Renovate, Remodel, and Revitalize

In most homes, the kitchen is the space where daily meals are prepared and served. It may also be the place where homework is completed, neighborly cups of coffee are shared and late-night sandwiches are made. Yet kitchens are often the last spaces in the home to get the benefit of a major remodeling project. 

Homeowners who are ready to stop procrastinating and begin seriously planning for a major remodeling project to update their outdated kitchen should consider adding some of these modern ideas to their plans. 

Start at the bottom

If your outdated kitchen hasn't been updated for several years, your family is probably still walking around on tired, rolled vinyl flooring when cooking or grabbing a snack. Switching to modern, more resilient flooring, such as wood, tile or stone is the first step in a total kitchen makeover that will offer years of use without fading or tearing as rolled vinyl often does. 

Modernize or replace cabinetry

Outdated kitchens often include bulky cabinetry that can make the room seem less spacious than it should. When planning your kitchen remodeling project, homeowners should consider making significant changes to modernize existing cabinetry, such as removing some of the upper cabinets to make room for open shelving or enlarged windows. If the cabinet fronts are very worn but their basic frames are still in good condition, it may be possible to have them refaced with new fronts to give them a modern, updated look. 

Cabinetry that is not well-located or cannot be easily made to look modern may need to be ripped out and replaced. Homeowners who opt for new cabinetry as part of their kitchen remodeling project should consider including some special cabinetry features to make their kitchen even more enjoyable to use. For example, homeowners may want to include self-closing drawers, apron sinks, and recessed lighting to add convenience, along with other modern touches to their kitchen remodeling plans. 

Incorporate other spaces 

As a family gathering place, kitchens can also benefit from incorporating other spaces. If the existing kitchen is next to a formal dining room or family room, opening the wall to marry the two spaces can create a major design change. Families may also want to add french doors to a nearby patio or sun porch to further expand the space. 

To determine even more options for updating your outdated kitchen, discuss your ideas and project goals with a kitchen remodeling contractor in your area.