1. Determine a Kitchen Layout that Suits your Needs
Ever
find yourself in the kitchen at a house party or during the holidays?
It's safe to say the kitchen is the heart of the home and over the last
50 years the kitchen has moved from the back of the house, to the center
of attention. Once a dead end in the house, the kitchen's contemporary
application is often found in a "great room" setting promoting a home's
open floor plan. Although the kitchen's modern appeal has doubled it
into a social gathering space, one thing has remained the same:
Most
of us are probably familiar with the work-triangle. This refers to the
optimal relationship between the sink, stove, and refrigerator, being
spaced no more than 6 feet apart. A proper "work-triangle" is designed
to reduce needless steps while cooking in the kitchen.
2. Use Quality Materials
Cabinets
provide the heart and soul of the kitchen as well as help set the tone
and style of your entire home. Whether you prefer a traditional look or a
contemporary kitchen, the drawer fronts and cabinet doors you pick
accentuate the beauty of the kitchen, while also determining much of its
durability. It is essential to consider both the aesthetics, including
color and style, along with the function and strength of the material.
As a major portion of the kitchen budget, balancing beauty, durability
and cost are vital to a successful cabinet choice.
Although there
is a multitude of different cabinet materials available, solid
hardwoods, wood veneers and synthetics are currently the most popular.
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Common Solid hardwoods:
Alder:
This solid hardwood has remained popular due to lower cost, broad range
of available stain colors, and subtle grain appearance. Alder's natural
nut brown undertones allow it to take stain similar to a light colored
maple, a dark walnut, or even a red cherry. It is a softer wood within
the hard wood category, so not that tough. Great economical choice for
raised panel stained wood with a high end look in the rustic and
traditional kitchen styles.
This solid hardwood maintains its
popularity due to its great versatility of use coupled with a reasonable
cost. The subtle grain and natural nut brown undertones opens the alder
to a variety of stain options. Well stained alder can have the
appearance of many other wood types including light colored maple, dark
walnut, or even a red cherry. Alder is a bit softer than other hardwoods
so it may not be quite as resistant to wear and tear. Overall, it makes
a great economical choice for decorative raised panel, stained wood
giving a high end finished look best suited to rustic and traditional
kitchen styles.
Poplar: Good economical choice for painted
kitchen. Difficult to stain due to natural green undertones. Softer end
of the hardwood spectrum, less durable than a maple, oak, and a little
softer than alder. For the white French country style kitchen, painted
poplar will give you the same look as maple at a lower cost, but it will
not resist nicks. Typical used for high end decorative painted trim
such as white wainscoting and crown moldings in tradition and French
country kitchens.
Cherry: Higher end material choice that carries
good durability and a rich red undertone. Often found in formal and
refined traditional kitchens. Alder is an economical substitute that
will achieve the same refined look at the sacrifice of durability.
Maple
A very hard wood with a mild grain pattern. This material can take a
natural stain, dark stain, or hold paint with a high level of
durability. Cost is higher than poplar as a paint grade alternative and
alder as a stain grade alternative but the maple will hold up better
over the long run.
Wood veneers - Most any wood commonly used for
hardwood doors is available is in thin sheets called veneer which are
applied over resin particle board or MDF (medium density fiberboard).
This type of door construction accomplishes a clean look with a natural
wood finish often found in contemporary kitchens. A kitchen cabinet door
cannot resist warping when fabricated in a flat wide style, so a wood
veneer is used to create the appearance of a solid wood door without
losing stability. When selecting specific veneer wood, the hardness
plays a large factor in long term durability. Maple and cherry are the
toughest, while alder and poplar are the softest or least durable. Cost
is often pretty comparable to a solid raised panel door of similar wood
species.
Synthetics - Process is similar to the above mentioned
wood veneer, with the exception that the veneer material is a PVC
substance that typically possesses more durability and lower cost. Often
used in commercial applications and utilitarian residential.
applications such as garages and laundry rooms.
3. Decide Whether to Paint or Stain
The
debate continues, to paint or to stain! I'll leave my biases out of
this one (even though stain is easier to maintain, paint is often still
preferred) and list the major pro's and con's:
Stain
Colors come in variety of shades
Repair and touch-ups are easier. Easier to keep your cabinets looking good for a long time.
Less expensive and fewer steps.
Distressing or glazing make the maintenance easier.
Great choice for the Do It Yourselfer's
Paint
Probably the most popular look amongst home owners.
More process steps than stain and more expensive to finish.
Touch-ups can be difficult.
Refinished often requires professionals to match your existing colors.
On average 10-12% more expensive than stain ($2,000 more on a $20,000 kitchen packet).
4. Choose Appropriate Colors
This
might seem like the simplest of things to do in a kitchen remodel, but
choosing the right colors can either bring harmony to a room, or a
create a wrong impression. In basic color theory, colors have different
meanings and are generally either stimulating or relaxing. Here is a
list of the colors of the rainbow and their meanings:
Red: Stimulating/Increases Appetite
Orange: Stimulating/ Increases Appetite
Yellow: Stimulating/ Increases Appetite
Green: Relaxing/Balance
Blue: Relaxing/Decreases Appetite
Indigo: Relaxing/Decreases Appetite
Violet: Balance/Relaxing/Decreases Appetite
The
kitchen should be a combination of both relaxing and stimulating
colors. It is difficult to work in a kitchen that is too relaxing but at
the same time shouldn't be too stimulating that it makes you hungry.
5. Break the Horizontal Line
Stagger
the height, length, and depth of wall cabinets. Horizontal lines at the
top and bottom row of cabinets can make a kitchen look rigid and
static. A break from the horizontal line can give your kitchen remodel
an updated look.
6. Build Bridges, Not Walls. Islands and Peninsulas are the New Kitchen Walls
Over
the last 30 or so years, the open floor plan has become increasingly
popular and the function of a great room (containing kitchen, dining,
and living space) is becoming the norm. Many remodels we've done in the
past have been transforming compartmentalized floor plans into a
contemporary, open floor plan by knocking down any barrier walls between
kitchen and living room. Instead of walls defining the kitchen's
borders, peninsulas and islands provide a better alternative. They
prevent the kitchen from spilling over visually into other spaces, and
also allow the cook to maintain visual and conversation contact with
family members and guests.
7. Find a Creative Contractor with Expertise and Realistic Ideas
There's
no one size fits all approach to kitchen remodeling (or home remodeling
in general). That's why it's important to find a contractor that has
access to designers capable of creating unique solutions specific to
your kitchen's needs. A popular model contractors are beginning to use
is the design/build model.
Traditional remodels typically involve
an architect or designer, an engineer, and a general contractor. The
design/build model combines all three into one convenient package.
Allowing one company to oversee your kitchen remodeling project saves
you money and headaches. In addition, a creative contractor will offer
practical design solutions that may otherwise have been overlooked.
An
example is creatively using the existing kitchen footprint which saves
money on flooring, plumbing, and other minor expenses allowing money to
be dispersed on larger features of the kitchen remodel.
8. Selecting the Right Kitchen Countertop
Countertops
are important to your kitchen because they can help give your kitchen a
particular tone that represents your lifestyle. If you have been
looking around, then you are probably aware by now that there are
numerous alternatives to granite or laminate.
9. Selecting the Right Kitchen Sink
Kitchen
remodels are everything AND the kitchen sink. When it comes to the
kitchen sink, the function will usually outweigh the looks. Sinks come
in an array of styles, but it is important to consider how you plan to
use your kitchen sink. It is also important to choose a sink appropriate
to the size of your kitchen.
It is recommended for kitchens less
than 150 sqft to use a standard 22x24-in. single bowl. For larger
kitchens there are multiple bowl options and it is often recommended to
consider a secondary bar sink if multiple cooks will be in the kitchen.
10. Light your Kitchen Appropriately
What
good is the your perfect kitchen remodel if you can't SEE its features?
If you are fortunate enough to be situated near windows, use them!
Nothing beats natural lighting. But what about at night or in cases
where you don't have any windows? That's when using a combination of
ambient, task, and natural lighting comes in hand.
Pendant
lightings are typically used as task lighting above a kitchen island or
peninsula. They serve as a perfect design element that accentuates the
tone of your kitchen.
Under mount lighting is a nice way to add
luminosity to areas otherwise void in your kitchen. They're a great way
to accent your kitchen's features such as a special tile backsplash or
glassware.
Recessed lighting is by far the most popular way to
light a kitchen. It has become a standard choice of lighting in
contemporary homes.
Address:
Cabinets as well as Remodeling Depot
106 S St Cloud Ave, Valrico FL 33594
Phone: +1 813-651-2333
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