You’ve talked it over, done the math, picked out the furniture, and mentally prepared yourself for noisy mornings. You’re ready for your kitchen remodel–or so you think. In reality, there are many unforeseen circumstances that can impede even the most tightly-laid remodeling plans, leading to blown-up budgets, extended timelines, and no shortage of hair-tearing frustration.
Your Kitchen is the Heart of your Home
For many homeowners, the kitchen is the center of activity. Not only is it a place where you might gather for meals, but it is the place where groceries get unloaded, water bottles get filled, and of course where the culinary magic happens. With all this in store, you’ll want to make sure that your kitchen is easy to navigate. If you find yourself hosting guests, working on a big kitchen project, or even just fixing family meals, you’ll find that a cramped kitchen makes every task a chore.
While square footage is a big part of preventing headaches, it is not the only consideration. Features like island tables, spacious cabinets, and hangers for pots and pans can help to optimize the space you have. Make sure you talk to your contractor about the dimensions of your storage spaces, and to compare these numbers with the amount of kitchen supplies you currently have or plan to buy.
Apply Yourself
If you’re redesigning your kitchen, you might also be looking to upgrade your appliances. If so, it is a good idea to pick out your appliances beforehand and explain their dimensions to your contracting team. Otherwise, the refrigerator you want and the one you can fit might be two completely different models. Be on the lookout for high-quality used items–filling your kitchen with brand-new items might seem nice, but it will add up, and you can find items that are just as good at bargain prices.
You’ll also want to make sure that your kitchen has a good number of outlets, and that these are not only accessible and well placed but are also of the appropriate type to support your appliances and other electronics.
Table Manners
Ask yourself: will you be eating meals at the kitchen table, or the dining room? If the former, think about how you can use the tablespace for multiple purposes, so as to maximize the utility of your space. Also consider what kind of table you want and if you want a fixed table installed. These can offer a higher level of utility in terms of storage, but might impede flexibility and prevent stylistic changes in the future.
Even if you plan to primarily use the dining room for meals, you still might end up wanting to use the kitchen for quick gatherings for snacks or coffee. If so, talk to your contractor about setting up your counters in a way that they can serve as a casual table as well as a hub for chopping and washing. Choice in material and size will be important considerations in making this possible, so consider your options carefully.
Floor It
Whatever plans you have in mind for your new kitchen, and whatever surprises may await, there is one thing that is nearly certain: There will be messes. And when those messes happen, you want your surfaces to be easy to clean and able to stand up to a variety of spills and smudges.
Tile, porcelain, and linoleum are all popular choices that have proven their resilience against all kinds of kitchen mishaps. Consider your price range, your plans, your habits, and your style preferences when you make your flooring decision.
Sweat the Little Stuff
Do you want floating shelves? Where will your cookbooks go? Do you need a double sink? How about a filtered faucet? There are a million details to get through when thinking about your new kitchen, and lots of little tidbits might get lost in the shuffle. Before your designer makes her final estimate, try making a checklist of all the items that you want to make sure of having, all the materials you’ll need to store, and all the appliances you’ll be importing once the job is done. Though the job itself might seem overwhelming, it’s the minor-seeming details that make your kitchen a source of joy or frustration on a day-to-day basis.
If you’re looking for a team of professionals that will offer high-quality service with all your preferences in mind, look no further than Schuler Kitchen and Bath. With nearly a hundred years of experience, we know all the ins and outs of kitchen remodeling, and have shown that we know how to do the job right for a huge range of customers. Check out our website to get a consultation today.
