You have just moved into a new house. Everything is perfect apart from the kitchen, the hub of the home. Lots of old houses still have the old style kitchens, you know the ones I mean, they have bright and patterned tiles, the wallpaper is hanging off and the oven looks like a white box. The kitchen is the most important room in the house, especially in a family home. But re-doing a kitchen can be a daunting task.
The first place to start, when thinking about doing up a kitchen, is to ask yourself how much you have to spend. Then take ten per cent of that budget away and put it aside for unforeseen costs. When you have decided on a budget you can start to think about the appliances. Don’t start planning a kitchen around tiles and counters, if you work this way around than you may discover half way down the line that you have no room or money for your fridge.
Once you have decided on your appliances than you can start to think about the tiles, paint and counters.
When doing this make sure you think about practicality and not just the aesthetics of the kitchen. Ask questions like, will the counter scratch? Can you open the cupboards easily? Is the sink easy to use? Is the floor child friendly? Obviously these questions will change depending on your lifestyle, but make sure you think about how you will use your new kitchen.
When designing the colour scheme of the room make sure that you consider changing trends and styles. Your kitchen should last for around ten years, even more if you think carefully about the way the room will stand the test of time.
The best themes for kitchens are the classic ones; well-made cabinets and neutral colour schemes.
There are many home and decoration magazines with examples of kitchens. It might be a good idea to have a look at images of kitchens from ten years ago, which one still looks stylish? If you are going to paint the walls a bright colour then think about the durability of the paint. The same with bright tiles, everyone thinks that the paint is easy to cover over if styles changes, but most people will never get round to repainting. It is a fact of life.
So remember no bright colours, always chose your appliances first and try to imagine how you will use the kitchen. There are some great how to guides on the web, including a guides on choosing fridges, have a look around. The most important thing to keep in mind when remodelling your kitchen is usability. Don’t let the pretty colours entice you into an impractical kitchen.
