The kitchen is the heart of the home, providing a space where most families spend a lot of time. From meal times to entertaining guests to helping the kids with their homework, the kitchen is a multi-functional room, enjoyed by everyone.
Whether you’re remodeling an outdated kitchen, making improvements to increase the value of your home, or simply replacing certain elements of the space, some simple design choices can produce unrecognizable results.
What to consider when remodeling a kitchen
The first thing to confirm before planning a kitchen remodel is your budget. Whether big or small, setting a budget early on in the process will ensure that all design choices remain affordable. You may choose to splurge on certain important aspects of the space but cut costs in areas with less significance.
What’s wrong with your current kitchen design?
There’s likely to be a clear reason, or perhaps multiple reasons you’ve chosen to remodel your kitchen. Have you grown tired of the current color scheme? Is the existing layout not serving the needs of your household? Is the design outdated?
Highlight your least favorite aspects of your current kitchen, and any ‘must-haves’ for the new design, and focus on improving / implementing these first.
What’s your preferred kitchen layout?
Open-plan kitchen designs are equally as popular as closed-plan, and which you opt for will depend on the individual requirements of your household, so consider which is best suited for your needs, and the space available in your home. You should also decide early on whether you need space for a kitchen island or a dining table.
Other layout features to consider are those that impact convenience and efficiency. If including shelving, what will be kept on the shelves and where are these items best kept close to? How much countertop space do you need around the cooker? Will certain cabinets be best located close to specific appliances, like the dishwasher? Where will you need electrical outlets? A great kitchen is a functional one, so don’t get distracted by the aesthetics of the space before considering what is most convenient for your requirements.
Kitchen remodeling ideas 2024
Throughout our kitchen remodeling projects this year, we’ve seen a few trending design ideas repeatedly popping up.
Many customers have opted to either paint or replace their existing cabinets, giving the kitchen space an aesthetic overhaul without requiring a full remodel of the room. Cabinets take up a substantial amount of wall space within a kitchen, so changing the color or design of the cabinets is often more than enough to produce an entirely new look and feel to the space.
Along with this, countertop replacement has been popular as another simple way to change the design of a kitchen. Granite and quartz have been the most common selections this year, providing a natural stone appearance but with desirable functionalities like high scratch and stain resistance.
We’ve also seen customers redesign their kitchen with fresh paint and a new statement backsplash. Again, these are two easy examples of making minor changes to the space but still producing results that look and feel like a brand-new kitchen.
Kitchen trends that will last
Just because we’ve seen an uptake in certain trends this year, doesn’t mean that those trends are here to stay. Some design choices are timeless and will remain fresh and relevant for years to come. If your end goal is to achieve a neverending ‘trendy’ kitchen, these are some of the modifications to consider during your kitchen remodel:
Incorporating natural materials
Natural materials like stone, wood, and metal, are a great way to produce a kitchen design with timeless charm. These materials offer a contemporary look that enhances our connection to the earth and its resources, and they never go out of style.
From stainless steel appliances and fixtures, to wooden flooring and cabinets, and natural stone countertops, there are plenty of opportunities to incorporate natural materials into your kitchen design.
Hardwood flooring
Hardwood has been a popular kitchen flooring choice for countless years. Materials like tile and laminate are also increasingly common, but aren’t as good for achieving the timeless, warm effect of natural hardwood floors.
Shaker cabinets
Cabinet style is one of the hardest things to get right when designing a timeless kitchen look. Shaker cabinets have been popular throughout the years, and for good reason: they’re durable and functional and boast a simple and clean appearance. The straightforward design of shaker cabinets seamlessly blends in with almost any kitchen aesthetic.
Classic, neutral colors
It’s easy to get excited by bright, bold hues when redesigning your kitchen space, but classic, neutral colors are good for keeping the design as timeless as possible. Soft shades are the perfect base color for a kitchen as you have the opportunity to increase visual appeal through brightly colored accessories with bold patterns.
You’re less likely to grow tired of a tamer color scheme, and it’s much easier (and cheaper) to replace accessories than an entire kitchen!
Can you remodel a kitchen yourself?
A range of skills, as well as specialist tools, are required to successfully remodel a kitchen. Depending on the extent of your renovation, walls may need knocking down, new drywall may need hanging, the existing plumbing and electrical connections may need to be replaced or relocated, new flooring may need installing, and new cabinetry and countertops will need to be safely fitted.
Unless you are a jack-of-all-trades, it’s likely that you’ll need some assistance when remodeling your kitchen. Although the DIY option can be a tempting way to lower costs, completing a kitchen remodel without proper knowledge and experience can be difficult, dangerous, and time-consuming.
You’ve designed your new kitchen to be perfect, so why take the risk? For peace of mind that you’ll receive the best results, always enlist the support of a professional.
Looking to remodel other rooms within your home? Check out our bathroom remodeling ideas here.