10 Key Points to Remember When Remodeling Your Kitchen

When about to embark upon remodeling the most complicated and expensive room in your home – your kitchen – it is important to be as educated as possible.  With careful planning, and knowledge of the things to be aware of before you begin your project, you can avoid the common kitchen-remodel blunders, and successfully achieve your desired outcome.

At Hunt Design Centre we are happy to walk you through this process from beginning to end, and provide you with the necessary education to feel confident in making your final decisions.  A few key points to think about in the meantime are:

1. Make sure to allocate funds appropriately and proportionally to your overall budget.
   Prioritize all elements of your kitchen remodel and allocate funds accordingly.  Cabinetry and flooring are the foundation of your kitchen remodel, and the most difficult to change down the road, so make sure not to scrimp on these purchases.
2. Be sure to maintain aesthetic continuity with the remainder of the house.
   With so many more trends, and possibilities than ever before, it is important to make sure that when choosing your cabinetry, you choose cabinetry that is in-line with the style and architecture of the rest of the house.
3. Make sure to do your research when deciding on your contractor. The right contractor can be
   the difference between a successful project and a disaster.  Getting multiple quotes and requesting references from each proponent are both acceptable and advised.
4. Is your kitchen too trendy?
   Design magazines and the internet can be great resources for inspiration, just keep in mind that many of these images you see are staged to photograph well, and aren’t always designed with function and timeless design top of mind.  Ask your designer about styles and finishes that tend not to date themselves as quickly as others.
5. Is your kitchen functional for you?
   Make sure to take stock of everything you need to store in your kitchen, and how you intend to store it.  Furthermore, consider how you like to move and work in your kitchen, and make sure your layout coincides with those requirements.
6. Are you maximizing your usable space?
   Whether your kitchen has high ceilings or low ceilings, it is recommended to terminate your upper cabinets at the ceiling – this will create the illusion that your kitchen is larger than it actually is, as well, it will eliminate the open space above cabinets that is prone to collecting dust and clutter.
7. Have you incorporated adequate ambient and task lighting?
   With multiple types of task lighting at various price points, strongly consider outfitting your cabinets with under cabinet lighting, and strategically place ceiling fixtures to maximize light throughout the space?
8. Is repositioning appliances and/or plumbing a possibility?
   When deciding to move any major elements from their existing positions, make sure that it is possible to move plumbing, ventilation and/or electrical to their new locations, and at what cost?
9. Is their power where you need it?
   Since your trades will already be on site, but sure to have electrical outlets where you’ll be doing work that requires power.  It will be much less expensive at this time to add and/or move receptacles, that is will once the renovation is complete.
10. Plan landing space.
    Allow a minimum of 15” of countertop on each side of the stove, to either side of the refrigerator, and adjacent to the microwave