The kitchen is the heart of the home where your loved ones come together, share recipes and wonderful memories, so renovating this room is a worthwhile investment that will serve you well into the future. American Dream Realty Team says it is important to make sure your kitchen upgrade works well with your lifestyle, has a suitable layout, fits with your cooking and baking routines, has appliances you enjoy using, storage for all your needs and suits your personal style and budget. Here are a few tips to think about:
Choose your appliances and sink early
Once you know your cooking, entertaining, washing and food preservation needs, SMS Appliances can help you choose the right appliances and Certified Mechanical can ensure they stay in top condition. Your appliances and sink should be selected early in the design process as they influence cabinetry breaklines and the overall design of the kitchen. Appliances should match with available spaces and be in harmony with finishes, benchtops and joinery. Whatever the size of your sink, whether it is undermount or a drop-in, there are many materials to choose from including porcelain, stainless steel and cast iron. Know how much use your sink gets and how often it is thoroughly cleaned. If you are tougher on it, select a stainless steel sink as it is easier to keep clean.
Large, durable countertops are necessary
Replacing scratched, scorched, stained or unattractive countertops will transform any kitchen. There are dozens of surfaces available from natural-stone and renewable acrylic sheets to quartz composites and tinted concrete. Countertops are available in dozens of colors, patterns and textures to satisfy any design. The best material for your countertops depends on factors including whether you want a certain color or appearance, durability strength, a particular stain and scratch-resistance, as well as your budget. If you cook frequently, you need more counter space than those who cook less often. You may also want to include two countertop heights if you want children to be involved in meal preparation.
The backsplash expresses your personality
The main purpose of a kitchen backsplash is to protect the walls from liquids and serve as a decor focal point. This section of wall between the countertop and cabinets is where you can express your personality and define the style of your cooking space. From clean minimalist to chic vintage, there are countless design options to choose from for your backsplash. Whether subway tiles, glass, metal, stone, mosaic, embossed ceramic or beadboard paneling, your backsplash should blend with existing décor. Choose something that reflects your style, but is also widely appealing and easy to maintain so it doesn’t turn off buyers when you put the house on the market.
Cabinets create organization with style
Your choice in cabinets are important for storage and organization, but also influence the character and style of your kitchen. There are many companies offering standard kitchen cabinets in various styles and sizes or you can have a manufacturer design and create bespoke units to fit your room. Cabinets have a structural role with supporting worktops and providing storage and appliance housing which impact a kitchens performance and longevity. Avoid boring, heavy blocks of doors and drawers by adding interesting details such as glass doors and display shelves. Consider pull-out drawers as they make it easy to access items you need. Whether sleek contemporary or classic shaker style cabinets, strike a balance between style and structural support.
Floors are a main design feature
Kitchen floors have to be durable to withstand wear and tear from a large amount of foot traffic, need to recover from spills and stains and are a design statement. There are a variety of floor materials, colors and textures available today so your choices are nearly endless and the floor you choose affects every other design element in your kitchen. Consider the kitchen’s size, existing colors, textures and patterns and choose a floor to complement this. If you spend hours on your feet whipping up recipes consider floors with a bit of softness and resilience. To minimize time spent on maintenance, choose a material that’s easy to clean, water resistant and not prone to staining.
Lighting and windows brighten your space
Installing the right lighting in your kitchen will bring out the best in your kitchen design. Besides improving overall visibility, proper lighting makes it quicker and easier to put away or retrieve items in cabinets and can make a kitchen look larger. Consider everything from fixture and function to type of light bulb as it all affects the atmosphere in your room. Selecting the right windows can also open up and brighten your kitchen space which is one of the most humid rooms in the house because of cooking and dishwashing. So choose operable windows you can open to let out the smoke and steam to cool down the room.
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