Planning a new Kitchen

Planning a new Kitchen!

How many times have you thought about ripping out your kitchen but talked yourself out of it because it just seemed like a lot of work? This may come as a surprise, but remodeling your kitchen brings great rewards. Rewards to the tune of 80-100% return on your money.

It can seem overwhelming to take on your kitchen. There seem to be so many things to consider that it can paralyze you from doing anything at all. But for your basic kitchen remodel there are really only five major items to consider.

The Appliances

The first item to consider is your appliances. The look of your appliances really sets the stage for how the rest of the kitchen will look.

Are you after an ultra-modern stainless steel feel for your kitchen? Or are you more of a homey white appliance kind of family? Perhaps you like the jet black appliances. or bachelor type kitchen

Give this some thought and then get online or visit your favorite appliance store to see what's currently on offer.

Selecting The Units

Once you've gotten your appliances and know the general feel you're going for, it's time to select the units. If you're looking for ultra-modern kitchen, consider stainless steel cabinets. Glass doors can also give a modern edge to your kitchen as well.

If you're after a more homey kitchen, then solid wood cabinets with a rich wood finish will do the trick. For the edgier black appliances, look to flat faced doors with sharp edges and less country flare.

Now For The Counter Tops

Selecting the right material for your countertops is of vital importance to your newly remodeled kitchen. The color, texture and look of the counters wil make a statement in your new kitchen.

But even more important than that, the counters are the real work space of the kitchen and must be able to withstand what your family is going to put them through.

Granite is a popular work surface material because it's very durable and has a great finish for almost any kitchen .

Taps and Sinks

While the taps and sinks make up a small portion of the kitchen space, they can really make a difference to the look of your new kitchen.

For a classy kitchen, rounded hardware with edges full of flare and a brass finish often do the trick. Again, ultra-modern design calls for stainless steel sinks and bold streamlined faucets. The homey look can be achieved with porcelain sinks and tall taps.

Spending a little extra money on those taps can really add style to the whole job. Going cheap on the taps can really cheapen even the most expensive cabinets and countertops.

The Flooring

Be careful not to overlook the flooring you're going to put into your new kitchen. As with taps, going cheap will really lessen the look and feel of the entire kitchen.

While grouted tile is not a necessity, if you go with linoleum be sure to find a quality pattern that isn't too busy. You don't want people staring at the floor the entire time they're in the kitchen. Wooden floors really add style.

There are really only five things to consider for most kitchen remodels: appliances, cabinets, countertops, sinks and taps and the flooring.

Start with the appliances to set the stage & budget of the rest of your new kitchen. Print out your selections from the internet or cuttings from magazines and lay them out on a table to see how they look. Getting a bird's eye view in this way will really help you get the pieces that fit best together.