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The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in any home. It’s where your family gravitate to for food, and often also a space where you spend time together and entertain. Add in meal prep, and it’s easy to see why kitchens get a lot of use.
This constant use means your kitchen can get worn out more quickly than other rooms. If you’re just tired of your old kitchen, or it’s sorely in need of a renovation due to wear and tear, you’re probably planning a dream kitchen extension or re-design.
Everyone wants a beautiful kitchen, but a good kitchen design should also be practical. Here are some tips to help you design a stunning and functional kitchen.
1. Set a budget
As much as we’d rather pretend it doesn’t, when it comes to home renovations, money dictates what you can and can’t do. This applies to kitchen design as much as anything else.
It’s important to set a budget when planning your new kitchen. This is the type of home improvement project that can easily end up costing way more than you thought.
If you run out of money mid-renovation, there’s a risk that the work is abandoned before it’s finished. This means that you’re essentially left with no kitchen and a hefty bill, which is definitely not the best outcome.
When working out a budget, take time to really understand what you need and want from your new kitchen. Once you’ve done this, you can factor in your savings and income to identify what you can actually afford. You may have to make sacrifices, so choose wisely.
2. Plan the layout
The layout of your kitchen is one of the first things you need to consider. The easiest thing to do is usually to stick with the layout that you already have, but this might not be ideal. You may want to add in a kitchen island, or change things around to better suit your lifestyle and needs.
If you want to make major changes to the layout, you can use a kitchen design planner or a contractor with access to this kind of software. This will help you to better visualise the space and make it much easier to plan the layout, so that you can come up with something as practical as it is beautiful.
Kitchen design software can also be used to explore colour schemes and other design features, allowing you to see how the room will look and make changes before you spend any money.
3. Hiring contractors
As you’d expect, you will have to hire contractors before you can enjoy your dream kitchen to its full potential. You can try to fit the kitchen yourself to save money, but if you’re not experienced in DIY things can easily go wrong. Unless you know exactly what you’re doing, it’s a good idea to leave it to the professionals.
It’s possible to get your kitchen fitted by one contractor who has all the necessary tools and skills. However, some kitchen renovations might need different contractors. For example, if you dramatically change the layout of your kitchen, then you will probably need electricians and plumbers to create new outlets. Make sure you factor the cost of these contractors into your budget.
What’s your top tip for turning your dream kitchen into a reality?
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