A kitchen remodeling project inspires excitement in some, but mostly it just overwhelms people. Unlike bathroom designs, which can only be altered so much before they become utterly extravagant and therefore out of the reach of the average homeowner, a kitchen has more potential. A kitchen can be transformed by a coat of paint, or a custom kitchen cabinet design.
To avoid feeling paralyzed with the choices in color, design, and material, it can be helpful to remember three things. Firstly, what catches your eye? Secondly, what would work best with your family’s lifestyle? And lastly, a professional can always simplify things.
What Kitchen Style Do You Love?
Blame it on Pinterest perhaps, but about 7.6 million people will remodel their kitchens over the next year. These eager home improvers may simply paint the walls or kitchen cabinetry a new color. Others will go a few steps further and tear down a wall or replace the major appliances. To avoid an unsatisfactory result, it is best to make a plan. The home remodeling experts at the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) recommend for novices to take about six months to get ideas, set a budget, and draw up plans.
To get started, it can be helpful to look at kitchens, lots of kitchens. Showrooms, model homes, magazines, and online sites can all provide inspiration. When you find a detail you love, write it down or keep a picture in a file. Then go through and carefully note the aesthetic that keeps catching your eye. Many kitchens change up the cupboards, with custom kitchen cabinet designs. It could be a type of wood, or glass or brass accents, or the entire layout. The next step is examining your lifestyle and figuring out which features would work best with your lifestyle.
What Role Does the Kitchen Play in Your Life?
Before any remodeling plans are drawn up, it is very important to understand how you use your kitchen. This may seem an odd suggestion. But it is easy to forget that not everyone lives as we ourselves do. Perhaps you love to cook and are used to the sight of a sink filled with dirty pots and pans. Maybe your friend never uses her stove and uses it to store extra towels (hey, it happens), but loves to mix drinks when friends come over. Figuring out what you value will guide the process.
In the first example, the home cook may appreciate plenty of counter space and a wide sink. Maybe they would like to replace their old dish washer for an energy efficient model. In the kitchen of someone who dislikes cooking, maybe adding ambient lighting and a breakfast bar for casual dining may be preferred. There is no perfect kitchen that fits everyone’s lifestyle. A custom kitchen cabinet design with lots of glass may be appreciated by a middle-aged couple but inconvenient for a family with young children with sticky fingers. What works for one family may not work for another.
How Can I Simplify This Process?
If this is beginning to seem less fun by the minute and more like work, consider hiring a professional. In-depth kitchen design is not meant for the novice, despite what the internet tells you. While a custom kitchen cabinet design alone could really spruce up a kitchen, anything more can get complicated quickly. Changing out sinks, appliances, or even going so far as to knock out a wall are tricky because they involve plumbing or electrical adjustments. Having an expert to answer your questions is also less stress-inducing that searching for the answers yourself. Another benefit is that they can help your project stay within budget.
It has been said the kitchen is the heart of the home. Why not make this room reflect the values of our own hearts then? Food, family, friends- everyone tends to congregate in the kitchen. Make it a room that is a joy to be in. Start the remodeling process six months in advance, find out what you love, and what would actually work for your home and lifestyle. And when it gets too overwhelming, hire a professional to do the heavy work.