For most people, the kitchen is the heart and the crowning glory of their home. Here is where they pour all of their creativity and money, of course, to have a perfectly-looking area where they can cook and enjoy their family time together.
Nowadays, the kitchen is becoming more than a place for you to cook your favorite meal. It has become a center of attraction and a place for entertaining guests and friends too. If your front yard is the first thing people usually see, then the kitchen may be the first area people anticipate inside your home. Indeed, you would want to show them and be proud of how great your kitchen looks.
If you’re planning to renovate your kitchen, make sure that you are also ready for all the hard decisions and costs it entails. You might get easily carried away by the idea of a kitchen makeover, but don’t forget to consider the factors that will help make your kitchen stand out.
To help you along the process, here are the things you should and should not do when you’re remodeling your kitchen:
The Do’s
1. Do Know Your Budget
When it comes to redesigning your kitchen, budget is the number one factor to consider. The designs and ideas that you want to incorporate will rely on the budget you have. If you’re not careful enough, you might get overwhelmed once you see the total cost of the project. Indeed, it is better to avoid such a situation as early as possible.
When you plan your finances, make sure that your plan and budget are realistic. This means that you have to assess the things that you can and can’t purchase. Remember, remodeling might get you over-excited, but it is indeed not a simple task. Also, every wrong move will surely cost you big bucks. That’s why it is essential to plan your budget and evaluate your kitchen first before doing unnecessary actions.
Moreover, there are plenty of ideas out there waiting to be seen. If you need an assessment and evaluation, you may contact Modern Valley Construction and other constructions firms that could help you on your kitchen remodeling journey.
Furthermore, if you want your kitchen makeover to be as smooth as possible and without any stops and delays, make sure that you stick right onto your budget, and use it as a guide.
2. Do Bring Your Cabinets Ceiling-High
Another important factor to discuss is whether you want your cabinets to reach the top of the ceiling or not. But before you make the decision, ask yourself, do you want a continuous and smooth look offered by cabinets? And does it make an impact on you and everyone on a functional basis?
Usually, most people want to have a full-block look of ceiling-high kitchen cabinets. For them, it seems functional and practical, as it produces and allows you to store more products, small appliances, and other kitchen essentials you need. Also, it will enable everyone to eliminate the dead space that continuously collects unwanted dust particles, giving you a cleaner and sleeker look.
However, those cabinets up there are not easily accessible. But you may still use them for things or kitchen gadgets you rarely use. Also, those ceiling-high cabinets are quite expensive. You would want to look for your budget first and see if it fits.
3. Do Invest On Kitchen Island
Kitchen islands are the typical dream of many homeowners who are not satisfied with their current spaces used for cooking, washing, and eating. This attractive piece offers a huge number of additional storage and surfaces for prepping ingredients dining with guests and friends. So, if you have enough budget and floor space, consider including this on your dream kitchen wish list.
Also, an island is more than just a long rectangular table with cabinets. You can also install a stove or exhaust hood to have a more relaxed vibe and more centralized effect for your home’s atmosphere.
If you’re planning to have a kitchen island, remember that islands should be at a maximum of 10 % of your kitchen’s total area. Any measurement more than that could dominate the entire kitchen, making it difficult for anyone to move around it.
4. Do Invest On Built-In Appliances
Built-in kitchen appliances like gas ranges, ovens, and dishwashers, could offer a sleek and modern look to your kitchen. It helps make your kitchen highly elegant, and it could also boost your house value in case you want to sell your home in the future. In addition, integrated appliances could save you a lot of kitchen space, enabling you to do more activities.
However, these appliances are not movable. Unlike freestanding appliances, built-ins can’t be moved easily once they are in place. So, this idea is not for those who plan to rearrange the position of their appliances every now and then.
When it comes to design, integrated appliances allow you to be more creative by customizing your appliances with your chosen cabinet designs. For example, a stainless-steel fridge door could be customized similar to your cabinet designs. This is a trendy idea and more celebrity chefs are using this technique to highlight their kitchens.
These appliances are also easy to clean and can make your kitchen more open and accessible to your family and guests. It may be more expensive, but is it truly worth their price.
5. Do Install A Beautiful Backsplash
A backsplash is an ideal canvas that makes your ideas and creativity come alive. It has an inviting factor that makes everyone engage in doing kitchen activities. As opposed to other parts to be remodeled that require professional and technical expertise, a backsplash is a thing you can do yourself.
The main purpose of having a backsplash is to protect your wall behind the sink against water damage made by continuous and inevitable splashing. Also, it can save your wall from oil splatters and sauces as you cook and prepare your meals. These are the main reasons why professional home experts suggest everyone to have a backsplash.
Backsplashes are so easy to install and can be finished entirely in just a few hours. However, be prepared to clean a lot of mess as backsplash installation uses less thin-set mortar than regular tiles.
If you’re planning to install one right away, here are common types of backsplash you need to know:
- Ceramic or porcelain tile: This is the most common type of backsplash and offers a good wipe-down ability. Compared to other types, this is cost-efficient and moderately priced. It will surely fit in your budget range.
- Glass style: If you want a modern-style kitchen, then this type is perfect for you. However, it is more difficult to cut than ceramic tiles, but this will surely never get out of style.
- Countertop material: This uses the same material on your countertop. This is perfect if you want to cover the gaps between the wall and your counter.
- Laminates or Glass: The great thing about this type is you could paint the other side with any color you want and have it face the wall to protect the paint against water and oil splatters. This makes it also impossible to get scratched.
- Stainless steel: This is perfect if you want an industrial look on your kitchen. However, this requires a professional to be installed correctly.
The Don’ts
1. Don’t Forget The Purpose Of Remodeling
The function of a kitchen to be simply a place to cook and prepare meals has been long gone. Nowadays, the kitchen serves as a place secondary to your living room. So, you want your kitchen to be like a living space where you and your family can enjoy as much as possible. Before you plan to remodel your kitchen, ask yourself these questions:
- Does your family always engage themselves in the kitchen?
- Does your family plan to expand?
- Are you consistently working from your home?
- Do you need additional storage and surfaces?
- Are you usually entertaining your guests and friends at home?
These questions may help you decide what kind of kitchen best suits you and your family’s daily activities. Also, by thinking things ahead of time, you will be able to avoid any costly mistakes in the future, saving you money for your family.
2. Don’t Forget Your Kitchen Layout
Before you search for materials you like to use, make sure that you have a proper kitchen layout first. You have to determine how your kitchen would look like after the renovation. Make sure that your kitchen will be fully functional and has enough spaces to move around and work.
When planning a kitchen remodel, you have to consider how it will function and how it will go hand-in-hand with your lifestyle.
Also, you have to consider what goes in and what goes out of your current kitchen. When you redesign your kitchen, you are not required to change everything. You only need to change things that are out of style or do not fit your activities. Figuring this out will help you determine what kind of remodeling you need.
Furthermore, do not hesitate to ask a professional with regards to planning. They can help you evaluate things and can help you make decisions a lot easier.
3. Don’t Neglect The Position Of Your Fridge
Here are the things you have to consider if you want your fridge to have a better placement in your kitchen:
- Never place them too close to other appliances that radiate heat, such as built-in ovens, cooking ranges, cooking hobs, and grillers. The constant heat that radiates from these appliances may potentially reduce the lifespan of your fridge.
- Never place your fridge in places that can be reached by direct sunlight. Similar to ovens and ranges, the heat from the sunlight may also reduce your fridge’s lifespan.
- Place your fridge near a countertop or an island. This will lessen the amount of time the door opens as you efficiently unload your groceries and prepare the ingredients you need from the fridge.
- Don’t forget the rule of thumb. Always leave a four inches gap between the fridge and your wall.
- Always make sure that your fridge’s doors will not bump on your doors. Always leave a room to ensure proper mobility.
If you have questions, call your professional planner. They can help you determine which area best suits your refrigerator.
4. Don’t Use A Stainless Sink
This may be more of a personal preference, but there are plenty of materials to consider for your sink, such as porcelain. Unlike other materials, stainless steel always leaves a mark, especially from water, even if you have already cleaned and wiped it.
Also, steel sinks are not good for your ears when you drop something on them. It can be annoyingly loud, even with a pad that only comes with high-end models.
Additionally, steel sinks are vulnerable to getting scratched. Indeed, you would not want to see every single day a kitchen sink full of scratches.
If you like this in your kitchen, just make sure not to use abrasive and heavy-duty cleansers. Also, these scratches may house calcium deposits from water droplets from hard-to-reach areas that have dried down.
5. Don’t Use Substandard Materials
Now, this is the thing you shouldn’t neglect. The lifespan of your kitchen will depend on the materials you use. If you plan to remodel your kitchen with low-quality materials, then don’t proceed with it. You’ll only waste your hard-earned money on something that will crumble down within a year or two.
Substandard materials may be tempting to use because of their low price and good looks, but always remember that these materials won’t last long as you expect them to be.
Here are some materials that may look beautiful but seriously low in quality:
- Limestone: This material is susceptible to water stains that are hard to remove.
- Marble: Similar to limestone, but it is also prone to get scratched easily.
- Recycled glass: This may seem modern, but it can get chipped and cracked easily.
If you need to know more about other materials you have to consider, your professional builder will help you choose depending on your budget and the goal that you want to reach.
Final Words
Remember, no matter how busy you get during the remodeling process, don’t forget to have fun. Enjoy the process even if there are little mishaps and mistakes. A little laughter and humor can help you with your progress.
Also, let your creative minds shine through and use these ideas to create a better kitchen for you and your family.