Our Services: The Secret to Smart Remodels

Does your kitchen fit your busy lifestyle? Today's kitchens are the hub of family life, serving as a dining area, office and more. Whether you choose a major kitchen remodel or just want to rejuvenate with new lighting, appliances, flooring, cabinetry or countertops, the secret is matching your kitchen to your lifestyle.

In addition, if you remodel your kitchen, or even update some aspect of your kitchen, you will most likely recoup your investment if you choose to sell your home. Just one more reason that kitchen remodeling ranks among the most popular renovation projects each year. Before you start thinking about those granite counters or cherry cabinets, you need to get back to the basics and start the project the right way.

The Growing Importance of Design
There are three basic elements to good kitchen design:

• Gather ideas
• Layout
• Style

1. Gather Ideas

The first element in good kitchen design is the process of exploring possibilities and discovering the many options available when you remodel a kitchen. In this stage, keep your eyes open for ideas. You can look at magazines, showrooms, builders' model homes and the homes of neighbors. You should also try to think about all the ways your kitchen might enhance your lifestyle. Consider including the following ideas in your kitchen design:

• Mudroom
• Homework space
• Computer space
• Recycling bins
• Entertainment center
• Phone and answering machine center
• Second sink or dishwasher
• Display space for fine silver or glass pieces
• Mood lighting and natural light

Of course there might not be enough room for all of these things in one kitchen, but the key is to dream a little and indulge your imagination. You might be surprised by how much is possible. Compile a list along with pictures, drawings, and samples of all the features and functions you want in your new kitchen.

2. Layout

Long ago, when designers started paying attention to how kitchens function day-to-day, they realized there was a natural triangle of traffic for whoever was doing the cooking. This area is referred to as the kitchen triangle, also see triangle section under design . Through years of research designers discovered some figures and principles of sound kitchen triangle design.
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No side of the triangle should be greater than nine feet or less than four feet.
If you slightly exceed or don't meet these measurements, this doesn't mean that your kitchen is dysfunctional. However, you should measure the distance to each triangle component to see exactly how you measure up. If you notice that you feel cramped on one side or can barely make it to the sink with a pot of boiling water on the other, then you might benefit from a kitchen remodel.

The triangle should not be interrupted by traffic or cabinetry.
If your work triangle dimensions are correct, but they don't include walking around the island to get to the stove or that people are always moving to the trashcan or standing by the refrigerator, then maybe kitchen traffic needs to be detoured.

The triangle perimeter should measure between 12 and 26 feet.
If you have a small kitchen and each component is three feet away from another, there's not much you can do. But consider how easy it is to work in your kitchen. If something always feels a bit off when you are preparing a big meal, interior designers can help to restructure your kitchen.

Style

The final element in good kitchen design is essentially aesthetic. Choosing the right colors, finishes, and textures is essential to creating a space in which people will enjoy living.

Keep in mind that the fewer years you plan to live in the house, the more important it is for you to choose popular aesthetic options that will enhance the resale value when you sell your home.

Kitchen Design Budget

Even an extremely modest kitchen remodeling project will cost several thousand dollars. Typically, kitchen remodeling can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

If the project is not designed well, much of those funds may be wasted. Pulling together all the elements, working around all the existing limitations, addressing technical issues like plumbing and electrical wiring, and making product and material selections add up to a complex equation.

It's best to work with professional kitchen designers such as Michael Remi who deal with these issues daily. We will often come up with creative solutions that you may not have considered. With the increased demands we place on our kitchens, it's very important to make the best use of all available space. Whether enlarging the house, taking room from a closet, eliminating a hallway, rearranging cabinets and appliances, or any number of other options, We are more likely to see the best solution and know how to achieve it.

Please give us a call at 773-252-6300 or email us at Bill@michaelremi.com and let us stop by and review your needs and dreams and help you make that decision.