Renovating your kitchen requires careful planning and budgeting. Since a kitchen renovation can be expensive, it’s important to consider your existing layout, the renovation costs, and the overall design and functionality, before you start the remodeling process.
A well-renovated kitchen can increase the value of your property. However, remodeling can be an overwhelming project. The decisions you need to make before you do renovate your kitchen play a crucial role in determining the final result. To ensure that your kitchen remodeling project is a success, here are a few things you can do.
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Plan Your Renovation
Before you start your kitchen renovation, create a plan. Figure out what you want out of the renovation. Consider the aesthetics, functionality, and optimal utilization of the available space. If you want to extend your kitchen space, plan it well in advance. Merging a small area can help you get a larger kitchen. Think of the area that you’d want to merge with your kitchen. Smaller rooms like the laundry room or pantry are ideal for a kitchen extension.
Get a professional kitchen planner who can help you create a floor plan that utilizes the space well. If you’re on a tight budget, consider not changing your current layout. Although this will limit the upgrades and additions you can install, you can still replace cabinets or change the lighting to breathe new life into an outdated kitchen.
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Set A Budget
Once you’ve got a plan of what you want your kitchen to look like, consider the cost. Kitchen renovations can get pretty expensive. As a general guideline, many experts recommend allocating 10% of your home’s value on kitchen renovations.
Updating or redesigning your kitchen can improve your property’s value if done with proper financial planning. To understand the potential return on investment for your renovated kitchen, consult a realtor. Once you have an estimated budget, you can start the renovation process. There’s no point in buying expensive appliances or cabinets, before you even know how much you can spend on it.
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Hire An Expert
Although a do-it-yourself approach can be a cost-effective option, it’s often risky, especially since many of them require technical skills that only an interior designer, plumber, or electrician will have. For jobs that require specialized tasks like gas fittings, adding more water lines, or new lighting installations, it’s best to hire a professional.
Hiring an interior designer can also help you make your kitchen renovation a successful project. Since design includes both aesthetics and functionality, a professional can help you re-design your layout and reconfigure the walls correctly. If you’re extending your kitchen, they can help plan the placement of cabinets and appliances to suit your and your family’s needs best. A designer can also help you with lighting, flooring, and other design elements needed to ensure a safe and fully-functional kitchen.
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Consider The Key Design Elements
Most people want a kitchen that can be a central meeting place for the family. Kitchens that extend into the dining hall or have a central island are popular ways to achieve this.
When you’re extending your kitchen, keep in mind that the design should seamlessly blend with that of the other room. Besides the kitchen layout, smaller details like tiles, paint, countertops, cabinets, and faucets, are an integral part of the kitchen design. Consider incorporating colors and materials that blend well together.
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Choose Your Color Scheme
When choosing a color scheme for the kitchen, look for something that enhances the space and reflects your personal style. Consider the size of the area and the available natural lighting when you decide on a color scheme. Darker colors can make a small area look congested, while too much white in a large space can make the space look sparse.
Also, consider choosing a theme for your kitchen before you finalize a color scheme. Popular themes like Italian, Scandinavian, or Farmhouse, have certain color schemes associated with them. You can use those colors as a reference for your color scheme.
One of the easiest ways of choosing a color scheme is by referring to the color wheel. You can opt for complementary colors, or choose analogous shades. This way, you can experiment with colors and make sure you’re choosing the perfect combination.
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Choose Appliances
Most people leave kitchen appliances for the later part of the project. This often leads to unexpected costs and sometimes poor-quality products. It’s important to include appliances in the initial remodeling plan.
For example, you can try installing built-in appliances. These integrated appliances blend in with your cabinetry, and ensure a uniform and consistent design. They’re great if you’re going for a seamless and modern look for your kitchen. Keep in mind, however, that built-in appliances may require an opening on the ceiling for a duct, or an additional platform on the floor to hold the heavier and more bulky ones.
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Choose Proper Lighting
Most modern kitchens are equipped with good lighting. Lighting options don’t just illuminate the space, they can also be used to aesthetically enhance your kitchen. Upgrade your kitchen lighting by adding layers of light that can highlight the various design elements in your kitchen. From adding task lights to countertops to installing mini spotlights on glass-front cabinets that display glassware, there’s a lot you can do with lights to enhance your kitchen’s aesthetics.
Conclusion
Remodeling your kitchen can be a rewarding process and can increase your home’s value. But it’s usually a tricky process and requires proper planning and guidance. Since renovating your kitchen can be expensive, set your budget before you start the renovation work. Knowing what you need and what you want to achieve before you start will help ensure better outcomes for the project.
From choosing the right color scheme to opting for integrated appliances, or selecting lights that enhance your kitchen, there are many crucial decisions you’ll have to make while renovating your kitchen. Hiring an expert for the job can save you a lot of time, effort, and money as a contractor will have the required skill set to turn your dream kitchen into reality.
