subject: Kitchen Remodeling Trends In The Midwest [print this page] If you live in the Midwest, your kitchen remodeling might have a practical bent. Even if you want to incorporate the latest luxury trend into your plans, you must consider you budget and your lifestyle when planning your new kitchen.
Three major remodeling trends in the Midwest and elsewhere are having ample space to work as you prepare and cook food, enough storage space to hide appliance, food, and trash, and enough living space to eat or converse. You might accomplish these things by bumping out the space to add a few more feet, knocking out a wall, or repositioning appliances and plumbing. When you consider how you want your space to look, you have many color palettes and style that are popular now, but consider the future by thinking of the past. Avocado green stoves and refrigerators date a kitchen, but so will bright cabinets and modernistic light fixtures in a few years.
Given the extremes of temperatures throughout the year, homeowners are concerned with energy conservation, which is another big remodeling trend. Buying Energy Star compliant appliances may cost more at the time of purchase, but can save you in the long run. You can check the possible savings before you buy. You may find that buying more energy-efficient appliance will pay off in a short time.
Keeping up with the Joneses in not as important as getting a kitchen remodel done for cash or with as little borrowing as possible. For most people, whether they are doing a major or minor remodel, this mean scaling down the scope of the remodeling and focusing on one room at a time. Regardless of your remodeling budget, you can incorporate good design and workmanship without blowing the budget. Most people can live without installing top-of-the line upgrades for everything. Do you really need a restaurant-grade stove? If so, then get one. Otherwise, settle for a consumer-grade model.
Some homeowners foresee selling their home within the next couple of years. Especially if that is the case, remember that moderate kitchen upgrades bring better rate of return than major ones. Your home is a reflection of your personality but the more unusual colors and styles you incorporate into your remodel, the harder your home may be to sell down the line. Hot pink walls and black bathtubs don't appeal to everyone.
Plan for the Future When Planning Your Kitchen Remodel
Many people want to stay in their homes as they get older, but too many steps and hard to navigate spaces make this hard. If, in the course of your remodeling, you add features to make your home more accessible and safer, you can plan to age in place. Even if you plan to sell, your home may have more appeal to the large numbers of Boomers reaching retirement who still plan to buy another house or two. Lever handles on doors, various height work spaces in the kitchen, and room to move around even in a wheelchair are good features to offer.
Remodeling your home with an eye to what's practical,what's in style, and what you want and can afford will produce a great result, while incorporating features that might appeal to next buyer.
