Twelve Things You Need to Include in Your Home Renovation

Kitchen and bathroom renovations can be daunting. There are so many choices to make and decisions on things you never would have thought of! When we’re at a renovation consult, we make sure to go over ALL of the things that may come up during your renovation to make your life easier! Here in Western Massachusetts, renovations are booming. We are definitely spending more time in our homes these days and here in Massachusetts winter is coming. I’m super happy to say that people are realizing that their home should be a place they ENJOY spending time in. Are you one of those people?

So let’s chat about what’s important to consider when you’re renovating your kitchen or bathroom.

Storage
It may seem obvious, but one of the most important things to consider is storage. Think about all of the things you have in your kitchen or bathroom. What do you need storage for? What items are out on the countertops that you’d like to be hidden away? Are there items anywhere else in the room that you’d like to keep out of sight? Here are some of the storage options we like to utilize.

Pull-out trash – This is pretty common in kitchens, but we’re finding they’re really useful in bathroom vanities too! Instead of having a bin out in the open, why not hide it away?

Spice drawer – Those pesky spices take up a lot of space! So much that they need their own drawer. It’s really convenient to have them all laid out in one spot so you can easily find what you’re looking for without sorting through 20 different jars. I would also add that I love to keep my spices in alphabetical order. It makes it super easy to quickly find what you’re looking for!

Knife drawer – This is a great option for hiding away your knives and keeping them from getting dull. Each has their own safe home in a drawer with dividers. And if you have kids, you can add a safety latch on that drawer.

Laundry hamper pull-out – This is an awesome idea if you’ve got room for it in your bathroom or laundry room. Dirty laundry is definitely one of those things we’d like to keep hidden away, and what better place for it than right in your cabinetry? What if you added 3, one for whites, one for lights and one for dark??? Oh, imagine the possibilities!

Vanity grooming pull-out cabinet – I LOVE the idea of having a place to put my hot hair dryer and flat iron rather than leaving them out on the countertop to cool. This is no longer just for salons! This pull-out has two stainless steel bins just for that purpose. The two other shelves are perfect for the rest of your hair products or makeup. It keeps all of your grooming tools neatly tucked away.

A pantry – Everyone wants a gorgeous, organized walk-in pantry. But, we don’t all have the space to make one. Every home is different. If a pantry is high on your priority list, having a space to carve one out is crucial. It could potentially save you some cabinet space because you’d have essentially an extra room for a lot of the things you need to store. It will also help eliminate clutter accumulating on your countertops. This pantry below was a closet that opened up to the adjacent room. We closed up the other side, broke through from the kitchen side, added custom shelving and a sliding barn door and Voila! We had a gorgeous kitchen pantry with plenty of both style and storage!

Aside from storage options, there are lots of things we can do to set your kitchen or bathroom apart and not be cookie-cutter! Do you want your kitchen or bathroom remodel to stand out from the rest? We’ve got you! Let’s create a kitchen or bathroom that’s totally YOU! Here’s how.

Door style and finish – Believe it or not, there are quite a few different styles of cabinet doors. Some look traditional, some look country, some look modern, and then the color you choose can change the look completely. In fact, we’re working on a blue kitchen cabinet design right now. We’re also working on a black kitchen cabinet project right now. And, we’ve got two different gray custom vanities arriving soon, as well as a natural hickory vanity! There are a ton of options!
And then there are those door styles! Inset cabinets, full overlay, or partial overlay? Shaker style or raised panel? Wood finish or painted cabinets? We can help you with all of these decisions.

Power Pod – Don’t want to see outlets in the middle of your brand new beautiful backsplash? Voila! Introducing the power pod! It’s a pop up electrical and usb outlet! Pop it up when you need it, and hide it away when it’s not in use. Let your backsplash shine!

Countertop profiles – A lot of people don’t really think about this one, but when you order a countertop, they ask you what countertop edge you want. Straight edge, quarter round, demi bullnose, ogee… no idea what those are? Don’t worry, we’ve got it covered.

Where to use (and not to use) a different cabinet finish – We don’t always suggest using two different cabinet finishes. Some rooms call for it, and others just don’t. There are different factors we take into account when deciding on this. Lighting and of course all of the other finishes in the room, and even the surrounding spaces! Does your kitchen remodel need more interest? Does the design in the rest of the house accommodate using more color in your kitchen renovation? There’s a lot to consider!

Where and how to mix metal finishes – For some reason, this is one of those things that a lot of people have a difficult time doing. Your metal finishes do NOT all need to match! You CAN mix it up! It helps to create interest and not be monotonous. In the photo below, we used three different metal finishes. We used matte black hardware and faucets. We used a gorgeous copper sink. And we used stainless steel appliances. And they all look great together! It’s about knowing where to use mixed metal finishes, what metal finishes to mix and how.

If and where to use open shelving in your kitchen – Sometimes open shelving just isn’t going to work. If you really need that space for storage, please don’t try to store those items on shelves that are visible. They always end up looking cluttered and messy. If you’ve got plenty of storage for all of your items, then consider a small space with open shelves for decorative items.

Overwhelmed? It can be A LOT to wrap your head around. Don’t worry, we are here to help! You can always give us a call HERE or book an interior design consultation HERE. AND we are ready to book more consultations after being fully booked all summer! SO book now before we fill up again!

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