What to do with a Kitchen?

When it comes to remodeling, there are two main rooms that people always want to improve before anything else. Their kitchen and bathroom (s). Seems appropriate because these rooms are vital to your day to day routine.

Today I want to focus on kitchens and what people are asking for when we plan their design. Questions about whether to do an open floor plan versus a closed floor plan, which appliances and where to place them along with how to squeeze in more cabinet space.

When you walk into a newly built home, you notice the open floor plan (minimal amount of walls) between the kitchen and family room. Some people love the idea and its especially good if you do alot of casual entertaining. People can stand in the kitchen or general vicinity and converse while enjoying food and drink.

Contrast this with a closed floor plan. The kitchen is closed off from the family room as well as the rest of the house. Perhaps there is a breakfast nook that connects to the kitchen, but overall this area is not open flowing to other rooms of the house. This makes for a more formal approach to the entertaining. Some might comment on how it feels chopped up and does not allow for communication between the parties, especially if you are the one doing the cooking! However, people have different backgrounds and culture and for them its more acceptable to have the noise and odors from the kitchen be separated from the rest of the house.

Once you determine the floor plan you like, the next questions that come up are what and where to put the appliances along with how to get more cabinet space. If you are opening up walls than most likely the cabinet space is going away. Plus it limits the areas you can place your appliances. Its always a good idea to move the appliance that takes the least amount of time to hook up. If you have a refrigerator that is too far from the sink and stove/cooktop, than move it closer. Its easier to run some new electrical lines for a refrigerator than to move a water line and drain for a sink. You can use the same logic for moving a stove/cooktop because of gas lines and proper venting.

Clients ask me if stainless steel is going out of style and I tell them its still popular. Yes, some manufacturers are adding color to the panels but for the most part, stainless steel works with so many different variables. If you have the budget and are doing custom cabinets, get matching panels for the appliances as well. This lets the appliances blend in with the overall kitchen design.
Basically, when you decide to remodel your home think about who its intended to serve. Are you remodeling because you will be using this kitchen for the next 5+ years and want to enjoin the convenience and beauty of your creation? Or you want to spruce up the place because you are thinking of selling the house in a year or two? Knowing the answer will determine what you do on floor plan, appliances, cabinets, etc. It also greatly impacts how much you spend on the total project. The majority of time its always the multitude of changes or upgrades made during the project that puts you overbudget. If its for your personal enjoyment for years to come, than go ahead and make yourself happy! If not, pull in the reins and do not change the overall floor plan from how it was originally built.

My next blog will discuss what to do on a bathroom. You can also take a look at some of our projects at http://www.jrgidesign.com/.