Things to Consider in Your Kitchen Remodeling or Expansion Project

When renovating or expanding kitchen space, there are several important factors to consider, and planning major kitchen remodeling can feel like a daunting process. Even after spending hours on Pinterest and Architectural Digest, you still may not know where or how to start. The following questions can serve as a guide to help find the right kitchen designs for your home and lifestyle.

1. What Is the Purpose of Your Kitchen?

This may seem like an obvious question, but the amount that you use your kitchen and the reasons why you use it will play a major role in your kitchen remodel. If your children do their homework or crafts in the kitchen, a large peninsula would be ideal. If you love to cook and try new recipes, a wall-mounted faucet by the stove could be a game-changing addition. To get your creative wheels turning, answer the following questions:

• How many cooks are in the kitchen at one time? The answer to this question can help you decide whether an entire layout change is in order, or if a smaller expansion will do. Having more cooks in the kitchen at once requires accessibility to drawers and cabinets, especially if your kids want to help. If you host a family dinner every Saturday, you will need enough sitting and standing room so everyone can be together.
• Where do you like to eat your meals? A cozy breakfast nook may be the perfect addition to your morning routine. If you prefer an open layout so the house feels larger and brighter, a dining room may not be as important during the design process. You may want to consider the type of home you have and whether you want the kitchen to reflect a similar aesthetic. A Mediterranean kitchen may not necessarily fit with a Cape Cod layout.
• Are you a chef who takes their cooking seriously, or are you more laid back in the kitchen? If Julia Child and Wolfgang Puck are your inspiration, now is your chance to create your dream chef’s kitchen! There are many innovative design options that will enhance your cooking experience and make you never want to leave your kitchen. An appliance garage, two-tiered granite countertops, a warming drawer and secondary island sink are features your kitchen designer can work into the blueprints of your dream kitchen.

2. Are You Adding or Expanding?

If you are looking to renovate your kitchen, now is the perfect time to expand your space or add features that you wish the original unit had. The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in a home. It is where people gather, eat and make beautiful memories. It is important to make such a special room feel like a home you never want to leave. If you feel stressed by the amount of clutter or your lack of space, a kitchen renovation offers an opportunity to change these factors.

It can be difficult to imagine how to expand your kitchen. Are you taking space away from another room, or combining two rooms together? It is easier to make these decisions and watch your vision come to life with our experienced kitchen builders and designers. Sometimes adding to your kitchen really translates to increasing the amount of storage or counter space. For a major kitchen remodel, you can create a layout that better connects your kitchen to the other rooms in the house for a more inclusive flow.

3. Do You Want an Outdoor Kitchen?

You also have the option of taking your dream kitchen into new territory —outside. From Sunnyvale to San Mateo, the weather and landscape are beautiful all year round. Take advantage of the sunshine with outdoor amenities.

Your options are not limited to the four walls of a room when you can choose to add easy access to outside cooking and dining. A deck off of the kitchen, large sliding glass doors, brick ovens for cooking and an outside dining space can completely open up your home and add value to it. Your kitchen can cross boundaries while seamlessly bringing together indoor-outdoor elements.