Kitchen Remodels: Everything You Need to Know

The kitchen is the heart of your home. It is where your family gathers, meals are served, and memories are made. Even in houses where cooking isn’t necessarily a top priority, the kitchen usually becomes the stomping grounds for snacking, cleaning, and casual conversations. For those reasons, and many more, it is important to get your kitchen remodel right.

The remodel process can be daunting, but we remove the worry by guiding homeowners through design and installation to ensure they truly love where they live.

Get your kitchen remodel started off right by answering three important questions:

1. Do you love (or even like) the way your kitchen looks? If you don’t love it, change it!
2. Is your kitchen current? If your finishes are looking worn, your appliances run down, it is time to upgrade.
3. Do you like the way your kitchen functions? If your kitchen doesn’t work for you, think about what will make it more a more convenient, welcoming happy space.

Whether you’re looking for minimal modifications or a modern kitchen overhaul, with the right flooring, countertops, cabinets, and accessories you can completely transform your kitchen to a space that is warm, inviting, and enjoyable for all who enter.

1. Your Kitchen Isn’t Functional or Convenient – Do you have enough storage? Is there enough countertop space? Are the appliances efficient? Is the sink easy to clean? If all of these are a problem for you, then it’s time to upgrade. Remodeling the kitchen can update an awkward layout and, in turn, improve storage, offer additional prep space, and create a welcoming space for gathering.
2. You Want Upgrades That Meet the Needs of Your Household – Do your kids do homework at the kitchen counter? Do your friends or family gather there during parties, but the island isn’t big enough? Remodeling your kitchen can help to create a space that works better for your family depending on if they want more entertainment area, easier walkways, or additional storage.
3. You Don’t Like the Way Your Kitchen Looks – Remodeling your kitchen is an excellent excuse for upgrading style and design to better fit your tastes and look more modern. By updating your kitchen with the latest trends, not only can your kitchen look refreshing, you can feel refreshed too. A new kitchen can lead to a new mindset – you are happier, you take better care of your home, and you are proud to show off a stunning space.
4. You Want to Boost Resale Value – A new kitchen is a big plus for those in the market for a home that they would prefer not to have to update themselves. It often means landing a sale much more quickly than if you had outdated cabinetry and old countertops.
5. You Care About Energy Efficiency and Savings – This isn’t always the first thing that comes to mind when homeowners think about remodeling, but homeowners who opt to renovate from older kitchens have the ability to select water and energy saving appliances and materials. A kitchen is the most used room in the home. You need to be able to operate efficiently in the space. Not only that, but with advancements in technology today, having a smart kitchen can make everyone’s life a bit easier.

With our proven team of experts and worry-free service, ACo makes remodeling easy—even helping you identify the latest kitchen design trends to determine which updates will get the most return on investment all while matching your style.

For some new homeowners, the idea of starting a kitchen remodel can feel a bit overwhelming. The thought of giving up such a high-functioning space for an extended period of time in order to make necessary updates may seem…well…unnecessary. To help combat fears and prepare you for what’s ahead, here are some best practices and helpful tips to get you going.

1. Plan Ahead

When it comes to prep work, start by cleaning out your kitchen and getting rid of anything you don’t use or need. Then set aside anything you feel you will need for a temporary kitchen setup and put the rest away in storage.

2. Set Up a Temporary Kitchen

During your renovation, certain appliances and plumbing won’t be available for use. This would be the time to designate a space in your house for plugging in things like a microwave or crockpot as well as washing dishes using the bathroom or laundry room sink. Try to keep everything contained to one area and away from construction dust. Here are a few items to consider for your temporary kitchen:

• Coffee Maker
• Hot Plate
• Toaster/Toaster Oven
• Slow Cooker
• Electric Skillet
• Microwave
• Mini Fridge
• Chest Freezer
• Tupperware
• Good Knives
• A large cutting board
• Grilling Tools
• Plastic Cutlery

When selecting a countertop for your kitchen remodel, there are many factors to consider: layout, finish, style, hardware, design, etc. While these elements will influence the overall aesthetics of your kitchen, you can’t forget the need for functionality.

Now, you have some choices to make in that arena, like whether you want a bar or counter height, quartz or granite, or maybe even if you want built-in seating. But before all of that, you must consider one thing: your lifestyle.

Are you more eat and entertain or prep and indulge? Do you want something more cost effective or something more sustainable? The point is that determining how you will use your kitchen and how it fits into your lifestyle will make decisions like choosing countertops much easier.

Quartz or Granite? – Many homeowners ask for our opinion on quartz vs. granite and we often tell them there isn’t a clear-cut answer. Below are considerations to think through.

• Aesthetics – Granite is a natural material quarried from the Earth that features unique pops of color and varied patterns. Quartz is an engineered stone with a more consistent appearance available in a variety of colors and styles. Between these two, homeowner’s preference is what will win the day.
• Durability & Maintenance – While granite is considered a durable stone, it is still susceptible to fissures and pits. If these imperfections are small, they can be repaired with epoxy. Granite is also vulnerable to staining due to its natural porosity, so sealing is needed. Quartz ranks slightly higher on the hardness scale making it more durable than granite. It is also non-porous so staining is never a worry. Overall, quartz rules the day if durability is important.
• Cost – While granite starts at a lower price point than quartz, there is a very large price range associated with natural stone. In general, granite tends to be a bit friendlier on the pocketbook.
• Sustainability – The manufacturing processes for both granite and quartz are very labor-intensive requiring a lot of energy. While safe in homes, in some instances small amounts of Radon are found in granite slabs. Some quartz companies use recycled content to make up their products and are known to leave a smaller carbon footprint. That said, small amounts of VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) are sometimes found in quartz. When it comes to sustainability, it helps to research the specific product and company to determine the option that is right for you.

Remember the days when you were limited to dreaming about what your kitchen remodel might look like, only to be let down once it’s actually finished?

Thanks to Virtual Reality (VR), those days are all but gone.

VR is transforming the home remodel process by eliminating the gap between your imagination and the space you’re remodeling.

Are you ready to tackle a home improvement project while practicing social distancing, but aren’t sure where to start? Want to see how your kitchen remodel ideas might look?

ACo is here to help.

Using video conferencing, in home measuring apps, virtual reality, and even our flooring visualizer, our designers will guide you through design and installation of your project from afar.