All kitchens have something to gain from being upgraded. Of all the rooms in the home, the kitchen is the one that most benefits from being as up to date and as high-tech as possible.
Other rooms might benefit from a homely or vintage charm, but the kitchen is the only place where food is prepared and eaten. This makes it a functional room, and so technology which makes that function run as smoothly as possible is highly recommended. The kitchen is also a room that needs to prioritize cleanliness and hygiene, and modern fittings and furnishings are one of the ways of ensuring this.
Such are the benefits, to the home itself, of doing up the kitchen, but there are many further reasons why you might decide to do so. For one thing, an upgraded kitchen is a real value booster if you are planning to sell the property. Furthermore, not only is it an intrinsic value booster, but a kitchen is possibly the room which makes one of the strongest impressions on any potential viewers.
Since the kitchen is a particularly important functional space within the home, you can bet any viewers of the home will be paying special attention to the appliances and amenities offered by this space.
How Should a Kitchen Look?
There are some older properties that features quaint, slightly old-fashioned kitchens, but most of the time the kitchen is the room in the home most likely to be the most modern. This is mainly for the reasons outlined above. Moreover, that sense of efficiency, cleanliness, and hygiene is best conveyed with spacious, light-colored modern décor. Certainly, real estate agents usually advise that this is the best way to add value to such a property.
So, most of the time, a kitchen should look modern even if it is part of a more old-fashioned property. It also needs to look efficient and functional, but this is not to say that you should totally ignore any homely appeal for this room.
Especially if your kitchen doubles up as a dining room, it is best not to have it look overly utilitarian and sterile. There’s certainly no need for things like safety and warning signs, for example – it’s not a restaurant kitchen.
The best way of balancing these two things is to make the most of the aesthetics that come along with modern designs. If you are going to be stocking your kitchen with the latest equipment, appliances, and a range of sleek furnishings, it is best to make this the general aesthetic of the whole kitchen. Prioritize plenty of light, open space, large clear surfaces, and general muted or white tones for the overall décor.
Options for Upgrading Your Kitchen
When it comes to the actual “how” of updating the kitchen, we can divide the various processes and methods into two groups – DIY upgrades and renovations. Naturally, which one of these you will go for depends on your budget and the urgency of the upgrade. The first question to ask yourself is, “Why am I actually doing this?” If you are hoping to sell your home, for example, then you will probably be willing to make more ambitious renovations before doing so (depending on your budget, obviously).
If you just want to upgrade the kitchen as part of a DIY home renovation, then there is also much you can do, again scaling according to budget. There is also the simple way of doing things by just replacing appliances and other kitchen devices, which can be done gradually and one at a time.
In the interests of giving advice on kitchen upgrades though, we’ll look at DIY and more ambitious renovations in turn.
DIY Kitchen Upgrades
The great advantage of DIY kitchen upgrades is that they can be as easy and as cheap as you wish to make them. This is not the road to radical change, but simple DIY can also do much to upgrade a kitchen.
Painting
A lot of what makes a kitchen appealing is the general ambience of the space. The latest appliances and tech will convey a sense of modern convenience, but you should have a paint job to match. As mentioned, you should prioritize modern colors that add a sense of space to the room as well as lighter colors that convey a perception of cleanliness.
Upgrade Metals
Sometimes, all that’s needed to create a modern impression of a kitchen is to make some superficial changes around the technology. Upgrading metals is an effective way of doing this, as there is little that conveys modern convenience like drawer pulls and lighting fixtures finished in matte aluminum, stainless steel, or brushed gold.
Update the Countertops
Sometimes, this might require a serious installation, but most of the time you can update the countertops yourself. Doing so offer the same benefit as updating the metals, and it will in fact do even more to convey a sense of modernity simply because counters take up a lot of the kitchen space.
Kitchen Renovations
Sometimes, when you really want to make an impression on visitors or potential buyers, it is time to call in the professionals to make some serious improvements or renovations. Here are some ideas for completely transforming your kitchen in this way:
Replace (All) The Appliances
Giving your kitchen a total overhaul in terms of the appliances used is certainly a wise idea if you want to make an impression. When you do it all at once, moreover, it is easier to make sure they all match aesthetically. The pinnacle of convenience and a great look is sure to be the result.
Add Dining Furniture
Does your kitchen have space for a dining area? Even if not, there are innovative solutions that can allow you to quickly repurpose a cooking space as a dining space. Even for smaller kitchens, adding some furnishings that will make the kitchen look like a place you can also eat is a sure value booster.
Install New Lighting
The lighting you currently have might not be suitable for illuminating a new kitchen, especially if you have gone with a totally different interior design choice. In such cases, the correct lighting should be easy to determine; it should prioritize creating a bright space suitable for cooking and dining.
Ultimately, the kitchen is that one area of the home you should avoid an old-fashioned impression. Keeping this fundamental in mind will allow you to be creative and choose what you personally like with much more confidence.
