1. Determine a kitchen layout that suits your needs
Have you ever found yourself in the kitchen at a house party or on vacation? It’s safe to say that the kitchen is the heart of the home and in the last 50 years the kitchen has moved from the back of the house to the center of attention. Once a dead end in the home, the contemporary kitchen application is often found in a “great room” setting that promotes a home’s open floor plan. Although the kitchen’s modern appeal has made it a social gathering space, one thing remains the same:
Most of us are probably familiar with the work triangle. This refers to the optimal relationship between the sink, stove, and refrigerator, with a separation of no more than 6 feet. A proper “working triangle” is designed to reduce unnecessary steps while cooking in the kitchen.
2. Use quality materials.
Cabinets provide the heart and soul of the kitchen and also help set the tone and style for your entire home. Whether you prefer a traditional look or a contemporary kitchen, the drawer fronts and cabinet doors you choose accentuate the beauty of the kitchen and also determine much of its durability. It is essential to consider both aesthetics, including color and style, as well as the function and resistance of the material. As an important part of the kitchen budget, balancing beauty, durability, and cost are vital to a successful cabinet choice.
Although there are a multitude of different cabinet materials available, solid hardwoods, wood veneers, and synthetics are currently the most popular.
Common Solid Hardwoods:
Alder – This solid wood remains popular due to its lower cost, wide range of stain colors available, and subtle grain appearance. Alder’s natural walnut brown undertones allow you to take on a stain similar to a light colored maple, a dark walnut, or even a red cherry. It is a softer wood within the hardwood category, so it is not as hard. Excellent budget option for raised panel stained wood with a high-end look in rustic and traditional kitchen styles.
This solid hardwood maintains its popularity due to its great versatility of use along with its reasonable cost. Subtle grain and natural nutty brown undertones open up alder to a variety of stain options. Well-stained alder can have the appearance of many other types of wood, including light-colored maple, dark walnut, or even a red cherry. Alder is a bit softer than other hardwoods, so it may not be as resistant to wear and tear. Overall a great budget option for decorative raised paneling, stained wood provides a high-end finished look that’s best suited to rustic and traditional kitchen styles.
Alamo: Good economic option for painted kitchen. Difficult to dye due to natural green undertones. Softer end of the hardwood spectrum, less durable than a maple, oak, and slightly softer than alder. For the French country-style white kitchen, painted poplar will give the same look as maple at a lower cost, but it won’t resist notching. Typically used for high-end painted accent trim such as white wainscoting and crown molding in traditional and country French kitchens.
Cherry: High-end material choice that has good durability and a deep red undertone. Often found in refined, formal traditional kitchens. Alder is an inexpensive substitute that will achieve the same refined appearance at the sacrifice of durability.
Maple A very hard wood with a smooth grain pattern. This material can take on a natural stain, dark stain, or retain paint with a high level of durability. The cost is higher than poplar as a paint grade alternative and alder as a stain grade alternative, but maple will hold up better over the long term.
Wood veneers – Most of the woods commonly used for hardwood doors are available in thin sheets called veneers that are applied over resin particleboard or MDF (medium density fiberboard). This type of door construction achieves a clean look with a natural wood finish often found in contemporary kitchens. A kitchen cabinet door cannot resist warping when made in a flat, wide style, so a wood veneer is used to create the look of a solid wood door without losing stability. When selecting specific veneer wood, hardness plays a big factor in long-term durability. Maple and cherry are the strongest, while alder and poplar are the softest or least durable. The cost is often quite comparable to a solid raised panel door of similar wood species.
Synthetics – The process is similar to that of the wood veneer mentioned above, except that the veneer material is a PVC substance that generally has more durability and lower cost. It is often used in utility commercial and residential applications. applications such as garages and laundry rooms.
3. Decide whether to paint or stain
The debate continues, paint or stain! I’ll leave my biases out of this one (although stain is easier to maintain, paint is often preferred) and list the main pros and cons:
- stain
- Colors come in a variety of shades.
- Repair and touch-ups are easier. It’s easier to keep your cabinets looking good for a long time.
- Less expensive and fewer steps.
- Aging or glazing facilitate maintenance.
- Great choice for the do-it-yourselfer.
- to paint
- Probably the most popular look among homeowners.
- More process steps to dye and more expensive to finish.
- Touch-ups can be difficult.
- Refinishing often requires professionals to match existing colors.
- On average 10-12% more expensive than stain ($2,000 more on a $20,000 kitchen package).
4. Choose the right colors
This may seem like the simplest thing to do in a kitchen remodel, but choosing the right colors can bring harmony to a room or create the wrong impression. In basic color theory, colors have different meanings and are generally stimulating or relaxing. Here is a list of the colors of the rainbow and their meanings:
- Red: Stimulating/Increases Appetite
- Orange: Stimulating / Increases Appetite
- Yellow: Stimulating/ Increases Appetite
- Green: Relaxing/Balancing
- Blue: Relaxing/Decreases Appetite
- Indigo: Relaxing/Decreases Appetite
- Purple: Balancing/Relaxing/Decreases Appetite
The kitchen should be a combination of calming and uplifting colors. It is difficult to work in a kitchen that is too relaxing but at the same time should not be too stimulating to leave you hungry.
5. Break the horizontal line
Stagger the height, length, and depth of wall cabinets. Horizontal lines on the top and bottom row of cabinets can make a kitchen look stark and static. A break from the horizontal line can give your kitchen remodel an updated look.
6. Build bridges, not walls. Islands and peninsulas are the new kitchen walls
In the last 30 years or so, the open floor plan has become increasingly popular, and the function of a great room (containing kitchen, dining room, and living room) is becoming the norm. Many remodels we have done in the past have been transforming compartmentalized floor plans into a contemporary open floor plan by tearing down the barrier walls between the kitchen and living room. Instead of walls defining the edges of the kitchen, peninsulas and islands provide a better alternative. They keep the kitchen from visually spilling over into other spaces and also allow the cook to maintain conversational and eye contact with family members and guests.
7. Find a creative contractor with experience and realistic ideas.
There is no single approach to kitchen remodeling (or home remodeling in general). That’s why it’s important to find a contractor who has access to designers capable of creating unique solutions specific to your kitchen needs. One popular model that contractors are beginning to use is the design/build model.
Traditional remodels typically involve an architect or designer, an engineer, and a general contractor. The design/build model combines all three in one convenient package. Letting a company oversee your kitchen remodeling project saves you money and headaches. Additionally, a creative contractor will offer practical design solutions that would otherwise have been overlooked.
One example is creative use of the existing kitchen footprint, saving money on flooring, plumbing, and other minor expenses, allowing the money to spread out over larger features of the kitchen remodel.
8. Select the right kitchen countertop
Countertops are important to your kitchen because they can help give your kitchen a distinctive tone that represents your lifestyle. If you’ve been searching, you probably already know that there are numerous alternatives to granite or laminate.
9. Selection of the right kitchen sink
Kitchen remodels are everything AND the kitchen sink. When it comes to the kitchen sink, function often trumps looks. Sinks come in a variety of styles, but it’s important to consider how you plan to use your kitchen sink. It is also important to choose a sink suitable for the size of your kitchen.
It is recommended for kitchens under 150 square feet to use a standard 22×24 inch. single bowl. For larger kitchens, there are multiple bowl options and it is often recommended to consider a secondary bar sink if there will be multiple cooks in the kitchen.
10. Light your kitchen properly
What good is the perfect kitchen remodel if you can’t SEE its features? If you are lucky enough to be located near the windows, use them! There is nothing better than natural lighting. But what about at night or in cases where you don’t have windows? That’s when using a combination of ambient, task, and natural lighting comes in handy.
Pendant lights are typically used as task lighting over a kitchen island or peninsula. They serve as a perfect design element that accentuates the tone of your kitchen.
Undermount lighting is a great way to add lightness to otherwise bare areas in your kitchen. They are a great way to accentuate features in your kitchen, like a special tile backsplash or glassware.
Recessed lighting is by far the most popular way to light a kitchen. It has become a standard lighting option in contemporary homes.