Quick Design tips for your Kitchen
Are you working in a kitchen that is dark and long overdue for a facelift? While a remodel may seem overwhelming, a well organized plan will keep a construction inconvenience to a minimum. First, we will need to pin down a few questions.
Do you love your kitchen but need a few small updates such as new countertops and cabinet hardware?
What is your kitchen used for? Baking? Eat-in space?
What is your wish list? More countertop space? Additional storage?
What is your style?
When planning your space you first want to consider the work flow. Are you right-handed or left-handed? Do you prefer to load the dishwasher to the right of the sink or left? Depending on how your kitchen is currently set up you may need to relocate some plumbing lines. This will add cost to the project, but will be much appreciated in the long run.
Consider taller upper cabinets. Typically, wall cabinets are 30” high but you can increase this to 42” or, stack a smaller cabinet above the 30” giving your kitchen added height as your eye is drawn upward. A few accent cabinets with glass doors and interior lights will add interest and allow you to show of those dishes from your grandmother that have been collecting dust in a closet. You may want to also finish the interior of the cabinet in a contrasting finish to give this additional depth.
Organization is the key!!! Including trash can pullouts, sliding shelves and drawer dividers will keep everything in the correct place and allow you to access things, when you need them. I especially love the trash can pullouts and the convenience of it being hidden. The sliding shelves bring the back of the cabinets, that are typically hard to reach, out to a point where you can utilize the entire space.
Selecting a countertop is the final step and is sometimes the most difficult decision. Laminate is the most affordable and has the most colors to choose from. It is durable and can last many years. However, it does have many draw backs such as chipping, melting and scratching. There will be seams in the surface which could swell if water rests on it. Laminate could melt if a hot pot is set directly on the surface.
Solid surface, such as Corian, is a nice product that runs nearly 5 times the cost of laminate but is seamless and somewhat heat resistant. Quarts and Granite are the most expensive but will outlast the test of time. Granite is a beautiful creation taken directly out of the earth and polished. Granite can have a large swirl and very large pattern. It is pitted and will need to be sealed. After years of use, it may also need to be re-polished. Quarts combines’ natural stone fragments with epoxy resin binders that create a material that is free from maintaince. This product is virtually resistant to scratches and does not need to be sealed because it is not a porous material.
Whatever your wish list includes, we enjoy planning a space that fits your needs, your wants and your personality.
