Design Tips
When it comes to your kitchen or bathroom, there’s a lot going on in a relatively small space. Focus on style and function:
- Eliminate wasted steps from appliance to appliance.
- Design wide walkways to accommodate friends & family.
- Find the right height for the microwave so it’s easily accessible.
Bathrooms
Are you redecorating or remodeling?
The cost is the big difference here because remodeling requires more labor hours.
What accessories do you want?
If your current bathroom fixtures are structurally sound, it’s better for the environment to keep using it. However, that old bathtub may have seen its last day. Tubs, showers and surroundings are difficult to replace AFTER a major renovation is complete, so decide in advance what you want to do with them!
What are you doing with the flooring?
If you’re remodeling your bathroom, it makes total sense that you should replace the floors—especially if it’s carpeted (an alarming trend in bathroom design that’s more common than you’d think). If you like the look of your current hardwood or tile floors, we can refinish or regrout them to look brand new again!
Kitchen
What do you not like about your current kitchen?
- Create a “wish list” for your new kitchen, and then number the items in order of importance.
- What items (i.e., cabinetry, flooring) do you want to put the most money into?
- If necessary, what items are you willing to save money on?
- Adequate food storage: Do you go food shopping once a week or every few days?
- Kitchen lighting: Even if there is adequate general lighting, the counter areas can be dark and hard to work in. Having under-cabinet lighting should be an essential part of the cabinet design and layout.
- What about an island? For an island to add function as well as style, it should be no more than 42 inches from the main counters.
- Are you planning for a new home? Do you need a layout design that will accommodate replacing your existing kitchen PLUS adding or removing walls?
