We spend a lot of time in our kitchens and for many, it is the heart of the home. It’s not just the place to cook and enjoy meals, but it truly is the space where the family comes together. No matter how busy each family member is with work, school, extra curricular activities, going out with friends, everyone comes home to the kitchen.
We’ve had the same kitchen since we moved in! It’s gone through a lot of wear and tear, thousands of meals (and clean-up). We’ve put off a kitchen renovation for so long because of the logistics involved – the main factor causing some hesitancy is knowing we wouldn’t have a kitchen for at least six weeks.
But the is time is near for a full kitchen renovation. A kitchen should last for 20 years or more, and it surely has in our home! But time is up!
So where to begin? There are many things to consider when planning a kitchen reno, and there are so many ideas, it can become overwhelming. Here are some things to consider when planning a kitchen reno:
5 things to consider when renovating your kitchen
1. Colour and style
Many people find online research helpful to explore kitchen colours and styles, as well as the latest trends and materials available on the market. Pinterest and Houzz are great places to start for inspiration. But sometimes pictures aren’t enough; you want to see and touch countertops, tiles, cabinets.
That’s why a one-stop shop like Improve Canada is so convenient – there are over 350 showrooms to improve your entire home including kitchen, bath and living spaces. Improve Canada is Canada’s largest centre for home improvement, conveniently located in Vaughan, Ontario, off Highways 400 and 407. There are general contractors, interior designers, vendors for flooring, backsplashes, cabinets, landscaping and pool contractors, and custom furniture manufacturers/importers.
Do you know when you have a vision but can’t quite describe it until you see it? That’s what happens when you browse the showrooms; once you walk through a real kitchen layout, you can visualize what the space would look like in your own home. GT Kitchens and Azure have some great kitchen renovation ideas; these particular designs caught my eye.
How long will the pure white kitchen trend last? Back when we chose the materials for our current kitchen, the colour of maple wood was all the rage. When you talk to experts who are in-the-know of current – and upcoming – trends, they can help you decide on a palette that you’ll love for years to come.
2. Cabinets
When we bought our home (from a builder), we upgraded to solid maple cabinets. Nowadays, many of the kitchens use composite materials. So I’m not sure we’d want to rip out beautiful maple cabinets to replace them with MDF – it doesn’t seem to make sense. We might consider hiring a company to refinish them to a two-tone; perhaps white for the upper cabinets and grey or navy blue for the bottom. I’m not sure yet.
Vangarde Cabinet Design and Factory makes cabinet fronts and accessories that fit Ikea kitchen, transforming ordinary looking Ikea kitchens into extraordinary ones.
3. Countertops
For our kitchen renovation, we will be looking for more durable countertops. We’re leaning towards quartz, although granite and marble are the most popular choices when it comes to natural stone countertops.
Marble is elegant in appearance, while granite offers a more natural look. Granite is durable and heat-resistant, but if not sealed, can get scratched. Marble is more expensive and not as durable but is heat-resistant. Both surfaces will need to be sealed once in a while to keep from scratches and maintain durability.
Quartz countertops are great at resisting scuffs, scratches, and stains. Being an artificial material, quartz need sealing as does marble or granite. Quartz is actually harder than granite more durable. But it be damaged by excessive heat so you can’t place hot pots and pans directly on the surfaces. Quartz is a lower-maintenance option, is easier to maintain. and more environmentally friendly.
Sinco Granite, and Surfaces for All Purposes have gorgeous options for countertops, as does MESH Porcelain Slab and Tile and Metropolitan Tile.
4. Backsplash & Flooring
Cork, tiles or wood floors? Since our kitchen is a high-traffic area, I’m looking for durable flooring and porcelain is a hard and resistant material. I love the larger porcelain or ceramic tiles that look like marble or wood grain.
We have ceramic tiles and over the years, have several that have chipped, and there is no way to hide them. Porcelain clays are denser and less porous than ceramic clays, which makes the tiles harder and more resistant to moisture. Porcelain is also considered more durable and better suited for heavy usage than ceramic tile.
MESH Porcelain Slab and Tile, and Surfaces for All Purposes and Metropolitan Tile also have a wide selection of materials that can work for backsplashes and flooring.
Pyramid Home Renovation sells flooring and kitchen fixtures, as well as offers contracting services. They have beautiful styles and colours to choose from, as well as high-end kitchen and bath fixtures.
5. Extra storage
Busy families desperately need more storage so would be looking at adding a custom-built kitchen island to match the cabinets, as well as a pantry. At Improve Canada, plan a visit to Star Woodworking which designs and manufactures custom kitchens and cabinetry.
Improve Canada
You can visit and browse Improve Canada at your leisure, but for a more personalized experience, the centre offers booking appointments for you so that you can have the best shopping trip, as well as due to Covid-19 restrictions and for safety purposes. Also, depending on when you are visiting, it’s best to book an appointment to ensure the showrooms are open and not busy with other scheduled visits.
When you call the customer service team, they will ask you questions about your needs and they will set you up with the best experts for your renovation.
Improve Canada is located at 7250 Keele Street, Vaughan. Call them to book an appointment at (905) 677-2577. Visit them at Improve Canada – Canada’s LARGEST Home Improvement & Renovation Centre
This post is proudly sponsored by Improve Canada. As always, the opinion expressed herein are my own.
