From the Floors Up

Five Things You Need to Consider When Remodeling Your Kitchen

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Of course it would be great to be able to spend as much as you want on your kitchen renovation project, however the reality is that you are probably working within a budget. When you’re working within a budget, you’ll have to make some compromises along the way. Therefore, it’s important to renovate smartly. When making such tough decisions be aware of what matters most to you. Here are some key tradeoffs you should consider making when it comes down to the “nitty gritty”.

How You’ll Be Using the Kitchen
First off, before renovating your kitchen you should be clear on how you want to use your new kitchen. For example, some people remodel their kitchen so that they can have more space to cook and entertain their guests. Others redesign their kitchens to be more efficient. Set aside goals that you are not willing to budge on will help you make the right decisions as your budget starts to decrease.

If you cook or entertain often, think about surfaces like floors and countertops that will be easy to maintain and keep clean.

Realistic Needs
When remodeling your kitchen you should think about how many people your kitchen will serve on a daily basis. If you have a small kitchen but entertain on occasions, a kitchen with double range ovens and a 48 inch wide refrigerator may not be suitable. Many experts recommend designing with your maximum capacity needs.

Think About Cost vs. Value
As you’ve probably already discovered everything from the cabinetry, flooring, sinks and appliances costs a decent amount of money. There will come a point when you will have to consider when its worth spending the money on a specific thing. So should you splurge on it or spend the dollars elsewhere?

Here are some questions you should ask yourself:
– Will making an investment in this product improve my daily life?
– Does the element increase the overall aesthetic of my home and increase its value?

Good luck and have fun! We hope some of these tips helped you with your new kitchen remodel!

Creative Kitchen Ideas

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If you are anything like us, you are always looking for new and exciting ways to reorganize. In fact, kitchens are one of the easiest rooms to reorganize. Your kitchen situation can always being changing depending on your buying habits and needs. Instead of sharing basic kitchen organization ideas, we wanted to take it a step further with creative kitchen ideas. If you are looking for fun ways to organize, you will want to stayed tuned because we have five tips for you!

Creative Kitchen Organization Ideas:

  1. Paint Your Wooden Utensils. Have you ever been digging around your utensil drawer trying to find the right spoon? If you find yourself constantly searching, you may benefit from painting the bottom of your wooden spoons. The key is to paint each utensil a different color. This way when you are making dinner, you know to grab the “dark green” wooden bottom.
  2. Switch Boxed Items to Jars. Not only will jars look more organized and sophisticated, but it can cut down on bulky items. Switch all your boxed items into glass jars for a clean, fun look. Just make sure to recycle the leftover boxes!
  3. Hooks for Pans. A way to add uniqueness to your organization is to find antique hooks to hang your kitchen pots and pans. You can line the hooks on your kitchen walls and the pans can serve as decor pieces.
  4. Display Your Dishes. What better way to force yourself to be organized than have all of your dishes on display? You can take the doors off of your cabinets and let the world see your dishes. For a creative twist, you can paint or wallpaper the inside of your cabinets fun colors.
  5. Magnetize The Spices. If you are a lover of spices, you know how difficult it is to find the right spice while cooking. With so many options burdening your drawers, you may choose the wrong one while cooking. To make sure you are always reaching for the right spice, you can magnetize the bottoms. You will just need to buy a magnetic board to attach all of the spices to and write the spices names on the jars.

We hope you enjoyed these easy, creative kitchen ideas! Got ideas to share? Leave a comment!

Painting Your Kitchen Cabinets

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Remodeling your kitchen can be an expensive home improvement project but worth the investment! With flooring, appliances, countertops, backsplashes, and cabinets all contributing to expenses, it can add up rather quickly. However, there are some tricks you may consider using to help save you time and money. For instance, if you are not remodeling and just updating your kitchen, perhaps repainting your cabinets may be the best move. While the option to just replace your cabinet drawers and doors is still another choice, repainting them can be the best bang for your buck. In fact, this option will eliminate the wood grain and just give them a painted finish. To help you tackle this home improvement project yourself, here is everything you should plan on doing:

Preparation

Prep work is the most essential part of any project. Start by removing all belonging inside your cabinets. Next, remove your drawers and doors from your cabinets. You should give everything a good wipe down to remove any grease or debris. Take off all hardware to cabinets and store them in a safe place. Once your cabinet doors and drawers are removed, you should give everything a thorough sanding. You will want to use a 220 grit sandpaper and sand with the grain. You can sand one more time with 320 to give it a smoother finish. Next, remove all sawdust from the areas and wipe down thoroughly with a dry, lint-free rag or cloth.

Prime

To ensure the best results for your project, you should prime your cabinets. This step can take several coats. You will need to stain each side of your doors and allow each coat to dry properly. Primer can take 8-12 hours to dry, depending on weather conditions. Prime your doors, drawers, and cabinets evenly. You may want to apply three coats of primer. Your primer should have a clean-looking finish with no orange peel before starting each additional layer.

Paint

Next, use your paint to paint all your cabinets, doors, and drawers. Allow each coat to dry thoroughly as well. You should apply two to three coats of paint to your project. If your coat does not have a sheen, you may want to consider adding a clear coat. This look can add a little more shine to the pain and give a protective finish. Once your cabinets are completely dry, you can put them back together. This step is a great time to touch up any areas that may need to be fixed.

Painting your cabinets is a great way to improve your kitchen on a budget. With new countertops, backsplashes, and flooring, your kitchen will become the focal point of your home! Just remember, this project can take several days and can have your kitchen temporarily out of commission. Make sure to plan accordingly to accomplish this task!

How to Salvage Your Kitchen’s Existing Cabinets

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Let’s be honest; kitchen remodels can be expensive. In fact, budgeting to upgrade your kitchen is essential to make sure you prioritize your needs over your wants. Perhaps you are looking to renovate your whole kitchen from the floors and countertops to the appliances and cabinets. If you can save money in one category, you can free up some of your budget in another area. Recognizing what areas you can salvage can save you money. And since cabinets can be very pricey, salvaging them is a thrifty yet effective way to enhance the aesthetics of your kitchen. So if you are thinking of refinishing your cabinets, this is everything you should consider:

Fixing Any Damage

First, you need to recognize if your cabinets are damaged. For instance, can the scratches or dents be repaired? If so, you may decide that it is best to fix your cabinets instead of replacing them altogether. Painted cabinets have become more and more trendy and can make a stunning appearance when done correctly. Just make sure you patch any scratches, chips, or dents with epoxy or putty before painting.

Painting or Staining

Next, determine whether you are sanding or simply staining your cabinets. Stain can deepen and enrich the wood grain again, yet paint can also hide any flaws and give your kitchen a completely new look. First, sand the wood with the grain and remove any doors then paint intricate areas with a brush.

Just Replacing the Doors

If you hate your door and drawer design, consider just changing out the cabinet doors. You can purchase new cabinet doors and save money. Make sure that the wood or vinyl replacement is similar wood to your prior cabinets. Different woods, even the same color, will stain differently. If you are planning on painting them, you will not have to worry about this.

These simple tricks can allow you to save money in your kitchen remodel. Remodeling a kitchen is a significant investment that can increase the market value of your home. So, determine if salvaging your existing cabinets is right for you.

Six Different Types of Kitchen Layouts

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There are typically six different kitchen layouts used in homes today. Each one of these kitchen layouts can offer a different set of aesthetic appeal and functionality to your home. If you are preparing for a kitchen remodel, knowing these layouts can best help you create your optimal design.

Single or One Wall

The simplest layout would be a single or one wall design. These kitchens have one countertop directly on one wall, and this countertop can be the home to your range, dishwasher, and kitchen sink. It is a simple layout but works great in open layout homes.

Galley

A traditional style you can see in older homes is a galley kitchen. These kitchens can have a hallway feel by being enclosed with countertops on both walls running perpendicular with one another. This option is great for prepping food and has two separate areas of countertop space. You will see these in kitchens with long length dimensions, great for setting up buffet-style serving.

G-Shape

The G-Shape kitchen can also be referred to as a peninsula kitchen layout. This design is a large kitchen layout with plenty of countertop space. It has countertops on all four sides with an opening at one point to enter. This option can offer some of the most countertop space an allow you to access all countertops directly from the middle.

L-Shape

An L-Shape kitchen has two countertops running off each other at 90 degrees. This two-countertop layout is simple but offers more countertop space than the single or one-wall layout. It also has the countertops touching, unlike the galley layout, which may be preferable depending on your needs and wants.

U-Shape

The U-Shape is a wide access kitchen. With three of your four walls having countertop space, this design works great in open layout homes while offering plenty of countertop space.

Island

The last style is island kitchens. These kitchens can be the shape of a U or L and offer a disconnected island of countertop space. These islands provide countertop space that doe not impede the rest of the kitchen. Set out food for your guests to grab and hang out while you can freely maneuver the kitchen.

These six kitchen layouts are all very common. They do not all work in every home, but several can. Decide which is best for your home. They can all add different levels of aesthetic appeal and countertop space. For more insight on kitchens and countertops, make sure to subscribe.

From the Floors Up

From the Floors Up blog was created with the goal of providing a destination for consumers, designers and those interested in the flooring, design, and kitchen and bath industries. Here you’ll find, current, accurate and informative information that is always just a click away!

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