Here Are Some Kitchen Remodeling Ideas

Survey Results

I thought you could get some kitchen remodeling ideas from seeing what other people like to do.

People in the kitchen industry are constantly surveying homeowners in order to determine what's most popular. I thought you might find some of these results interesting.

Cabinet finish:

45% prefer light stained wood

22% prefer light washed or pickled wood

15% like white or off-white paint

14% prefer dark stained wood

4% like painted cabinets in a color other than white.

Reason: Earth tones and natural woods are warm and comforting.

68% of the folks surveyed say they'd rather have an open island kitchen than a U-shaped one with more counter space. What's preferred on an island?

46% want bar seating (that means 54% don't)

44% prefer a cooktop

34% would rather have a sink & dishwasher

22% just want a worktop

79% said they preferred a gas cooktop to an electric one. Of course, gas has to be available at your location.

63% chose luminous kitchen ceilings over track and/or recessed lighting for their general room lighting. (This result surprised me - I guess people didn't think that looking up directly into a harsh light was one of the better kitchen remodeling ideas).

For task lighting, under cabinet lights were the hands-down favorite. A table or an island would need lighting directly above.

Although most folks want granite countertops, most can't afford it. Given the remaining choices, 60% picked ceramic tile countertops over laminate or simulated stone.

Regarding the floors, 46% percent liked ceramic tile over resilient vinyl or wood. (Another surprise - they probably took this survey in Florida).

People in large houses (2500-4000 sq. ft.) overwhelmingly want their kitchen remodeling ideas to include spacious kitchens with open and easy flow for entertaining.

People in smaller homes look for more efficient use of space, but want to maintain separation of kitchen work area, eating space, and family room.

If angles can be worked into the design (for example, a counter separating kitchen and family room could be at a 45 degree angle rather than at right angles), the layout would be more appealing to homeowners.

They perceive it as being more interesting. Squares and right angles are boring, I admit, but if space is tight, they probably offer the most efficient use of that space.

People want these rooms (where they entertain guests) to reflect their individuality and sense of style. 57% of the people who saw model homes they were serious about buying said they would require minor modifications to suit their needs. 9% said they'd need a major design change.

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In "Kitchen Layouts 101" they tell you to create an efficient triangle between the refrigerator (storage area), sink (clean up area), and stove (preparation area).

Here's a page about The Kitchen Triangle

If you're trying to do this yourself, be careful not to have your triangle intersected by the normal traffic patterns of your family. Very annoying when you're trying to prepare dinner.

Moldings -

Being an old wood man, I love moldings. Crown moldings finish off the look of the room while adding a touch of elegance.

Base moldings do the additional job of protecting the wall surfaces from getting banged up by mops and brooms.

Chair rails also protect the walls (from chairs) and serve to authenticate a traditional-style kitchen.

If you don't already have moldings, I would definitely consider them when finalizing your kitchen remodeling ideas.

For more information about moldings, click on this link.

Glass -

Glass inserts in cabinet doors allow you to add color to the room by exposing china and other items which would otherwise be hidden behind doors.

You can spotlight a particular piece you want people to notice. You might choose stained or cut glass to accent your cabinet design.

Hardware -

I couldn't find any survey questions regarding kitchen remodeling ideas that dealt with cabinet hardware. Disappointing because I think this is an important feature. So let's discuss it.

First - hinges. They are available in all the standard finishes, but will vary according to the style of cabinets and doors.

Full-overlay doors (can't see the cabinet framing between the doors) always use concealed (or European) hinges. So hinges aren't a visual concern.

Semi-overlay doors (there's a little step in the edge of the door so it sits on (overlaps) the frame of the cabinet by about 3/8") will have offset hinges, usually in traditional styling. You will see the pin or pivot portion of the hinge when the door is closed.

Inset doors (sit between the framing of the cabinet so that the front of the door is on the same plane as the front of the cabinet) are typically of traditional styling and will therefore have traditional butt hinges which will be seen when the doors are closed.

There are 3 alternatives for opening cabinet doors - pulls (or handles), knobs, or no hardware.

The no hardware option means either using recessed finger grips grooved into the edge of the door, or a touch latch inside the door.

This device touches the inside of the door when closed, and when you push on the outside of the door, a spring in the latch pushes the door back at you, thereby opening it.

I strongly discourage the use of touch latches. It might seem like a good idea, but the springs wear out quickly and inside 6 months you'll have doors that won't open when you want them to. Another headache you don't need. If you don't want hardware, go with the finger grips.

But how could you not want knobs or pulls. They add so much to the look of the room. Look at a picture of a kitchen and then try to imagine it without the hardware. It's pretty blah, isn't it?

The choices are endless, so you're sure to find something you like. You can combine them for greater interest. For instance, in a country kitchen you can have bin pulls on the drawers and glass knobs (or latches) on the doors.

You get the idea. When you're looking around, formulating your kitchen remodeling ideas, keep an open mind. When you see the right stuff, you'll know it.

Kitchen Collection - Indoor Grills, Stand Mixers, Blenders, Coffee Makers, Toasters, and more...

If your kitchen remodeling ideas cause you to want to learn more about kitchen faucets, click on this link,

I think I've covered the important issues relative to kitchen remodeling ideas. I try not to ramble, or clog your thinking with excessive rhetoric. I hope you got some direction from this.

In the event I neglected to mention something you were wondering about, send in a question about kitchen remodeling ideas by clicking on this link, and we can discuss it further.