If you take a nationwide poll and ask people what area of the home they would be most excited to renovate, the kitchen would very probably come out on top. So what is it about a great kitchen that people love so much?
First off, the kitchen is often seen as the central gathering place of the home. Most kitchens have a table or a breakfast bar – a place to eat casual meals. This is often where people start the day. It’s also where kids often go to study, or adults go to spend time on work projects. The kitchen is a gathering place. It’s where bonds of family and friendship are often formed.
It’s also the place where meals need to be prepped and dishes need to be cleaned – that alone makes it an important area of the home. It also means that workflow and layout are extremely important when it comes to designing a good kitchen.
These are all reasons why people love to think about, plan, and go through with kitchen renovations. But it’s a high-stakes game, and the investments involved are often significant. If you spend a lot of money and don’t like the result, it will be difficult and expensive to rectify the problem.
If you’ve been considering a kitchen renovation, here are three solid ideas that you should consider.
- Storage-friendly cabinets
Believe it not, kitchen storage as evolved significantly in recent years. Pull-out and hideaway storage solutions have allowed people to get more out of the space they have, while maintaining that neat and tidy kitchen appearance that people love. Kitchen cabinets are, of course, a big investment – they always have been. But re-imagining your cabinetry and storage and make a huge difference to the workflow and aesthetic quality of your kitchen.
- Quartz countertops
There were some people who thought quartz was going to be a passing trend, but the reality is turning out differently. Quartz countertops are a serious investment, but they don’t cost as much as granite – and granite has higher maintenance requirements. Quartz countertops are unbelievably hard and durable. They’re also anti-microbial, which makes them ideal for health and sanitation. Plus, there’s no telling how many decades they can last.
- New flooring
People often overlook flooring and focus on other, more obvious aspects of kitchen renovation – but fresh floors truly can make a big difference. One of the most exciting areas of kitchen flooring is tile, which is now available in countless designs and textures. A kitchen floor that looks exactly like natural hardwood or stone – yet has all the easy-to-clean functionality of tile – is entirely possible.
The importance of finding a kitchen renovation contractor who works for you
In terms of whether or not people are satisfied with their kitchen renovations, one of the biggest factors is the contractor they worked with. The more reputable and experienced the kitchen renovator, the better your chances are of coming out with a flawless result. This often means ignoring the “basement bargain” offers out there from various contractors who may have less experience, less training, and who may not even be licensed and insured. If you stick to qualified and reputable renovators, do your research, and plan carefully, your next kitchen renovation should come out even better than you expected.