Remodeling your kitchen is an investment that can last for years to come. When making this type of financial commitment, it’s imperative to make sure the end result fulfills your idea of a dream kitchen. How do you do that? By knowing what mistakes to avoid. Here are five “oops” other homeowners have made during their kitchen remodel. Avoiding these will help make your time, effort, and money well worth it.
1. Choosing your appliances last.
If you are overhauling your entire kitchen from floor to ceiling, avoid choosing your appliances last. By choosing your appliances first, you’ll know the exact dimensions, making it easier to select cabinets and countertops that will fit perfectly around your appliances.
Pro Tip: During the planning stage of your kitchen remodel, consider the size and direction of doors, appliances, and cabinets. Fridges and ovens often need wide clearance. Consider getting a 3D design, which allows you to take a virtual walk through your kitchen before building begins. Cormack Construction uses 3D design to help homeowners customize remodeling projects to their exact specifications.
2. Skimping on storage.
You can never have too much storage space, so be sure to be generous with cabinetry when designing your new kitchen. Incorporate lazy susans, roll out drawers, cabinet expansions, tray dividers, and inserts inside your cabinets and drawers. Consider custom built-in cabinetry to meet the specific needs of your kitchen. These details will not only increase your kitchen's storage efficiency, but will also save you money as they are much more costly to add on down the road.
3. Overdesigning.
There is no shortage of design ideas for your remodel, but with such a plethora to choose from, it can be overwhelming; and can lead to overdesigning. Incorporating dozens of ideas into a remodeling plan without thinking about the big picture results in an over designed kitchen that is not welcoming, comfortable, or functional. Some ideas will work and some will not. Consulting with an experienced home remodeling contractor like Cormack Construction can help you fine tune the opportunities and limitations of your kitchen design.
4. Overlooking the details.
So much time and energy of a kitchen remodel is centered on big ticket items—such as countertops, flooring, and appliances—that minor design details are often forgotten. Backsplashes, cabinet pulls, and other small design elements may seem insignificant, but they can make a big design impact and should be given equal attention in the decision-making process.
Pro Tip: Materials can look a lot different in a showroom than they do in your actual space. Don't commit to any major design element—such as flooring or countertop materials—until you've brought the samples home to look at them in the space you're remodeling.
5. Underestimating sizing.
Using items that are not the right size can make the entire kitchen look incomplete. For example, an island that is too long and wide for your space will be hard to walk around or reach across. Similarly, if light fixtures are not proportional to your island, they can make your entire kitchen look off balanced.
Kitchen Remodeling in NH’s White Mountains, Lakes Region, and Western ME
Avoiding these mistakes can help you design the kitchen of your dreams. For help with your remodeling project, contact Cormack Construction for a no-obligation consultation. We bring over 35 years experience of home remodeling and construction services to New Hampshire’s White Mountains, Lakes Region, and Western Maine.
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Feature Photo Source: The Window Depot