5 Things to Consider Before Updating Your Kitchen
Is your kitchen looking a bit drab? Are your cabinets older than you are? Maybe now is the time to roll up your sleeves and get to work on updating your kitchen. Before you start, there are several areas to consider to prevent your project dragging on, lacking focus and going way over budget. Think about these five points to ensure your result is stylish, useful, and totally you.
1. What will your kitchen be used for?
This may seem like an obvious question – cooking, right? But think about the space, who uses it and what else goes on besides making meals. If you have a dining area, do the kids sit there and do their homework? Do friends gravitate to your kitchen when they come over? A kitchen can be so much more than just a meal prep space, even if space is at a premium. If designed well, it can be the hub of the household. Think about how you use it now and if there are any changes you’d like to make before simply updating old for new. Get innovative with the space and entirely transform your space.
2. What is the natural layout?
Unless you have huge amounts of money to play with, you’ll be limited by access to utilities. An update rather than a whole remodel means you’ll want to keep your sink, oven, and other white goods roughly where they are to save on rewiring and plumbing. Move anything that you feel would work better elsewhere but remember this will add time and cost to your project.
3. Budget, budget, budget
We’re all guilty of scrolling through Pinterest and dreaming of our ideal living spaces. Making a plan that sticks to a carefully managed budget is vital, so dreams don’t turn into financially mismanaged nightmares. If you don’t have pots of money to spend, prioritise where it is worth spending the money on. Spend on often-touched surfaces (counter-tops, handles etc) as these will make your kitchen look premium without spending the earth on areas nobody else will see or appreciate.
4. Work with what you have
Upcycling is a cost effective and fun way of updating your kitchen without breaking the bank. There are countless furniture paint companies that allow you to update your cabinets with just a lick of paint and some new handles. Give your dining table a new lease of life by adding some new metal table legs without buying an entire dining set. Upcycling and repurposing allow you to really make your mark on a space whilst being super cost-effective. Smart and sustainable!
5. Don’t be swayed by trends
Don’t be caught out by going all in with the current design trends you’ve seen on Instagram unless they really speak to you. Remember, your kitchen will outlive the trend, so you want to invest in colour schemes and designs that you’re going to love for the long haul. If something has caught your eye that is just so now, incorporate by adding on-trend ornaments and embellishments that can be swapped out if you tire of them.
Updating your kitchen can be an exciting, fun project, but it can also be stressful if you don’t take the time to consider what you truly want to achieve. A solid plan and a considered budget will help you finish with a result you’re happy to show off for years to come.
