House

The kitchen is a tricky place to remodel. Not only will you have to deal with the issue of finding the right colour palette for matching your cabinets, flooring, and worktops, but you’ll also have to consider how your proposed new layout can stay away from your home’s pre-installed electrical wiring and plumbing. Since it can cost a lot more to alter the inner workings of your home, you should draw the line at how much you should adjust in your kitchen. Here are a few pointers for you to consider when it comes to dealing with refurnishing in the kitchen.

Keeping a strict budget

As with any home project, you need to be mindful of spending too much when you should only be working on a limited budget. It’s not always necessary to build a house extension. Devote your plans instead to making the most out of the confined spaces that you have. You should treat your kitchen as a more compact and delicate space with non-negotiable things in place. A smart homeowner knows how to set limits on a project while finding ways to make the best out of a complicated situation.

Going for aesthetic over practicality

Refurnishing is different from overhauling. One of the many dangers of redesigning is in focusing too much on the design’s needs compared to the practicality of the project. When it comes to expensive and complicated areas of the home like the kitchen, you’ll need a longer time to think about your room’s layout compared to dealing with a living room or garage. Plumbing, electrical wiring, and ventilation should also be at the top of your list besides what shade of colour you should choose for your remodelling project.

Being open to alternatives

Organic materials provide the durability of being authentic, but they can require a lot from you budget-wise to keep them in top form. Composite materials, however, cost less than half the price of organic choices but can offer a more durable and sustainable material to use. Materials such as vinyl laminate and granite worktops are great complements in having an easy-to-maintain kitchen. Granite worktops UK suppliers offer can be bought from large or small manufacturers online who can provide a price quote for you to factor into your shopping list without having to leave your home.

Matching the right materials

Your cleaning routine should also be taken into consideration depending on the items that you want to install. Some materials are more resistant to stains and scratches compared to others. Knowing which is which can save you a lot of trouble in maintenance for the long run. The most dangerous aspect of remodelling a home is unfamiliar with the materials that you own. Worktops and flooring, for example, go hand in hand, not just in the pattern and design but also in their sustainability. You wouldn’t want to repair your kitchen frequently because your materials are incompatible or if you are not quite sure about how they work.

To read more on topics like this, check out the house category.

Renovating your apartment takes creativity, time, effort, and, of course, money. If you’re considering making upgrades to your home to make it more livable, here are a few things you should know before you start.

1. Assess your goal and set your budget

Before you even begin, ask yourself what it is that you want to achieve from this renovation. Do you want to change things up to make your apartment more suitable to your own personal style? Or is it because you want to increase its value? Brick Underground claim that it’s better to spend on upgrades if the homeowner is going to live in the residence long-term, while renovating to increase its sale price is a 50/50 gamble. If you have the budget, be smart about it and consult with professionals.

2. Determine your limitations

It’s pointless going into planning mode right away if you aren’t aware of the restrictions you may face later down the line. Condos generally have some leeway in terms of renovating a unit, as Yoreevo explains that it’s a form of ‘real property’. It means that you have full ownership and, to a certain extent, have the ability to do what you want with it including refurbishing and renovation projects. Just to be sure, secure the necessary permits or have a talk with the owners association to avoid any penalties.

3. Consider an open concept floor plan

If your apartment is moderate in size, you might want to consider transforming it into an open floor plan. It will give the impression that it is bigger than it actually is. Try to set boundaries by replacing tiles, adding rugs, or repainting certain walls. For instance, you can paint your kitchen walls dark blue while the living room is marked by gray walls. These creative solutions will help separate the different areas of your apartment without feeling too confined.

4. Focus on remodeling the kitchen and the bathroom

What really increases the value of residential space is updating the kitchen and bathrooms. Give these rooms a modern makeover—out with the retro aesthetic and in with marble countertops, ceramic flooring, upgraded fixtures, and multi-functional appliances. It might be costly, but it’ll certainly be worth it in the end.

5. Get smart about storage

Smart storage solutions will help in maintaining a clutter-free environment and they give your unit more finesse. Make full use of every drawer, every closet, all the nooks and crannies of your apartment by putting up shelves with sleek yet functional designs, and replacing dressers that take up too much space. Your apartment could just need some additional organization features, and you might be looking at a completely different place.

6. Polish up those hardwood floors

Interior designers will tell you that it’s a crime to keep hardwood floors hidden under a carpet. If your apartment has hardwood floors, don’t forget to polish them regularly and give them the attention that they need.

7. Don’t forget the cosmetic upgrades

If the major remodels mentioned above don’t fall within your budget, fret not as simple cosmetic upgrades can be transformative. Taking advice from Apartment Guide’s list of upgrades for under $100, you may want to add mirrors and art to the walls to freshen up the aesthetic of your unit. Rugs can be pretty cheap, too, but you’ll be surprised by how much visual appeal they can add. Accent walls can also do the trick as well as installing new lamps.

You can liven your place up by adding some indoor plants that vary in shapes and sizes as well. Try hanging some by the windows or place one next to your TV. You may even try your hand at indoor gardening, as recommended in another Street Talk Live article. Growing your own herbs indoors can also help you take your home cooking to a whole new level.

Renovations are serious business but if you have the resources, there’s no reason why you cannot do it. Even with a few simple touches here and there, you can completely transform your entire apartment.

If your dining room is looking a little drab, it might be time to give it a facelift. For tips on how you can create a totally dreamy eating area, keep reading. In this blog, we have four easy ways to transform this space.

1. Go for a beautiful table and chair set

As the focal point of any dining space, the table and chairs you go for can play a huge role in the look and feel of the whole room. With this in mind, it’s crucial that you choose a set that ticks all the right boxes. Ideally, your table should be large enough to comfortably seat the number of people you plan to feed, but it shouldn’t be so big that it takes over the entire space.

Don’t be afraid to make a statement with your dining furniture too. For example, you could go for a beautiful French style table with a spacious top and intricately carved legs. As furniture specialists Crown French Furniture point out, this type of surface is ideal for hosting large families, as well as acting as a centrepiece for the room.

2. Choose your lighting carefully

The truth is, lighting can make or break a room. So, if you’re keen to create the perfect atmosphere in your eating area, it’s important that you think carefully about how you will illuminate the space.

The good news is, there are whole host of different lighting designs you could go for. For instance, if you want to keep your dining room decor chic and sophisticated, you could hang a chandelier above the table, or if you’d prefer something more contemporary, a low-slung pendant light might be your best bet. You could also use freestanding lamps and wall mounted fixtures to help get your lighting levels just right.

3. Think about your colour palette

In order to create a dreamy dining space, you’ll need to think about the colour palette you use. Try to avoid bright, harsh hues and go for soft, pale shades instead. For example, colours such as creamy vanilla, cool ivory and pure white work well as a base, while tones such as soothing grey, warm beige and pastel blue can help give the space a calming and relaxing vibe.

4. Don’t forget to add the finishing touches

   From stunning pieces of artwork to a vase of gorgeous blooms in the centre of the table, there are many ways in which you can add a finishing touch to your dining space. These details can really pull the whole room together and take your interior design to the next level.

Do you have any dining room design tips or tricks? Share them in the comments below!