Renovating your kitchen will add ease to your lifestyle and value to your home. Here are the 10 most important things to consider when you’re updating your kitchen.
1 Use quality materials.
Top-quality drawer slides and hinges mean cabinet doors will stay closed and drawers won’t stick. Stay away from drawers that are stapled together or made of particleboard. For cabinet interiors, wood veneer is more durable than melamine, laminate, MDF or particleboard.
2 Determine cabinet heights.
If you have eight-foot ceilings, choose cabinets that go to the ceiling. They offer more storage, enabling you to use extra wall space for artwork or open shelves. If your ceilings are higher than eight feet, leave 15 to 18 inches above the cabinets.
3 Decide whether to paint or stain.
Though stained-wood cabinetry is forgiving, most finishes date quickly and aren’t easily altered. Brush-painted cabinets can lend a unique personality.
4 Select an elegant countertop.
White Carrara marble (honed or acid washed and sealed) and stained wood add elegance and warmth. We also like honed Kirkstone slate, soapstone and Wiarton limestone, and plastic laminate with a wood edge for a sophisticated look.
5 Install an island that works.
Beware of placing a bulky cube in the middle of the room. We like islands that have an open, airy look. Ideally, an island should be unencumbered by appliances, but if you want it to house a dishwasher-sink combo or a cooktop, try to maintain the light look of a leggy harvest table.
6 Don’t overdo the details.
Design accents such as pediments over stoves and plaster mouldings on cabinet fronts can represent decorative excess. Remember that the style of your kitchen should be compatible with the rest of your home.
7 Avoid maintenance nightmares.
Natural surfaces with inherent texture — slate, terra-cotta, brick and tumbled marble — are more difficult to clean but camouflage the odd crumb. Smooth surfaces in light colours, such as white laminate counters or ceramic floors, are easy to clean but show everything. And as much as we love stainless steel, it’s not easy to keep smudge-free.
8 Stick to basic appliances.
Instead of lots of appliances and gadgets, consider selecting a few reliable basics. For example, a commercial-quality stainless-steel range makes an interesting focal point and takes up less space than separate wall ovens and a cooktop.
9 Incorporate an adjacent dining room.
A clever design, plus the appropriate lighting and furniture, will let you adapt the room’s atmosphere to suit any occasion. Consider a banquette design combined with slipcovered chairs for an efficient use of space.
10 Add interest.
Your kitchen should reflect you, not look like a showroom. Before designing the space, search for a piece of unique furniture and use it in your design — a room full of floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall kitchen cabinets looks boring and uninspired.
When a prospective home buyer enters the home one of the items that will stick in his or her memory is the kitchen. Even though bathrooms are important and the landscaping will add to the curb appeal the kitchen remains extremely high on the priority list.
However, kitchens are an expensive renovation because every new innovation seems to cost more and, as old adage goes, “yesterday’s luxury is today’s necessity.” This is true for the dishwasher, modern range and refrigerator. So how do you remodel a kitchen to sell a home without using up all your profits in the attempt?
Number one of the list of desirable kitchen commodities is cabinets. But cabinets are very expensive to replace and there is a time delay in ordering them even if you do have the money. And would you get the extra money for the home with this big ticket expense? The other option is to refinish them.
Replacing and Refacing: For the most part the kitchen cabinets are the door. The rest of the cabinet only becomes visible when you see it from the sides and when the door is opened. Therefore replacing the doors and re-facing the cabinets can be an inexpensive solution and take a fraction of the time to achieve a great result.
To reface the cabinets you choose a veneer that would match the door you are ordering. The material is self-adhesive and goes on quite easily The matching doors have to be specially made to the measurements required and this these can take upward of a month to make. With installation the doors and the cabinet refacing would still cost around 1/3 of what replacing the cupboards would cost.
Painting: Check the new colors of the cabinets in your local home store. These colors can be bought in a melamine paint which can then be applied to the present cabinets for a beautiful new finish.
Hardware: Whatever you plan to do with the cabinets change out the hardware. This is not expensive and a trendy new design on the refinished cabinets will be like the chrome on a new car.
The kitchen countertop provides the work stations for the kitchen. Whatever cabinet color or material you choose the countertop will pull the whole kitchen design together. Therefore the when the prospective buyer sees the kitchen the countertops have to be perfect.
Now we all can’t afford to have natural stone countertops but too many people ignore changing out their countertops and concentrate on cabinets or flooring. They don’t see that a perfectly-good countertop to them is a plain eyesore to the buyer and just another item that will have to be changed out. Therefore see what designs will match your cabinets and look for a material that will suit it.
Rather than buying a new stainless sink get a modern set of faucets with a removable wand. The sink can be rejuvenated by rubbing it with a jeweler’s rouge compound. If you absolutely hate the sink then change it out. It’s not a huge cost and you will get a more modern look.
Laminate: Laminate is the “poor man’s countertop” but a good design with a well-crafted backsplash will gain attention. This is a cheap way for a new look and they are easily installed.
Tile: Many people don’t realize that a beautiful, inexpensive countertop can be made from applying granite or marble tile on the surface. Using small grout lines the surface will glow like a solid granite counter at about 25% of the price. Ceramic tile has a nice effect but it does not appeal to all people.
Tied in with a laminate or tile countertop the right ceramic tile backsplash will dazzle the buyer. There are so many designs to choose from and the tiling can be diagonally placed to break up the horizontal and vertical lines of the kitchen
When it comes to kitchen flooring ceramic tile is the best choice because it comes in such a variety of colors, and in multi-colors, that it fill fit with any cabinet-countertop combination. Cork is heralded as a wonderful product – and it is – but there are those who don’t like the looks of it so go for the common denominator on this one. Vinyl flooring has great designs too but be very picky if you choose this as, like a cheap laminate countertop, it can cheapen the kitchen.
There are usually very few spaces to paint in a kitchen but the concentration should be on tying the colors to the neighboring areas. For this you can bring pictures of the countertop and cabinets into the paint store to choose the best basic color.
When a buyer walks into the room and see the kitchen the right lighting can put a great face on almost any style of kitchen. So rather than trying to flood the whole space from one fixture or a three bright track-lights try lights in differing areas.. Under-the-cabinet lights are cheap and easy to install. They focus lights on the work areas. In addition, if there is wall space try sconces with a dimmer switch for a medium light. The overhead light can be an ornate fixture that, with the sconces and the hardware, gives a layered effect to the kitchen.
When it comes to home renovations, one plus one does not necessarily equal two. The money invested in improving your home will not always translate into an equivalent return in the selling price of your home. However, with planning it is possible to both increase the salability of your home and even profit from your home renovations.
Renovations do not have to be extensive or expensive to earn a high rate of return. In fact, one of the cheapest and simplest improvements yields one of the highest paybacks. According to a study (1999 Renovations and Home Value Survey) by the Appraisal Institute of Canada (AIC), a fresh coat of paint on interior walls returns an average 73 percent payback. So, a $1,500 paintjob could be expected to increase a home’s selling price by $2,625 (a $1,125 profit).
To maximize salability ensure that your new décor is modern and tasteful. Choose shades of white and tame versions of popular colours. Steer away from too many personal touches and custom work if you plan to re-sell. It is unlikely that your investment will be recouped and it may prevent the quick sale of your home. Also, try to keep renovations in harmony with the fashion of your neighbourhood.
The kitchen and bathroom are key areas to focus your renovation attentions. With average paybacks of 72 and 68 percent respectively, new fixtures, cabinets and tiles could be well worth the money and/or time and effort. The AIC’s study highlighted the top ten renovations and the average rate of return:
Interior painting and décor – 73%
Kitchen renovation – 72%
Bathroom renovation – 68%
Exterior paint – 65%
Flooring upgrades – 62%
Window/door replacement – 57%
Main floor family room addition – 51%
Fireplace addition – 50%
Basement renovation – 49%
Furnace/heating system replacement – 48%
According to another study (Prepare to Sell by HomeGain.com in California) smaller changes to a home can also reap hefty rewards. Any addition that brightens your home (such as new light fixtures) should be returned in the selling price by an average 84% of the cost of the renovation.
As an expert on home sales trends in your neighbourhood, your real estate Professional can suggest which areas of your home could benefit from renovation and increase its value and salability.
A successfully organized kitchen pantry depends on the same principles as all the other areas in your home that are to be organized. They all combat the same problem: The size of the space doesn’t match the amount of storage needed. The regular occupants of a kitchen pantry need to be regulated through the organizing system you use and through the size of the space they inhabit. For instance, when canned goods are stored willy-nilly on one shelf or another, it’s no wonder you can’t keep tabs on them. The pantry must be organized to ultimately create many smaller sections of space. This will keep all the items in a pantry — canned goods, spices, chips, dishes, pasta, flour, and the like — more visible, accessible, and controlled.
Items should be kept separate: soups from boxed cereals, spices from pastas, and so on. Each distinct and different category should be treated as a separate entity. You might try placing the items on the shelves in alphabetical order: all appetizers at one end and finishing with vegetables at the opposite end.
As for storing the items once they have been organized, there are many different options on the market.
Basket Drawers: As you contemplate various methods for reorganizing the space in the pantry you’ll probably review the “slide-out” type of basket drawer. These types of baskets are definite space savers and can hold plenty of items. The bottom of the baskets may need to have a piece of Lucite, cardboard, or plywood to provide a level surface. The slide-out drawer is useful for bagged or bulky items such as pasta or chips. Smaller, shallower baskets may provide better access for smaller containers of condiments or spices.
Stackable Bins: You might want to consider adding some stackable bins to the pantry, but they are advisable only for storing such bulk items as potatoes or dry beans. It’s fine to reach into the bin and grab a handful of potatoes, but this would hardly be acceptable if you wanted crackers and pulled out a box of cake mix instead! These bins are a good way to use the pantry’s floor space. Stackable shelving units may also work well in unused floor space. If you have enough space of the correct shape, the floor area of the pantry may also be the perfect spot for a recycling center or a miniature wine cellar.
Shelves and Racks: An innovative variation is the use of the corner for shelves. As in any closet space, the corner is not very useful. But in this case the shelving turns the corner into a productive, spacious place for many items. Divide existing shelf space in the pantry. This will double the amount of usable shelf space and make that shelf space a more manageable and functional storage area.
©2006 Publications International, Ltd. Store items in your pantry by category. A well-designed pantry can hold much more than food, including dishes and cookware.
Pantries, like laundry rooms, often serve double duty in the never ending search for storage space. There are various ways and means to perform this extra duty properly and efficiently. Some racks fit snugly and compactly to the side walls of a pantry, the inside of a cabinet door, or underneath a shelf. Examine the wide variety of racks that are available and decide if any meet your needs.
The pantry is also often the final resting place for extra sets of silverware, china, or stemware. The space inside the pantry can hold these items if you use various types of racks available at many stores. It’s also possible the pantry could supply the only storage area for cleaning supplies. If that is the case, an all-in-one portable cleaning cart is a prime example of effective, efficient use of space.
And what if you have no pantry at all? You can create your own by either purchasing a floor model unit or improvising one from an existing cabinet.
Though many items may compete for pantry space, you can fit them all through wise planning and judicious compromises. Keeping a neat pantry is simple, as long as you know which containers to employ and the range of storage options available to you.
©Publications International, Ltd.
A kitchen makeover can add to the value of your home and make your time cooking more efficient and enjoyable. There are lots of reasons to update your kitchen, but beyond the siren call of the glossy design magazines and those shiny appliances you’ve been eyeing at the local appliance store, there are some lurking pitfalls and design gotchas that you should be aware of.
We came up with 10 common kitchen design mistakes and offer some suggestions on how to avoid them. The good news is that most of these problems are easy to avoid if you do a little planning.
One of the biggest complaints about kitchen design is the lack of countertops. You want your countertops to be decorative, but they have to be functional, too. When updating your kitchen, make sure that you have enough countertop workspace by evaluating how you use your countertops now and planning for your future needs. The amount of space you need will be specific to your circumstances and will vary with the size limitations of your room and budget
In interior design, the kitchen triangle links the three areas of greatest activity: the sink, stove and refrigerator. There should be unobstructed access to and from all three of these locations. Of the three, the sink will see the most action and should have easy access to the stove and refrigerator, as well as your countertop workstations. Narrow aisles, inconvenient door swings and islands that cut off direct access to these key areas make kitchens less efficient and less convenient. When you’re in the design stages, a few extra steps may not seem like much, but after a few hundred trips around a jutting island corner, you’ll start to feel differently.
Kitchen storage is prime real estate. It’s tempting to place your design dollar where it will give you some real visual payback, like flooring, countertops or beautiful appliances. The work-a-day life of a kitchen includes lots of tools that contribute to preparing and serving meals. A big part of the enjoyment of your kitchen will be how accessible these labor-saving items are. If you have to go out to the garage every time you want to use your wok, fryer or waffle iron instead of having them available at your fingertips, you may start to feel cheated, especially after the newness of all those shiny, expensive surfaces has worn off.
The prospect of installing a kitchen island offers a tantalizing promise of additional storage, prep and serving space in the kitchen, but choosing the wrong island or placing it in the wrong spot can be a disaster. Remember that the kitchen is a work area, and anything that gets in the way of working efficiently is going to be a problem. Islands that obstruct the flow of traffic to and from the sink, refrigerator, stove and primary workstations will create bottlenecks and big hassles. One solution is to add a sink or stove to the island and make it part of the functional kitchen triangle. Another is to position the island so that it has lots of space around it and doesn’t impede foot traffic.
Rooms generally need three types of lighting: general lighting for overall illumination, task lighting, and accent lighting. As you evaluate the work areas in your kitchen, start to focus on how you’ll provide each spot with the light it needs. Most kitchens have general lighting that’s provided by an overhead fixture together with natural light from a window or ambient light contributed by a fixture in an adjoining room. Where many kitchen design strategies fail is in not providing enough task lighting. Prep areas, the sink and the stove should all have dedicated task lighting. The locations for these fixtures should be identified before you begin work because they’ll require electrical service.
If you’ve ever walked into someone’s home and smelled last night’s fish tacos lingering on the stale air, you’ll understand the importance of good ventilation. Inexpensive range hoods simply circulate dirty, stale air, trapping large particulates in simple onboard filters. A good ventilation system will help improve the quality of your indoor air and also help keep your kitchen cleaner by venting odors and airborne grease particles from the house that would otherwise land on your cabinets, countertops and appliances or travel to other rooms. Good ventilation will also help to extend the life of your appliances.
Dealing with trash in kitchen design has often been a matter of sticking a bin near an outside door or under the sink. These days, with the advent of recycling, there’s more to refuse than meets the eye. Planning for your trash management needs involves a four-pronged approach. You’ll almost certainly have a standard garbage disposal, possibly a trash compactor and also an area in which to place kitchen scraps and packaging destined for the weekly trash pick-up. You’ll need space for recyclables, too
When you undertake a major kitchen redesign, a good rule of thumb is that the cost of the design shouldn’t exceed 20 percent of the value of your home. In a challenging real estate market, a new, shiny kitchen may mean the difference between selling and not selling your home quickly. Another budgetary consideration you should keep in mind – you will only remodel your kitchen once, so make sure you don’t cut out what youreally want to keep the price down. Most likely, you will not like the outcome, and remodel your kitchen again the way you wanted it the first time.
So, you’ve decided on a style, evaluated your space and settled on a budget. Now you’re ready to get started, right? Well, not quite. One other thing you should consider is the fickle nature of fate. Pomegranate may be the most stylish color around this season, but chances are that in five years, those luscious red hues are going to look garish and dated. Most trendy designs have a short half-life, and when they’re out, they’re really out. Where kitchen design is concerned, wood finishes and trims, countertop colors and materials, flooring styles and just about everything else can be an expression of the current fashion. Even if you’re sure that red will be your favorite color forever, your circumstances may change and when you move, the new owners may not share your passion.
Moving from the planning stages to the actual work may involve some inconvenience and expense, but if you’ve done your homework, the rewards of a good kitchen redesign should be worth the effort. To ensure your success, be sure to decide on a plan and stick with it. Changing your mind once the work has begun can be expensive and usually results in more than a few unexpected and frustrating glitches.
One of the best things you can do for yourself and your kitchen is to pick a contractor who has lots of experience with kitchen design. It also helps if you can communicate with him/her easily and feel comfortable with their professional style. Just to be sure you have the right company, check previous work by asking for references and check with the Better Business Bureau in your area.