How to Renovate Your Kitchen to Give You More Space

Your kitchen is one of busiest rooms in your house, not only do you cook all your meals in there, but you also have family wandering through for snacks and drinks. Because of all this use, your kitchen can start to show signs of wear and tear more quickly than any other room in the home, which is a good reason to give it a makeover. However, if you have always wanted more space in your kitchen, then you can also do this at the same time.

Image

Here are some ideas to create more room in your kitchen during its makeover:

Plan Your New Layout

Before you start to tear out the old kitchen, you need to think about how you want the new layout to look. Measure the kitchen and create a plan with the dimensions on it. You can then start to add details and work out what will fit in each area. It is one of the best times to organize your layout as trying to fit things in later could cause problems. You should also check to see what size the new cupboards and fittings are as they might be different from what you had before. It will give you an idea of what room you will have when everything is in place. At this point, you will have some idea of the cost of your new kitchen, so you can think about how much savings you need, or you can consider this financial site to help with a loan.

Strip Out the Kitchen

Once you know what you need, you can start to remove the old furniture and fittings from your kitchen. As a temporary measure, you will need to place the food and cooking equipment in another room, so you can still prepare meals while you are remodeling the kitchen. Everything else can be packed up and stored somewhere until you finish. You might find that this is the perfect time to sort through all your cupboards and draws as you clear them to throw away anything that is too old or broken. Not only will this free you from clutter, but it will also mean that you won’t need as much storage as you did before. If you are planning on taking out a wall to make your kitchen bigger, then this is the time to start, though you might be able to gain more room without such a dramatic alteration.

Decorating

With everything removed, this is the perfect time to decorate your kitchen as you won’t have to paint around the cupboards or get into little gaps. Before you decorate, fill in any holes with plaster and smooth down, you can then start to paint the walls in a color you like. Along with the walls, this is a good time to paint the ceiling as you will be able to reach all the areas without problems. It is best to use a paint that is water resistant as this will protect the walls from steam. There are many formulations on the market which can do the job.

Replacing the Floor

When it comes to replacing the floor of your kitchen, there are several materials that will work, such as stone, tiles, rubber or polished concrete. These are the best options because they are hard wearing and waterproof. You can use wood or laminate in the kitchen, but these can start to warp after a while due to the heat and moisture. Fitting the flooring now will save you a lot of measuring and cutting, but if you want to save on materials, you can fit the cupboards first and fit the flooring around them.

Adding the Cupboards

When you are adding the cupboards, you have an opportunity to start saving some space. Think about where you want the cupboards to be, but also think about wasted space that you could use for other things. For example, if there is a gap, then you might be able to fit a wine rack in there or perhaps a thin cupboard. If you didn’t have cupboards on the wall before, then fitting them now will give you a lot more space without taking up floor area. If you had an island in the middle of the kitchen, then maybe you can do without it now? Or maybe you can have a smaller one put in to give you additional floor space. You also want to take advantage of the latest cupboard designs that have sliding shelves and cupboards that utilize the space around the corners of units. These new designs make the most of the space available and have great designs.

Adding Appliances

At this point, you have a great opportunity to move things around to suit you better. For example, you can move the cooker or the sink, so they are easier to use. It also gives you the chance to move plug sockets to a more useful location. If you have previously had your washing machine and dryer in the kitchen, consider if they can be placed in another room or the garage. It will free up a lot of space and make it easier to deal with the washing if someone is using the kitchen.

Organizing the Kitchen

Once all of the components have been fitted, you will need to replace the utensils and the gadgets. It is the best time to get everything organized, and in the best place, so they can be used easily. For example, you can have the pots and pans in a cupboard next to the cooker or hanging on a rail on the wall. Placing the microwave on the wall will also free up some work surface space and make it easier to use. If you have small children, resist the temptation to place the cleaning products in the cupboard under the sink, put them in a cupboard higher up or somewhere else that is out of reach.

My Say

When all of this is finished, you will have a brand-new kitchen and a lot more space. Remember, overall functionality is always a main factor when you renovate your kitchen.