Small Kitchen Remodeling – Five Great Tips!

Typically, you would find in most books and magazines tips, advice and stories of large kitchen remodeling. Rarely would you find one that talks about small kitchen remodel. While it is true that you have certain freedoms with larger kitchen spaces it doesn’t mean that there is nothing much to do with your small kitchen space.

What are the things that we have to consider when we are remodeling a small kitchen space? Here are some tips that may be useful to you in rearranging or renovating your small kitchen area:

1. Use common layouts for small kitchen spaces

For kitchens which are usually longer than wider in space or even if the space is square-shaped, there is still something you can do to remodel or change the layout of your kitchen space.

Your layout options would be one-wall, galley/corridor, U-shaped, and L-shaped. Although a kitchen island is the latest trend, you cannot have one with such a small space. It is not just appropriate and it will only make your kitchen area look even smaller.

2. Check out your big appliances

Are you sure you want big appliances? Some appliances eat up a lot of space and with such limited space you would want to maximize everything. You cannot do that if you will not clean up and trade those chunky appliances wit something smaller and yet with the same functionality.

3. Identify your priorities

Make sure that you know what you want as against what you really need. Yes sometimes it is nice to have some things that will really beautify your kitchen but it is something that you really need? With limited options, you have to know how to set your priorities.

4. Make use of old cabinetry

When you remodel your kitchen, you don’t have to spend so much. Think of old and unused cabinets that you can re-use for storage. You just need some cleaning and repainting and there you have like a brand new cabinet.

5. Bigger and lighter

Use larger tiles for the flooring because this will create a bigger space look. Couple this with the application of lighter colors around when you have your small kitchen remodel in your own house. Lighter colors radiate more brightness giving that bigger space effect.

In small kitchen remodels, one great benefit is that you can do it yourself. It is manageable and of course less expensive. Most oftentimes you just have to sort things out and throw things that are clearly of no use at all.

Trading is also an option for appliances that are nice to have but not appropriate anymore for small kitchen spaces. Whatever it is that you will do when you have decided to remodel your small kitchen, just remember all the tips that are mentioned above for a better looking and more functional kitchen.Vincent has been writing articles for nearly 2 years. Come visit his latest website over at http://www.apronfrontkitchensink.net/ which helps people find the best apron front kitchen sink and information they are looking when doing kitchen remodeling.

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Kitchen Design Basics – Common Mistakes

Kitchen remodels are on of the most popular and profitable home-improvement projects one can undertake. By following some basic guidelines, you can insure that the finished product will add maximum value and utility to your home. Here are some basic guidelines.

Pay attention to the Work Triangle

kitchen islands are very popular and many will incorporate an island into their kitchen updating project. Make sure that the basic work triangle will not be impeded by the introduction of the island. Basically the traffic flow between the refrigerator, sink, and cook top should not be blocked by the island. The work triangle theory of kitchen design has been abandoned by some in recent years, but I still consider it to be an important and fundamental tenant of sound kitchen design.

Make Sure To Leave Adequate space Between the Cabinets

The minimum recommended space between rows of cabinets or between cabinets and kitchen islands is 39″. Often, in an attempt to introduce an island into the kitchen, this will be reduced. This is a big mistake as the kitchen will then feel extremely constrained and uncomfortable. If you anticipate having more than one person using the kitchen at a time, I recommend that this be increased to a minimum of 48″, though 54″ is even better.

By following the two principals outline above, you can avoid two of the more common mistakes that many homeowners make. If you are unsure of how to reconfigure your kitchen, it may be wise to obtain input from an experienced kitchen designer.

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Kitchen Design Considerations

It is certainly true that kitchens have come a long ways over the years in regards to their “prestige” in a house. It used to be that kitchens were only found in the rear of the house, tucked away out of sight out of mind more or less. Fortunately, this is not at all the case any longer. Once people realized that more often than not, when people casually gather together in a house, whether it be a formal holiday party or a casual get-together, the kitchen is often the focal point. Because of this kitchen design has evolved to include much larger spaces as well as spaces that transition seamlessly into family and dining areas.

If you are in the process of planning a new kitchen, there are a number of things you’ll want to consider when it comes to your design. For example, will your kitchen have an island? What kind of lighting do you plan to have? What kind of appliances? What about the overall feel; will it be rustic, modern or something completely unique that you come up with on your own? As you can see there are many things you’ll need to decide on in a creation of your own personal kitchen.

Because of this metamorphosis of the kitchen into a family room/great room, kitchen islands or, alternatively, “peninsulas”, are very useful. They allow the cook, chef, host/hostess or whomever is doing the work in the kitchen to have a surface to work on while still being able to easily engage in conversations and activities with everyone else. Without a kitchen island type setup like this, the person in the kitchen would constantly have their back turned to everyone else. This is certainly not an ideal situation for either side of the coin.

The color of your kitchen cabinets will go a long ways to setting the tone for the overall kitchen. Bright colors and create a fun, funky atmosphere while stateless steal or brushed steel will create a very modern but rather cold, and he septic feeling. If you were to go with natural wood, the lighter woods such as birch, beech or ash will contribute the lightness to the kitchen whereas the medium range would might be chestnut or cherry. For something darker, you can simply apply darker stains rather than necessarily spending a lot more money on harder, darker woods. The call is yours.

Kitchen lighting plays a huge role in the design of your kitchen, yet it is often overlooked or is the last thing to be considered. This shouldn’t be the case. Remember, a lot of time will be spent in the kitchen most likely. There’s no reason to be straining your eyes in dim light or in harsh light when there are so many options that can contribute a positive feeling to a space. For example, if you happen to have a smaller kitchen, the use of smaller spotlights can be used to make it look larger than it actually is.

Of course the countertop is a critical choice you’ll need to make for your kitchen. Many people opt for the natural stone materials such as marble, granite and limestone for the counters. Another option would be to go for ceramic tiles. With Randy tiles you will have a tremendous variety of sizes, colors and patterns to choose from. Besides ceramic tiles, you can also get solid acrylic surfaces with at least as many choices when it comes to colors, patterns etc.

My two personal favorite countertop materials are concrete and wood. I like concrete because it is durable and versatile and because I have installed numerous concrete countertops always with great success and very happy owners. Would… well, what is simply beautiful though it can get somewhat abused over time due to water and household chemicals. Finally, stainless steal is yet another option. A very clinical, modern look. Completely different from the wood countertop, but done correctly they can be at least as stunning, just in a different way. Just be aware that while they will not absorb stains (hence the “stainless” part of the name), they do tend to scratch fairly easily.

Speaking of scratching… this article has barely scratched the surface of options you may want to consider when planning out your new kitchen. But isn’t that the way of creating your home? Each and every room, and each every aspect of each row, has so many different facets to consider and that you can tweak to make your own. And that my friend, is the beauty of creating not just a house, but a home.

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