Planning a kitchen renovation requires dedication and patience. We will be sharing some tips with you today that will make your life easier. There tips will save you money and time when talking with a kitchen designer or working on your project DIY.
Tip 1: An kitchen island may not be suitable for the space
Island is a great addition to a kitchen for aethetic, storage and resale value but it may not be suitable for every space. In a smaller kitchen, panisula would work much better. Panisula also allow for extra counter spaces for preparation. To elevate athetics, we can add decorative moulding in the front of kitchen panisula and add waterfall at the end.
Tip 2: Glass cabinet to break up the bulkiness
We often get asked to include more cabinets when doing a kitchen remodel. With the increase cabinet count, the kitchen will look heavier than before. There are two options, one is to replace cabinet with open shelves at certain region or two, break up the bulkiness with design elements such as glass cabinets. Home owner can also add a puck light within the cabinet and replace normal wood shelves with glass shelves. The puck light will enhance the entire line of cabinet.
Tip 3: Trend do not last forever
Trend within a home just like fashion in see in a mall, changes every year. An orange rustic cabinet could be in trend this year may quickly phase out the next year. Neutral colours scheme such as grey, white, charcol and simpler styles tend to have longer life span than others. At the scarfice of originality, home owner gains longitivity with their kitchen remodel.
Tip 4: Renovate kitchen with local contractors
There are several benefits when renovating with a local contractor. A reputable local contractor is able to provide you timely service when issue arises and they are able to refer you to local stores for supplies if needed. Local contractor is usually able to provide lower pricing as cost maintaining shop and labour is lower as well.
Tip 5: Gap in renovation is inevitable
A gap in renovation is inevitable at different stage of the projects. This is because each stage is highly depended on the previous. Project managers will need set up appropriate gaps to ensure there is enough time for each stage to complete. With a kitchen remodel, the steps are usually as follows, demolishing, mechanical rough in (plumbing, electrical, hvac), patch and painting, flooring, cabinet, counter, and finishing. Each takes a few day to complete at ideal scenario. We usually plan a day or two longer for each step to ensure if issue arises with any step, there will be enough time to accomendate.
Tip 6: Proper clearance is a must
When building a kitchen, there are many areas that require a clearance. For example, 30″ recommended between cooking surface and rangehood, 30″ is recommended between appliances and island. There are also mandatory clearance based on user behavior such as clearance for wheel chair. A great kitchen designer will plan based on your use case.
Tip 7: Don't cheap out on materials
There are many type of material avaliable and there are many technical specs to them. Cabinet boxes for example can be constructed using either particle board or plywood. Plywood are more durable and holds screw a bit better while particle board are less forgiven. Another example is tiles, lower pricing tiles tend to have more warpage while more expensive tiles tend to be more stright. Home owner should look long term when deciding on materials in a kitchen. Lower quality material is lower upfront cost but last a short time, while high quality material can last much longer.
Tip 8: Plan appliances ahead
Many high end appliances require additional planning before cabinets are ordered. We recommend sending appliances model to the designer early so the designer can review the specs and plan any additional material for the project.
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