Spring for many people means home improvement. And for a number of homeowners, a kitchen makeover is at the top of their remodeling list. Whether for function, appearance, or both, a kitchen remodel is one interior home improvement project that can significantly change your life on a day-to-day basis.
Making an Older Kitchen Feel Big
If you own an older home, your biggest gripe about your kitchen may be its small size. Years ago priorities in home design were different, and kitchens often took a back seat to large living rooms and formal dining rooms. The kitchen was simply a small space where one person (usually without any help) prepared food to serve in another room. Gadgets were few, and appliances were generally smaller and fewer (no microwaves or dishwashers). Today’s modern lifestyles have changed, and for many people, the kitchen is the focal point of the home, and often food prep involves several people working together.
Sometimes the answer is to enlarge the size of the kitchen, via an addition or incorporating space from a no-longer-used dining room. But that’s not always practical nor financially feasible, so what do you do if you’re stuck with the space constraints you’ve got but feel frustrated by your lack of room? Two tips – maximize the space you’ve got, and incorporate some design techniques to make your kitchen look larger. Here are some tips to take advantage of when you remodel:
What Takes Up Your Space?
When thinking about your kitchen remodeling project, take a look at some of common space hogs.
Swinging Door
In some cases, you can replace your swinging door with one that slides, or eliminate it altogether.
Appliance Spacing
Some kitchens have their appliances in impractical places. If you can’t open your fridge comfortably while something’s cooking on the range, examine how your kitchen’s layout is in order.
Convenience
Is there enough room to prepare a meal comfortably, and a place to enjoy it? Reorganizing furnishings could solve your problem.
By looking at before and after pictures from other projects, you can find relatively simple fixes to these problems and more. Need more ideas for kitchen remodeling? Iron River Construction offers kitchen transformation packages.
Cut Down on Kitchen Clutter
Before starting to establish your plan, go through what’s already in your kitchen and sort out what you need and what you do not. Unnecessary items can be thrown out, sold online, or given to charity. This benefits you by freeing up storage space and making it easier to organize what’s left over. Then think about the remaining items – do you use them in the kitchen, or did they just end up there? Perhaps there’s a better place for some items. For instance, a turkey roaster you only use once or twice a year could be put in your garage storage area. A basket for mail might work better on an entry table or shelf.
Once you cut down on what’s in the kitchen, you can now make a plan to maximize storage. To make the most of your storage space, include pull-out shelves and drawers in cabinets. When you replace fixed shelving with pull-out shelves and drawers, you have a great spot for larger items that makes it easy to get them in and out. There are a wide variety of other cabinet and drawer extras, such as towel bars for under your sink, pull-out cubbies for wraps and foils, etc. Having things well organized but yet accessible will make your kitchen more workable.
These suggestions are good place to start.
- Kitchen Cart – Using a cart to store things like mixers, microwaves and other small appliances will free up valuable counter and cabinet space.
- Hutch – This type of furniture doubles as a display and storage for your porcelain and regular dinnerware.
- Storage Racks – This type of shelving is handy for storing many different things. Specialty racks can store things like spices and cookware.
- Hooks – Hooks installed behind the kitchen door or free wall space, can be used to store spoons, cups and frying pans.
- Kitchen Islands – These islands are a little like the cart, but they are usually bigger. The types on wheels have the ability to conserve valuable floor space by being tucked away when not in use. They can also double as dining surfaces.
Bigger Looks Roomier
Larger floor tiles make your room appear larger than it actually is. The same goes for larger kitchen drawers. When choosing cabinets, consider replacing two smaller drawers with one large one. Bigger drawers not only make your space appear larger, they also give you storage options for things bigger than flatware and kitchen linens.
Use a Lighter Kitchen Color Scheme
Cabinetry, walls, and flooring in light colors give an overall feeling of openness; dark wood tends to make a space look smaller. Keep things under cover. As much as possible, stow things in cabinets and drawers, keeping your countertops clear for food prep. Not only will your kitchen be easier to work in, you’ll feel less cramped without a lot of things cluttering up the space around you. And more open counter space means you might have room for a helper or two.
Re-think Your Kitchen’s Floor Plan
Consider moving your sink to a corner if that works with plumbing layout. A corner sink allows for more unbroken counter space for food prep. If you’ve got an eat-in kitchen that seems cramped, take your table and chairs out and add an island with counter-high stools or chairs. Make one area do the work of two! Plus an arrangement like this allows you to prepare and cook food while others gather around.
Add Lighting
Darker kitchens look smaller, and they’re difficult to work in.
Add under-cabinet light to illuminate prep surfaces, hang pedestal lights above your sink and island, and replace small windows with ones as large as your wall space will allow. Maximizing natural sunlight will make your whole room appear larger, and it will be more inviting to work in.
Just because you’re short on space doesn’t mean you need to settle for a drab and dysfunctional kitchen. The right design, decor, and organizational touches can help you love your kitchen!
Contact Iron River Construction today to learn about all your kitchen remodeling options.
