It has become the most popular room in a home; one that is used to gather family members, friends, guests, and even our furry loved ones. This is especially true as our connectivity and entertainment has been made mobile.
While Dad follows a recipe on his iPad, the kids stream videos on their phones and Mom catches up on email from her laptop—all within the confines of a kitchen island. That’s why more and more homeowners are looking to update their kitchens to achieve better functionality, maximum comfort, and an eye-pleasing design.
Whether you are a DIYer or prefer to call in the experts, a kitchen remodel can take a lot out of you—a lot of time, money, and energy.
To help keep the process as streamlined as possible, we’ve put together some tips on how to approach the massive project of renovating your kitchen.
Consider hiring a kitchen designer.
Though this might not be a step that is in everyone’s plan (or budget, for that matter), partnering with a kitchen designer who understands your needs and vision can take a lot of the legwork out of your renovation.
After all, designers make a living off of predicting new trends, understanding the innovation taking place within the appliance industry, and listening to what a client wants.
Word-of-mouth tends to be the best way to get tipped off to a great local designer, so feel free to ask your friends, co-workers, and neighbors if they have any recommendations.
Identify the scope of the job.
Are you looking to upgrade your appliances and paint your cupboards? Or are we talking about a massive demo-then-rebuild kind of overtaking?
Though you may decide to make more changes once you’re in the thick of it, it’s still a good idea to have a grasp on the entire scope of the project. This will help dictate your timeline, cost, and range of freedom when it comes your layout.
Know your specs.
Whether or not you pull someone in to help from the get-go, you’re going to need an accurate understanding of your space. Though kitchens can be reconfigured (talking about that demo-and-rebuild project mentioned above), you still need to know the exact dimensions of your areas.
If you aren’t looking to overhaul your plumbing and electric, it’s likely that you’ll want your new appliances to go in a similar place as your existing ones, so be sure to take thorough measurements so you don’t end up with a refrigerator that doesn’t quite fit (*facepalms*) or not enough space to pull out corner drawers.
Look for inspiration.
Different things inspire us. It could be a song, a quote, or even the taste of a great dish.
However, when it comes to our kitchens, we are typically influenced by visuals. That’s why it’s important to do your research when it comes to certain aesthetics, brands, and product lines.
Using social media—mainly Instagram and Pinterest in this case—can help give you ideas as to what kinds of configurations, color schemes, or appliances may work within your space.
We recommend following @aitoroappliance (obviously!) and the accounts of some of our favorite brands, designers, and home magazines we follow to see what’s popping up in kitchens around the country.
You can also follow @liketoknow.it.home, which showcases different bloggers’ kitchens and allows you to see which products are in the photo just by “liking” or taking a screenshot of a post.
Ask the experts.
When it comes to appliances, we know our stuff. That’s why we’ve dedicated ourselves to highlighting the latest in kitchen appliances throughout our 12,000-square-foot showroom.
We really want our customers to touch, feel, and experience the products that they will likely use on a daily basis in their own homes, so we take the time to understand budgets, cooking habits, and desired design concepts.
Come in and visit us anytime!
Remember that it’s supposed to be fun.
In our opinion, this is the most important step of all. We know that any kind of home renovation is stressful. Even though it can feel messy (figuratively and literally) at times, try to remember that the whole process is a way for you to express yourself and better serve the needs of your family,
In the end, you’ll have a home that works for you—and you’ll probably have increased the value of your house, too!