When you move into your new living space, it’s time to renovate or even build some rooms from the ground up. Living rooms and bedrooms are pretty simple to redo with some new carpeting, beds, sofas, lamps, tables, and nightstands. However, when it comes to redecorating your kitchen things could get complicated and costly.
Bathrooms and kitchens are the most expensive places in every home, so it’s important to make a good plan that will fit your budget. Furthermore, the kitchen is the most important room in every home that is used for family cookouts and socializing. Many important issues were discussed while mixing a boiling pot of tomato sauce, or baking cookies with children, so cabinets and appliances must satisfy your family’s need to cook and mingle.
1. Make a plan
Hiring professional designers and contractors might be the best move unless you are very creative, and practical, and have the time to dedicate yourself to designing a perfect kitchen space. Renovating is an expensive and time-consuming process that can take months, so make sure that your family members are aware and that your timing is good – consider things like the weather; it’s easier to renovate during the warm weather, or that you won’t have any family celebrations during that time.
Making a detailed plan in collaboration with your designer, or contractor, will spare you a lot of headaches down the road. Check out the professionals at Hunter Hall Design to make an appointment and choose the right kitchen design for your needs. Sure, you cannot predict everything, mistakes, delays, and extra expenses, but it’s important to stick to the schedule most of the time.
There is one basic rule when it comes to designing a kitchen floor plan – the triangle. The triangle consists of a fridge, sink, and stove. Draw a triangle between these three appliances and add all three distances. The result should be between 15 and 17 feet, which is considered to be the perfect functionality of the kitchen.
2. Online Vs. In-Person
Undeniably, there are many attractive deals offered online, from cabinetry, and countertops to appliances, but the general rule of thumb is to go and see everything in person before the purchase. When decorating the kitchen, most people think long-term, looking for the best quality within their budget.
Since you are going to spend a lot of time in the kitchen every day for years, if not decades, every detail has to be exactly how you pictured it. Online stores often have land-based warehouses where you can check out the colors and materials in person. We all know that colors often look different on websites than in natural light, and the materials might look elegant in pictures when in reality they just might be cheap plywood.
3. Kitchen cabinets
Naturally, the first thing you notice walking into the kitchen area cabinets. They are also the most important fixture in the kitchen, storing all your dishes, plates, glasses, spices, and everything else you need. Hence, purchasing the best quality cabinets your budget allows is essential. They are going to be exposed to a lot of wear and tear, fumes, heat, and constant back-and-forth opening and closing.
No matter how you decorate your cabinets, make sure to use Kitchen Cabinet Depot’s recommended finish, polyurethane. If you use a polyurethane finish, the wear and tear of your kitchen cabinets will cut down significantly. This finish also helps keep cabinets looking new and will extend their life of the cabinets.
Use every single space and corner that you can. Space above the fridge often gets overlooked, and it can store a lot of rarely-used dishes and containers. If it fits your budget, install slide-out cabinet shelves that will make it easier for you to find items that are stored in the back.
4. Countertops
Solid surface, laminate, granite, or quartz? So many to choose from, but very few are high in quality and durability. Let’s see what each one has to bring to the table. Laminate countertops belong to the economy class, budget-friendly choice. It will cut your cost, but it won’t last for long or look elegant. On the other hand, if you’re flipping homes, or just looking to have something decent for the next couple of years it might be the right way to go.
A solid surface is a very practical choice on a tight budget. They are heat, stain, water, and bacteria-resistant, so they might fit right in with your busy family style. Granite and quartz countertops are made from natural granite, and they look elegant, superb, and stunning. Further, they can significantly boost the resale value of your home.
5. Hidden appliances
To make your kitchen look like one compact integrated whole space, concealing small appliances like microwaves and an additional small fridge will make it look seamless. Small fridge for wine, beer, sparkling water, and other beverages, you can put as a part of the cabinets, fitting right into space with the countertop on it. Consider installing one for the meats and fish that you plan to use soon close to your stove, fridge, or preparation station. Microwaves can be a sore eye in the kitchen bulging from the upper cabinets.
Instead, try and put the micro-oven in one of the kitchen cabinets next to the sink, or any other bottom ones. This way you will eliminate the sight of the microwave but still use its benefits of it.
6. Flooring
Recently, hardwood floors became standard in kitchens. Once, it used to be unimaginable, but today’s homeowners discovered its advantages of it. First, it’s the visual appearance – it gives you the feeling of a huge open space connecting the living room space, dining room, and kitchen.
Visually, it looks stunning. Hardwood floors have to be maintained more than ceramic tiles. They need to be refinished from time to time due to the high-volume traffic in the kitchen. This is another expense you need to count in. Sure, they look amazing, but if you are on a limited budget, ceramic tiles are more practical. They can be cleaned easily, with no stains, spots, or wear-and-tear signs. They can last for decades looking brand new.
7. Lighting
This might seem like an unimportant step in kitchen renovation. On the contrary, bad lighting can ruin the décor, dull down the design and make your efforts go in vain. Besides the aesthetic factor, good lighting is necessary for chopping, cooking, and grilling. It’s a worthwhile investment that can make your cooking space come alive. Add counter and pendant lighting over the island, and you’ll see all the difference they make.
While there are many kitchen design ideas such as designs covered in this article, should you be looking out for more ideas you can use for your kitchen renovation, check out this article from AC Vision here!
