Tips For Kitchen Remodels

Before you embark on the kitchen remodeling project of your dreams, it’s important to think long and hard about your budget. Everyone’s budget will be different, and while you may not be able to deck your kitchen out in rare marble from Egypt, there are many affordable ways to turn your kitchen into a lovely oasis.

Most kitchen remodels will cost around 10 to 15 percent of your home’s current value. While this may seem high, keep in mind that your kitchen is the centerpiece of your home. It’s where your family comes to eat dinner every night and where you celebrate birthdays each year. It’s where you host block parties and bake cookies every Christmas morning. It’s a wise investment that will pay off the minute you decide to sell your home.

Before you sign the dotted line with a kitchen renovation company, it’s important that you ensure you have a realistic plan in place for your new kitchen. If it doesn’t meet all of your needs from the get-go, you may want to speak to your contractor about other renovation options.

Consider the tips below when thinking about how to redesign your kitchen:

• If you love cooking, the kitchen is your landscape. To streamline things in the cooking and baking process, consider keeping a straight-line distance of 10 to 25 feet between the sink, refrigerator, and cooktop.
• Your sink’s location in the kitchen may ultimately depend on your pre-existing plumbing lines. If you have the choice, however, it is recommended that you position the sink between two major kitchen appliances.

If counter space is tight in your kitchen and you wish you had a little extra storage for those pots and pans that Aunt Alice gave you, you may want to consider installing a kitchen island. These days, there are several different types of island designs on the market, and your local kitchen remodeling contractor will be able to introduce you to trending styles in your area.

It’s important to note that no two kitchen islands are alike. If you install an oversized kitchen island, you could block off the traffic flow of your kitchen, making it hard to navigate when you have family over for holidays, birthday parties, or Sunday dinner. On the other side of the coin, if your kitchen island is too small for your space, you may not get the storage space or counter space you truly wanted.

You spend a lot of time in your kitchen executing important tasks. From cooking family meals to sending out birthday invitations and playing card games, your kitchen is the social center of your house. This makes adequate and functional lighting a must. If you have a good amount of natural light in your kitchen, whether it be windows, skylights, or glass doors, this is a huge plus. Not only is natural light an easy (and affordable) way to illuminate your home, but studies show that more exposure to the sun, or Vitamin D, can also do wonders for your mood.

If visibility in your kitchen is a bit more on the dark side and you’re looking for a way to add more light, consider looking at some decorative recessed ceiling fixtures. To illuminate your kitchen island, consider hanging pendants. Chandeliers work well in dining areas, and come in an array of modern, temporary, and traditional styles. To add subtle illumination to your kitchen, you may also want to look into under-cabinet lighting for a fun effect.

With so many details in the kitchen renovation process, most homeowners forget about planning for power sources. You may want a new, state-of-the-art refrigerator that can call your grandpa and Google a chicken casserole recipe at the same time, or maybe you’re all about installing that new gas stove so you can have more control over your Gordon Ramsey skills. Whatever the case may be, the likelihood of your new appliances staying in the same place is rare, so make sure you plan out power sources with your kitchen contractor before construction begins.

If you watch any of those popular home renovation shows on TV, you already know the buzzword “backsplash.” The backsplash is a panel that is often found behind a sink or stove, which is used to protect the wall from splashes (whether it be pasta sauce, olive oil, or chicken noodle soup). If you’re not sure what kind of backsplash to install in your kitchen, you can choose the same material as your countertops for a uniform appearance. Backsplashes can add amazing design and texture to your kitchen space, and it’s something many people look for when buying a home.

Your kitchen cabinets are a huge focal point of the space. Most kitchen remodels involve repurposing or installing brand new cabinets. Some questions to ask yourself include:

• Am I happy with my current kitchen cabinets?
• Do I like the finish of my cabinets or do I want a different stain or color?
• Are my cabinets providing the storage space I need for my kitchenware?
• Are my cabinets installed in convenient spaces that allow me to easily navigate my kitchen?
  
  

If you’re looking for a local kitchen cabinet contractor that offers services in Fresno and Clovis, contact the professionals at J & J Quality Construction Inc. today. We design, build, and install custom cabinets locally, and we’re passionate about creating cabinets that are as beautiful as they are functional.