When you make a plan to remodel your kitchen, you are making an investment in your future. You will be surprised to know that most people spend most of their time while awake in the kitchen. It is the kitchen where you cook, eat, and socialize with the family.
There is absolutely no doubt about the fact that an improvement project for kitchen is always top priority in any family. Updating your kitchen gives people a feeling of being a part of the modern society. However, remodeling your kitchen can be a very daunting task as it can take an extended period of time to finish.
Proper planning is absolutely mandatory when you are remodeling your kitchen.
First of all, you need to decide whether you are going to do the work yourself or you will hire a professional designer or contractor. This option is completely up to the individual homeowners.
Many homeowners find that working with a designer or contractor really helps to take some of the “guess work” out of the kitchen remodeling process. They are also a great resource for information about the numerous options and upgrades for your kitchen-remodeling project. Take advantage of their knowledge and utilize this resource!
To get started, you should prepare a rough sketch of your ideas so that you can make sure that the designs and costs are within your budget and proportionate to your functional requirements. If you are using the help of a contractor, you can show the contractor these sketches to better explain exactly what you need and want to change in your kitchen.
While you are planning, you should also make a note of your objectives with respect to your future kitchen. Take some time to look at the newly launched products in the market, such as countertops, cabinets, flooring and appliances. If you have not remodeled your kitchen in a while, there will be many new options for you to choose from.
For example, the current trend is to choose lighter colored cabinets because the lighter colors give a brighter ambience and make the room look larger. As far as appliances are concerned, stainless steel seems to be the top choice these days. Vinyl or wood flooring is at the top of the list in the market when considering flooring options.
When considering changes in the structure of the kitchen areas, you should always consider if you need to move the walls or the doorways, or if you are in need of a new kitchen island. You may also want to consider moving the kitchen island to another area or placing the kitchen island at a different angle to allow better functional movement in the kitchen.
If you have sought the help of a professional designer, you need to be aware of the idea of a “working triangle”. When designing a new kitchen, or when you make changes to an existing kitchen, you should have a working triangle. The sink, stove, and the refrigerator are the three points of this triangle.
Your sketches should include this aspect, as it is the basis for a functional kitchen. Be sure to allow enough room for walking and provide a space for eating your breakfast and family meals. You could make use of a small table or a kitchen island, with enough space to place some chairs as well.
Finally, be sure to take into consideration the location of the electrical outlets and the gas pipes for the stove to determine if you need to relocate these items. In fact, how to plan your kitchen remodeling can be fun when are well organized and well acquainted with the procedures.