By Karen Cole Banack and Melody Duron
From the cabinets to the appliances,
find out how to ensure a successful renovation.
Renovating your kitchen will add ease
to your lifestyle and value to your home. Here are the 10 most important things
to consider when you're updating your kitchen.
1 Use quality materials.
Quality drawer slides and hinges mean cabinet doors will stay closed and drawers won't stick. Stay away from drawers that are stapled together or made of particleboard. For cabinet interiors, wood veneer is more durable than melamine, laminate, MDF or particleboard.
2 Determine cabinet heights.
If you have eight-foot ceilings, choose cabinets that go to the ceiling. They offer more storage, enabling you to use extra wall space for artwork or open shelves. If your ceilings are higher than eight feet, leave 15 to 18 inches above the cabinets.
3 Decide whether to paint or stain.
Though stained-wood cabinetry is forgiving, most finishes date quickly and aren't easily altered. Brush-painted cabinets can lend a unique personality.
4 Select an elegant countertop
White Carrara marble (honed or acid washed and sealed) and stained wood adds elegance and warmth. We also like honed Kirk stone slate, soapstone and Wiarton limestone, and plastic laminate with a wood edge for a sophisticated look.
1 Use quality materials.
Quality drawer slides and hinges mean cabinet doors will stay closed and drawers won't stick. Stay away from drawers that are stapled together or made of particleboard. For cabinet interiors, wood veneer is more durable than melamine, laminate, MDF or particleboard.
2 Determine cabinet heights.
If you have eight-foot ceilings, choose cabinets that go to the ceiling. They offer more storage, enabling you to use extra wall space for artwork or open shelves. If your ceilings are higher than eight feet, leave 15 to 18 inches above the cabinets.
3 Decide whether to paint or stain.
Though stained-wood cabinetry is forgiving, most finishes date quickly and aren't easily altered. Brush-painted cabinets can lend a unique personality.
4 Select an elegant countertop
White Carrara marble (honed or acid washed and sealed) and stained wood adds elegance and warmth. We also like honed Kirk stone slate, soapstone and Wiarton limestone, and plastic laminate with a wood edge for a sophisticated look.
5
Install an island that works.
Beware of placing a bulky cube in the middle of the room. We like islands that have an open, airy look. Ideally, an island should be unencumbered by appliances, but if you want it to house a dishwasher-sink combo or a cook top, try to maintain the light look of a leggy harvest table.
6 Don't overdo the details.
Design accents such as pediments over stoves and plaster moldings on cabinet fronts can represent decorative excess. Remember that the style of your kitchen should be compatible with the rest of your home.
Beware of placing a bulky cube in the middle of the room. We like islands that have an open, airy look. Ideally, an island should be unencumbered by appliances, but if you want it to house a dishwasher-sink combo or a cook top, try to maintain the light look of a leggy harvest table.
6 Don't overdo the details.
Design accents such as pediments over stoves and plaster moldings on cabinet fronts can represent decorative excess. Remember that the style of your kitchen should be compatible with the rest of your home.
7 Avoid maintenance nightmares.
Natural surfaces with inherent
texture -- slate, terra cotta, brick and tumbled marble -- are more difficult
to clean but camouflage the odd crumb. Smooth surfaces in light colours, such
as white laminate counters or ceramic floors, are easy to clean but show
everything. And as much as we love stainless steel, it's not easy to keep
smudge-free.
8 Stick to basic appliances.
Instead of lots of appliances and gadgets, consider selecting a few reliable basics. For example, a commercial-quality stainless-steel range makes an interesting focal point and takes up less space than separate wall ovens and a cook top.
9 Incorporate an adjacent dining room.
A clever design, plus the appropriate lighting and furniture, will let you adapt the room's atmosphere to suit any occasion. Consider a banquette design combined with slip covered chairs for an efficient use of space.
10 Add interest.
Your kitchen should reflect you, not look like a showroom. Before designing the space, search for a piece of unique furniture and use it in your design -- a room full of floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall kitchen cabinets looks boring and uninspired.
8 Stick to basic appliances.
Instead of lots of appliances and gadgets, consider selecting a few reliable basics. For example, a commercial-quality stainless-steel range makes an interesting focal point and takes up less space than separate wall ovens and a cook top.
9 Incorporate an adjacent dining room.
A clever design, plus the appropriate lighting and furniture, will let you adapt the room's atmosphere to suit any occasion. Consider a banquette design combined with slip covered chairs for an efficient use of space.
10 Add interest.
Your kitchen should reflect you, not look like a showroom. Before designing the space, search for a piece of unique furniture and use it in your design -- a room full of floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall kitchen cabinets looks boring and uninspired.
2 comments:
Discount countertops have proven to be a wise investment for any homeowner. Clever design and planning enable homeowners to Advantages of granite without the traditional expenses.
To get kitchen countertops which almost anyone can very easily afford allowing more and extra men and women to have their dream granite kitchen.
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