Kitchen remodeling ideas

Kitchen remodel ideas are a prerequisite of any renovation you might have in mind.  I mean, everybody and their mother know what the traditional kitchen is all about: hardwood cabinetry, linoleum flooring, maybe some marble countertops for good measure.  Or the stainless steel kitchen – what I call the “robochop room” – decked from head to toe in the latest shiny appliances.

But neither one of them is very new, inspiring or exciting.

Why not push the boundaries a little bit?  Things like outdoor kitchens, new lighting techniques and other breaking trends can turn your kitchen from *yawn* to *OMG* in no time.  Here are a few emerging trends in kitchen design and remodeling to get you started:

Breaking the Cage (Extreme remodeling idea)

Having a small kitchen doesn’t have to be confining; on the contraire, with some creativity you can break the cage.  How? Push out the walls and expand outdoors!

You’re going to need to check your neighborhoods zoning to get in on this trend.  However, if you have the blessing of the town hall, there are few things that make a statement as loud as an outdoor kitchen set up.

Outdoor living rooms and patios are a common feature; outdoor kitchens are just starting to make their way onto the fashion radar.  Now, you’re obviously going to want to consider the climate in your area.  And you’re going to need appliances that can survive living outside.  You’re also going to need to work out the heating and electrical situation, being a bit more difficult too lassoes in an outdoor set up.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the setup doesn’t have to be open-air.  I’ve heard of homeowners making a glass enclosure that they wrap around the kitchen, or only having a section actually exposed to the elements. You may want to consider the same.  Price bracket for an outdoor kitchen redesign: $1,500 – $30,000 (dependant on extravagance).

Green Kitchens – Save the environment and cook with a conscious

A green kitchen is another great remodeling idea.  Simply put, a green kitchen uses the latest in technological advances to make the room as environmentally friendly as possible.  Everything from faucets to electric appliances can be made more efficient without breaking the bank.  This expands to the actual building materials themselves; many are made from recycled and repositioned materials.

Live in Kitchens – So American, but in a cool way

As far as kitchen remodeling ideas go, a “live in kitchen” is one of the most aggressive.  This is a new style of kitchen, driven by society’s constant march towards doing more with less… and doing everything at once.

A live in kitchen is simply a larger kitchen, furnished with the typical things you’d find in the living room (T.V., sofa, coffee table, computer section, etc.).  The goal is to make the kitchen a main pillar in daily life, instead of an isolated room used only 2 or 3 times a day.

Lighting Ideas – Because shadows suck

Lighting techniques is one of those things that are underrated, but have immense value.  The lighting in your kitchen tells a story.  Natural light says one thing, while track lighting says another.

Recessed ceiling lighting isn’t just limited to living areas any longer.  These days, they’re becoming more prevalent in the kitchen because of their natural warmth.  There’s also a swell of interest in under-cabinet lighting, which gives a unique and stunning touch to even the most boring kitchens.  When it comes to lighting, you’re going to want to bring in a professional.  Whenever you’re running new electric lines and dropping in fixtures, you don’t want your Uncle Moe messing around behind the walls.

Kitchen Remodeling Ideas for Every American

Remodeling is for those of us that realized moving right now isn’t an option.  Which means, pretty much everybody that lives in the United States and most of Western Europe.  Outside of the bathroom, the kitchen is the best room to remodel.

Why?  Well, because you’ll notice it.  After all, if you’re like me, when you’re not sleeping you probably like to eat.

Beyond that, guests usually see the kitchen more than any other room.  Throw the right kitchen remodeling ideas into action, and you’re friends will be at least a bit jealous.  Guaranteed.  Not that I know from personal experience…

And one more benefit, if you’re not sold already, is this: in terms of dollar-for-dollar equity creation no remodeling project gives you a better ROI than the kitchen.  When we can start selling our houses again, you’ll be glad you renovated the kitchen instead of, say, the attic.

So, where do you start?  Well, swapping out the appliances is usually a safe bet.  Your appliances add life and color to the kitchen.  It’s also one of the most noticeable changes you can make outside of a brand new layout.

Keep in mind that appliances can be expensive.  But we’re here to make a home, right?  Tally up how much the dream kitchen is worth to you, and then set aside a realistic budget just for new appliances.

Next up comes the countertops.  These are the workhorses of the kitchen, and since you’ll be spending the bulk of your time in the kitchen behind one of these you shouldn’t skimp on them.

The options for countertop materials are endless: stainless steel, ceramic tiles, marble and marble imitations, granite and granite imitations… the list goes wide as the day is long.

The trick is to find a material that fits your budget, but won’t need to be replaced by this time next year.  Concrete marble imitations are usually a safe bet, along with higher quality stainless steel.

Third on our list are our cabinets. Personally, I prefer cabinets to be durable and I let the countertops carry the “style” of the kitchen.  With that said, leaving up dingy cabinets from 1818 simply because they’re durable isn’t the way to go.  At the very least, switch out the cabinet knobs to give the space new life. Obviously, if you got the cash completely switching out the cabinets can do wonders.

We’ll conclude this article by discussing the flooring.  I highly suggest ceramic tile, even though there’s been a trend towards hardwood in the kitchen.  But that’s just because me and my family are sloppy chefs and drop all kinds of liquids on the floor.  Hardwood is our archenemy.  Plus, you have more color and styling flexibility with ceramic tiles.

But it might just be me.

That’s it for now.  We’ll be discussing other, more advanced kitchen remodeling ideas in the near future.  If you have a topic in specific you want to read about, drop me a comment below.

With that firmly in mind, it makes sense to put budgeting at the top of the list of initial researching. Planning out a realisitic budget is the first step in avoiding costly mistakes when renovation is underway.

With tools like the internet and personal computers, budget planning is easier than ever.  Here are a few things to keep in mind as you begin to plan out your kitchen renovations:

Expect the unexpected: You wouldn´t believe the things you may uncover.

When I was a real estate agent, two home inspections out of there would reveal a defect that current owner had no idea about.

Ugly things like powder post beetles, rotted sill plates , and termite damage to structural beams.

Keep this in mind. When things start getting pulled out, you never know what you´ll find. Plan for this in your budget. THe older the house, the more to budget for the unexpected.

Also, changes you decide to make mid renovation will have a cost. Plan now to want to change your mind in the future.

Materials will be your most variable expense.  Be cost conscious, but dont cut corners if you want the work to last.

Don´t risk having your cabinets fall apart in 2 years to save a couple of hundred dollars.  Still, be aware that material selection is where must of your expense (and options) are.

Don´t Over-Improve

The average American moves every 7 years. If you think you may sell in less than 10 years, you should consider how much value the kitchen remodel will add.

Any money you sink into improving beyond the value added will come out of your equity when you sell.But of course, comfort is important and it has a value as well.

Just make sure to balance the desire to be comfortable with the return you hope to see in the future when you sell.

Also, I should remind you that a buyer doesn´t care what you paid.  It only matters what the improvement is worth to the buyer.

Track Your Expenses

Just like a personal budget, you want to track your spending often and with dilligence. Using an Excel spreadsheet is a great way to keep track of expenses, as well as the project timeline.

As Peter Drucker says “What gets measured gets managed”.  The sooner you know that you are heading off budget, the faster you can change course.

Bullet Points (my commentary is in red):

• You should never invest more than 15% of the current value of your home on a kitchen project

• Home values are determined by recent home sales in your area. This is NOT your current tax appraisal. This is called a comparative market analysis, and most local real estate agents or appraisers do them.

• Materials you select will have the biggest impact on the total remodel price.

• The area you live in will play a major roll in how much construction costs. This is why most cost calculators have no real bearing.

Excerpts from the article

“You don’t want to remodel all of your equity away. Some projects add value to the home and others just eat away your equity with no return at all.

Fortunately a kitchen remodel is something that recaptures nearly 100% return if you stay within the maximum 15% of the home’s current market value.”

“Some things to consider would be:

What condition is the house in and what era does the current style suggest and what would you like it to be?

What is the current market value of your house before remodeling and what is the average market value of comparable sized homes in the neighborhood?”

“The entire kitchen project (including cabinets, appliances, Countertops, flooring, lighting, trim molding, & wall coverings) should cost no less than 5% and no more than 15% of the current value of your home … with approximately 50% of the total cost allocated for kitchen cabinets (including accessories and trim).”

The video is only about 3:00 long… feel free to comment below.

Basic Summary:

1. Tips on desiging your kitchen remodeling project.

2. Start by making a list of all your needs for your new kitchen.

3. It helps to list problems you have currently with the room.

4. This is how I made the most of every square inch in our 11ft.X20ft kitchen.

5.Gather advice from professionals and put together a realistic time line for completion.

6.Seek out products that are part of a series to give a more coordinated look to your kitchen.

7.Always draw up a budget.