Finally being able to move forward with a kitchen remodel is a dream come true for many homeowners. Being able to update, modernize, add your own design elements and truly personalize one of the most frequently used rooms of your home is enough to make anyone giddy! But, before you start jumping up and down wildly, shrieking and waving your arms in a fit of glee, take a moment to collect yourself and realize that your kitchen remodel is only as good as you allow it to be.
What does this mean? Well, ask any kitchen remodeler in St. Louis about expectations and you might be surprised to hear that many homeowners actually convince themselves of things that they don’t actually want or need in anticipation of a renovation, leaving some things to be desired down the road, after everything has been completed. Take a look at five tips from a kitchen remodeler in St. Louis when it comes to planning for your kitchen—specifically the design elements:
- Plan for functionality first and foremost. This is a top priority because all too often people put too much emphasis on design, above functionality. What you’re in danger of running into with this approach is a kitchen that looks gorgeous, but doesn’t quite live up to your everyday needs. Plan based on your functional needs and wants, then tailor your design around those things.
- Don’t get wrapped up in trends. If you’re an avid DIY television show viewer or Pinterest aficionado, you might see some cool design elements that you want to incorporate into your own remodel. Thoroughly review these options before you settle on them and make sure they’re part of what you want your final kitchen aesthetic to be. It’s easy to get sucked into fancy trends and cool imagery, so tempering your excitement about a passing fad could save you from a costly mistake.
Allocate your budget appropriately. Spending too much money on design elements might leave your budget lacking in other places that could use some TLC, such as updating your appliances or upgrading materials. If you spend too much of the budget on design and not enough in the functional sense, your kitchen is again, going to look great but not quite function as you need it to.- Need always outweighs want. You need a new row of cabinets but you desperately want to shell out money for a granite backsplash behind your sink… which one do you choose? Any kitchen remodeler in St. Louis will tell you to go with your needs over your wants—go with your essential first to ensure they’re taken care of and use any remaining budget money to splurge on your wants.
- Realize your abilities and temper your expectations. Remember that your home is unique to you and what you see in magazines, on TV or online isn’t always going to lend itself to your specific situation. Copying a design style, a theme or an aesthetic doesn’t always mean that your kitchen is going to come out looking exactly as you saw it elsewhere. And, you must realize that your kitchen is still a part of your home and needs to mesh with its surroundings—changing the style too completely can actually detract from the remodel and make it seem out of place in your home.
Keep these five things in mind when you’re bursting with excitement about your plans for a kitchen remodel and you’ll find that when all of the construction equipment is cleaned up and you’re left staring at your new kitchen design, you’ll be overwhelmingly pleased with how it turned out!