Planning the steps to renovate a kitchen is an excellent strategy to prevent your experience from turning into a nightmare.
Deciding on the amount to invest is the very first step. It enables you to determine the scale of the project.
From the very beginning, one question must be asked: Do you start from scratch or not? Do you get rid of absolutely everything or not?
The right professional help is always advised. Do you know what kitchen designers can do for you?
You’ll be pleased to learn that kitchen designers devote their efforts to renovating kitchens. They’re a veritable treasure trove of ideas. Just take a look at the L’Express website, in the Côté Maison section.
The specialists suggest dividing the kitchen into five zones: one for supplies, one for storage, one for washing things, one for food prep and one for cooking.
The goal is to enhance the efficiency of your movements by placing appliances within your reach.
The Armoires de cuisine (Kitchen cabinets) website helps you to choose the kitchen of your dreams. The steps for working with a kitchen designer are given in detail. The best thing is that they supply a list of experts by region in Quebec, designers ready to help you make your dream a reality.
If you have the time, desire and expertise to do it yourself, a number of big box stores and home renovation centres such as Harvey et Fils offer the services of people experienced in kitchen design, free of charge. They help you choose the essential items to purchase while respecting your needs.
Websites can also be a great help. RénoAssistance offers a wealth of advice for free, and the Décormag site lists ten things to think about when you want to tackle this type of project, e.g. using the room’s height for maximum value and ensuring that future cleaning and maintenance will not be a hassle.
A small change can make a huge difference: painting the cabinets or simply changing their handles can change a kitchen’s whole look. Likewise, the countertop, faucets, backsplash tiles and adjacent walls can be transformed for less money than replacing everything. Simply removing a section of cabinets can also upgrade a kitchen’s appearance.
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) website reminds you of the most frequently forgotten factors in this type of undertaking.
As with any project, keep in mind that the work will take time and patience. So you may as well relax and keep smiling. Just doing that will give you more strength.
Photos : iStockPhoto LP.
References (in French only) : L’Express ; Armoires de cuisine ; Harvey & fils ; RénoAssistance ; Décormag ; SCHL.