Dreaming about remodeling your kitchen can be fun, but there are many decisions to be made when you actually begin the planning phase. From the “big ones” like overall layout, color scheme, and material choices to the finishing touches like cabinet hardware and countertop accessories, it’s easy to become fatigued by the choices you must make.
We want to ensure the process remains fun, and you don’t begin suffering from “remodeler’s remorse!”
In today’s post, we’ll take a closer look at a few important considerations for your kitchen remodel project, including several that our expert retail sales associates here at Weinstein Supply can help you with when you visit our showroom just outside Lancaster City.
Begin by thinking about your ideal layout and kitchen design principles
Depending on how significant your remodel is, you may not be changing too much about your current layout, but optimizing what is known as your kitchen work triangle will make food prep and cleanup more efficient by minimizing the distance between your three hardest working kitchen components: the fridge, the stove, and (our personal favorite) the sink.
It’s true that as you think about your layout, assuring that your plumbing resources are well-located is extremely important.
Just because you have a perfect work triangle—or, in galley-style kitchens, an efficient straight line placement of the three anchor components—it doesn’t mean you can’t splurge on extra convenience features like a pot-filler faucet over the cooktop or a standalone ice maker. In fact, you may consider adding a full-service beverage center complete with an ultra-filtered water tap to your redesign plan, which is becoming a popular option for home bar enthusiasts and coffee connoisseurs.
Is an island right for your space?
It’s true that islands continue to be popular structures in most kitchens that have the physical space to accommodate them. Design pros and architects tend to either love them or hate them with no middle ground, but there’s no denying that they can be useful for storage, entertaining, or even housing certain appliances (microwaves, dishwashers) and helpful plumbing fixtures like an auxiliary sink.
Islands have even been called the “21st-century equivalent of the old-fashioned hearth,” aka the literal centerpiece of the modern American kitchen. They have grown from modest work tables into gathering places for family and friends, and islands often now incorporate barstool seating where kids can work on homework while parents prepare dinner or friends can share a glass of wine and chat. If these kinds of scenarios make your heart beat faster, you’ll almost certainly want to include an island in your plans.
Custom-built kitchen islands especially are a great bet, as they can be configured to fit your unique space—even if your kitchen isn’t huge, you may be surprised how well a right-sized island will fit.
Consider your style preferences
In our local Lancaster area, there tend to be a few kitchen styles that win out. Rustic and country kitchen aesthetics have always been popular, though minimalist and modern looks have more recently gained favor among city dwellers, suburbanites, and those “out in the country” folks alike.
Last but not least, some homeowners seek to make their kitchen appear more period-appropriate for their historic home. This means choosing not only retro-look appliances, lighting, and color palettes, but also carefully considering the style of faucets, and especially the main kitchen sink.
Fortunately, gone are the days of the simple stainless steel basin sink. Today you can choose a porcelain apron-front farmhouse style, alternative metallic finishes, and easy-care synthetic materials to match your countertops, to name a few. Need help understanding your options or making a choice? Weinstein Supply stocks a vast inventory of professional-grade kitchen sinks and more in our on-site warehouse, and can offer lightning-fast pick-up on many products!
Get the kitchen sink convenience you really want
Like kitchen islands, garbage disposals are a controversial topic in kitchen design and remodeling. If you’ve always had one available to you, you probably won’t think twice about replacing/upgrading this kitchen sink convenience feature when you remodel.
However, if you’ve gone without, there are several great reasons to seriously consider adding a garbage disposal now, the main one being that you don’t end up wasting trash bags and smelling up your house with food waste that quickly rots in your regular trash can or compactor. Some people solve this problem by walking this kind of waste to an outdoor garbage can after prepping a meal, but what if you didn’t have to? Here at Weinstein Supply, we can help you find the quiet, high-tech models you want from the best disposal brands—Insinkerator and Whirlpool.
Cabinet hardware shouldn’t be an afterthought
Though certainly not the first consideration when planning your kitchen remodeling project, keeping in mind the look you want your cabinetry to achieve is something that deserves serious thought. And your drawer pulls and cabinet handles can actually make or break your design. This again is an area in which we can certainly help you with choices. Quality matters, as well, and our cabinet hardware is sourced from some of the best makers around today.
Feeling overwhelmed? Let us help!
If you’re having trouble, consider making an appointment to work side-by-side with our knowledgeable showroom associates today! We also love to collaborate with professional designers, so if you’re working with one (or with plumbing and HVAC contractors), be sure they recognize Weinstein Supply as an excellent local trade resource.