Remodeling A Kitchen For YOU!
Understand Your Values And Needs Before Starting A Remodel
What type of kitchen will best fulfill your family’s needs?
When homeowners first begin thinking about remodeling a room like the kitchen, it’s easy to start flipping through issues of Good Housekeeping or jumping on Pinterest. It’s exciting to pick out the kind of tiles you want, look at different lighting options, and start comparing shades of paint.
However, before you start mentally moving all the perfect pieces into your imaginary kitchen, you must first answer a big question – How do you want use your kitchen?
A remodel doesn’t just make your kitchen look beautiful; it also helps your kitchen function better to meet your needs. Let’s look at two different couples to understand why this question is so important.
Jim and Julia
Jim and Julia have been married for 30 years. Their last child left the house five years ago. Both spouses plan to retire in the next three years. Julia can’t wait! She wants to spend more of her time volunteering and entertaining. She imagines inviting her adult children and their families over for dinner once a month, starting a book club, and cooking big meals for friends in the kitchen.
Jim and Julia love their home, but the kitchen is small and cramped. Rather than move to a home with a bigger kitchen, they opt for a remodel. Good choice! When they give me a call, I ask them the golden question, “How do want to use your kitchen?”
Julia tells me about her plans for big meals, the family dinners, and the book club. It’s clear to me that Julia needs a lot of space. I might suggest breaking down a wall so we can put in a big range oven that will allow her to have several bubbling pots on the stove and a dish in the oven at the same time. She’ll need plenty of counter space so she can chop vegetables, roll out dough, and mix mash potatoes. She’ll also need a lot of cabinet and storage space for all her pots, pants, dishes, etc… She could also probably use a nice big refrigerator and extra big sink and dishwasher.
But that’s not all. Julia wants to create a warm and welcoming environment in the kitchen. This may mean breaking down a second wall or building out the kitchen so she can create a space where she can chat with her daughters as she cooks. In this extra space, we could add a bar, where Julia and the members of her book club can sit and chat over a glass of wine. All of these changes to the structure of the kitchen focus on allowing Julia to fulfill her dream of being a queen entertainer.
Hannah and Henry
Hannah and Henry are recently married and just bought their first home. Both are busy professionals who hardly have time to sit down for a quick breakfast, much less make a big meal for dinner each night. They are also trying to start a family.
Their new kitchen needs a little TLC. The cabinets are old and squeaky, the sink drips, and the floor has seen better days.
When I ask Hannah and Henry how they will use their kitchen, their answer is very different from Jim and Julia. They are not focused on entertaining. Instead, they want convenience, efficiency, and durable.
In this case, we could focus on adding new flooring that is easy to clean and doesn’t stain easily. If Hannah and Henry will soon have a little one in the family, they can expect lots of spills in their future. Additionally, durable counters will also be needed to hold up to small children. Hannah and Henry don’t need all the bells and whistles that Julia wants in their stage of life. They just need a functional and comfortable kitchen that will hold up well as their family expands.
Once you understand how you want to use your kitchen, your remodeling contractor can help you develop a design that will incorporate and support your needs. Your new kitchen will be beautiful and made just for YOU!