Kitchen Remodeling Tips

Tips for a Better Kitchen

March 13, 2013

In a lot of homes, more living occurs in the kitchen than in the living room. The kitchen is a place to do homework, to prepare and eat meals, and often a place to visit. For that reason, the kitchen is one of the most talked about areas of the home when it comes to home remodeling.

Below are some tips to consider when revisiting your kitchen space in preparation for a remodel.

1. Make the Kitchen Fit You
Do you use your kitchen for work often? If so, why not create a little desk area within it so that you don’t have to worry about cluttering up the kitchen table all of the time? Many people use their kitchens for many functions, particularly if the kitchen is a large and well-lit space. If this is the case for you, make your kitchen fit the needs you want it to have.

Also be aware of who uses the kitchen and how. If you have small children who often want to be at the kitchen table, for example, you will want a low table. It seems like a no-brainer, but many people get wrapped up in a design idea and totally forget to plan ahead for the ways that the kitchen is realistically going to be used. If your kids hang out at the table a lot now, there’s no reason to think their desire to do so is going to evaporate from a re-design in the kitchen.

2. Plan for the Long Term
A kitchen remodel is a huge undertaking. Don’t put yourself through the experience of a remodel just to want to go back and do it all again in a few years! Think ahead by planning a design that you know you’ll love long term. And, when you’re picking out your materials and new appliances, go for quality products. You may spend a little more upfront than you had intended, but one stove now that will last a decade is a lot more economical in the long run than a stove now and another in a few years.

3. Think About Ventilation
The kitchen first and foremost is, after all, a place where food is prepared. Keep this in mind when you’re planning your kitchen layout. You’ll want the stove near a window so that the smells of a meal can waft outside if you need them to, and you’ll want to be able to put a fan over the stove should a smoky situation arise.

4. Don’t Forget The Cabinets
So much goes on in the kitchen that we often fail to remember that we keep a great deal of stuff in the kitchen. There is no room where storage is more important than the kitchen, and don’t forget it in your remodel! Kitchen cabinetry is a huge contributor to the efficiency of the space. Plan cabinets that are going to help boot your workflow in the kitchen, not hinder it.