communication about scope and materials from the first conversation.
A kitchen or bathroom is one of the most-used spaces in any home, and its value should be measured in more than a single percentage. If you're weighing kitchen and bath remodeling for your Chicago home, we welcome the conversation.
As one of the established bath and kitchen remodeling contractors in Chicago, Alice Benjamin Interiors can help you think through what lasting value means for your space. Call (872) 274-2724 or email admin@alicebenjamininteriors.com to schedule a conversation.
