7 kitchen renovation tips

Kitchens are no longer viewed as a room with the sole purpose of cooking. Nowadays, the kitchen is central to the home and is one of the most important rooms. It is the space where a large amount of time is spent, where things are stored, where kids have fun with their art and craft supplies, where entertaining happens, the list goes on! So, it is no secret that having a good kitchen makes a huge difference when it comes to buying or selling a home.  That’s why renovating your kitchen is really beneficial. Have a look at the tips below to make sure you renovate your kitchen in the best way possible!

1. Know the size of your kitchen

Knowing the size of your kitchen will make your renovation plans so much easier. Measuring your kitchen correctly allows you to design a kitchen area that maximises the space that you have available. This is so important for such a high traffic area. Knowing the space that you’re working with also allows you to answer questions like “Can I have an island bench?”, and “How much bench space will fit?”, as well as allowing you to shop around for all your appliances and fixtures with ease.

2. Know how you will use your kitchen space

Once you know the size of your kitchen, you can define how you’ll use this space. Will it just be used for cooking, or will it be more of a living space? Nowadays, kitchens are becoming much more of a living space, even if the room is quite small. Just look at the increasingly popular Scandinavian style that perfectly combines small spaces with liveability. Because of this, you need to really carefully consider how you will combine cooking, activities and dining all into the one space. One activity should not prevent the others from working well by being too cumbersome.

3. Know your budget

Renovating often incurs unexpected costs from little issues here and there. But, the main reason for these expensive surprise costs is because a well-thought out budget has not been defined before starting renovating. So, avoid being surprised and work out your budget before starting. Keep in mind that around $10,000 to $22,000 will be necessary to renovate a small or budget kitchen, $22,000 to $35,000 for a mid-range kitchen, and probably more than $35,000 for a high-end kitchen. The most important thing is that once you have a budget, stick to it! 

4. Use your existing plumbing

Renovating your kitchen can be really affordable if you don’t change your existing plumbing system! Plumbing works can be the most expensive part of the renovation process, so if you can, always use your existing plumbing fixtures. But, if you can’t use existing plumbing fixtures, don’t stress. There are always solutions. One example that you can use is a grey water pump, or a macerator pump. These are a great alternative that allow you to change your water points without having to completely modify the plumbing system in your home. For more information, click here (link to Saniflo).  

5. Figure out your work triangle – sink, fridge, and stove

The work triangle is a design idea conceptualised to help create efficient kitchen working spaces. This shape is made by drawing a triangle between the sink, the fridge and the stove, to help define the space where the main kitchen activities will occur. So, think about your work triangle in order to create an efficient kitchen that will ensure you are not running all over the place!

6. Use samples for splash backs, tiles, and bench tops

Using samples is a great way to help choose the colour palette of your kitchen. It is often quite hard to choose the colouring of a kitchen and it is something that you definitely want to get right. Using samples helps you visualise which colour combinations work best. If you are renovating a small kitchen, it’s preferable to avoid putting too many statement colours on the walls as this can be quite overbearing. Home buyers tend to like neutral colours on the walls in the kitchen, so if you think you might sell your home in the future, this is something to keep in mind. If you absolutely love statement colours, another option is to use smaller touches of colour. For example, you can use coloured tiles, mirrors or brushed steel on the wall or backsplash, or invest in coloured appliances!

7. Maximise storage

The kitchen is a room that needs storage: pans, cutlery, spices, perhaps even school notices. So to keep this space neat and tidy, storage is a must: hooks, cupboards, shelves, you can never have too much! Remember that no space is too tiny to be used. There are cupboards designed to help with awkward kitchen corners. Creating storage can also double up as decorative elements such as wooden shelving on the walls. 

Read: Kitchen additions to consider this year