The kitchen is one of the busiest rooms in any home. Lots of activities, including mini hangouts and family gatherings, happen in the kitchen. In light of this, it is a welcome idea to remodel or improve the layout or look of your kitchen to accommodate these activities while keeping in mind the kitchen’s primary function — a place for making meals.
Making decisions about what to invest in can be a bit tasking, especially when you’re sitting on a budget. But having a clear picture of what you want helps to ease the decision-making process. Clear goals guide homeowners in making decisions that best suit their objectives.
Also, it would help if you considered working with a kitchen designer, as they help in making better and informed choices. Below are some trade-offs to consider when doing a kitchen remodel.
1. Daily use and special events – Remodeling your kitchen
This mostly depends on how many people your kitchen will serve. Your design choices will differ depending on if your kitchen is for daily use or mainly special events. Before you choose the style and layout of your kitchen, you should consider the primary function. When planning, take note of the family members living in the house; if it’s going to be your forever home, how many people will be living there in 10 years from now? Also, consider the number of guests you’ll be entertaining from time to time.
If you are designing for daily use, your choices will depend on your family functions in the kitchen daily, your lifestyle, and your eating habits. On the other hand, if you are designing for special events, you will have to allocate more space for seating, lots of counter/prep space and a larger refrigerator, etc.
2. Cost and Value – Remodeling your kitchen
All kitchen items, from appliances to utensils, are priced differently. The decision of where you should spend extra money and where you should save depends solely on what is important to you, and the long-term value of the item should also determine it. If an investment is going to improve your everyday life, then it is worth the investment. If you want to resell the house in the near future, then you should consider if that investment will increase its purchase value.
For instance, if you find hand washing dishes to be an extreme sport, getting a high-quality dishwasher would bring you immense value and save your time and energy.
3. Function and Aesthetics – Remodeling your kitchen
Typically, a kitchen redesign caters to function and aesthetics, but for most budget kitchen remodeling, user-friendliness and functionality take precedence over aesthetics. It can be quite frustrating having to work in a space that was not designed for function but aesthetics. This trade-off is quite personal because it has a lot to do with your lifestyle and priorities.
Aesthetics, on the other hand, include expensive but appealing detailed finishes that give the kitchen a sophisticated look. But being on a budget means you have to cut costs and focus on functionality over looks. However, this does not mean that you will have an ugly kitchen. Instead, you should invest in less expensive materials and items.
How the kitchen area is used plays a huge role in this trade-off because an attractive kitchen that lacks proper appliances and facilities will pose operational issues in the future. If you enjoy cooking, then investing in a design that prioritizes workflow is a great idea. On the other hand, if you don’t cook often, but want to improve the look of your kitchen, then you should focus on making your space more visually attractive.
4. Speed and patience – Remodeling your kitchen
Living in the house while construction is ongoing in the kitchen can be inconvenient, and so you may be tempted to speed things up and complete the process. Typical remodeling does take time.
However, it is worthy to note that you cannot do everything simultaneously; you can do some at a later date. If you plan to live in your house for many years, it’s worth slowing down and investing in the quality of the kitchen.
5. The ideal me vs. the real me – Remodeling your kitchen
This is more of a reality check. Rather than design and plan a kitchen for the fictional you, you can design to suit the real you. A new kitchen won’t automatically make you a tidy cook when in reality, you are an untidy cook. Keeping this in mind helps you create the perfect kitchen.
Need further help or guidance? Our team of experts can help you achieve your dream bathroom within a reasonable budget. Contact us at Cabinetera and become one of our happy clients. Call us today at (708) 78257777 or (410) 8344808 to schedule a consultation.