How can you tell it’s time for a kitchen upgrade? One common sign is that you’re not using the kitchen you have. When homeowners are faced with a kitchen that’s too small, too dark, or frankly, too ugly, they don’t enjoy being in that room. And we all know that we don’t like doing things we don’t enjoy.
A kitchen upgrade that transforms the look and functionality of your kitchen can have many positive benefits for your entire family. Everybody’s trying to eat healthier – that means more home cooked meals and healthy snacks. When we talk about building strong, positive relationships with our kids and the other people who are important to us, what we’re really talking about is spending time with them. Making and sharing food together is one of the most ancient and effective ways to accomplish that – and it’s easier when you have a kitchen you enjoy being in.
The Kitchen is the Heart of the Home: Live, Laugh, Love
What’s involved in transforming the kitchen you have into one you’ll enjoy? The answer to this question is different for every homeowner, but the process of finding that answer is simple. The first step is to develop a vision of what you’d like your new kitchen to be like. Having a clear vision makes it easier to communicate to your Newton building contractor what you’re having done; being certain in your vision means fewer changes being made during the construction process, which saves you time and money.
Some people know exactly what they want their new kitchen to be like, right from the get-go. But for most people, achieving a clear vision for the new kitchen is a bit of a process that involves looking for inspiration and deciding what you like.
There are two types of inspirations important when thinking about your new kitchen. The first are positive inspirations – the look, features, and upgrades you admire and would like to have in your home. For example, you might enjoy the way a friend’s kitchen is very light and airy with many windows; another example, spotting a double oven on your favorite cooking show might convince you to consider one. There are many places to look for positive inspirations; this is home and garden show season if you’d like to look at ideas in person; online, Instagram and Pinterest are full of great kitchen design ideas.
The second type of inspirations are negative inspirations – the things you know you don’t like about your current kitchen and would like to improve. Some common negative inspirations we hear are that the current kitchen is too small, too dark, and too old-fashioned.
After you’ve gathered enough inspiration to roughly know what you want, it’s time to begin making decisions. This process is a little different for every family, but generally involves balance what’s wanted with what the budget will allow. Working with an experienced Newton building contractor during this pre-construction phase can be helpful, as they can identify cost-saving opportunities and points where you can make the most of your budget. Once a final plan has been developed and approved, it’s time for the exciting part: having your new kitchen built!