10 Things To Consider When Refurbishing Your Kitchen
Refurb or upgrade, that is the question!
Planning a kitchen refurbishment can be a daunting task: from selecting a worktop surface, a colour scheme, overall kitchen design, as well as ensuring that it all conforms with your budget.
When you buy a kitchen counter at Worktops.net, you know that it will be of the highest quality and crafted to the highest of standards, regardless of the material you choose, but it is important to have an idea of the materials that are available before you make your choice. So, below are just ten different points that you should consider before you start any work.
Are You Planning an Update or a Complete Refurb?
Its worth considering whether you really need to change your entire kitchen, particularly if your base kitchen is in a very good condition and you are still happy with the appearance and functionality. It may be that a new kitchen worktop surface will be enough to revitalise your kitchen and provide you with that new kitchen feeling. If you are thinking about updating your kitchen, it might be that you are only changing a few aspects, for example, your worktops, sink area, splashbacks, quartz tiles or even your floor. All of these are quite considerable undertakings, so it is really important that you identify exactly what you are changing before you start.
Think About Trends
Taking inspiration from current trends can provide you with a wide range of stylish yet practical ideas for your new kitchen design. Observing trends and different styles also teaches another important lesson: what styles you prefer and which styles you dislike. Consider the type of kitchen area you want today, but it's quite good practice to think how you would like your kitchen to look in 5 to 10 years time.
Trends can be a helpful guide for what is considered 'fashionable' or in vogue, yet many of us understand that trends and fashion can often be fleeting and change as quickly as the clouds in the sky! That's why it is always good to try and personalise your kitchen to how you would like it to be - be your own trend setter!
Go for a brand new kitchen on a whim or after some careful consideration?
Create Mood Boards
It is worthwhile trying to envision what your finished kitchen will look like before you progress with the renovation. The easiest way to do this may be to create mood boards by collecting pictures and material samples in the colours you plan to incorporate in your kitchen. Although online mood boards are often convenient, it may be a good idea to make a physical mood board and keep it in a really prominent place in your home or office, allowing you to get used to the colour and material combinations. You may quickly decide which colours and schemes appeal to you or not.
Work Out Early What You Would Like To Achieve
Something has spurred you on to carry out your kitchen renovation and it is important to determine why you are doing it and, ultimately, what you would like to achieve. Are you trying to sell your home, or simply would like a more modern and functional kitchen? Having clear goals early on in the process can have many advantages, from the design and style you would like to picking out the best materials in order to achieve this goal.
Work With Existing Features
Even if you are planning a complete refurbishment of your kitchen, don’t think that you have to replace everything. It is all too easy to rip everything out and destroy it, but depending on the theme that you are looking to introduce to your kitchen, have a look around to see if anything can be recycled, or even sold. Don’t write off dated cupboard doors, as it can be really surprising how good these can look with a coat of paint, or a vinyl wrap. Unless they are damaged beyond repair, think whether they could be transformed to fit in with your theme before you get rid of them.
Design With Existing Appliances in Mind
If you know that you want to incorporate a specific coffee machine, juicer, fridge, dishwasher or oven into your kitchen, it is a good idea to have a good picture where you would like them to be placed before designing the rest of the space. Having a bespoke kitchen with everything where you would like them to be can be very rewarding and having your existing appliances embedded in your new kitchen can add a nice sense of familiarity.
Think Long Term
Your new kitchen, whether it is a whole refurbishment or just an upgrade, should be viewed as an investment for your home and one that will add value. A new kitchen should be viewed as a long term alteration to your home, both as something that you will be content to live with for many years to come, or, should you wish to move to a new property, something that will appeal to home buyers in the future. A kitchen renovation is a large and expensive undertaking - make sure that any work carried out at your property is performed to the highest standards.
Budget
It is important to set yourself a realistic budget before you start your planning. Naturally, things can change during the planning process and accommodations to your budget can be made in order to achieve the kitchen you desire. Researching costs of materials and their respective colour bands can provide a guide on how to organise your budget, as well as what you can attain.
Not doing this will very easily allow you to get carried away and spend far too much money. Make sure you have researched the cost of materials before you start so you can pick the one that suits you best. This will also reduce the risk of finding additional costs along the way. If you are planning a full renovation, be aware that rarely will these go exactly according to plan, so it is important that you have allowed for some additional costs that you will inevitable discover along the way. Work this into your budget though, so you have the means to pay for it.
