Kitchens are a fundamental component of the home. The kitchen is not only a room to cook and eat, but also to gather, entertain and relax. For this reason, Thomas J. Pearson’s Contractor Secrets has decided to make “Essential Features for Your Kitchen Remodel” its first post. We have boiled it down to a few essential features to keep your kitchen useful and up to date.
1. Open Space Concepts
To start, we have noticed that lately almost every kitchen remodel begins with an open space concept. Open space concepts are popular in any remodel; however, this is especially true for the kitchen because of the room’s many uses. Often, we have torn down walls connecting the kitchen with the entryway and living room. Removing the walls eliminates wasted space while opening up the room. By opening up the space, the kitchen becomes less crowded and more relaxed. The concept has allowed clients with new kitchen remodels to more easily gather and entertain friends/family for any occasion. Clients have also found that the open space makes cooking with the family, cleaning and organizing all much easier as the space is not as cluttered and crowded.
2. Pull out Pantry and Spice Drawers
Making a kitchen easier to cook, clean and organize starts with the open space concept but includes storage. We have been recommending pull out drawers for new pantries. Pull out pantry drawers enable a client to easily see and organize all products. Instead of little cans behind big boxes, the client can pull out the drawer increasing visibility. Similarly spice drawers make organizing spices much easier. The pull out spice drawer enables the chef to see all the spices he or she has to use.
3. Soft Close Cabinet Drawers and Doors
Continuing with drawers, Thomas J. Pearson has seen a growing trend in soft close cabinet drawers and doors. The soft close cabinet drawersare not only trendy but also prevent the cabinets from chipping. This feature is especially beneficial with glass cabinet doors. Slamming glass cabinet drawers creates a piercing noise and if hard enough, could break the glass in the drawer.
4. Granite and Quartz Countertops
A quality countertop is essential in a kitchen remodel. Most clients go with granite; however, a growing number have elected to choose quartz which is composed of crystals which are glued together with polymers and other agents. Choosing between granite and quartz should be based on customer preference.
5. Creative Lighting
Open spaces have provided better lighting. Yet, some remodels have taken lighting a step further by adding windows to the kitchen space to provide more natural light. Another trend are puck lights in the cabinets which provide light in dark areas so the cook has better visibility of his or her countertop.
These five suggestions help those considering a kitchen remodel. We believe these five features will not only ensure that your kitchen is both up to date and aesthetically pleasing, but also will improve the way you use your kitchen.