Deciding When to Remodel Your Kitchen

You have lived in your home for years. It’s beautiful and it has served you well. Now that life has found its own rhythm, you may decide that it is time for a change in your home. Where to begin? That is the toughest question. The living room is where you spend most of your family time. Maybe that is where you could brighten things up. Or maybe the bathrooms, they could probably use a little facelift. How about the kitchen? That is where you spend most of your time anyway. Yeah, the kitchen, why not? An improved kitchen can add dramatic value to your house and is the heart of the home. Kitchen renovations can range from simple touch ups to major overhauls. The first thing you should do is to decide on a budget and what your kitchen really needs. It could be that a new window treatment and a paint job will be enough to revitalize it. Or perhaps, it is in desperate need of new counter tops and new appliances. Maybe the lighting has never been great and you want a new kitchen lighting layout. Perhaps you want to gut the whole thing and start from scratch. See what your budget allows and consult a kitchen remodeling company if you need to.

If you are going to simply paint and change out the window treatments and accessories, then you need to decide on a color scheme. This doesn’t have to be terribly difficult.
Look at the overall light, be it natural or artificial, and decide if the room needs brightening up or would do well with deeper tones. Pick colors that work well together in either a compliment, like two different shades of the same color, or in contrast, like deep blues and yellows. If you have an inspirational fabric or accessory, play with the colors found in those to help you choose a wall color. Once you have made the decision, buy the paint and give it a whirl. For under $50 you can change the whole look for your kitchen.

If you are going with a huge remodel, after deciding on a budget, you need to consider the layout. Most people go with the traditional triangle layout. This puts the sink, the stove and oven, and the refrigerator in a triangle pattern making it easy to access during food preparations. This is a popular concept but not necessarily a kitchen remodeling law. You may decide you want something else. Be sure to layout your kitchen in way that is both stylish to your desires but also, functional. A beautiful kitchen is no good if you don’t feel at ease using it. Again, if you don’t feel creative enough to tackle kitchen layouts alone, consult a professional in the greater Chicago area. One suggestion is to check out an on-line source for examples. You may find examples of styles you like.

However big you wish to go with your kitchen remodel, take your time, do your homework, and never be afraid to consult others for suggestions and advice. This doesn’t have to be scary; in fact it should be fun.

For a free quotation on your next kitchen renovation or kitchen remodeling project, visit Galaxie Construction today!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alice_Lane

www.LKNcabinets.com offers the most affordable quality cabinets in the Charlotte market

Ways to Save on Your Kitchen Remodel

Kitchen remodeling never fails to ranks a good spot among the most rewarding home improvements any homeowner could undertake whether to enhance quality of living or boost New York home value. But these tempting benefits also entail a lot of risks that if not carefully handled could end up with a disastrous finish and a broke homeowner, and that can be you. For any home improvement to be a success, it takes quality products and craftsmanship and as we know these comes for a cost and a good one at that. So whether you are in Manhattan, Queens, Long Island, Staten Island or Brooklyn; know the ways to save on your kitchen remodel without busting the budget and cutting corners.

1.      See Beyond the Initial Costs When undertaking a kitchen remodel, the initial cost that you would have to squeeze out may seem overwhelming. But if you look beyond and see the long term benefits, you’ll realize that all the costs would be worth it and can even prove profitable with the good boost on home value that you’ll get. Keep this idea in mind whenever you have to spend throughout the project. Whether shopping for supplies or hiring contractors, weigh carefully the cost versus the long-term value.

2.      Do What You Can  Though it is advised to hire a kitchen remodeling contractor to get your project finished in the most time and cost efficient way, there are still tasks that you can do yourself to cutback on labor costs. A word of caution… never underestimate what a kitchen remodel task entails. Make sure you have what it takes to do it successfully; otherwise, you will be throwing away instead of saving money.

3.      Focus on Efficiency Not Size Other than saving money, it is also important to save space in your kitchen remodeling project. This is especially true with New York kitchens where limitation in space is a common issue. The most practical way to be acquiring more square footage is through maximizing the use of space and not tearing down walls. Storage is among the most crucial elements that can help you achieve this. Forget shelves that unnecessarily eat up more space, and opt for pull-out drawers and other such organizational features that let you keep more for less the space. When shopping for appliances, you can browse through compact models that work as good and have the same features as their bulkier counterparts.

4.      Do Your Kitchen Remodel When Contractors are Not Busy There are certain times of the year when contractors are not doing much work and are more than willing to take on the job for you. Other than affording your kitchen remodeling the attention that it deserves from your hired contractor, the down time also lets you avail of amazing discounts from qualified contractors.

5.      Avoid Relocating the Sink Having your sink moved is much more complicated and costly than you think as this will mean changing the routes of your plumbing too. If you can, just keep the current layout and get creative in making it work better for you and the household. But if relocating your sink is unavoidable, then use this opportunity to upgrade the pipes.

www.LKNcabinets.com serves the greater Charlotte area

Kitchen Cabinets – How Remodeling and Design Can Transform Your Kitchen

Many individuals choose to remodel their home to change the look of and modernize it. If you are considering remodeling your kitchen, then you may want to consider changing your cabinets. The modern kitchen is the center of family interactions. It is where people congregate, family bonding occurs and all the meals are created. Since you spend a large amount of time in the kitchen, why not be comfortable with the look.

Homeowners may choose to remodel their kitchen in an attempt to modernize the look. They add state of the art appliances, however; when they are finished, the kitchen still looks old fashion and drab. Why not consider changing the cabinets and revitalize the room.

Cabinets are a very important part of the kitchen because they help define the look. If they are in fairly good shape, you could completely change the look of your room simply by just re-sanding and staining them. This, however, only works well if your cabinets are sturdy and are made of good, solid wood.

If you would like to replace your cabinetry entirely, then you may want to begin by looking through books to determine which look you want. In addition, you can also go to a store like Home Depot and ask the advice of their staff. They will tell you the pros and cons of certain cabinet styles, materials and designs.

Many people first decide which type of material to choose for their cabinetry. For example, you could go with metal, which can give your kitchen a more modern look. Metal is less porous than wood, which makes it easier to clean. However, if you want to change the look of your kitchen in a few years, you a few options if you limit your options to metal.

Most individuals decide to use wood instead. There is high quality wood and some that is lower quality. Just remember that the more you invest, the longer your cabinets will last. The last thing you need is to invest time and money into cabinetry only to have to do it again in a few years.

You can go with either get stock or custom cabinets. Stock cabinets are generic and come in a catalog and that you can usually purchase and pick up on the same day. Usually stock designs are fairly basic. Custom cabinets are usually made to order and can take a few weeks to complete. Normally custom is more expensive than stock but can really enhance the look of your home.

If you are looking to remodel your kitchen, you may also want to consider changing the countertops. Countertops come in a variety of different materials such as granite, stone and even marble. Others also change the look of the flooring in the room by adding fancy tiles or marble. If you plan out your design carefully, you can remodel your kitchen into something you really like. Changing the cabinets, flooring, appliances and countertops can really transform its function and appearance.

www.LKNcabinets.com  is a Kitchen and Bath Remodel company serving the greater Charlotte area including Kannapolis, Concord, Gastonia, Statesville, Mooresville, Huntersville, Cornelius