A How To Minute - This Issue: 13 Kitchen Improvement Tips
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By :
Corey Rozon
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If you are planning a kitchen improvement, be prepared to spend anywhere from $2,000 for minor updates to upwards of $20,000 for a full improvement. Since you may be looking at spending a fair bit of money on a kitchen improvement it is important to know some of the basic steps before you begin:
1) Design
Whether you are designing the kitchen yourself, using a designer or going with a kitchen improvement specialist the first thing you need to do is decide on how you are going to use your kitchen. Will your new kitchen be just a place to prepare meals or do you want to design an eat-in kitchen? Are you looking for more storage space or a bigger work area? Or is an eco-friendly design what you are after? Once you understand your goals you can start designing the layout of your kitchen.
2) Budget
Besides creating the plan for your design, budget planning is one of the most crucial steps to a kitchen improvement. It is very easy to go over budget for any type of home improvement project, and this is almost always the case when it comes to kitchen improvements. The best plan when deciding your budget is to set a buffer of a couple thousand dollars for occurrences that may arise.
3) Colour Scheme
Once you have the layout and budget in place it is now time to start picking your overall colour scheme. For kitchens it is always recommended to stick to neutral, light colours, something that will always look clean and fresh and not quickly go out of style.
4) Backsplash
If you are planning on installing a backsplash you have many options to choose from, the best however will be water resistant and easy to clean. There are many popular choices when it comes to backsplashes, from different types of tile, such as ceramic, vinyl, metal, mosaic and even glass to installing a granite backsplash or even one made from stainless steel.
5) Countertop
There are many options when it comes to selecting materials for your countertop, from the most expensive types, which are made from natural stones such as granite and marble to the mid-range priced custom-made concrete countertops that resemble stone. You can even find environmentally friendly products made from recycled glass or even recycled paper, although these can also be expensive. The most affordable countertops are laminates, and although they're not as durable as the ones mentioned above they are also not as expensive and thus can be easily replaced.
6) Cabinetry
Are you going to strip and refinish your existing cabinets or install new ones? Are you going to have them custom built or opt for prefabricated ones? These are some of the questions you will have to ask yourself and your answer will help to determine your overall budget, as the least expensive route is keeping and refinishing your old cabinetry.
7) Workspace
In your design you will have to decide on how much work space you want in your new kitchen and how to incorporate that into the design. One of the easiest ways to add more workspace is to include an island. As an added bonus an island can also be used as a place to eat and as an extra storage area.
8) Storage
Adding additional storage, such as a pantry or walk-in closet to your kitchen design is a great idea. You will now have a place to store all those only ‘used once in awhile’ oversized appliances that take up so much room in your cabinets. Installing overhanging racks to hang pots, pans and even stemware is another way to free up some cabinet space.
9) Hardware
Picking the right hardware for your kitchen is really what makes or breaks your kitchen design. You can go all out on marble countertops and cedar cabinets but if you adorn it all with cheap looking hardware the look will be lost. Polished nickel and antiqued bronze add a nice touch.
10) Flooring
Just like many of the areas of the kitchen, flooring is no exception when it comes to the amount of choices available. Your choice will all depend upon your kitchen improvement goals. You can go with the traditional hardwood or the more modern ceramic tile. If cost is your motivation you can opt for vinyl or linoleum, and an eco-friendly design there are materials such as cork tiles, bamboo tongue-and-groove strip flooring or eucalyptus wood flooring.
11) Lighting
Lighting is important in any room, but more so in the kitchen. You of course want to make sure your main lights are on a dimmer switch and have adequate lighting throughout the kitchen. One way to accomplish this is by adding recessed lighting in strategically placed areas. It not only looks really good but done correctly it can make sure that all the work areas are properly lit.
12) Appliances
When it comes to appliances, energy efficient is the way to go. That should be your first motivation for buying new, and of course you want to also make sure the colour scheme fits into the overall design. Stainless steel appliances are still pretty popular; they are easy to clean and can give your kitchen that professional look.
13) Contractors
If you are planning on doing the bulk of the kitchen improvements on your own, it may still be in your best interest to hire a professional to take a look at your design. It can be easy to overlook things and a professional may even be able to give you some design ideas that you didn’t think of. If you are planning on hiring a contractor it is a good idea to get at least three different quotes and make sure you ask for references. You should take the time to call the references and if at all possible ask to see the finished work.
Creating a design for your kitchen improvement, whether you are going at it alone or are using the support of a professional home improvements specialist can be fun. Just keep in mind the steps from above when choosing the different aspects of your kitchen improvement and you should not encounter any costly problems down the line.
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Author Resource:-
Corey Rozon and David Leonhardt offer ghostwriter services in Canada.
This article was written for Service Blocks Inc., an Ottawa kitchen renovations company specializing in kitchen remodelling in Ottawa. If you enjoyed this article feel free to social bookmark it at Connotea.org.
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