We’ve all been to our friend’s home with an AMAZING new kitchen renovation. It’s inviting, bright, and organized, and you want it! There’s nothing like new or updated custom cabinets, fresh paint, and some new floors to make you want to cook up an excellent meal for your family or begin your baking bucket list.
Maybe you’ve been really thinking about making some changes to your old, outdated kitchen. Or perhaps you’re barely holding pieces of your countertop together with glue or tape, and your dishes are praying that the shelf they’re sitting on doesn’t give way. Sound familiar?
There are so many designs to choose from and so many options out there. It’s such a big undertaking and can be pretty overwhelming. So, what’s the most important thing to include in your kitchen renovation? Who do you hire to help out? What do you really need in a new kitchen? If you’re going to take the next steps and put your hard-earned money to work, let’s make sure you get it right!
1) Multipurpose Island
While the kitchen is the “heart of the home,” the kitchen island may be the center of it all. A kitchen island doesn’t need to just be a countertop you chop vegetables at or knead your dough on these days. There are many innovative ideas for your island that add to the overall function of your kitchen.
Cabinets and drawer storage can increase your dish or pot and pan storage by almost double depending on how you organize it. Kitchen sinks or stovetops can even be put into your island, changing the entire feel of the cooking experience. Have you seen the kitchen dining areas included as part of the island? Remember to include the open cabinetry for your cookbooks. And add barstools to pull up to your beautiful island for breakfast or just a snack.
Making an island serve you in many different ways can benefit you and your family for years to come. You’ll have your friends and family gathering around in no time! Give it some significant thought as you contemplate the size and shape that you desire.
2) Bright and Beautiful Backsplash
When beginning your kitchen renovation, picking out a beautiful backsplash can make or break your whole look. The backsplash is typically the wall area between your countertops and cabinets. It can spread across the entire wall or be placed just above your range.
The textures and colors of your backsplash can vary as well. There are tile backsplash options, subway tiles, glass, and more. Choose from solid colors, striped, smooth surfaces, textured ideas, and more. You can even match your island with the same material as your backsplash.
Make sure to look at many different options and color combinations when deciding on your backsplash. Ask your friends, look at new home builds and check out the internet to find the look that you really want. It may not end up being what you initially thought, but be open and use your intuition.
Whatever you decide, don’t be afraid to add color, patterns, or textures. This is where you can add some character to your kitchen renovation!
3) Farmhouse Sink
A farmhouse or apron-front sink can change the way your kitchen looks in a completely unique way, and it happens to be a renovation you can do on its own or as a part of a larger project. Plus, it’s all the rage right now. If you don’t have the money to do a whole kitchen renovation, replacing your old beat-up sink with a farmhouse sink can be a game-changer.
There are several materials to choose from when choosing a farmhouse sink, including cast iron, natural stone, bronze, stainless steel, and fireclay. Farmhouse sinks are usually large in nature, with the choice of just one large sink or split into two smaller ones, allowing for multipurpose use.
Farmhouse sinks make it easy to clean large pots and pans, bathe your baby or your smaller pets (who doesn’t want a kitchen bath?), and because the front of the sink sits so close to you and you don’t have to lean over quite so far, your back is not strained near as much. Plus, the farmhouse sink look is a great statement piece in your kitchen for sure! Don’t forget how many dishes you can hide in that deep sink too.
4) Quartz Countertops
Your countertops are one of the first things you see when you look at your kitchen. Deciding on what kind of material to use for your new countertops can be tricky. There are so many great options. Each choice has its own strengths and weaknesses, and of course, costs.
Engineered quartz is made from natural quartz stone as well as man-made resins to increase strength and impact resistance. It’s resistant to dents, abrasions, scratches and has no need for added sealants like granite countertops.
Caring for quartz countertops is extremely easy. Warm water and soap are all that is recommended for daily clean-up. If you happen to have a tough spill, using a non-abrasive cleaner should do the trick. Sounds pretty simple right?
How plentiful is quartz, you might ask? What is the environmental impact? The great thing about quartz is that it is an abundant material. It will last a lifetime, too, eliminating the need for replacement in the future.
Quartz is available in a wide variety of colors and textures, and the selection is constantly expanding. Most colors tend to be more natural in color, but reds and blacks are also an option. Quartz can have multi-colored specs included in it, a completely smooth surface look, as well as an almost marble countertop appearance with veins running through it. You can also choose the finish you have. Choices include a polished, or shinier surface, a matte look, or a textured surface.
When deciding to do a kitchen makeover or entire kitchen renovation, new countertops can make a big impact.
5) Wine Fridge
Adding a wine fridge as one of your kitchen designs and new kitchen appliances is a stylish and functional luxury that you can easily include in your renovation. Just imagine your favorite bottles of wine cooled to the perfect temperature always available to you in your own home.
Depending on the space you have available in your kitchen will depend on your wine fridge’s size. There are built-in options or freestanding ones, and each has its own design or style. There are even safety locks to keep your kids out if needed.
Not a wine drinker? Many wine coolers are equipped to hold water bottles, beer, or other drinks that your kids might be after.
Although a wine fridge might be more of a “want” than a “need,” you may consider adding a wine fridge to the list when looking at all your remodeling costs and kitchen renovation must-haves.
6) Under Cabinet Lighting
Lovely big windows in your kitchen are incredibly nice to bring in that natural light, but you’ll find that proper artificial lighting in your kitchen is a must as well. This can include pendant lights over your island, task lighting under your existing cabinets, and other energy-efficient ideas to lighten and brighten your kitchen.
Under-cabinet lighting is a simple and inexpensive way to not only add brightness to your kitchen area but also bring beautiful ambient lighting to your area that is simply amazing. Don’t forget to add this to your kitchen renovation list. It will finish off your project just right!
7) Walk-in Pantry
If you’ve been making do with the small cabinet spaces all over your kitchen to store your food and small appliances, a walk-in pantry probably sounds like a dream. Storing and quickly accessing your food is one of the basic needs in your kitchen.
When you have a dedicated area to organize and neatly store your food, you’ll be able to see what food items you already have, and waste will be significantly decreased. This happens because you won’t be double buying items or letting forgotten food go bad. An organized pantry where your food items can all be seen can really save you quite a bit of money over time.
Imagine what unique baskets, jars, and colors can be in your future pantry. Wow! There are some fantastic ideas online for organizing and making your pantry unique and workable for you and how you manage your kitchen.
A walk-in pantry may be one of the essential elements of your kitchen renovation. Your pantry doesn’t need to be huge (although that would be nice), but even a small area pantry can make you love your kitchen again. Don’t overlook the possibility of a walk-in pantry for your kitchen.
Contact an NJ Kitchen Contractor to Get Your Dream Kitchen
If you’re ready to start your kitchen renovation in New Jersey or just want to talk about your options, contact the team at Tandem Contracting. The experience, creativity, and trust Tandem Contracting offers will make your choice of kitchen contractors easy.
