Remodeling any room in the home must be planned carefully and when it’s the kitchen, which is the heart of the home, you have to get it absolutely right because if it isn’t everything you dream of then it can be an expensive mistake.
But don’t worry because if you follow these top tips, you will get that dream kitchen.
Plan it out
Step one is in the planning. Before you even lay out a single dollar or start pulling your existing kitchen apart you have to get the plan in place. And this means designing your kitchen to be not only beautiful but functional too.
The heart of your home should be a place where you can cook and eat in comfort so the first thing you need to do is decide what kind of cook you are – do you love to prepare gourmet meals for friends and family, in which case your kitchen could be designed around a professional type range stove and plenty of counter top space, or are you a slam something in the microwave type of family in which case you need to decide the right place for the microwave and then plenty of room for a large freezer and refrigerator. Decide whether you want open plan or a more functional remodeling of what you already have. Maybe you’d like kitchen wall panels from IglooSurfaces.com, who also do bathroom wall panels like these.
Of course the most important part of step one is to get the budget in place. Decide how much you realistically have to spend.
Clear some space
Step two is in a good decluttering, says ApartmentTherapy. Take a look inside all the cabinets and cupboards and clear out all those items you haven’t used in ages. Consider a yard sale for any usable items or send them to a charity or thrift store. Throw any ancient cleaning cloths and fluids away along with those tired old pots and pans as these are going to be harboring dust and bacteria.
The idea is to not just fill up your lovely new cupboards with stuff you never use. Then study the layout of your existing kitchen and work out which parts you like and which you don’t; where you need more storage or where or if you could knock down a wall or move a door to improve the layout and make it work better for you.
Rip out or build around what you have?
Step three is thinking about whether or not you want to re-use existing plumbing and heating or whether you want to go all-new. For example do you dream about a kitchen island incorporating a sink and appliances? Are you keeping the existing radiators or do you prefer new ones or even underfloor heating (see Which)? What about lighting – spot lighting, strip-lighting or under-cabinet lighting? The perfect lighting options can make a kitchen look stylish and practical.
If you’re stuck for ideas, put together a mood board. Collect images from magazines or from internet sites and be inspired.
Get help with costings, and the work too!
All the things we’ve talked about so far cover the big budget expenses and this is before we get to deciding on who we want to do the work. At this stage you may want to go ahead and get advice from a company who have years of experience in kitchen remodeling and who can help with planning and ideas as well as advising on the right kind of trades people for your project.
Instead of trying to find separate contractors for each part of the job who may pull out at the last second and leave you stranded you can’t go wrong with an experienced company which has its own dedicated team of design experts and tradespeople who can do the job within your budget from start to finish.
