The kitchen is an excellent room for your remodel or renovation because of what you stand to gain from the improvements. Studies have shown that bathroom and kitchen renovations are the best places to get a return on your investment and many professionals say the return can be as high as 80-100%. As a homeowner this should give you the small nudge you need to proceed with your dream kitchen, but before you dive in headfirst and start knocking down walls, it is best to have a solid plan of action. The tips below will help guide you through the process of a kitchen renovation and steer you toward the changes that will make the most impact.
- Look at your home – This is as simple as it appears. Basically you should take a walk through your home and notice the accents and design features that you have come to love and define the home as part of you. Understand what you like and what you don’t about the current layout of your home will help you make an educated decision on the colours, fixtures, cabinets and overall layout of your new kitchen.
- Adjacent rooms – When you have determined the new size and scope of your kitchen, take a minute to consider the flow and how the rooms on either side of your kitchen will be affected by the changes. This is important to establish a consistent pattern and some cleverly placed furniture like a sideboard or additional lighting can prevent the remodel from contrasting too sharply with the space you are not renovating.
- Cabinetry – When choosing your cabinets, consider using all the space up to the ceiling for kitchens with 8-foot ceilings and plan to give yourself a foot-and-a-half or so for ceiling that are higher. This will give you the storage you need without cluttering the space.
- To stain or brush – This is a personal preference, but by using your surroundings you will be able to tell if wood stain coincides with the rest of your home versus a brushed. If you are indecisive or frequent like changes, it will be difficult to alter a stain, whereas painted cabinets can be easily covered with a new hue.
- Stick to appliance basics – Technology is amazing and it can be very useful, but you should avoid the trendy appliances. These will inevitably lose their appeal over time and you will end up replacing them, whereas a quality appliance that can serve multiple functions like a high-end range can make you kitchen look less cluttered than ovens and stovetop.
- Quality endures – What we mean here is that you should make room in your budget for nicer surfaces, fixtures and furnishings because they will last longer. Cabinetry made from particle board will breakdown over time and laminates on floors and countertops tends to peel and show its age. Choose stone surfaces for long lasting appeal and real wood in your cabinets to ensure they hold up to years of use.
A homeowner that uses these tips and takes a good look at their home should be able to come up with a functional and eye-catching kitchen renovation that will long surpass the trends and any abuse you might throw at it. Should you run into an obstacle or have any technical questions, never hesitate to contact a professional contractor like Kitchen and Bath to discuss the matter. Most businesses will be more than happy to help!
