A lot of things happen in your kitchen – countless family meals, important conversations, games, meetings with friends over coffee, and much more. Because your kitchen is probably the central meeting place for your family, it pays to keep it looking modern. Interior Kitchen Designers spaces Design express “kitchens represent our lives and reflect the way we want to live”. You spend a lot of time in the kitchen so upgrading is a matter of function as well as looks. It will take a bit of time and some money, but upgrading your kitchen is never a bad idea. Here are the signs that let you know it’s time to get the job done.
You’re Running Out of Space
A small kitchen can be difficult, especially if you enjoy cooking and entertaining. If your family often migrates out of the kitchen, it’s time to upgrade to a larger and more usable space. Creating an open floor plan can help solve this problem and turn the kitchen back into your central hub, while also making it function more efficiently for you. Adding cabinets and drawers can also help you create room for your utensils, dishes, and appliances.
Dark, Dingy Spaces
You want your kitchen to be a warm and welcoming space so if it’s too dark and old, you need to upgrade as soon as possible. You can start with enhancing the lighting with under cabinet lights or more overhead lights. If space and your budget allow, you might even consider adding a new window or some skylights to bring in some natural light.
Damage Anywhere
Damage is one of the biggest reasons your kitchen may be considered outdated and in need of an upgrade. Because most aspects of a kitchen are pretty durable, damaged cabinets, doors or appliances points to a kitchen that is likely pretty old. In this case, you may be able to create a whole new look with some paint, but in other instances, you may need to replace cabinets and appliances to create a modern and comfortable new space.
Too Much Clutter
Nothing makes your kitchen look worse than having stuff all over the countertops. As mentioned before, if you’re running out space in your cabinets for storing kitchen necessities, an upgrade is definitely in order. Cleaning off your countertops instantly makes your kitchen look cleaner and larger so adding some space for utensils and appliances is an important step. You could also consider sorting through everything and getting rid of items you don’t use very often.
Poor Layout
You need a new modern kitchen if the current layout isn’t conducive to your kitchen needs. No matter what else happens there, cooking it the reason you have a kitchen so it should be workable in terms of preparing meals for your family. If you have a hard time navigating the kitchen or you’re tripping over each other, upgrading the layout of your space can really help. Experts say the most efficient layout is the triangle one, where the cooker, sink, and fridge are each at one point on the triangle. This allows for more than one person to work together and makes the flow better at the same time.
It’s Hard to Clean
You want your kitchen to be clean and sanitary, but if you’re having a hard time making it that way, an upgrade can really help. Old kitchens tend to wear out and look dirty and dingy no matter how much cleaning you do. Starting fresh with brand new cabinets, countertops and appliances help you create the clean space you want for preparing food and spending time with family.
You’re Planning to Sell
If you’re getting ready to put your house on the market, a new kitchen can raise the value and get you more for it. Getting more for your current house gives you some extra money to invest in your new house. A fresh and upgraded kitchen can raise your house value by as much as six percent, which makes a big difference when you want to buy something new.
There are lots of reasons to upgrade your kitchen, whether you want it to work better for your own needs or you are preparing to sell it and move on. Knowing when to upgrade is part of responsible homeownership and getting the job done doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. Sometimes a simple coat of paint or some new cabinet doors is all it takes, while other times starting from scratch is what you need. Either way, getting it done when it’s time creates a kitchen you love and a place where you can make many more memories with your family.
