Kitchen remodeling is never an easy project but with a some careful planning and setting the right expectations for yourself sub-trades and family members you can do it, especially with the help of quinju.com.
The kitchen is truly among the most complicated remodeling projects, obviously because it often includes plumbing, electrical, appliances, plus the design is so crucial to flow of the entire house. The look and feel right down to the cabinets, flooring and wall colour needs to work with adjoining rooms. Finally the kitchen is commonly the meeting room in modern homes and therefore the weeks of disruption can put relationships on shaky ground.
For more insights into choosing the right appliances, check out our article Kitchen Appliance Buying Guide.
The first Step to Take Towards Your Kitchen Remodeling
Let’s start by reflecting on why you’re remodeling your kitchen and what you really need to achieve or get out of it. There could be lots of things that are not right for your kitchen, but the good news is that everything can be fixed with some effective planning. Take a look at the flow, cabinet storage, countertop working space, consider the social aspect of the kitchen…does it work?
Time to visit a professional designer? We each have ideas of what we like and don’t like but often need help from a professional to put it all together. Your partner is typically not the best sounding board as preserving the relationship is more important than debating your awful design!
Personal experience of several kitchen renovations has told me that the time collecting ideas to refine your ideas is critical to success. Get lots of opinions and be prepared to change yours often!
Budgeting
Okay so it is time to remodel your kitchen, you have watched every TV show available and have plenty of ideas, time to put on the breaks, pull on our “big people pants and consider budget, sorry!
The fact is your house value and your personal finances will determine the budget and it is critical to pull emotion out of the equation and set a reasonable budget before you start. Once again, start a quinju project to guide you through setting and maintaining your budget.
Back to the fun stuff-Dreaming!
Where ever you go, in store, at a friends, from a magazine or online you can collect all your ideas using quinju.com, start a project now!
Countertops, Floors, and Appliances
The kitchen should reflect your lifestyle. It should accommodate your cooking needs, offer plenty of storage, and provide enough space for casual dinning.
There are a variety of counter top options and often a kitchen remodel may be just replacing countertops and fresh coat of paint. Gather ideas about countertop options click here but go for a road trip, look at design centers and get ideas of what you like and what will fit in your budget.
Upgrading or replacing your Cabinets
There are again lots of options from entire cabinet replacement to refinishing existing cabinets.
Refinishing can be done if the budget does not have room for replacement, if the layout works or if the condition of cabinet boxes and doors is good. Often a fresh coat of paint, door replacement or hardware upgrade can save thousands and be much quicker.
If a replacement is in order it is time to look deeper often changing the layout and therefore electrical and plumbing locations or quality. Replacement of cabinets can be a DIY project but often requires professional sub-trades and the investment warrants including a design professional.
Electrical upgrades
Lighting is critical to the success of a kitchen remodel and the LED low voltage lighting options on the market today make it very convenient. Under counter lighting that can change colour to set the right mood, low profile puck lights that can replace traditional pot lights are all options.
Plumbing upgrades
Water is now accessible or can be made accessible at multiple points in a modern kitchen. Stove facets, dishwashers, coffee machines and refrigerator can all require waterlines.
Appliances
Traditional kitchens typically had a refrigerator, stove/oven combination and if you were lucky a dishwasher, modern kitchens can have all of these and more.
Refrigerator and freezer drawers can hide the one large appliance, dishwasher drawers permit loading and washing at the same time. Built in coffee machines, under counter microwaves and of course the “internet of everything” has to be considered.
Letting your imagination go wild is an important part of any kitchen renovation, collect all those ideas, organize the ideas to stay in budget and communicate your ideas with friends, family, sub-trades all inside a quinju Kitchen project.
