Perfect-Kitchen-Design-Guidelines

Kitchen Design | Code
Source: NKBA Guidelines + Design

Jenkintown Bathroom Transformation

Express Yourself: Define Your Remodeling Wants & Needs

Here is a great solution to help define your remodeling hopes and dreams to express them clearly to your contractor/ designer. Remodeling is not just fixing the bad and broken.  It is a total upgrade; a renovation of tired materials, old technologies, and dated design. Think of remodeling as you would a new car purchase. You consider the reliability and warranty when shopping for your new vehicle you.  While these are seriously important, you also consider the comfort, desirable accessories, beauty, and color. Let’s simplify this idea down to three main considerations:  lifestyle essentials, aesthetic desire, and resale value.

Lifestyle essentials – Research Your Daily Needs

What do you do in your space? How does it help you complete daily tasks? Is that basement space perfect for the kids, or maybe it will be an adult retreat?  Does your kitchen need a breakfast space for you and your family? For example, let’s say you have a love for baking.  Your kitchen should be a reflection of this passion. Marble slabs to prep tasty treats, ample oven space to bake all your delectable desserts, and counter space aplenty to cool cookies. These are all essential design elements in creating a space tailored to a life full of sweet creations.  So, get started by taking mental notes of your daily rituals and needs within your project space.  Keep in mind contractors/designers do not know your personal needs.   A clear understanding of how you live in your space allows you to pass along this knowledge to your remodeling team.

 Aesthetic Desire – Find Your Style

How do you want your new space to look and feel? Cozy and warm? Rusty and rural? Clean and modern?  Sleek and urban? Find terms that express your style and taste. To provide yourself and your contractor/designer with a clear definition of the stylistic direction of your project, create a small collection of images representing your desired taste, color palate, and atmosphere. To get started, check out the website HOUZZ.  The site provides a tool to surf their vast database of remodels and collect your favorite images to create a virtual idea bank.

Resale Value- Make It Timeless

Always consider the permanence of your decisions. Keep all investments such as cabinetry, tile work, countertops, and technology neutral.  And let’s get one thing clear… beige isn’t the only neutral, so don’t fear.  You still have many options!  Going neutral doesn’t mean you should avoid color or eclectic elements, but always incorporate your personal touches and vibrant accents to applications easily swapped out. This will allow your tastes and your space to evolve together and become a reflection of you. If in the future you decide to sell, neutral spaces become an asset to your home’s market appeal.

Bring this approach into all remodeling projects as a guide in your decision making process.  The end result will be a successful space that fulfills your needs and your dreams. Speak up about your needs. Speak up about your style. And be smart about your investments. Contractors/ designers can’t read your mind, so tell us what you want. Insist on what you need. Get started!

Be sure to contact the dRemodeling team if you have questions or ideas about your next remodeling project. 

Photoblog Concept Board: French Country Kitchen

The Importance of Kitchen Design

The kitchen is a special place.

It is more than just another room in the house. It is where gatherings happen, where food is prepared, and where memories are made. It is where families often spend quality time, where individuals can define their personal style through space, and where sophistication has an unparalleled opportunity to interact with functionality

So many important activities happen within the kitchen; a strong design facilitates true function and ease of movement. Kitchen remodeling is a wonderful way to achieve this; to increase the quality and life within the space and to greatly increase the value of your home.

Perhaps you aren’t thinking of putting your home on the market anytime soon. However, looking into the future marketability of your home is always a wise decision. A solid kitchen remodel can allow you to reap the benefits of an excellently crafted space while guaranteeing strong marketability of your home in the long run.

In today’s widely varying kitchen design trends, there are nearly endless possibilities for homeowners to create ideally personalized spaces. Making a decision about aesthetic and construction in your own home can be a difficult one to make. There are a few key things to think about when approaching a kitchen remodeling in your home.

Space

Issues, ideas, or problems regarding space (or lack thereof) is one of the most important things to bring to the drawing table when beginning to think about the remodeling of your kitchen. Small kitchens typically do not possess the opportunity to add more storage, so the existing space must be utilized intelligently. Work with a designer if possible to help maximize tight space. Enhance the use of lines and increase your accessibility to frequently used items to prevent clutter from building up. The more clear space you have in a small kitchen, the bigger it will inherently feel.

To the Max: Utilize small spaces in your kitchen in innovative ways to maximize your options when your space is at a minimum. [image: www.Ikea.com]

Up Against the Wall: Use your walls! Allow the walls in your kitchen to offer you a helping hand. Wall mounted storage can add a fresh,

contemporary look to your kitchen and will provide a plethora of storage options for optimized function.

Color + Texture

Color and texture is a critical piece to any interior design, architecture, or complete renovation project. Often set aside as an afterthought, color can have an incredibly strong impact on the human psyche and can have much to do with how we react and respond within our spaces. Consider color as a doorway through which you can enter a world of redefining your kitchen: turn a space that hosts most of your chore work into a space that fosters creativity and relaxation with family. Alter how you feel about cooking by making your kitchen a more inviting, energizing place. These changes frequently are dismissed as impossible, when really they could be ignited by a simple change of color. Color can change a level of visual perception as well. Try utilizing light, airy colors to make spaces appear larger. Minimize parts of a large, open kitchen to create a cozier atmosphere by introducing dark, rich colors.

Count on Color: Your kitchen isn't any less important than any other space in your home. Don't be afraid to add color, patterns,

and texture to your kitchen to add life and energy.  You spend a lot of time in the kitchen: make sure it is a space that is enjoyable to live in.

Linear Love Affair: Horizontal emphasis and strong linear patterning in any kitchen will help to expand the space visually and exaggerate the size of the room.

Innovation

We are at such an incredible point in time that we have amazing technology at our fingertips. Use remodeling as an opportunity to explore innovative trends in design when possible. Lighting, energy efficient appliances, innovative materials…they are all available to the average person and can add an even higher level of sophistication, meaning, and value to your kitchen.

Whatever you choose, allow it to speak to you. Happiness in the end user and a notable level of functionality are testaments to strong design. Small or large renovation shifts to a space such as the kitchen will ultimately provide a positive change to your entire home.

Have ideas for your kitchen? Make them a reality!

We love to help you make your dream space come to life.

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