It's exciting to remodel your kitchen, but don't go into the project with your eyes closed. Kitchen remodeling is an investment, and you want to make sure you do it right. You may not want to hear these truths about kitchen remodeling while you're in the starry-eyed, dreamy phase, but they'll save you a lot of hassle in the long run if you take them seriously.
1. Talking to a Designer Too Early Will Ruin You
It may be tempting to find a designer right away and start making plans. But don't rush! You need to know, deep down, what you want before you begin talking to designers. Designers have good ideas, but they aren't YOU. They won't be living in your home, and cooking in your your kitchen. Only you will. Figure out a general idea of your style before you talk to someone else.
Take it from Kelly from A View Along the Way. She knew she wanted white cabinets, but a designer convinced her white would be too stark a contrast with her dark floors. She took the designer's advice and went with cream cabinets -- a move she still regrets years later.
2. If You Don't Plan Carefully, You'll Be Unhappy
The traditional kitchen triangle is normally an adequate layout. But don't accept it, or any other layout, without some thought. If you choose a layout that doesn't fit your habits and lifestyle, you'll end up working harder in your kitchen than you need to. And that will make you less likely to spend time in the room, which will cut down on your enjoyment.
When you talk to your designer, make sure x/he takes your habits, kitchen requirements, lifestyle, family size, cooking style, and more into consideration. A good layout should accommodate you.
But...
3. If the Kitchen Is Too Customized, It Will Be Harder to Sell Your Home
It's always a good idea to keep resale in mind when you remodel your kitchen -- even if you aren't planning on selling your home. You never know when life plans will change. A completely customized gourmet kitchen will not pay off in a resale. However, it may be more important to you to have that gourmet kitchen now than to avoid losing money in a resale. Only you can know what's most important.
But if you're going to plan your kitchen with a potential resale in mind, make sure you go with clean-lined cabinets, quality countertops, and good-quality appliances. Keep colors and customizations neutral.
4. If You Get Too Caught up in the Look, You'll Miss Important Things
Ultimately, we all want a beautiful kitchen. Plus, that can often be the best part of planning -- picking out colors and countertops. But don't get too caught up in the look that you forget important things like storage.
Without proper storage, those beautiful granite countertops that took you three weeks to select will become cluttered with utensils and appliances that don't have homes. Give yourself enough cabinet space, and be creative with drawers, hidden spice racks, and more so you can live in a functioning -- and beautiful -- kitchen.
5. Trends End
Keep control of yourself when it comes to trends. In-the-moment hot items do not have staying power, and you may find yourself tiring of a trend after only a year of living with it. If you want to incorporate trends into your kitchen, do it with accessories and furnishings. These can be changed when the trend ends.
When you're ready for a kitchen remodel, whether big or small, talk to New Life Bath and Kitchen. We'll turn your ideas into functional reality -- and we'll respect your home and your time while we do it. Give us a call at (805) 639-5433, or contact us online for a free consultation.