10 Things to Think About When Remodeling a Kitchen
Our kitchens are the hearts of our homes. They help us provide for our families, and ourselves, and are often at the center of our homelife. More than a place to cook and store food, our kitchens are where we will have some of most important family conversations, over coffee or tea or a comforting sandwich.
Our kitchens also give us an opportunity to express ourselves and our styles in our home and give our home a signature look or appearance. When partying or having friends over for dinner, a kitchen will often be an area people will spend a lot of time together. A kitchen is a much more social place than people realize. Here are ten top tips to help you plan your kitchen remodeling so you can get the most out of your home’s heart.
A Place for Everything
When remodeling a kitchen, you should try and see an empty room. In order to give yourself the most options, don’t let things like the locations of water pipes or electricity outlets make your choices for you. Pipes and outlets are easier to move than you’d think in most cases, and if you start to decide where you want your sink and outlet to be, you can plan the kitchen you really want, with everything in the right place.
Light and Air
Where your windows and doors are located cannot be changed too much, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add some. Giving a kitchen an extra window can add light, and in warmer months air, to the room. Extra light can really change a room’s character and atmosphere, and there are lots of ways to get more natural light into the space. You could add a skylight or glass doors. You could even go the extra mile and rethink what to put in a small conservatory” by moving your kitchen space into it. It would give you interesting options for the locations of sinks and cookers, and give more light and space for entertaining in equal measure.
Picking Colors
The right color scheme is important for any room in the home. Choosing the right colors in a kitchen can influence its whole feel and atmosphere. You can read more here about choosing the right colors for a kitchen, it is more complicated than you may at first think. Try and keep your color scheme light, to aid the function of your kitchen. You will struggle to chop vegetables in the gloom of a dark room and more likely chop yourself.
Using the Right Materials
Material choices in a kitchen can add a lot to its character. Using more natural materials like wood and cast iron can give your kitchen a rural, farmhouse look. By going with stainless steel and clean and clinical looking tiles, your kitchen can be ultra-modern. You can really add to the look with fabulous ceiling tiles that can add a flair to your kitchen making it a one of a kind. This is an opportunity to put your own style into your design, by choosing materials that reflect your own personality and tastes.
Finding Your New Appliances
Getting the right appliances for your kitchen is a part you have to get right, for your budget if nothing else. Cookers, dishwashers, ovens, and even sinks can be incredibly expensive, and you don’t want to make a costly mistake by buying something that looks the part but doesn’t satisfy your needs. If you are going for a more rural or retro look, don’t be afraid to look online for previously owned or aged appliances. Some kitchen appliances from as long ago as the 1950s can still be just as functional today as they were then, but with a completely different style.
Think About Flooring
Your choice of flooring will impact your kitchen’s look and feel a lot. You may choose tile, or stone or wooden flooring, but then you will have to think of colors and patterns and the type of finish it will have. You should always think about cleaning when choosing your floor. Many people make the mistake of picking a floor for its style instead of its substance and are left with a floor that looks great but is impossible to keep clean.
Pick the Right Accessories
What is on your kitchen counters can give you a lot of styling options. From jars for coffee and tea, to utensil holders and racks, there are a number of accessory options for every kitchen. Here is an area where you can choose colors and materials to compliment your existing choices, or contrast with them. Kitchen accessories may be cheap and represent good value, but the costs can soon mount up when you start picking lots of little items, so set a budget for accessories and stick to it.
Choosing Tableware
The tableware you will chose for dining should be an extension of your kitchen’s style. Though it may spend more time in another room, being used to serve all your excellent culinary creations, it should also bring some of your kitchen’s style with it to your dinner guests. It’s a good idea to have two styles available if you can afford it, so you can use one set for casual and regular dining and have a superior set for special events and guests.
Moving Through the Space
When planning your kitchen space, you should think about how you and your food, and your plates, are going to move through it. Kitchen islands are a great idea, and very popular, but if you can’t move easily around your kitchen because of them, then perhaps you should make other plans. Also, think about how the washing up is going to be stored before it is dealt with. Many people forget about the dirty dishes, but they have to go somewhere.
Keeping it Clean
You can spend a lifetime keeping a kitchen clean, so you should try and plan for cleaning when you start designing your kitchen. Don’t just consider where all the cleaning equipment will be stored, but also how easy your remodeled kitchen will be to clean. Don’t let your design create any hard to reach spots.
Hopefully this guide has helped you plan out your kitchen remodeling. Though such a big job can be intimidating, with the right planning and preparation you can get the kitchen you have always wanted without breaking the bank or losing your patience.
