If you want to renovate your kitchen or start rebuilding it from scratch, these ideas will help you spend your money wisely to ensure that the design lasts.
Kitchens and bathrooms are places that when designed well, add a wonderful amount both to the home’s aesthetic appeal as well as its resale value. We also know that the kitchen is one of the biggest investments you will likely make when updating your home. Therefore, be sure that your money is well-spent. Putting up a well-designed kitchen ensures a return on your investment.
Find a qualified kitchen designer
Don’t just ask everyone about designs nor trust every advice you see online about techniques; a major kitchen renovation requires a professional kitchen designer. He/she will have the relevant skills and experience in kitchen designs and will also have a comprehensive and current knowledge of hardware, products, and materials.
- Be adaptable. A good kitchen designer will aim for a flexible and adaptable space in which any work can be accomplished with minimum effort and no wasted motion for maximum efficiency. This benefits both the present and the future movements in the house. Also, don’t forget to consider the capabilities and needs of people who will be using the kitchen space.
- Apply ergonomics. Applying a good ergonomic design enhances the interface between our body and the things we interact with in the kitchen to get more things done easier and with less complexity. Since the human body do not alter their movement abilities to match the environment, we need to design the environment to match with our motions. A good kitchen design will minimize movement, so we spend less energy and time walking, bending, lifting, cleaning and cleaning.
- Sustainability considerations. A sustainable kitchen is naturally built to last, making a lesser impact on the environment can be achieved as well by using long-lasting and quality materials, hardware and products. These may cost a little more initially, but you’ll be able to save money in the long run. Sustainable products won’t need to be replaced every few years, so it puts less strain on the budget and the environment as well.
- Lighting preferences. Most designers leave light as an afterthought, but you should consider it during the initial planning stages. Your design won’t be perfect without the four layers of lighting: ambient, task, decorative and accent.
- Task lighting is considered the key in the kitchen as misplacing it can hinder your activities or throw shadows on your workplace. We also need more lighting as we age, so consider a dimmer switch to alter the level of light needed.
- Make the right choice in appliances. A brand new kitchen, or even redesigning one is a major investment, this means you need to make the right choice when it comes to appliances right after the furnishings are done. Experts will help you during this time. You can also read the latest product reviews from choice magazine. It’s packed with the latest consumer news, in-depth investigations, and a selection of the latest product tests and reviews in easy-to-read tables.
Now that you know the basics of future-proofing your kitchen, it’s time for planning and execution. Good luck!
