Kitchen remodeling

How to make the most of your kitchen space

In kitchen remodeling, as with most areas of home decor, design should be a reflection of function. For a room dedicated to cooking that sounds simple enough, but kitchen design needs have changed drastically in recent years. To be contemporary, your kitchen remodeling should include three things: increased storage, an island, and energy-efficient, environmentally friendly appliances.

Increased storage

A survey co-sponsored by the National Kitchen and Bath Association found that modern kitchens now require storage space for 800 items, twice the number needed 50 years ago. The success of bulk purchase warehouse stores such as Costco and Sam’s Club is partially responsible for this change, but it’s also a reflection of how many dinners are now prepared from boxed or frozen food items.

Modern kitchen designs reflect this major change in how we eat. One such popular remodeling trend is the comeback of the pantry. Most kitchen designs include a built-in or walk-in pantry to reduce the workload of crammed kitchen cabinets. If you lack space for significantly increased storage, consider including a small modular pantry cabinet in your kitchen plans.

Islands

Kitchen islands have also experienced a resurgence in recent years. An island increases the functionality of your kitchen, contributing extra storage and countertop space. Islands are most beneficial if your kitchen has a lot of unused open space.

For narrower kitchens, a kitchen remodeling alternative to islands is a galley style kitchen with deeper countertops. And if you’re remodeling on a budget, creative and inexpensive solutions such as portable kitchen carts or microwave cabinets can be wheeled in when you need them and parked out of traffic when you don’t.

Eco-appliances

With apologies to Kermit the Frog, these days it is easy being green, especially in the kitchen. Updating your appliances with a new energy efficient dishwasher and refrigerator may boost your kitchen remodeling costs now, but they’ll offer significant savings down the road.

There are other healthy ways to save money through kitchen redecorating. If your family spends a lot of money on bottled water, a new tap with a water purification system will reduce costs.

Keep an eye out for new kitchen design trends as you work on your remodeling plan. Innovations such as microwave drawers offer new kitchen remodeling solutions to old ergonomic design challenges, making your kitchen more user friendly, and enhancing the resale value of your home.

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