The Complete Guide to Kitchens Introduction

Kitchen And Bathroom Renovation : The Complete Guide to Kitchens : Introduction

Introduction

In recent years, kitchens have received an enormous amount of attention from high-end design magazines, television home décor shows, and even manufacturers of expensive appliances. Without question, the
trendsetters in the industry have concocted some amazing rooms with jaw-dropping features. In fact, the kitchens we see featured in most media today are primarily room sets built purely to showcase an impressive style rather than pleasing, efficient rooms from which we feed our families and carry on those “kitchen table discussions” politicians are always talking about.

That’s okay: everyone loves to dream about surrounding themselves with beauty, opulence, and state-of-the-art living accessories. But if, like most of us, your goal is to find a few practical ways to make your kitchen better meet your needs (and maybe show off just a little bit), then you need a guide that features rooms that look something like your house.

In this freshly blogger post, we show you dozens of instant-payback projects that make your kitchen
brighter and easier to use—from painting the walls to updating the lighting, childproofing cabinets and
appliances, or installing pull-out shelves to convert a broom closet into an efficient pantry. We also cover some
more involved kitchen improvements, such as installing all-new cabinets and countertops or replacing the
flooring. These are all projects that can be done by most do-it-yourselfers with moderate skills. And for the most part they require more elbow grease than capital. Because so much activity in kitchens centers around major household appliances, we show you how to hook up and maintain your refrigerator, stove, icemaker, water filter, and more.

By doing it yourself you can save money, but you’ll also build the skills to be prepared for an appliance emergency. Plus, you can do the work on your own schedule—no setting aside a full day just so you can wait for a delivery or a repair call. For the truly ambitious homeowner who has more advanced carpentry skills, we even show you how to build your own custom cabinets yourself—the ultimate “luxury you can afford”. This blogger post reflects the most current design thinking on relevant issues that matter today. Throughout this post, you’ll find pointers about eco-friendly options, shopping tips to clue you in on features to look for, and notes on Universal Design, which creates accessibility for a wide range of people. After all, if your kitchen doesn’t meet your needs, it doesn’t work—no matter how fancy it may look.

The kitchen is the most frequently remodeled room in the house. From modest makeovers to down-to the-studs re-dos, planning and know-how are the variables that make the difference between creating a kitchen that really meets your long-term needs versus one that you’ll be remodeling again in a couple of years.