The kitchen has long been called the “heart of the home,” and for good reason. Days and even events revolve around tasks in the kitchen. Whether it’s weekly meal prep, the whole family sitting down together for dinner, or celebrating a special event, the kitchen is a place where memories are made. Kitchens look different from house to house, but the tasks remain the same. Let’s look at ways investing in your kitchen can make an impact on your home life.
A successful kitchen remodel isn’t just about looks—it’s about solving daily frustrations. Prioritizing efficient flow and functionality over bare-minimum building codes ensures your kitchen truly works for your lifestyle. Roger and I can not emphasize enough upfront how important thoughtful planning is when it comes to your kitchen remodel. How you cook, how you entertain, and how large your gatherings are all need to be considered when re-evaluating your existing kitchen. You may be like me, having seen some really well-thought-out kitchens, but living with a kitchen with a peninsula, lack of storage and a confined area. I often find myself dreaming of brighter days in a well planned space. In the event you were fortunate enough to plan your kitchen whether it was a new build or a remodel, consider the rest of us envious. Notice my thoughts have nothing to do with aesthetics or finishes? It is simply space allocation.
After getting the space allocation right, you can elevate your current aesthetics and atmosphere to make a positive impact on your daily home life. You’ll always have your personal touches, but you can also change the atmosphere through updated lighting. The variety of lighting options includes toe kick, under cabinet, task, or pendant lighting. For instance, a well-placed under-cabinet light can make chopping vegetables easier, while dimmable pendants over an island can shift the mood from meal prep to evening relaxation. Because most of us can’t just add a light on our own to solve a problem, we underestimate the importance of well thought out lighting.
In addition to making your kitchen suit your needs and wishes, a kitchen renovation or remodel contributes to the increase of home value and appeal. We discussed what typical Return on Investment (ROI) is on certain types of kitchen work in our December Blog. Potential buyers view an updated kitchen as a major selling point when evaluating available homes on the market. This can certainly give you a competitive edge versus a home that still has a builder grade, original or DIY kitchen.
In rethinking the “heart of the home”, you can tailor it to you, whether it be a gourmet kitchen with top of the line commercial appliances, a family friendly space with hidden pet feeding stations, or an open concept minimalist design. Early in the design process, we gather the information that matters most to each member of the family and how they operate and then incorporate that into their kitchen. At ValEquity we try to leave no stone unturned, so that homeowners get a kitchen that is unique to their family. All of that comes from utilizing strong communication skills and planning with our team and clients. You live there, your contractor doesn’t, and neither does the hypothetical buyer in 15-20 years. Make it for you!
You have put a lot of time and effort into curating a space, now show it off. Your friends obviously liked you to begin with, now they also love your home. Family members now have an abundance of space to gather in the kitchen around the new island, breakfast nook or bar. You took a tight space and opened it up for more communal tasks. I love reaching out to past clients, especially after their first holiday season in a newly remodeled kitchen and inquiring how it was. The answer is always the same, an overly positive experience because they hosted and created new memories they simply didn’t have the space to accommodate before.
Kitchen remodels are not inexpensive. So much more goes into them besides buying cabinets and cool countertops. It is our opinion that when personality and lifestyle are really examined, the kitchen transforms from the room with the fridge in it to a place where some of life’s most important memories are made. Whether it’s making a decades old family recipe with your kids, or where the baby of the family learns to write their name at the counter for the first time, memories are priceless. Why not have the perfect backdrop for these memories, and encourage family and friends to gather in the heart of your kitchen? I’m sure the only regret would be not doing it sooner. When you’re ready to create new memories in the kitchen, we’d love to help bring your vision to life. Let’s start planning—contact us today!
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