The kitchen is easily one of, if not the most important room in the home. It’s used on a daily basis, often to entertain guests and in many layouts, the kitchen is the first area people see when they enter your house. Real estate agents recommend fixing up the kitchen as one of the first investments to make when putting money back into your property.
Go Big with Open Concept for Your Small Kitchen Renovation
While it doesn’t exactly constitute typical small kitchen renovations, tearing down ‘dead’ walls to create an open concept is a very appealing project. The return on investment of opening up a kitchen is huge – not only when selling a home, but the project offers instantly upgraded quality of living as well. Imagine having enough room to move around comfortably in the kitchen while also being able to converse with people in a dining room or watch television from the living room. It’s important that the wall is not load-bearing, but otherwise the benefits of opening up a kitchen are almost 100% positive.
Small Kitchens Love Contrast So Mix and Match
While a completely stainless steel kitchen (appliances, countertops, cabinets) looks futuristic and modern, decorating with the same type of materials doesn’t necessarily work in small spaces. This extends to all types of materials from wood to vinyl and so-forth, mostly because you want as much contrast as possible in a cramped area. A nice mixture of stainless steel appliances with wood countertops and flooring can be a subtle renovation with high return (especially if said appliances are energy saving).
Brighten Up Your Small Kitchen by Adding a Window
If your kitchen has an exterior wall, adding a window isn’t as hard of a process as you might think. Typically the labour is only a few hours and energy saving windows will result in reduced heat loss through the Winter. The result is a natural light in the kitchen (as well as a fresh air supply when burning dinner) which helps create the allure of space. If a window isn’t possible try to emulate one with glass or mirrored cabinet covers or shelf backing.
Embrace the Size. Bigger Isn’t always Better.
Perhaps the best approach to small kitchen renovations is to simply embrace the area for what it is. You might not have the area to cook commercially so why bother trying? Decorate the area cozily and enjoy the fact that you won’t be forced to host dinner parties due to lack of space!