How to Make the Right Choices for Your Kitchen Renovation

There are so many decisions to make when planning your kitchen renovation. You must be firm with your choices to ensure each element will work with each other. If you’re considering a new kitchen, make sure you visit Dégabriele Kitchens and Interiors who specialise in premium, custom-designed joinery for clients.

Before you get started here are some tips on how to make the right choices for your kitchen renovation to ensure it’s a functional yet cohesively designed space.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT BENCHTOP

The benchtop is going to be the most visible and hardest working surface in the kitchen. The shape, material and colour needs to work with the overall layout and design of the kitchen.

Important points to consider when choosing a benchtop is –

• Budget
• How often will it be used and/ or what activities will it need to withstand?
• Cleaning and care routines

Benchtops can come in a range of materials with popular choices being laminate, manufactured stone, quartz, marble, stainless steel, concrete, granite, and timber.

If the kitchen is going to be a highly trafficable area for a lot of cooking and gathering, a marble, quartz or manufactured stone bench top may be best.

High maintenance benchtops like timber may not be ideal if pressed for time in upkeep.

Colour choice can also play a part in the overall scheme of the kitchen. Consider if you want a bold contrast or a cohesive look with similar tones. Will the splashback and cabinetry finish match the benchtop? All three of these areas need to work together to create a balanced colour scheme overall.

WHAT APPLIANCES ARE BEST?

Every kitchen will have key appliances including an oven, stove top, microwave, rangehood, dishwasher and fridge.

There may be other appliances which require extra thought for their installation like an under-sink chilled filter water tap which will require a separate water connection and electrical outlet. Also consider the space needed to house the appliance. Some units need extra ventilation to prevent heat build-up in the cabinetry space.

Appliances can come with various functions to make life easier.

There are oven-microwave appliances which can help save cabinetry space in the kitchen.

Built in appliances can create a seamless finish in the kitchen creating a minimalist look with cleaner lines.

Important points to consider when choosing appliances are –

• Electric or gas? Gas stove tops are a popular choice for chefs, but there are induction cooktops which can offer a more constant heat control when cooking food
• Minimalistic or focal feature for balance? Rangehoods can come in a range of designs and some can even be installed in the benchtop. Consider the space layout, functionality and also budget when choosing the right rangehood for your kitchen.
• Ease for cleanliness. Some appliances like the oven and dishwasher can have self-cleaning functions which can remove time needed for cleaning and maintenance.
• Built in ovens will have a standard size of 60cm, but they can vary to extra wide models. Consider having two ovens if space permits but what electrical points are needed and will this compromise on needed cabinetry space?
• The appliances in the kitchen will be used every day and sometimes more than once in the day. It pays to check the warranty and purchase the most energy efficient models you can afford.
• Separate or built in. Built in appliances may be ideal but if the budget doesn’t permit, consider a separate installation. Just ensure the widths and depths will allow standard measurements of these appliances. The most common separately installed appliances are the dishwasher, microwave, fridge, and stand-up stove oven.

CABINETRY FINISHES AND FUNCTIONALITY

Colour and design are key points to consider when deciding on cabinetry finishes. Durability is an important factor as well as matter or gloss finish.

If you decide to install handle free options, ensure the cabinetry surface is fingerprint proof. Black may not be the best colour choice as it can show smudge marks and fingerprints.

Choose the design of cabinet for the style of kitchen. Clean lines and flat surfaces are common in modern homes, but a Hamptons style home may have a shaker style design on the cabinetry.

Laminate, timber, and veneers are the most common choices for cabinetry surfaces.

Overhead cabinetry also needs to be thought of carefully, while it may add functionality with extra storage space, is it practical to reach?

HANDLES OR NO HANDLES

Handles can be an expensive hardware for the kitchen cabinetry doors. Doorknobs or bar handles installed vertically or horizontally will come down to personal preference.

Timber handles against a white cabinet door is so popular but the handles can be pricey.

Consider using picture framing moulding and cut to length for a DIY hack. Even timber jar lids sawn to size can be used as door handles.

Think outside the square when choosing handles for your kitchen.

TAPWARE & SINK

The tap in the kitchen will get the most use out of all the taps in the home. It pays to invest in a quality mixer from a reputable brand. Chrome is popular, but a black kitchen mixer can instantly modernise a kitchen. Electroplated is the best finish choice when choosing a coloured tap for use in the kitchen.

Think about function with washing dishes or scrubbing pans or simply rinsing food.

Veggie spray mixers can look amazing in the kitchen, but they are pricey and need extra support under the benchtop. Consider if you will get the best use out of such an expensive tapware? A standard mixer tap with an extendable spray attachment from the spout may be a better choice and offer the best of both worlds.

The size of the sink and material also needs thought. Stainless steel is still a popular choice and double bowl, or single bowl will come down to space allocation and personal choice. Square or round sinks are best chosen to match the angular shapes of the kitchen.

If you know you will use the dishwasher more than washing up by hand, a smaller or single bowl sink may be suitable. But if you don’t like dishwashers or don’t use them as much, a double bowl sink may be a more practical choice.

As a Dégabriele Kitchens and Interiors client, they’ll work closely with you to understand your vision and bring it to life. They can customise every detail of your designs to suit your lifestyle, design preferences, and the size and layout of your home.

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