Long gone are the days when we used this space just to prepare meals and clean the dishes. Over the years, kitchens kept getting bigger and bigger, becoming an important place for socializing and entertaining. So investing in a family-friendly kitchen is more of an investment into the quality time you will spend with your loved ones.
Every family is different, whether it has three, four, or six members; they all usually gather in the food corner to share a meal. However, although it must be stocked with all the essential appliances, it needs to be functional, spacious, and suitable for every member’s needs. Whether it is a minor improvement or a complete kitchen remodeling project, you should make a kitchen remodeling checklist and go step by step. At some point, that space won’t be able to serve its purpose, so prepare for that before you take any steps to remodel a kitchen.
Before you hire remodeling contractors, here are some things you should take into consideration:
To come up with a functional design, you need to carefully plan the layout of your kitchen and find that fine balance between functionality and the latest kitchen trends for 2020. Consult your contractors first, but you can also use some of the modern kitchen planning tools to help you get an idea of how everything could look.
Although many people prefer islands, the truth is that they can take a lot of space and are often too bulky. Islands usually go with bar stools that are not the best solution for small children, because there is no back support. Also, you can’t move them around. A table with proper chairs could be much more convenient for children, depending on their age. If you can accommodate both an island and a table, it is better to opt for one than to squeeze them both in a few square meters.
When you have a kid or kids, you can forget about cooking, cleaning, or doing anything else without them. However, they probably won’t be so interested in the cooking part, so you have to make sure they have their area to play, draw, or study. Also, you’ll be making several adjustments, so let’s take a look at some tips for that.
When there are kids, your worktop needs to be two things: easy to clean and durable. If you’re on a budget, laminate is a good option, but if looking for higher quality, pick quartz. Wood is the most vulnerable material and not the best one when children are around.
Children grow fast; by the time you finish your remodeling project, they will already have two more teeth and be several inches taller. So even if your baby now doesn’t need a chair or a helping stool, that’s going to change faster than you think.
Get pullout drawers or wire baskets and organize things so that frequently used items are always first or visible. Ensure that stuff for the kids is always at the bottom or top, depending on whether you want them to reach it.
Stop taping drawings and notes onto the fridge. Get a bulletin board and put everything there, from recipes to notes, pictures, drawings, grocery shopping lists, etc.
If your furniture is white, beige, and made from sensitive materials, you’re hardly going to save it with children around. But if you use slipcovers, you can protect your chairs. They are inexpensive and easy to wash.
Children can make a mess in no time, and they won’t always tell you. You’ll probably be cleaning your food corner more often than usual, so if you’re replacing some furniture, think about the raised cabinet. That way, you can clean the floor in no time and reach all those hard to get corners.
Get a chalkboard paint and paint one wall in black. Children will love it, and it keeps them occupied while you’re still preparing food. You can also write down some recipes, shopping lists, and to-dos, and the best part is that it looks great.
Just because you have children that don’t mean you can’t have a stylish cooking area. So when you’re remodeling, include some trendy things. Find a balance between functionality and style. Brass faucets, new cabinets, modern multiple pendant lights, are only some of the trends you can easily follow.
How much does a kitchen remodel cost? It all depends on the extent of the renovation. Are you changing the entire furniture or just adding minor improvements to your food corner? If you cook on a daily basis, you have different priorities than someone who makes dinner once a week or gets a take out every day. The costs can easily go up if you want to change a lot of things and transform everything. However, it usually pays off. Not just that your family will get a new favorite corner, but it will also increase your home value.
