Kitchen Improvements top many lists.
PLANNING YOUR NEW KITCHEN
Given the opportunity to replace any room in the home, most of us will choose the kitchen as our first candidate for remodeling. The older homes in this area, from turn-of-the-century cabins, and big Victorian houses, to 1970's tract houses, are begging for updated kitchens. We can prevent a lot of grief and wasted time if we do some serious shopping, planning and research. To help, here are some questions that we can ask ourselves to help with the remodeling process.
1) What do I like or dislike about the kitchen I 'm using now? Make the new kitchen work well for you. Food tastes better when it is prepared in a space where the chef is happy to create. Keep notes, make lists of good and bad points. Does traffic flow well? Is there enough storage for canned goods, baking pans, dog food, produce, or cleaning products? Would I like a big spice rack near the range? Is the room too dark? Too big? Does the main cook prefer to cook with gas and the current range is electric? Would I like a pastry surface? Do any family members have special needs to serve?
2) Will the new kitchen serve as gathering center for family arid guests? If we prefer to cook in peace, let's not encourage visitors to linger. Do we enjoy people watching us prepare meals? Let's plan for seating near the prep area, out of the way, but sociably handy. Do the kids do homework at the counter? Does a family member use the kitchen for crafts projects? Office? Would we like to plan for a phone station or computer desk? Do frequent dinner parties need a buffet surface? Would we like to add or remove a TV ?
3) How much of the work can we do? If we have experience hanging cabinets, framing or with
plumbing, maybe we can tackle a kitchen remodel. Are there friends or relatives with professional skills? What helpful resources are available locally ? Would it be best to hire a contractor to handle
the whole project? We can save by tearing out the old cabinets and appliances or by preparing walls for the installers. Let's ask the contractor - what work can we do to save ?
4) When will we start and finish the job? Will the walls be torn out during the holidays? Do we want to spend our vacation remodeling? How long will it take to line up contractors? Are we taking walls out? Are the products that we like available now? Here? What lead time is involved in fabricating some items? We will expect the dream kitchen to have a nightmare or two before it's ready.
5) How much are we spending? Estimated costs can change over the course of a remodel. We can count on things being revised as work progresses. Older homes can hide many surprises in their walls and floors. Maybe our plumbing has done well all these years. What if, in removing the old sink, it becomes obvious that the the pipes are in bad shape and need replacement? Could be that the older gas range that we had planned to move will not look so nice near that new refrigerator? Are the walls way out of square? Do we need to rebuild walls? Plan to reserve 15%20%of your budget for surprise expenses.
Do we have $ 4, 000 - $ 7, 000 for the job? We will likely keep the original layout. We can replace the existing cabinets, laminate countertops, and maybe order a new range or dishwasher. OR we can re-paper the walls ourselves, buy new appliances, have new sink and faucet installed, re-face or paint the existing cabinets and have vinyl floor covering installed professionally.
Can we spend $ 8,000 - $10,000? A combination of flooring, some appliances, new sink, faucet, cabinets and countertop can be ours! If we plan right, we can replace the windows. The contractor will require 20% to 30% of this budget, depending on the specifications of the job.
Do we have $ 11,000+ for a new kitchen? For this amount, we can replace our older appliances, get new flooring laid, change walls, buy new cabinetry and accessories for inside the cabinets, and have new countertops installed. At the top end, we can order new stainless steel, professional-style appliances, solid surfaced countertops, wood floors, bay windows, and custom cabinetry.
6) What style do we want ? The cabinets and accessories will determine the look of the kitchen. Cabinets can be wood, laminated or painted. Many stains and colors are available. Traditional kitchens follow rich, architectural lines. Shaker-style kitchens have simple cabinet lines with peg racks, more open storage. The modern look uses pale or strong colors and horizontal lines. The commercial look is gaining favor in Colorado, using stainless steel appliances and surfaces. In what type of room will we be most comfortable? Do we love to display lots of knickknacks? Do we prefer a very clean, sparsely decorated countertop? Do we want to use that old wood cookstove? Are there other antiques to access to make the kitchen look unique? Are the outdoor view or access going to influence the floor plan and style? Are convenience and speedilyprepared meals the determining factor? Let's look at many pictures of kitchens and see if we can "feel" our family functioning in each one.
With a bit of research and planning, the new kitchen will be worth a few bumps. Keeping track of notes, pictures, bids and questions - in one folder or drawer -will make the remodeling process easier. And, don't hold back on those questions!
Cheryl Tischer is a kitchen designer/consultant with Cabinet Wholesalers, Inc., Salida.
