You’ve heard it all before. The kitchen is the center of the home and the place where all the family congregates over home-cooked meals and discusses the day. While this is a lovely thought, it’s probably fair to say that most household meals take place in numerous ways, perhaps with the kids eating while glued to TikTok and the parents knocking back another glass of wine. Whatever way your family goes about its daily meal routine doesn’t really matter. In most cases, the kitchen will still remain as the one location that sees the most footfall, where you clean the dishes and prepare food, regardless of whether anyone will actually eat it or not. 

Consequently, any proud homeowner’s first port of call when looking to update their home really should be this place. If you’ve been considering a remodel but have thus far been unsure where to begin, this post will be your guiding light. We will explore seven helpful tips that can be used for any style, size, or use of kitchen and should put you in better stead to go beyond the planning stage and get cracking on the actual update.

Plan Your Budget And Stick To It

Homes are expensive things to run and get even costlier if you choose to perform any sort of renovation. Moreover, with the cost of almost everything rising, it pays to take some time to sit down with your other half and make a plan that covers the entire project from start to finish and encompasses all aspects. Undertaking a kitchen remodel is a significant financial commitment, making this step critical if you wish to end up with a finished result that perfectly matches the image you had in your head. Some things you will need to plan and budget for include: 

• Labor: If you plan on performing a minor refurbishment, such as changing your cabinets, you can probably avoid this issue and do it yourself. However, for anything more extensive, you will need to hire a contractor (or possibly a team) to complete the job professionally. This can be expensive, but the final outcome is often well worth the expense.
• Materials: The materials you choose to install will cost money, and the higher the quality, the deeper you’ll have to put your hand in your pocket. However, investing in quality ensures your kitchen looks fantastic and can withstand regular usage with minimal deterioration.
• Time: You can’t have your kitchen looking like a bomb went off for too long; otherwise, you’ll begin to regret going down this path. Have a deadline in mind and try to stick to it as much as possible.
• Appliances: If you’re updating the look, you may as well update the function simultaneously. If you opt for energy-efficient items, your energy bills will also be reduced slightly. 
• Flooring: Too many folks forget about the floor when remodeling their kitchen, but this will arguably take the most punishment. For kitchens, it’s best to go for durable tiles or vinyl that is easy to wipe clean.

Consider The Layout And Flow

Flow is an important yet often overlooked consideration that can make a massive difference in the look and feel of the space. For example, if you have a larger space to work with, you might decide to install an island that provides more working space than you had before. If your kitchen is on the smaller side, you must think long and hard about how you use the room and what may be best regarding maneuverability. For those who are complete remodeling virgins, you might want to hire an architect who will work with you and design something that looks fabulous and suits your requirements down to the ground. 

Don’t Overlook Storage Options

What is a kitchen if not a place to store food, cooking equipment, and general bits and pieces that tend to accumulate in kitchen drawers worldwide? As such, make sure you add in cabinetry layout and costings to your overall plan. You can really have fun here, though, and choose storage solutions that make full use of the space you have.

Choose Durable And Easy-To-Clean Materials

A kitchen is typically used to the limit, either from people walking through it to get somewhere, using it as a space to cook delicious meals, or simply hanging out with your partner with a glass of wine once the kids have gone to bed. Because of the sheer amount of use this room gets, you must select highly durable materials that can withstand a decent amount of punishment while remaining easy to clean when you or someone else inevitably has a cooking-related incident, like forgetting to put the top on the blender when they make a smoothie. 

Think About Future Maintenance Costs

It’s all well and good to create a budget that covers the immediate, upfront costs of purchasing the materials you will use, but what will you do if they break and need replacing? For example, marble is a great surface for a countertop, but it doesn’t come cheap. If you crack it, you will need to replace it with a new section, along with the work involved in the process. 

Utilize Natural Lighting As Much As Possible (But Don’t Forget To Add Light Where Necessary)

As we all know, natural light is the best kind of light as it offers a much softer glow with an effortless ability to fill a room. Once you bathe a room with natural light, you will quickly see why it is such a talking point in most design publications. However, you shouldn’t completely neglect to install targeted lighting that can keep the room illuminated at night and provide enough light in the places that count, such as over a countertop or stove.

The Devil Is In The Detail

This is your home, and you will likely spend a hefty amount of money during your renovation. Therefore, you should make a concerted effort to ensure that all aspects are completed flawlessly. By eschewing a “that’ll do” attitude, you will end up with something more than a single-use space and instead have a room that you can use to socialize and enjoy life.

The kitchen is more than a room; it’s a place where you can feed the family as well as spend quality time with them. As long as you follow these tips, you should end up with a space that you can be proud of.

Published by HOLR Magazine.