Your kitchen is undoubtedly one of the most used and appreciated rooms in the house – even if you’re not a big cook. We don’t blame you for wanting to renovate it, especially if it’s outdated or difficult to use.
Remodeling your kitchen is one of the biggest ways you can ensure you fully enjoy your home. After remodeling, roughly 82 percent of surveyed homeowners reported that they had a greater desire to be at home. In other words, if you want to enjoy your house a little more, a kitchen remodel is a great place to start.
Before you dive headfirst into your old home kitchen renovations, though, there are some things to consider. Let’s go over the top elements to keep in mind as you initiate the redesign process.
A. Things to Consider About Your Kitchen’s Current Setup
The first thing you’ll want to do is look at your building blocks – what does your current kitchen look like? What do you enjoy about it? What do you not like about it?
To get this kitchen renovation process started, here are some areas where you’ll need to conduct measurements and take a hard look at what you want from your kitchen.
1. Size (Square Footage)
Start by looking at your kitchen’s size. Is it too big? Too small? What would you like to change about it?
Fully measuring and understanding the square footage of your kitchen will tell you what you can easily do to improve it. If you are figuring out how to upgrade a small kitchen, you may want to orient many of your design decisions around making it feel bigger and giving it more usable counter space.
2. The Existing Layout
Size isn’t the only thing that matters. You’ll also want to pay attention to doorways, islands, stairs, corners, and other elements that will influence your design decisions.
Don’t just think about what things look like. Think about how your current kitchen’s layout helps or hinders your use of the kitchen. For instance, if the pantry door is always in the way of the oven door, that might be a layout element you want to change with home kitchen remodel ideas.
3. Plumbing
If you don’t want to run into pipe and plumbing problems, you may want to take your current plumbing setup into account. Learn where pipes are and how difficult it would be to add/remove sinks, dishwashers, fridges, and other appliances that need to be connected to water.
4. Storage Options
How do you currently store food, appliances, tools, and other items in your kitchen? If you’re not happy with your level of storage, you may want to prioritize the addition of extra cabinets or drawers in your dream kitchen. On the other hand, if you already love your storage options, you may want to ensure you preserve them as you switch things up.
5. Infrastructure
Is your kitchen already “smart” and equipped with sensors, interactive devices, or other gadgets? You’ll need to know where all of those are and how a remodeling project could affect them. Additionally, pay attention to features you want to have added to your kitchen and how those will interact with you already have.
B. How Does the Kitchen Connect to Other Rooms?
A big thing we encourage all of our remodeling clients to think about is the home’s flow. The kitchen is an individual room, but after a remodel, it should still feel like a cohesive, functional part of the house as a whole.
How does your current kitchen connect to the living room and other spaces? Are there cutouts in the walls for conversation or handing out food? Do you wish there was another door connecting your kitchen to an outdoor patio or the formal dining room?
Don’t get too caught up in details like paint color and tile design before thinking about your kitchen as a central room within the house. You’ll want to make big decisions about its layout and functionality first.
Then, you’ll be ready to move onto the finer details of your exciting kitchen improvement process.
C. Important Steps to Take in a Complete Kitchen Remodel
1. Figure Out Your Timeframe
Building a schedule is an important aspect of learning how to remodel a kitchen. You’ll want to plan your life and big events around this renovation, so be sure you’re putting plenty of thought into the timeline.
Since OMG Kitchens is a family owned and operated business, we complete your project in 4- 8 weeks.
2. Select a Professional Designer – (Us)
Your designer will have a huge impact on the project’s appearance, quality, and timeliness. As you begin the planning process, dedicate a large chunk of your time to picking the right designer.
3. Choose Your Appliances (Carefully)
Next, think about how much of your renovation budget will be spent on appliances. Even just a new fridge can set you back $1,200+, which could be a large chunk of your kitchen renovation project. You don’t want to get too ahead of yourself with design spending, only to realize you’re facing some hefty appliance bills.
4. Pick a Fun (But Functional) Backsplash
Once you’ve made big decisions about your layout, appliances, and other expensive elements, it’s time to pick your backsplash and color schemes. Feel free to branch out, but also work to pick a pattern that will match your overall design trends throughout the house.
5. Decide on Your Final Layout
Before you pull any triggers, take a final look at your layout plans. Have a professional look over your blueprints and ensure you’re fully ready to commit. Once walls start going up (or down), you’re committed.
6. Consider Your Floor Alternatives
When it comes to flooring for your kitchen, we recommend considering options that are water-resistant and aesthetically pleasing. Some of our favorite options are the tiles that mimic the look and feel of wood, but they are more affordable and are durable to scratches from furniture, children, and pets.
7. Create and Stick to a Budget
As you go through this renovation process, make sure you’re sticking to a firm budget. It’s easy for things to get a little out of hand.
8. Insulate Before Wall Construction
Many homeowners forget to account for reinsulating needs in their remodel budget and timeline. Waiting to address insulation problems after walls have been resealed is a huge pain. Talk to your designer and contractor upfront about any insultation needs your kitchen may have.
9. Decide on High-End (But Affordable) Cabinets
Don’t underestimate the effect that beautiful, customized cabinets can have within your kitchen. Take time evaluating different colors, styles, and finishes to find the cabinets that perfectly mesh function and aesthetics within your home.
10. Invest in New Windows
Remember that your windows make a big difference within your kitchen. The more light you let in, the bigger and cleaner your kitchen will likely feel. If you’re worried about your paint colors darkening the space or an extra door blocking out the light, consider implementing some more windows.
11. Design Wide, Usable Walkways
Last on our list of things to consider when renovating a kitchen, really think about how the room will be used by friends and family. You want to know that everyone will have space to cook, move around, and interact in this important space. We always encourage our clients to prioritize wide walkways that allow people to move about and make food safely.
In Conclusion
And there you have it – those are some of the main things to consider when you’re renovating your kitchen. If you’re on the hunt for kitchen remodel package deals or assistance, let OMG Kitchens and Bath know! We’re here to help you make important decisions when it comes to kitchen and bathroom updates.
Give us a call at 949-380-9664 or send us a message online for your quality kitchen renovations.