Kitchen Remodel - Five Important Tips
Gorgeous kitchen with large island - Studio McGee
Whether you are remodeling your kitchen or, like me, you are remodeling a kitchen for a future owner, here are five important tips that will shave money off your budget and add value to your space but not compromise the quality of your kitchen.
Galley kitchen using triangle concept with hidden frig – Woodstock Industries
1 – Value the triangle! Stove + Refrigerator + Sink – these are your three key areas, so make sure when you lay out your kitchen you have ample room between all three but at the same time, make sure they are connected. If you can live with them in the space where they were originally located with small modifications – cha ching - that is a huge money saver!
Light blue backsplash & solid surface counters – Rachel Halvorson Design
2 – Materials matter! All I can say here is solid surface countertops reign! This makes your kitchen feel upscale but also as a homeowner has an ease when cooking, baking and cleaning. After choosing your solid surface countertops, your backsplash and cabinet knobs are the biggest contributors to your style statement. That doesn’t mean it has to be showy - sometimes white subway tile and a classic brushed nickel pull is the answer because clean and streamlined is your style. Whatever the case, make your choices matter.
White kitchen cabinets & island – The Home Depot
3 – Semi-custom cabinets (like the ones you will find at The Home Depot or Ikea cabinets)! This can save you thousands of dollars! Try to make these cabinets work if you can. These are not substandard in quality, you simply save money because you can make standard cabinet sizes work. I love them and often enhance them with molding, side panels and beautiful knobs and pulls so no one even knows that they were not built for my specific kitchen.
Decorative tiles ( Cement Tiles Shop ) with beautiful appliances
4 – Don’t skimp on appliances! Good quality appliances are what make your life easier and a home more appealing to buyers. If you have a tight budget, I always tell my clients to go with high end manufacturers but select their basic model. That way you get all the ingenuity of the company but maybe not all the bells and whistles. Sometimes, less bells and whistles equals fewer calls to the appliance repair guy. Whatever the case, keep a solid budget for your appliances.
Open concept kitchen – Elizabeth Lawson Design
5 – Keep it open! Have you ever been to a party and everyone ends up in the kitchen? Stupid question – of course you have! That is often the case, so make the space as open as your budget allows. If you can’t open it up to the adjoining room, maybe just a cut -out or half wall will allow for an eating bar or view into the dining room, living room or maybe even a glass door to the outdoor space. Do what you can to allow the space to feel bigger!
Let me know your thoughts! Even though I am not a certified kitchen designer, this girl has remodeled close to 100 kitchens and each has had their own requirements but these tips will help! Good luck!