Remodeling a kitchen is a major undertaking, and there are many decisions to be made. Based on our experience renovating thousands of kitchens locally, we have compiled a list of essential kitchen remodeling considerations to guide you through the process.
Design
When planning a home remodeling project, the layout of the design is one of the most important factors to consider. The amount of work required will be reduced if you plan to keep the same or similar layout, especially in the kitchen. A complete redesign, on the other hand, will necessitate rerouting utilities and, in this case, additional permits and labor.
Among the main issues to consider would be the usage of gas or propane, or the conversion of supply pipes if you buy new appliances. Other things to plan for include appropriate voltage for large and small appliances, appropriate lighting above common task areas, ceiling and cabinet lighting. Your newly designed layout should provide you with a good plan to reroute the electrical wiring.
Other important plumbing considerations, such as proper sink and dishwasher functionality, must be planned ahead of time. Since supply and waste pipes are normally shared by both, it makes the most sense to keep them in close proximity. Altering waste pipes is no easy task and it will most likely require you to notify a local building inspector.
Appliance Size and Type
Designing a kitchen requires for many appliance size and type decisions, one of them being the decision between a free-standing range and a cooktop/wall oven combination. Attached to either option, you will also need to decide between fuel source options being gas, electric, or a dual-fuel configuration.
Ventilation is another appliance that is presented in a variety of ways, including wall-mounted or island hoods, or a downdraft ventilation system. An important feature to keep an eye on is for the fan’s ability to circulate air, measured in CFM (cubic feet per minute).
Refrigerators also come not only in a variety of sizes but are also installed in a few different ways. The most common and cost-effective of your options is free-standing, but you can also opt for a built-in refrigerator or a beautiful fully-integrated one.
Among other common appliances to consider are dishwashers, which were shortly mentioned at the beginning of this article in relationship to plumbing. Dishwashers are commonly available in similar options to refrigerators. An important factor to keep in mind is how loud they are. Rather keep it on the quiet end? Then search for a measure of 45 decibels or less.
Cabinet Design Balance and Appliance Clearance
Once your cabinets are installed you’ll be looking at them quite a lot, which calls for a little bit of creative imagination and variety as you design. Mixing up cabinet sizes, glass and solid doors is a great way to go about it.
Functionality is the main issue to contemplate as you go about designing any room, particularly kitchens. Among the things to contemplate are having enough space adjacent to the stove, the direction in which doors open, how easy it will be to reach items inside the cabinets, leaving enough room for crown moldings, and making sure that appliance clearance matches the size of your actual appliances.
Budget, budget, budget!
Lastly, one of the most important things to consider is your budget. When we begin to envision your dream kitchen, it is easy to go overboard with the amount of features we’d like to incorporate and forget about the budget for a second or two. However, there are multiple ways to save money and stay within your budget, including cabinet selection, lighting choices and even parts of the project that some may choose to go about “DIY’ style, like when it comes to demo.
Consulting with the experts is always the best way to be pointed in the direction of savings, both in the short and long term. The best approach is to plan ahead and not wait until the last minute. Taking the time to buy appliances and cabinets when they go on sale, finding a deal on hardware and opting for energy efficient items are among the things that ad up and end up saving money.
Now that you’ve got a better idea of the steps involved in planning a successful kitchen remodel, it’s probably time to start planning your own! After being in business for more than 12 years and serving thousands of local customers, we can proudly say that we’ve seen it all.
Looking to get started? Let’s schedule an obligation-free meeting and we’ll discuss your needs.
