Planning Your Kitchen Reno:
Tips for Making the Most of Your New Space
Is it finally time for you to get that new kitchen you’ve been dreaming about for the past five years? Fantastic! That’s been one silver lining of the pandemic; folks have had more downtime to think about what they truly want out of home renovations. And the kitchen – as we often say – is most homeowner’s favorite room, and deserves a big, beautiful reno when the time comes.
But it has to be practical, right? A gorgeous kitchen is only half an achievement – it has to function like a well-oiled machine.
In this post, we offer some tips for ensuring you plan the best renovation possible, and make the most of the upgrades when the time comes to bring in your trusted renovator.
1) Think about your kitchen’s functions. It sounds obvious, but unfortunately some people don’t analyze their kitchen’s uses before bringing in the renovator. This means you need to set out your priorities: do you want lots of counter space because you cook like a gourmet? Do you want a proper kitchen table the family can gather around for casual meals? Do you hope to make the kitchen a dazzling spot for entertaining? All of these questions must be addressed in the planning stages.
2) Consider how the traffic flows in your current kitchen. Do you find family members tripping over one another when you’re trying to cook and they are diving into the fridge for a cold drink? Are they bumping into you when you’re using the microwave? These are traffic flow issues that can be solved by placing the appliances in strategic spots. If you struggle to envision how the appliances can help solve traffic problems, ask your renovator; they will have all the answers!
3) Is the island for storage, meal prep, casual meals, or all three? Whether you are purchasing a new island or keeping your current one, decide if it’s serving enough uses. For example, perhaps the one you have can’t accommodate dish storage and serving lunch to the kids, so a new one may be in order. Or you may want to have a two-person table instead of an island, if the children are grown and gone, and your new kitchen can be streamlined. This comes back to the kitchen’s uses; along with the square footage, analyze how every item in this area functions, and whether it’s worth keeping.
4) Set the budget and add 15 percent. Kitchen renovations are inevitably a little more expensive than most people imagine. That is especially true right now, with all the hiccups in the supply chain delaying arrival times and driving up costs. Including a financial “cushion” in your budget is smart – that way, you aren’t caught off guard when a bill for new light fixtures is higher than expected.
These suggestions are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg – there are plenty of others to consider when you’re planning your kitchen renovation. Talking with a professional renovator is the best way to determine whether the kitchen you’re dreaming of is within reach, both in design terms and in financial terms. What matters most is that you prioritize yours and your family’s needs, and that you plan a kitchen that fulfills your wishes and looks good, but is also durable and practical.
