Kitchen remodeling is one of the most involved and time-consuming projects you could take on as a homeowner! There are tons of moving pieces throughout the life of the project, and it can be hard to keep your ducks in a row. Here are six of our best tips for making your project go a little smoother.

Consider Your Kitchen Remodeling Budget

Before you start pinning beautiful kitchen islands and the perfect cabinet colors, you need to know your budget. What’s the top dollar you’re willing to spend on your kitchen remodeling project? Having a clear idea of your budget before you begin is the key to keeping your expectations realistic. 

Have a lower budget? Consider painting the cabinets yourself and replacing the hardware for a cheaper, effective update! Have a little more to spare? Replace the most-used appliances and potentially the countertops. 

Have a mid-range to higher-end budget? Have a professional replace the cabinets, get all new appliances, upgrade the counters and the sink, replace the floors, and upgrade your lighting! If you’ve got the wiggle room for it, consider revamping your kitchen’s layout! 

Keep in mind that almost no kitchen remodel falls right within the planned budget. There are always going to be some unforeseen expenses. Before you get started, make sure your budget includes a well-funded miscellaneous category, just to be safe.

Pick a Kitchen Style

Don’t worry, you don’t need to be an interior design expert to redo your kitchen. You just need to have a general idea of the look you’re going for! Choosing a style for your new kitchen will help you out when making product decisions and will leave you with a cohesive end result! Here are a few of the most popular styles these days: 

• Modern

• Farmhouse

• Traditional

• Minimalist

Get online (try Pinterest, Houzz, or even Google Images) and search each of these kitchen types to see which one fits your dreams the closest! Try your best to choose things that reflect the style so that your kitchen remodel looks crisp and put together when it’s all done!

Changing Your Kitchen’s Layout

Changing the layout of your kitchen is one of the best ways to feel like you’re in a whole new house! The most common layout change that’s done in kitchen remodeling is turning a galley kitchen (one that is closed in on both sides) into an open concept by knocking out the wall that connects to the living or dining area! 

Knocking out a wall in your home could potentially be disastrous. Before you get started, you need to find out whether or not it’s load-bearing. If not, you can turn your kitchen into an L-shape with an island that flows with the space next to it. If your wall is load-bearing, you can keep the posts and a lip at the top and create a U-shaped kitchen with a look-in bar. 

Before you give the greenlight on demolition, make sure your new layout plan considers the “kitchen triangle”. You want to make sure that your sink, stovetop, and fridge aren’t too spread out from each other. More than that, you want to be sure the sink and the stove are on opposite counters.

Consider Shelving and Storage

After you’ve decided what type of shelf or cabinet remodel you have the budget for and which style you prefer, it will be time to consider what type of shelving you want and how much of it you need. 

As far as choosing a type of cabinet or shelf that will work in your space, you should search them on Ozark Kitchen’s website or look them up online to see which kind you like best. Here are some common types of cabinets and shelves:

• Flat Cabinets

• Panel Cabinets

• Shaker Cabinets

• Ornate/Traditional Cabinets

• Open Shelving

Once you’ve decided which type you like, you need to assess how much cabinetry you’ll need. Do you have too much cabinet space currently? You could remove a wall of cabinets and install some open shelves to display your favorite plates, bowls, and cups! Do you have too little cabinetry? You’ll need to strategize how you can incorporate more into your remodel.

If you plan to have an island, consider installing the sink on the island and the stove behind it on the counter. Putting a stove top on an island can be a lot of work because you’ll have to have a ventilation hood installed in the middle of the kitchen.

Consider the Lighting

Mood lighting, yellow bulbs, flame-flicker simulations… Yeah, your kitchen probably isn’t the space for that. You want this space to be well-lit, maybe even the most lit spot in your house! Think about it. You do precision work in your kitchen. Measuring food, watching for the perfect golden brown color on cookies, and even making sure chicken isn’t still pink before you pull it off the stove. You definitely need to account for how much lighting you need in your kitchen remodel. 

• Consider your recessed lights. A kitchen that is 150 square feet needs at least 6 recessed lights (8 would be optimal). If you need more, work hiring an electrician into your budget. 

• Consider adding pendants over your island or bar area! They can bring a nice amount of light and function as an accent piece in your space. 

• Consider installing under-cabinet lights! If you’re on a really tight budget but need more light in your space, you can get battery- or remote-operated under-cabinet lights. If you have room in your budget, hire an electrician to install switch lights under your cabinets to really up your kitchen’s lighting game.

Consider Choosing Your Appliance First

If your kitchen remodeling plan involves replacing one or multiple appliances, don’t make the mistake of picking them at the end of your project. Choosing your appliances first is smart for many reasons, the smartest being:

• Having the exact measurements of your new appliances will ensure that they fit snugly into their nooks without leaving any gaps for crumbs or forks to fall into. 

• Appliances can be expensive. Knowing the cost of the ones you’re getting will leave you with an exact amount for the rest of your remodel project. 

• Knowing which color your appliances will be will help you choose other accessories like sink finish and cabinet hardware finish. (You may have an idea of which color appliances you want, but what you can find within your budget and quality expectations may be different.)

We hope these tips help make your kitchen remodeling project a little bit easier to plan and handle! And most importantly, we hope you wind up with a kitchen you love. If you have any questions about kitchen remodeling topics or need help with custom cabinetry, call Ozark Kitchens today! We’d love to help.

Resources: 

https://www.ozarkkitchens.com/services-kitchen-remodeling/ 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgkfFn0vB7Q 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLaUtY72Zq8 

https://www.homeselfe.com/7-kitchen-remodel-mistakes-to-avoid/