Listen, I know that planning a new kitchen can be overwhelming. There are so many choices to make, all while trying to manage the rest of your life and stick to a budget. Here are some tips to help keep family stress levels down during a kitchen renovation – beginning with the planning phase.
Focus on the Positives: What Do You Want to Experience in Your New Kitchen?
A kitchen is where food is prepared, absolutely – but it’s also where you’ll be making a lot of memories. What types of experiences do you want you, and your family, to have in the new kitchen? If you’re envisioning cheerful quick breakfasts at the island before the kids go off to school – plan for that. If you know you want to seriously build your baking skills – plan for that. If you’re envisioning big family gatherings at the holidays, with lots of fancy cooking – plan for that.
Don’t limit your imaginings. What type of aesthetics would you like your memories to have? Kitchen design is about more than functionality. It’s okay to have a space you’re delighted about. Over the years, we’ve worked with so many different families that we know there’s no one definition of a joyful space – each kitchen is a unique reflection of individual preferences.
Don’t get overly hung up on what the trends are or what some someday buyer twelve years down the road is going to think. This is your home, where you’re going to live everyday. Where your kids will grow up. The space you’re going to remember when you think back on the good old days. Make it beautiful. Make it yours.
And Yes, Storage is Important.
The number one reason people don’t love their current kitchens is because there’s not enough space – in particular storage space. When you have to search for pans, utensils, ingredients, or any of the other dozen things needed for meal prep, cooking becomes a slow, frustrating process. And in real life, people don’t do things that are frustrating. If you’re not enjoying cooking in your home, it may be because your kitchen’s not organized in a way that allows for it.
Luckily, this part is a relatively easy fix. A good kitchen designer will help you integrate smart storage into your new kitchen, so you can truly enjoy being in there.