How to Create Your Dream Kitchen without Spending a
Fortune
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– It’s the busiest room in the house
and one that often needs the most improvement: your
kitchen. You dream of having a culinary oasis like those
showcased in design magazines, but you can’t imagine
having to dip into junior’s college fund to get
this custom look.
The truth is, you don’t
need to spend a fortune. Leading cabinet manufacturer
American Woodmark Corporation offers some tips on how
to achieve your dream kitchen at an affordable price
without compromising quality or style.
* Determine your budget
Unless money is no object, the
first step to any renovation is to create a realistic
budget. The National Kitchen & Bath Association
estimates the average kitchen remodeling job costs between
$15,000 and $20,000. You can easily save yourself money
by doing your homework and planning ahead. Defining
your budget will help prioritize items that are most
important to you and prevent impulsive and costly purchases
later on.
You may find that a large part
of your budget can go towards replacing cabinets and
appliances alone. However, home improvement centers,
like The Home Depot, offer a wide variety of affordable
cabinetry from American Woodmark and other companies
that will help you stay within budget.
* Consider your space
Once you determine how much money
you have available to spend on the project, take a moment
to think about how the space is utilized day-to-day.
Does your kitchen get as much
foot traffic as Grand Central Station? For most families
the kitchen is the hub of the home -- a place where
they prepare meals, entertain guests, and do homework.
Keep track of activities. They will help decide on personalized
spaces you’ll want to incorporate into your new
design.
You may want to consider adding
a home office and desk complete with a mail kiosk, file
drawers, and open shelves for books and collectibles.
Additional customizing options can help you create built-in
pieces to accommodate your lifestyle such as hutches,
baking centers, wine cabinets and islands.
“Kitchens today can be just
as hardworking as they are beautiful,” says Connie
Edwards, certified kitchen and bath designer and author
of “Beautiful Built-ins, Plans for Designing with
Stock Cabinets.”
“By customizing your space,
you can give your kitchen a fresh, updated look, one
that is welcoming to guests and uplifting to the people
who will use it everyday,” she says.
If your space is limited and you
are looking to maximize storage, wine racks, plate racks,
and glass-front cabinets display china and crystal while
adding functionality and an interesting focal point
to the room. You can also free up more room for cabinets
and create additional storage space by installing a
large freestanding range stove instead of a combination
wall oven and a cook top stove.
* Define your style
How do you define your style?
Is it Traditional, Asian-inspired, or your own personal
mixture of design elements?
“You can create an entirely
new theme -- such as contemporary or evolved -- by dressing
up kitchens with elaborate crown molding, decorative
furniture legs on islands and work stations, and ornamental
hardware on cabinet doors and drawers,” says Edwards.
Once you have determined your
budget, assessed your space and have a design style
in mind, head to your local home center. There, you’ll
have access to free or very low-cost services from professional
designers who are available to help you turn your dream
kitchen into a reality.
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