Kitchens stand as one of the more expensive remodels, but there are reasons. The first being kitchen cabinets. Even a small kitchen that has any cabinet space to speak of and using the most inexpensive items will set you back about $10,000 or so. But you want your dream kitchen with granite top and open cabinets with brass wire mesh in the doors. You do not want just a backsplash strip; you want those walls tiled to the base of the cabinets for easy cleanup. Painted cabinets appear to be the current rage, usually with white predominating. Those who stick with a wood grain look are going after lighter woods, including natural pine or hickory. Instead of cabinets there are some with only floating or suspended shelves without the box.

Kitchen Countertops

Counter tops, granite, marble, Corian and other tops including butcher block. Just enough choices to be confusing. Some prefer natural products while others the synthetic materials, or some materials even combine the natural stone with manmade resins.

Most Popular Kitchen Flooring

Floors tend to tile, either natural products or ceramic. But some even opt for wood, though wooden kitchen floors are susceptible to water damage.

Best Rated Kitchen Appliances

Then there are appliances; a basic package is cooktop, oven-microwave, refrigerator and a dishwasher. Add-ons include trash compactors or hidden trash cans.

Kitchen Work Triangles & Zones

There is a design criterion present in kitchens that just don’t exist in other rooms. The work triangle. This is the triangle formed between the stove, sink and refrigerator. The shorter the distance of outside the parameter the more efficient the work triangle is. No leg should be shorter than 4 feet or more than 9 feet. The work triangle is a 1940’s concept conceived for planning the compact kitchens of the time. Today we plan work zones. Larger kitchens that open-up into other spaces like living, family or dining rooms made it difficult to plan the larger more open spaces around the triangle. A work zone groups fixtures and appliances according to use. Work zones are easy to set up because of the common tasks you must accomplish in the kitchen. Prep, storing, baking, cooking, eating, serving, making coffee or chilling wine, cleanup. The sink and dishwasher form as zone. Compactor and composter another. A suggested zone organization is:
• Consumables zone: area where the most of your food is stored. It may even be split into two subzones: one for fresh food, i.e. the refrigerator, and one for your dry goods, oils and spices, this being the pantry and perhaps cereal cupboards.
• Non-consumables: dishes, plates and bowls, glasses and silverware.
• Cleaning Zone: sink and dishwasher.
• Preparation Zone: the area where most of your cooking prep occurs, a kitchen island or stretch of a countertop.
• Cooking: Stovetop, oven or range and increasingly a microwave oven.
Be sure to store related items as close to their related zones as possible. Mixing bowls, knives, chopping boards, spices and other things like oils all go in or near the prep zone. Cooking utensils, pots, pans and bakeware should be close to the stove or oven in the cooking zone. Every day dishes store closest to the sink/dishwasher to facilitate putting away cleaned objects. Your prep space should be as close to the cooking appliance, like stoves and ovens. Prep and cooking areas tend to overlap.

Kitchen Remodeling & More in Redwood City, Foster City, Palo Alto, Saratoga, Cupertino, Los Gatos, Sunnyvale, Campbell, Loyola, Monte Sereno, Mountain View, Santa Clara & Greater San Jose, California

A lot goes into a kitchen remodel and with some prior planning can pay for itself in work-flow efficiency and lack of frustration. Future Vision Remodeling can help you plan wisely. Contact us today to schedule a design consultation!