Day: November 17, 2021

granite countertop Vienna, Virginia

 

4 Major Mistakes to Avoid During a Kitchen Remodel.

Renovating your kitchen is a significant investment that, if done properly, will improve functionality and increase the overall value of your home. For starters, consider your family’s needs and lifestyle. If you cook often, you may need to dedicate more of your budget to appliances. On the other hand, if the kitchen is a hub for socialization, entertainment, or homework—seating and counter space will be more of a priority. Kitchens are without a doubt, one of the most important rooms in the house, so if you’re planning to renovate, check out our most common remodeling mistakes.

 

1.Lack of Storage and Counter Space

Take advantage of unused like toe-kick storage located beneath cabinet door. It’s a creative place to store items that aren’t used on a daily basis. Maximize your kitchen’s floor plan to find additional storage that will keep your countertops free of clutter.

Countertops are the largest visual elements in a kitchen, and the right countertop will be a major selling point when you want to relist your home one day. Find ways to make the most of the space you have. Seemingly small add-ons and storage features like drawer dividers, pullout drawers, or a Lazy Susan will increase your kitchen’s storage and overall efficiency.

 

2.Overwhelming Kitchen Designs

Despite the latest kitchen styles you’ve seen in magazines and on home improvement shows, functionality should always take precedence. With positioning of the sink, stove, and fridge, it’s best to stick to the basic work triangle. While there should be enough space between each so you can flow from one area of the kitchen to the next, the refrigerator, stove, and sink should be near each other. Unique kitchen designs may seem appealing, but you’ll quickly realize the importance of keeping the work triangle intact. Give your kitchen personality but don’t get carried away with multiple marquee items. Functionality is key.

 

3.Making Impulsive Decisions

Some materials look much more attractive in a showroom than they would in your home. Buying on impulse is a major mistake and an unnecessary expense that will most likely put you over budget. If you have interest in a product (color, counter, cabinets, etc.), take a sample home to make sure it works with your current plan and budget. In the end, renovations should improve the efficiency of your space. Try not to rely on aesthetics alone as a selling point. Every element including your wall color, cabinet style, flooring, and hardware, should be complementary. Take your time to decide what fits best in your space.

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4.Not Considering Electrical Sockets & Space for Openings  

Be practical when deciding where to place electrical outlets for your appliances. It may be possible to hide outlets in an island or in a drawer, but your kitchen should have plenty of evenly placed sockets on nearby walls. Also, keep in mind refrigerators and ovens need clearance space. Assess your existing plan and be sure that doors from cupboards and appliances can open simultaneously. You never want a cramped kitchen, so be mindful of sizes and directions of doors for all appliances and cabinetry.

 

 

 

 

The post How Thick Should Your Granite Countertops be? appeared first on Explore Kitchens – Kitchen Remodeling in McLean, VA.

Have you fallen in love with your kitchen cabinets but still want a fresh look? Explore Kitchens now offers kitchen cabinet repainting!

Table of contents

BackgroundThe ProjectOur ProductsClient ExperienceThe Result

Background

Explore was approached by a homeowner in McLean, VA, who liked the cabinet facings they had installed custom when they built their home. They wanted a more modern look than wood grain with their kitchen remodel.

The cabinets were in good shape! Our team went to work on the plan. We were going to modernize their cabinets and countertops to add tremendous value to their house. Adding also beautiful new backsplash tile, modern decora devices, blinds, faucet, sink, and

wine cooler to replace the trash compactor.

After going through our standard discovery questions, we put together a proposal for the project.

We executed the project during the peak of the holiday season. Explore completed the kitchen remodel before the new year and the bathroom shortly afterward!

Explore Kitchens is dedicated to your home’s success and works to complete projects quickly and efficiently with an eye for quality.

 

The Project

Typically, Explore Kitchens specializes in brand new cabinetry. However, this was a great start into a unique offering of repainting cabinets with top of the line Benjamin Moore paint.

We didn’t stop at painting cabinets for this kitchen remodel project in McLean, VA. They had some very dated countertops.

 

 

Explore Kitchens Now Offering Kitchen Cabinet Repainting

 

Our Products

Explore Kitchens partnered with MSI Surfaces for new quartz stone countertops; the homeowner selected MSI Calacatta Miraggio.

MSI Calacatta Miraggio Quartz countertop

The counters and island turned out very elegant!

 

 

 

 

One of the biggest challenges with older kitchens is lighting. We always work with our clients to identify their unique lighting needs for their kitchen and bath remodel. That is why Explore partners with the best lighting supplier in McLean, VA: Lamps Unlimited, going through Jon Ghareeb, a great friend of Explore Kitchens owner Jason Kidwell. Installed are new pendant lights bringing extra light to the dining area and new countertop surfaces.

Finally, we installed the very best tile from The Tile Shop in McLean, VA. We used subway tile for the backsplash in the kitchen and porcelain tile for the bathroom floors and bathroom walls.

Tile Shop

Client Experience

This project was one of the best projects we’ve done; the homeowners were terrific and went above and beyond in making sure their home was ready for us. They bought the crews lunch and set out snacks and drinks for our team.

The communication from the clients was terrific.

The Result

Take a look at the results for yourself and reach out the next time you need to repaint your kitchen cabinets.

The post Explore Kitchens Now Offering Kitchen Cabinet Repainting appeared first on Explore Kitchens – Kitchen Remodeling in McLean, VA.

While cabinets, counters, fixtures and appliances often anchor a kitchen or bath, it’s the secondary items like tile and hardware that can add the true decorative flair. Tile can carry a neutral design and add calm to the space, or provide bold color and rugged texture to deliver the wow factor.

Stone, glass, porcelain and ceramic are among the myriad elements that can be used to create tile, and all add their own look and feel to a space. Whether the desire is for a nature-inspired look or a glossy, modern appeal, tile can provide just the right accent.

–Subway tile continues to trend, but the classic look is getting an update with an array of colors and smooth texture that looks handmade.

–Shapes go beyond squares and rectangles, encompassing everything from hexagons to triangles to arabesques to chevrons.

–Three-dimensional tiles continue to garner attention, delivering surfaces that feature irregular patterns and an organic look and feel.

–Cement tiles with painted patterns add drama to backsplashes and showers alike, providing a bold addition to overall designs.

–Pastels and neutrals yield a softer hue, while saturated jewel tones and earth-inspired shades add an organic touch to spaces.

–Matte tile surfaces and textures are currently garnering major attention, complementing weathered woods, raw and patinaed metals and matte finishes on faucets, appliances and hardware.

 

The post Textures in Tile appeared first on Kitchen & Bath Design News.