Have you always wanted a big kitchen? The dream of having plenty of counter space or entertaining friends while you cook might be an elusive one. Short of knocking down walls and taking space from an adjoining room, you're stuck with the space you have. What can you do to make the most of what you have? How can you make your small kitchen bigger than life?
Acceptance that your kitchen is the size that it is should be your first step in your kitchen remodel. While you might envy other big kitchens with a center island, big stainless steel range hoods and room enough to dance, small kitchens can be pretty stylish. Small kitchens are cute, cozy and unique. Packing everything into a small space means that everything is handy. Also, think about how much quicker it is to clean a small kitchen!
Spend as much time as possible planning and thinking things through before you undertake the groundbreaking of your remodeling project. The planning phase can be just as much fun as doing the actual work. There are materials that need to be picked out, colors that need to be chosen and you will find that have more options than you thought thanks to the size of your kitchen. A kitchen remodel can be expensive but thanks to the small size, you can outfit the space with finer quality materials than if you were bedecking a grander space. Cheating yourself by cutting costs with cheaper materials will show in the end product and we're talking about what is often considered the center of your home. This calls for some nice quality counter tops, fine flooring and exquisite cabinetry. Take your time finding the perfect materials for your project. You won't regret it.
Your lighting scheme is one aspect of a remodeling job that is often an after-thought for most people. Planning this out ahead of time and including it as a specific category in your design is a must. You have under counter lighting that you can explore, main lighting fixtures as well as accent lighting which can show off different aspects of your kitchen such as cabinets or a focal point. A well thought out lighting plan that's original and granular can be used to set the mood for your kitchen whether you're having a holiday party or sneaky around late at night for a midnight snack. Check out different fixtures and explore all your options including track lighting. It's not just for your living room or den anymore.
A common piece of advice is to stick with small patterns in small spaces. This means that you might be happier with small tile for the floors and small print design for your wallpaper and accent pieces. This piece of advice can also transition over to other aspects of your design such as appliances and fixtures, such as light fixtures or kitchen faucet hardware. Keep this in mind also when you're picking out things such as coffee makers and microwave ovens. That big espresso machine might look beautiful in the store but it very well might overwhelm your kitchen once you bring it home.
Storage is always at a premium in the home and never has it ever been so important as when you're remodeling a small kitchen. Finding someplace to store appliances such as mixers and blenders might be a chore but freeing up counter space can add to the illusion of having more space if you can tuck them away in a closet or the often unused top shelf in a cabinet. Keep in mind that many appliances are being made smaller and come with the hardware to mount them under your kitchen cabinets. You can even use this fact as an excuse to buy new appliances if you have grown tired of your current coffee maker, can opener or bulky microwave oven.
While these are only a few ideas to enhance your small kitchen, there are no hard and fast rules for kitchen remodeling. Break the rules if you want and see how you feel. After all, it's your kitchen and you should feel happy when you walk into your own kitchen. Cooking in a small kitchen can be enjoyable so let your instincts dictate what you surround yourself with as well as where everything needs to be. A small kitchen doesn't have to bring shame upon your home. A small kitchen can be cozy and quaint if you show it the attention it deserves as one of the focal points of you home.
Acceptance that your kitchen is the size that it is should be your first step in your kitchen remodel. While you might envy other big kitchens with a center island, big stainless steel range hoods and room enough to dance, small kitchens can be pretty stylish. Small kitchens are cute, cozy and unique. Packing everything into a small space means that everything is handy. Also, think about how much quicker it is to clean a small kitchen!
Spend as much time as possible planning and thinking things through before you undertake the groundbreaking of your remodeling project. The planning phase can be just as much fun as doing the actual work. There are materials that need to be picked out, colors that need to be chosen and you will find that have more options than you thought thanks to the size of your kitchen. A kitchen remodel can be expensive but thanks to the small size, you can outfit the space with finer quality materials than if you were bedecking a grander space. Cheating yourself by cutting costs with cheaper materials will show in the end product and we're talking about what is often considered the center of your home. This calls for some nice quality counter tops, fine flooring and exquisite cabinetry. Take your time finding the perfect materials for your project. You won't regret it.
Your lighting scheme is one aspect of a remodeling job that is often an after-thought for most people. Planning this out ahead of time and including it as a specific category in your design is a must. You have under counter lighting that you can explore, main lighting fixtures as well as accent lighting which can show off different aspects of your kitchen such as cabinets or a focal point. A well thought out lighting plan that's original and granular can be used to set the mood for your kitchen whether you're having a holiday party or sneaky around late at night for a midnight snack. Check out different fixtures and explore all your options including track lighting. It's not just for your living room or den anymore.
A common piece of advice is to stick with small patterns in small spaces. This means that you might be happier with small tile for the floors and small print design for your wallpaper and accent pieces. This piece of advice can also transition over to other aspects of your design such as appliances and fixtures, such as light fixtures or kitchen faucet hardware. Keep this in mind also when you're picking out things such as coffee makers and microwave ovens. That big espresso machine might look beautiful in the store but it very well might overwhelm your kitchen once you bring it home.
Storage is always at a premium in the home and never has it ever been so important as when you're remodeling a small kitchen. Finding someplace to store appliances such as mixers and blenders might be a chore but freeing up counter space can add to the illusion of having more space if you can tuck them away in a closet or the often unused top shelf in a cabinet. Keep in mind that many appliances are being made smaller and come with the hardware to mount them under your kitchen cabinets. You can even use this fact as an excuse to buy new appliances if you have grown tired of your current coffee maker, can opener or bulky microwave oven.
While these are only a few ideas to enhance your small kitchen, there are no hard and fast rules for kitchen remodeling. Break the rules if you want and see how you feel. After all, it's your kitchen and you should feel happy when you walk into your own kitchen. Cooking in a small kitchen can be enjoyable so let your instincts dictate what you surround yourself with as well as where everything needs to be. A small kitchen doesn't have to bring shame upon your home. A small kitchen can be cozy and quaint if you show it the attention it deserves as one of the focal points of you home.
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