Round Thinking

Kitchen remodeling is something we may all be involved with at some point in our lives. Whether you opt for an expensive professional package or merely decide to spruce things up by yourself, you will need to consider several important points.

Know your budget before you even start. Kitchen remodel designs come in a huge variety of price ranges from companies such as Möben, Magnet, or Everest, and having a good idea of what you can afford will save a lot of wasted research.

Know the limitations of the room itself–investigate possibilities to extend or move internal walls and features. If you are remodeling a small kitchen you have to be very aware of the space restrictions on what you can actually install. If you consider the modern trend towards island designs, a complete floor plan rethink is often a good place to start any design. There are many excellent design products available and some are free. For instance, try out this excellent product from Google; http://www.remodelingmyspace.com/3d-planning-software.htm. If you hire a professional to do the final design work, you will then be able to let him or she know much better what you want.

Go to stores and look online for what equipment is available–the variety of kitchen appliances has become incredible in recent years, and you may not otherwise consider many desirable or useful items. For instance, a warming drawer from the excellent GE Appliances might not be the first thing you think to have in your new kitchen, but might be just what you need. Don’t forget the non-standard appliances that are available. Slimline dishwashers such as the BEKO DE2541 can solve many issues.

Don’t, however, get into the trap of planning a kitchen around the appliances and gadgets; it should be planned around the people who use it. If you want to get more idea of the quality provided by the different manufacturers, you must either read a lot of reviews or consider buying a few small products from different brand names to see what you think. Say you wanted to decide between Bosch, Electrolux and LG for a new set of cooking and refrigerating appliances, you could buy a toaster or a hotplate from one and a blender from another, use them for a while and see if you have any design, quality or customer support issues.

Consider what you could achieve by doing makeover of your kitchen rather than a complete kitchen remodel. It is often surprising what can be done with just some new tiles and paint, and perhaps some renovation or remodeling of kitchen countertops. Remember though that a kitchen makeover will not add as much value to your property as a new kitchen.

Make sure you see as many kitchens as you can, and carry a tape measure and a camera. Go into all your friends’ houses and get to as many kitchen showrooms as you can and visit show homes. You will always be able to get more ideas in 3D than just by looking at photographs.

Establish very clearly what you want your kitchen to be used for. It may be primarily for cooking, or it may be the hub of your household life. Without understanding your kitchen’s function, kitchen remodeling may prove much harder to get right, but rewarding all the same.