Your New Kitchen

Kitchen is one of the most important element of a house.

Whether it’s a minor cabinet shuffle, wall-to-wall paint job or complete renovation, any upgrade to your kitchen is sure to raise the market value of your home.

Regardless of size, today’s kitchens are no longer merely places to cook a meal. Instead, most new kitchens are bright, airy and sizzle with all kinds of activity. They are often extensions of family rooms, dining and other living areas.

With the variety of materials, unique design ideas, colour choices and modern appliances available today, you can transform almost any kitchen into an attractive, pleasant and efficient hub of activity.

Improving a kitchen can, however, be costly and time-consuming. A kitchen is typically the most expensive room in a house to remodel - appliances, cabinetry, counters, floors, walls, plumbing and wiring - it all adds up!

The key to spending your money wisely when contemplating a complete kitchen renovation - or even just some upgrades - is planning.

Begin by taking an inventory of your present kitchen - what do you like and dislike about it? Is it too dark, too big, too stale-looking, too small to work in or eat in? This list will quickly give you a good idea of what you want in a new kitchen.

Next, ask yourself how your present kitchen fits in with your family’s lifestyle. Do you want your kitchen to be the hub of your home? Do you want to look up recipes on the Internet when you cook, or entertain friends as you chop vegetables? Or do you like to cook alone, away from the noise? If you don’t want people migrating to the kitchen, you may not want to knock out walls and extend the existing space into other living areas.

Also consider the time of year you plan to start remodeling. If you are going to be knocking down walls and windows, stay away from cold months like January. As well, you should avoid remodeling before many family or holiday events.

Finally, decide what kitchen style you like most. The old-fashioned country kitchen is one of today’s popular designs, but you may prefer something more contemporary, or even a combination of styles. If your budget is tight and bite-sized projects are what you are aiming for, here are a few ideas:

Resurface or repaint old cupboards

Paint is inexpensive and can transform wooden cupboards in a matter of hours. Try a new painting technique, a textured look or a zesty combination of colours. You can also resurface old cupboards with wood laminate or one of the new, non-traditional plastic-based materials that resist chipping, denting and staining. Formica counter tops, for example, provide the look and feel of expensive solid surfacing at about half the cost.

Use more glass Replace a few cabinets with glass ones. Glass and mirrors in a room add the illusion of more space, as well as glamour - especially if you add interior lights to your new cupboards. Go ahead, display that 18th century tea set you inherited from your great grandmother.

Say it with hardware

It’s amazing how new cabinet and drawer handles can change the look of a kitchen! With the many choices in colour, size and style of drawer knobs and handles, there is no limit to what you can achieve.

From gleaming chrome to floral ceramics to unique designs in the shape of spoons, forks, roosters and rabbits, you can easily find something that will give your kitchen that personal touch.

Floor and wall facelifts

Paint, wallpaper and flooring in a variety of textures, styles, colours and patterns can easily spice up a bland kitchen. Add a matching border around a window, below a ceiling or between the cupboards and the counter tops and you can change the mood overnight.

Flooring options feature a wide variety of colours and styles in do-it-yourself, easy-to-install linoleum sheets and tiles, or trickier ceramic and wood floor applications. Be careful not to go overboard. Too much contrast in a small kitchen can make it appear even smaller and more cluttered.

Be innovative

• Vary counter heights to suit the task and the person. Dough-kneading and pie-crust rolling need a special height; so do eating and cooking areas.
• Whenever possible, incorporate counter space next to each appliance.
• Try to achieve a “work triangle” where the stove, refrigerator and sink/dishwasher are within easy reach of one another.
• If you are replacing cabinets, go for the “custom” approach, even if this costs a little extra. Under the customized approach, cabinetry is designed and built specifically to fit your particular kitchen space.
• A good kitchen should not only look great but stand up to daily wear and tear. It should function well and enable people to move freely between it and related areas of the house.
  .If you plan to completely remodel the kitchen, be honest about your ability. You may want to leave this important job in the hands of an expert who can do the work quickly and professionally.
• If you plan to completely remodel the kitchen, be honest about your ability. You may want to leave this important job in the hands of an expert who can do the work quickly and professionally.
• A kitchen designer/contractor can suggest unique ideas and come up with creative solutions to particular problems. Be sure to get at least two quotes on the work you plan to do and compare them carefully.

Kitchen Renovation

 

Lets get started with your kitchen renovation

A Kitchen renovation can take approximately eight weeks to complete, but of course that is if everything goes as planned. If you know anything about Murphy’s Law then you know that something may not go as it was planned. Each kitchen that needs rejuvenated varies with the extent of the project, the age, and condition of the house. The older the house, the most likeliness that there will be a few problems that go along with the remodeling. This reasoning can go with any kitchen remodeling design.

The items that follow will give you a short breakdown of what to expect from your kitchen renovation idea.

Before starting, you might need a building permit. Check with your local government.

1) The Demolition - This is where some project experienced homeowners will save money by doing the tear down themselves but it is not a very fun job. It can also bring a scare to the homeowner because it is always possible to find a “small leak” beneath a sink that reveals rotten floor boards or something worse as the sink base comes out. It’s also possible to find out that the wiring is not up to code. The good news is that it is better to fix it now than later. Be sure to have a large trash bin to dump your waste.

2) The Preparation - The very good do it yourselfer can save quite a bit of money by painting or putting up drywall. If wiring or pipes need attention, you might have to hire a certified electrician or plumber depending on you building permit codes in your area.

3) The Installation - Always check your products for any damage that might have occurred during transportation from the store/warehouse to your home. Your installers should use padded equipment when moving appliances or other items around and use wooden clamps for your cabinets. If you decide to install yourself, you should read up on some home improvement manuals before making any major decisions on installation. For flooring, if you are using sheet vinyl, it goes in easier before your cabinets arrive but tile and wood floors are usually installed afterward to save on labor costs.

4) The Completion - This involves installing the counter tops, sinks, faucets and lights. Then comes the minor but certainly not forgotten kitchen details such as light covers, decorative hardware (knobs, handles), switch plates and trim. This can all become a little tiresome but if you keep your focus, you will finally complete the final touches. When all is done, it is time to decorate it to your liking and call the kitchen your own.

Examples for Kitchen Renovation

Just an idea for you to design your kitchen

Kitchen Lighting

There are several ways to improve the lighting situation in a kitchen, with most resorting to the style called glare lighting with one central light kitchen designers often call “glare lighting” for it casts an ugly glare on everything and everyone in the kitchen. Three basic lighting style in your kitchen that can be cheaply achieved if they are made during a retrofit or re-make of the said space, ambient, task and accent lighting. Task lighting being the most important for it gives you the necessary light for your kitchen work allowing safe and ample light. This may seem over but it gives you light where you need it thus eliminating the need for one very large fixture for the whole space often casting shadows making it difficult to work.
Ambient lighting is the purpose of that central light but it can be divided into several small ones that would be enough to light the whole space making it warm and enticing to work in. Accent lighting, brings your kitchen’s hidden yet wonderful features to light which more often than not can be achieved with track lights giving you the flexibility to change their focus thus keeping the kitchen in different lights.

Home Renovations - Remember the Kitchen Cabinet Knobs

When it comes to kitchen renovations, people tend to forget to put in the kitchen knob selection into their list

Contrary to what you may think, installing knobs and pulls doesn’t need a cavalcade of tools. In fact, you could get away with doing the whole job with just your screw driver. You don’t require to glob on messy glue or pull out your hammer and nails. The procedure of removing your old knobs and installing your new ones shouldn’t take you more than an hour.

That’s right, new kitchen cabinet knobs are an unbelievable option for improving the look of your cabinetry. The cause they carry so much decorative weight is because they are crafted out of a wide variety of materials that can be finished in a number of lavish, eye-catching ways, creating selections that are extremely pleasing to the eye.

The best thing about installing new cabinet knobs is that you can provide your kitchen a brand new look in less than an hour. Without the back breaking work that a lot of home hardware installation needs, you can add unbelievable detail to your kitchen.

When you have big kitchen cabinet knobs, they will fit seamlessly into the room’s dcor and accentuate the design and care you’ve taken with the room. But when your drawer pulls are old, shabby, or not in keeping with the design scheme of the rest of the kitchen, they will just drag down the whole appearance at best and stick out like a sore thumb at worst.

You can obtain ones that have a simple round shape, others that are in the shape of a mushroom, and some that feature very unique shapes like ovals and even squares. For a stress free way to check out all the kitchen cabinet knobs obtainable, forget about going to your local hardware store. Instead, just turn on that family computer of yours and do a little online shopping. Browsing through the different online stores and their products is a synch and when you do come across something that you really like, it usually is listed at a pretty reasonable price.

One thing that you really require to keep in mind when purchasing your kitchen cabinet knobs is to get ones that nicely complement the dcor of your space. If you don’t, then your kitchen will have a very mismatched look in the end, which will leave the feeling that you have no sense of style. So, make certain what you purchase match. For instance, if you have a modern looking kitchen, then go with modern looking knobs. The same rule holds true if your kitchen has an antique appearance and so on. In the end, if you desire to improve the look of your kitchen cabinets, a wonderful way to do it is with new kitchen cabinet knobs. There are a lot of options to choose from, which will all have your cabinets looking awesome and stylish as soon as you install them.

Installing a Kitchen Sink Faucet

Installing a sink faucet is made simple by following the steps below

1. Step 1

   Assemble the new faucet according to the package directions.

2. Step 2

   Clean the sink, paying particular attention to the area where you will mount the faucet. You may have to use a small plastic scraper to get all the residue and old plumbers putty off the surface.

3. Step 3

   Apply plumber's putty to the underside of the new gasket that you will install between the sink top and the new faucet. Plumber's putty is fairly solid and not very sticky, so roll it into a thin bead between your palms and then mash it around the perimeter of the gasket, making sure to leave no gaps in the putty.

4. Step 4

   Lay the gasket over the pre-drilled holes for the faucet in the top of the sink, and press it down firmly.

5. Step 5

   Place the assembled faucet tubes through all three holes in the gasket and the sink at the same time and hold it in place firmly.

6. Step 6

   Slip the threaded plastic or metal nuts over the ends of the faucet on the underside and hand tighten. Then, use a basin wrench or a large pair of pliers to snug them down, taking care not to break them.

7. Step 7

   Reattach the water supply lines and drain.

How to Choose Between New Kitchen Cabinets and Re-facing Your Old Kitchen Cabinets

 

Some tips to assist you in making those decisions

Of all of the rooms in a house, the kitchen is the place that many people invest the most time and cash. This is why, even if you are planning to sell the home in the near future, the kitchen is a great place to do some updating that buyers will pay for. The kitchen cabinets are an essential ingredient of the kitchen because they affect the overall look of the kitchen more than any other single item. If you are thinking about updating the cabinets, many homeowners are not sure whether it is better to refinish the cabinets presently in the home, or buy a new set of cabinets. There are several different things to consider when making this choice.
The elements you need to think about when making this decision are how much you have available to spend on the entire project, whether or not your existing cabinets are in good condition, and if you reasonably have the time to complete the undertaking. If you have the money to invest in your kitchen and feel like the cabinets need to be replaced anyway, having new cabinets installed is the way to go. Another thing to think about is whether or not the current cabinets are providing enough storage area for what you require. If not, that is another reason to go for the replacement option. If you do have a small amount of money that you can spend on this project, then you can still do a great job of updating your kitchen by doing some re-finishing your self.
Three Guidelines for Choosing New Kitchen Cabinets
If you decide to install new kitchen cabinets, three significant tips can help you head to your local home improvement store prepared.
1. Browse home improvement magazines and websites for images of updated kitchen cabinet styles. These resources will help you determine what styles, sizes, colors and materials are best for your needs and your kitchen’s décor. You may even want to bring along paint samples to compare with the colors of the various cabinets at the store.
2. Know how much room you have available. If you are planing to install new cabinets of the same size and shape of your old cabinets, you are in the clear. Simply tell the store assistant the current cabinets’ measurements. However, if you want to install different cabinets, you will need to let the assistant know how much space you have available. The store may even send an expert to assist you in measuring your available cabinet space.
3. Know, and accept, your cabinet-installation skills. DIY home improvement is a huge market, but not everyone can do demolition and installation. That’s all right! If you need someone to remove your old cabinets and install your new models, look into recommended remodellers or find out what services your home improvement store offers.
Steps to Re-facing Your Current Kitchen Cabinets
Re-facing your old kitchen cabinets may require more time and elbow grease, but it is an excellent way to save money and rejuvenate your kitchen. Plus, it is a doable home project. Most home improvement stores, magazines and websites provide thorough instructions on how to reface kitchen cabinets, but the scope of the project can be narrowed down to a few easy steps. First, take off the handles, hinges and doors from your cabinets. This will make it much simpler to work with all parts.
Next, take off the finish that your old cabinets have. This is best accomplished with sandpaper or an orbital sander. You will need various grades of sandpaper and you will also be able to eliminate any scratches that the cabinets have. If you have a deep mark, you will have to use wood filler. With a cleaner that is safe for wood, carefully clean all of the dust off the cabinets before you go to the next step.
Now the cupboards are ready for the stain and sealer so be put on. Some DIYers prefer to use paintbrushes, but others opt for soft rags. Make sure you adhere to the specific application instructions, and make sure you permit each application to thoroughly dry. Finally, put on your cabinet doors and hardware.
You can truly give your cabinets a new look by changing the hardware of the doors and drawers.
Have a look at kitchens in Whitesboro, TX real estate. Another great area is Granbury, TX real estate for some very nice homes for sale.