Easy & Creative Kitchen Remodeling Ideas

When given the chance to remodel an area of one’s house, the kitchen is usually the first one that is chosen because it is where a lot of the family spends quite a few hours of their day. All of their meals are here, homework is done at the kitchen table, the preparations for meals are done here, and meetings are held here with various people from kids to traveling in-laws.
Aside from the living or dining room, this place is the most used room in the house. So, to have it remodeled is a great idea, especially if the house is more than 10 years old, the kitchen will definitely need updating, because of all the new energy saving ovens, stoves, refrigerators, dishwashers, and microwaves that are now available. If one is planning to sell their home soon, remodeling the kitchen would add value to the house and add to the functionality of the kitchen.
Most people like to update their kitchen cabinetry at least once a decade. This gives them the chance to keep their kitchen in style because styles do not change that rapidly in home decor and it can be expensive. The first thing to consider when updating the cabinetry is the quality of the cabinets. It would not do to have cabinets that got wet one time and the facing began to peel off of it.
So, ask for the cabinets that can endure a lot of water and liquids, because there will be spills and they will not just be the typical glass of water. There will be soda pop, juice, milk, and a variety of other liquids spilt on the cabinets that could possibly strip away its beauty. A good question to ask the sales associate in the store before buying any cabinets is: Will these cabinets be stripped if lemon juice, vinegar or soup is split on it? If the answer is yes, try to pick something else.
Another quality consideration is the temperature of your kitchen. How hot does it usually get when cooking? Does the oven turn into a melting point that causes everything, including you to sweat? If so, consider the damage that could do to your new cabinets. Would you really want to have to replace them in a year or so because they are so warped from the heat that you cannot open them? Ask the sales associate what temperature heat the cabinets can withstand before they warp or are damaged.
When remodeling, one needs to consider the option of having custom cabinets made versus buying cabinets off of the showroom floor. Sure, the custom cabinets will look amazing in the kitchen and should be made of materials that are strong enough to handle the abuse of your kitchen, but will the debt of those custom cabinets be paid off before you are ready to renovate the kitchen again? With standard cabinets, you can afford to buy them and install them without breaking the bank. So, keep your budget in mind when shopping around for new cabinets.…

Kitchen Remodeling and Renovations

Remodeling and renovating your kitchen is very exciting. Creating your dream kitchen to cherish and share with your friends is one of the great pleasures in life. Your home is your sanctuary and reflects who you are and what is important to you. Walking into your home to a remodeled kitchen is a delight.
The first step in kitchen renovation is to have a general idea of what you want to do and what you want out of your kitchen. When you have lived in your kitchen you will know what you do and do not like about your kitchen. Does the location of your refrigerator bother you? Do you like your stove? Do you have enough cabinet space? All of these questions need to be pondered. What do you want in your dream kitchen? How do you want your kitchen to function? Do you need to open it up to your living area to have more of a flow for entertaining and everyday living? Do you need to create more space for cabinets? Is it set up in a functional way for cooking? Do you love wine and want to incorporate a wine cooler? Do you need a double oven for cooking for holidays and entertaining?
You want to have a clear idea of what you want so when you go to your kitchen designer you wont waste time drawing up models of the kitchen. You may ask how to find a good designer? Ask your circle of contacts if they have hired or know of a good designer. Realize that what will make a good designer for you will be that you adore their work. Your friends and family may recommend a good designer but if you love traditional and the designer is hot on contemporary he or she is not the designer for you.
Your designer can do as little as draw a design of your kitchen with kitchen cabinets or can go all the way with you to covering all the minute details necessary for a kitchen remodel. When you are looking for a designer what are the signs you want to watch out for is if the designer will limit you to purchasing any cabinets or accessories from their suppliers. Do not limit yourself, even if you end up buying from your designers recommended source you want to have the option of going to a variety of cabinet suppliers.
When you meet with a designer have your list of what you want in your kitchen along with pictures from magazines or websites. Give the designer as much detail as possible about your likes and dislikes. It goes without saying to look at past projects the designer has done, if the style of the designer is not to your liking it is time to move on and find one whose designs you do like. Don’t expect the designer to be different on your job than they are on other projects.
Another key to a good designer is whether or not they will adhere to your budget. Ideally if you have no monetary concerns the sky is the limit. However if you are like many individuals, even if you have unlimited cash flow, you normally have a budget in mind that you want to spend on your kitchen remodel. If your designer keeps pushing you to spend money you would rather not spend this is not a good sign.
Renovating your kitchen can be rewarding and exciting. A good kitchen design is timeless and will bring you years of fulfillment and happy memories. Look for plenty of photos on kitchen remodeling and renovation projects to inspire you and give you the ideas you can use when you design your dream kitchen.…

Laminate Kitchen Cabinet Refacing

Lots of people don’t want to deal with the hassle of remodeling their kitchen. They don’t like the way it look but they’re not willing to put in the time, effort, and money it takes to redo the most popular room in the house. But it doesn’t have to create problems in the most trafficked room in the home and it definitely doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. It’s possible that your kitchen just may need some new cabinets. This doesn’t mean you necessarily have to fork out thousands of dollars by tearing out all the old cabinets and putting in new ones. You could just look into some cabinet refacing to find the look and change the feel of your kitchen. A great way to do this without hurting the pocket book too much is using laminate surface for your cabinets.
If your cabinets and shelves are in good condition then you don’t need to worry about tearing them out, purchasing new cabinets, and having them installed as well. When you tear them out it also adds an extra burden on preparing food in your kitchen and puts you out of a kitchen for a certain amount of time. That’s why a lot of people find that their shelves and drawers are in good condition so refacing the cabinet faces, drawer fronts, and cabinet hardware may be the only things that you need replaced. There are a variety of options to do this with but the least expensive and may be the most durable is laminate.
Since the cabinets will not be torn out you will not lose any down time in your kitchen. You just need to choose the type of laminate cover you want on the outside of your cabinets and drawers and then also choose the hardware to go with. The handles and knobs can also make the difference in the look of your kitchen. If you are happy with the layout with of your cabinets you can add little things to make them more efficient by adding cookie sheet dividers or silverware separators in your drawers.
Laminate covers are much less expensive than solid wood or stainless steel cabinets. This will help in your overall costs of remodeling your kitchen. Your cabinet refacing project can be affordable but still allow you to change your kitchen enough through using the laminate surface for all your drawers and cabinet needs.…

Great Ways to Shop at a Kitchen Store

If you love your kitchen, you could probably wander through a kitchen store for days. In your mind, you’ll be trying out tile, countertops, and cabinets in your own kitchen, preparing for yet another remodel. This isn’t always a healthy or smart way to shop, though, especially if you ever want to actually get that remodel done. Before you head to the kitchen store the next time around, try one of these shopping methods to help you complete your trip more quickly and get to the remodeling part even faster.
On some trips, you really do just need to look around. This is true if you’re getting ready to do a kitchen remodel but aren’t quite sure what you want to do. In this case, take a notebook. If the store manager will let you, take a camera to snap some pictures, as well. If you’re going to paint your kitchen, grab some paint chips from the hardware store to take along, as well. On this trip, all you’re doing is gathering ideas and taking notes on the colors, textures, and particular items that you like best. Make sure you’re descriptive enough that you can actually remember what you were looking at when you wrote down your notes!
Once you know what you need, it’s time to start making lists before your next trip to the kitchen store. If you’re like a lot of people, your remodel will go in stages. You’ll probably head to the store more than a couple of times during a full remodeling session. Think through all the things you need to do and the order in which you need to do them. If, for instance, you’re painting your cabinets and replacing countertops, you’ll probably need to rip out the old countertops and then paint the cabinets before replacing the countertops again.
Either way, at this point, you should be going into the kitchen store armed with a detailed list of everything you need. Write down measurements, quantities, and as much other information as you can. This way, you get just what you need, and you don’t have to come back to the store when you aren’t ready to be back there quite yet. This will make the remodeling process work more quickly so that you can get your kitchen function and beautiful before you know it.…

Let’s Stir the Christmas Pudding in a Brand New Kitchen

When it comes to our homes, for many of us the kitchen is at the heart. Whether enjoying a quick warming drink after an autumn walk or sitting down for a meal with family or friends, the kitchen provides food, warmth and comfort.
Unfortunately, because it is used so much, without our noticing our kitchens can become tired and shabby. Suddenly, meals are better taken elsewhere and the under-heated slightly grimy kitchen becomes a place to visit for as short a time as possible.
At that stage, you know you need a new kitchen. Call in a builder who knows about kitchens and there is still just time to bask in the warmth of a fresh kitchen by Christmas. When designing your new kitchen, start with the basics, light, heating and space. You might not want to move water pipes or ventilation so have little option about placement of sink or cooker, but before you commit to any design, draw a scale model of the space itself only and see what is possible.
Starting with heating, think about underfloor heating for early morning cosy toes, or one of those clever little heaters which fit under your floor cupboards. Either method will save having to have large radiators and therefore save wall space. With lighting, you need good lights to be able to see what you are cooking but also mood lighting for candlelit dinners. Think about ceiling spotlights, lights over work surfaces and near sinks.
Try to work on the golden triangle principle of cooker, sink and work surface. Think about how you use space and spread that use around the kitchen. For example, if you have a morning bottleneck at present with fridge, breakfast bowls and cereals all kept next t the toaster and kettle think about spreading them out so that the progress of the meal flows naturally on to the table.
When deciding on the decoration, remember that kitchens can become greasy and steamy and choose surfaces that will clean easily. Consider glass splash backs, tiles and wood. Choose work surfaces to help make a colour statement and keep walls fairly neutral.
Whatever you decide for your new kitchen our main tip is to make sure that you choose a builder or installer that can manage the whole installation. Juggling separate firms of plumbers, electricians, builders and fitters will slow the work down and could lead to Christmas on a building site.…

Current Trends In Kitchen Renovations

Have you recently made the decision to undergo a kitchen renovation? Before you get started, you might be wondering what some of the current trends in kitchen design are so that you can make sure your renovation incorporates some of these up-to-the-minute ideas.
Minimalism
Many kitchen renovations are now centered around the minimalist idea that less is more. This has led to an increase in bench tops that are long and straight and cupboard doors that are flush to the wall. Gloss finishes and open shelving is also very popular in completing a minimalist look in your kitchen renovation.
Eco-Friendly
As we are becoming more inclined to opt for environmentally friendly fixtures in our homes, an increase in eco-friendly kitchen renovations had to occur. There has been a rise in the purchase and manufacture of kitchen cabinets that emit low levels of volatile organic compounds, lowering air pollution, and in the installation of LED lights, which are high energy savers. The ‘natural’ look of wooden floors and stone countertops is also popular in new kitchen renovations, both options that are environmentally sustainable.
Safety
These days there are more children in the kitchen, helping mum and dad cook or just making themselves some lunch. Because of this, parents are looking for new safe kitchen renovation designs to minimise the risk of injury. Lockouts, a popular renovators choice, are designed to prevent stove burners from accidentally being turned on. There are also mechanisms that you can install during your renovation that will stop drawers and kitchen cupboards from slamming shut, just in case fingers are still in the way.
Hidden Appliances
Gone are the days when families wanted to show off their brand new microwave or dishwasher. These days, people are using their kitchen renovation to create clever ways of hiding their appliances. Fridges have become shallower, so that they don’t protrude past the cabinets, and drawer fridges and freezers are also very popular. It is also becoming more common to find renovated homes that have made the exteriors of their appliances match the rest of cabinetry, making them all blend in.
High Tech
People have a desire to turn their kitchen into another living area of their homes, so take a renovation as the perfect opportunity to do so. Televisions are a very popular appliance to find in the kitchen these days, so much so that manufacturers have found ways to incorporate them into other appliances, like fridges and even the ventilation hood for the stove, that we do need to install during a renovation.
So, whether you want to use all of the latest kitchen renovation trends or just some of the ones mentioned above, your kitchen is bound to be an enjoyable and aesthetically pleasing place to be.…

7 Signs You Might Need to Remodel Your Kitchen

Looking for one last nook or cranny for your dishes? Have you found yourself in your kitchen desperately needing more space for cooking? These are some typical signs that it may be time for a new kitchen. Here is a list of 7 signs that you may need to remodel your kitchen.

Counter Top Space – Are you constantly looking for space to do prep work in your kitchen? Has your kitchen island become the family’s mail room? According to the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), a Kitchen should have a minimum of 158″ (13 ft) of linear counter top space. But that’s just the minimum. Sometimes rearranging your appliances more efficiently can open up some counter top space. However if this is the case,you may want to consider removing walls to create a great room that contains your kitchen, living room and dining room. Opening walls also gives you creative options to create a kitchen island.

Outdated Appliances – Are your appliances the same as they were when the house was first built? This could be a very noticeable sign that your kitchen is starting to show its age, but more importantly could be costing you more money thank you might think. Recent advances in Green Technology have created a demand for energy efficient appliances that can save you time and money.

Kitchen Flow – You may be aware of the kitchen triangle (the distance between your stove, refrigerator, and sink) However, once again sometimes the minimum isn’t enough, especially if you there are more than one cooks in the house. Minimum aisle distances should be 36″ and the NKBA recommends 48″ in aisles if you plan on using multiple cooks in the kitchen. To create multiple cooking stations you can easily add a prep sink to create another work station. A well laid out plan should separate the cooking areas from the gathering areas of the home where guests and family socialize.

Outdated Cabinetry – If you’re living in a home built during 1970s or earlier, it probably goes without saying that you are constantly reminded it’s time for a kitchen remodel. The species of wood you choose for you cabinets set the tone of your kitchen. Choosing a new species can help update your kitchen drastically and immediately. Sometimes staining or painting is all you need to give your kitchen an updated look. Other times the damage may be to severe of the cabinet faces are really starting to show their age. Replacing cabinets usually means a complete kitchen remodel all around, but some things can be salvaged and reused like appliances or fixtures.

Lighting – Older incandescent light fixtures can give off ugly light and worst, cost you money. Recent “Green” trends in technology have created a high demand for energy efficient light bulbs. The best advancements in energy efficient lighting is the LED light. Typical light bulbs will last 900 hours, where an LED can last up to 30,000 hours. That’s 30 years at 3 hours a day. In addition, you can power 6 LED lights with same amount of energy it takes to power one incandescent bulb. LED lights are a great choice for any room in your home and can help update the feel of your kitchen.

Kitchen Location – If your kitchen is feeling like a dark closet tucked away in your home, you might want to consider opening the kitchen up. The best way to do this is knocking down walls to open up to the living room and dining room. Another alternative that may be more economical is adding a door to an outdoor patio. This can be a great way to entertain family and guests in an outdoor environment. A door opening the exterior needs to be a minimum of 34″ but this could be a good place to add sliding doors or french doors depending on the layout of your home.

Best Time for Kitchen Remodeling – Recent economic trends have lowered the cost in some areas of the remodeling industry. One area is the labor industry where costs have dropped 15-25% in some areas. Companies that have stayed healthy over the last 3-4 years have probably done so through excellent customer service. In addition, many remodeling companies have become efficient in 3D design. 3D design has become a game changer for remodeling companies and home owners. 3D design puts your in your kitchen remodel before construction begins. It also allows companies to put together accurate estimates so that you know exactly where your money is being spent. Because your dollar can go further with lower costs, 3D design, and excellent customer service, you can be sure that updating your kitchen now is a solid investment.…