Kitchen Remodeling Ideas For An Old House
Many people think that old houses are especially difficult to remodel purely due to their age. In fact, this is not entirely correct. Whether the house is old or quite new, a kitchen remodeling nearly always turns out to be very cost effective and the habitants will see a marked improvement in the area.
Kitchen remodeling for old homes can be planned so that new items and appliances can be integrated along with the kitchen’s older features. The true key to affordable and effective kitchen remodeling ideas is in the planning stage and this applies to any kind of home, whether new or old.
First on the list of all sound kitchen remodeling ideas is to adequately cost your planned remodelings. This is the most critical aspect as you should not attempt any substantial renovation project unless you have enough funding available or you can enlist the help of your bank or mortgage provider. Notwithstanding the fact that you require substantial funding, take heart in knowing that you can reduce costs in some areas without sacrificing the over-all quality of the renovation. It is important that you allocate adequate funds for the key aspects of the renovation, namely the design component, labor costs and appliances and fixtures.
When you are reviewing you’re your kitchen remodeling ideas always build in an allowance for unexpected contingencies such as repairs being necessary to plumbing, heating and electrical equipment. There is nothing worse than having an aesthetically pleasing kitchen which is great to look at but in reality is a fire-hazard or energy-monster because of the old and ineffective equipment. In old houses it is highly likely you will need to spend money upgrading this type of equipment.
Once you have addressed the structural and services (heating, lighting, plumbing etc) aspects of the kitchen renovation you can then turn your attention to other aspects like choosing counter tops, cabinets and floor coverings. This is a great area in which to control costs as it is possible to use many alternate materials, that are just as durable and impressive as for example marble or granite, however they cost a fraction of the price of the real material. It is also recommended that you consider buying stock cabinets instead of custom-fitted ones as this too will save you a great deal of money.
SOURCE: http://8rd.org/decoration/
Updating & Remodeling your kitchen – Kitchen Remodeling
Your primary kitchen remodeling idea is probably staring you in the face. Most people have at least one area of the kitchen that gets on their nerves and would like to see changed. Simple kitchen chores can be a great place to start. If you hate doing the dishes, a new custom kitchen sink and deluxe dishwasher, should make your list. If food prep is your least favorite part of cooking, a new countertop with a built-in board would be nice. If you simply hate your kitchen’s look, kitchen decorating and design should have top priority.
Replacing your kitchen cabinets is almost never a bad kitchen remodeling idea. They can increase kitchen storage and overall convenience, they enhance your kitchen decoration and feel, and cabinet resurfacing is a cheap expenditure next to many other kitchen remodeling ideas.
It could be that your kitchen does need major updating. Maybe your stove and refrigerator are right next to each other. Any remodel worth the name has to change that. Maybe there’s just not enough room for the four or five people that normally prepare meals in your house – so you really do need to expand outside the current kitchen walls.
These tend to be the big ticket items, but often there’s no getting around them. There’s no decorating substitute for the effect of replacing linoleum or vinyl flooring with stone tile, hardwood, or laminate flooring. Countertops, too, are nearly impossible to ignore when assessing the beauty of a kitchen. If you can do so without breaking the bank, at least one of these items may be the center for the rest of your kitchen remodeling ideas to work around.
One popular change that you might want to keep under consideration is the removal of a wall. If done right, this can work wonders for making a small kitchen feel spacious and open. Of course, you must make certain that any wall you remove is not structural. If removal of the full wall is not feasible, consider removing part of it and making it into a ‘half wall’ where only the top half or so is taken out, or creating a ‘pass-thru’ – more or less a square or rectangular hole in the wall. These can also make a world of difference in the feel of the finished room.
SOURCE: http://8rd.org/decoration/
Custom Kitchen Cabinets – What You Need To Know, Part 1
Choosing your cabinetry is a huge decision. It’s so permanent, isn’t it? So many choices too! Cabinetry is often one of the largest parts of the kitchen remodeling budget. Today’s post will be a simple explanation of custom cabinetry. Is it right for you? We’ll see.
The phrase “custom cabinets,” or “custom cabinetry” can be quite confusing. In fact, it means different things to different people! Do you want custom kitchen cabinets? Will they last longer? Will you pay much more? Is it worth the money? Here is some insight, and answers to common questions, to help make your decision making a little bit easier. These questions and more will be addressed in future posts. For now, let’s begin at the beginning with a description of custom cabinetry and what makes it appealing to some.
What is custom cabinetry?
Custom cabinetry can be defined as cabinets which are made to order, first and foremost. Whether by an individual at a shop or a factory, the cabinetry is not pre made, taken off a shelf, and delivered. They are not manufactured until an order is placed. This is one definition.
How else is custom cabinetry defined?
Custom cabinetry can also be defined as cabinetry which allows customizations, such as changes in cabinet sizes, wood species, and finish. True custom factories will also produce anything that can be built! The designer draws it, and the factory builds it, end of story.
Why should I consider custom cabinetry?
You should consider custom cabinetry if:
In the course of the kitchen design process, you discover that you want specific, and customized, design solutions that may not be widely available in the less costly, more middle quality cabinet lines
- you want to make the most of every fraction of an inch, engineering your cabinetry to fit as opposed to working with standard sizes
- you’d like to create a cabinet finish that is yours alone, or you feel you need to tweak an existing standard finish sample to get the look you want
- you appreciate, desire to own, and can justify the extra expense of a high quality product, the construction and useful features of which will be enjoyable to use and experience every day
- you appreciate the more distinctive wood species and fiishes that come with custom cabinetry, you want something special and/or innovative
- you will remain in this home for the very long term and desire a product that has top quality construction and a top quality finish
From my experience as a professional kitchen designer, any or all of these points noted above, are the compelling reasons why my clients choose custom cabinetry. My job, as I see it, is to point out the differences among the cabinet lines that I represent, and let the appropriate product “speak to” my clients and then we go from there.
SOUCE: Susan Serra, CKD in Kitchen Design Details
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