Guide To Kitchen Renovations

Read our complete guide to kitchen renovations including what’s in and out in 2019, what you need to consider before renovating and more.

Jump To:
Kitchen Design Trends: What’s In and What’s Out in 2019
Is it Time to Remodel Your Kitchen? 5 Sure Signs You Need a Kitchen Remodeling
Kitchen Renovation: 6 Things to Consider Before Renovating
5 Tips for a Headache-free Kitchen Remodeling
Kitchen Layouts: Top 5 Ergonomic Designs for Your Kitchen

Kitchen Design Trends: What’s In and What’s Out in 2019

Updating your kitchen for the 2020s and beyond? Say no more: we’ve listed what designers say are kitchen design trends that are going out the door and the ones that will make your kitchen shine in 2019 and beyond.

OUT: Stainless-steel Appliances

Gone are the days of the monochromatic stainless-steel finish in kitchens. Just as our scifi movies are finally ditching the all-white “uniforms” of the future, we’re also now adapting more colors to our kitchens. Speaking of colors…

IN: Bold Colors

Black is still the best when it comes to bold colors. Other colors like shades of red, blue, and yellow can work depending on the theme you’re going for in your kitchen, but do keep in mind that bright colors like that were also once the trend…in the ‘70s.

OUT: All White Cabinets, Tiles, and Paint

Homeowners are getting tired of the plain old white. Could it be because white is high maintenance?

IN: Neutral Tones

The reason neutral tones are back is that they’re meant to complement your cabinetry and appliances. Use neutral tones to pull together your kitchen’s color theme.

OUT: Fluorescent Box Lighting

This was acceptable back in the ‘90s and earlier, but if you’re just now updating a 10-20-year-old kitchen, then you must know that fluorescent box lighting just has to go.

IN: Pendant Light Fixtures, Task Lighting, and Accent Lighting

There are so many kitchen lighting solutions these days, but we just have to mention pendant lighting as it has grown in trend in recent years…and it doesn’t seem to be going out of style yet.

Apart from pendant lighting, there are LED strip lights, track lighting, and other ambient lighting solutions you can mix and match to make your kitchen both warm, bright, and homey.

OUT: Lots of Open Shelves

What many homeowners realized in recent years is that open shelving needs to be done right or else it leaves your kitchen wall looking cluttered and dirty.

IN: Mix of Open Shelves and Cabinets

Some things need to be tucked away inside cabinets and others allowed a place in the sun. Use open shelves to highlight kitchen stuff and keep the more mundane things behind the doors of your cabinet.

Looking for kitchen renovations Sydney area? Our helpful staff at Perfect Kitchens will assist you. Visit our kitchen showroom Sydney area located at Unit 19/53-55 Governor Macquarie Drive, Chipping Norton, Sydney.

Is it Time to Remodel Your Kitchen? 5 Sure Signs You Need a Kitchen Remodeling

Sometimes a kitchen remodel barges in and announces itself like an unwanted guest, whether you like it or not. Here are 5 sure signs your kitchen needs renovation.

Outdated Appliances

Appliances age differently. What you need to watch out for when considering a remodel are your largest kitchen appliances, namely your stove, oven (if separate), refrigerator, and dishwasher.

Once those are outdated or beyond repair due to overuse and age, you may want to coincide their replacement with a kitchen remodel.

Why? Because replacing large appliances usually reveals problems hiding in your kitchen electrical wiring, gas piping, plumbing, and cabinetry.

Cabinets and counters, in particular, will be affected by the dimensions of your new appliances.

Leaky Plumbing: Puddles in Your Kitchen

There’s your typical clogging and leaks, and then there’s the nth time you’ve called for a plumber to fix your kitchen pipes.

A recurring problem in a new kitchen can mean lousy work, but in a kitchen that’s anywhere from 10 to 15 years old, it’s a sign that the plumbing is not just leaky, it also can’t wait for retirement.

Old Gas Lines: The Silent Killers

Gas leak and carbon monoxide poisoning are two silent but deadly killers. You can educate yourself on how to recognize a gas leak, and for you and your family’s safety, start planning your kitchen renovation to address future problems, especially if your gas appliances are old and/or there is a history of a leak in the past.

Exposed Wirings: The Fire Hazard

We get it: things break around the house, even electric sockets and plugs. Houses age, too.

That’s why the older the house, the more important it becomes to address problems related to electric sockets, plugs, and wirings. There’s a quick fix to this: hire an electrician immediately.

For houses that are 10 years or older, have the electrician assess your wiring. You may not need an electrical workup immediately, but knowing that everything is still in top shape after 10 years helps with your peace of mind.

Worn-out Cabinetry

Cabinets are the easiest to remodel. Wooden cabinetry is particularly versatile in that you can easily change your kitchen’s look and vibe by simply updating your cabinet’s color. And make sure to oil the hinges, too!

Looking for kitchen renovations Sydney area? Our helpful staff at Perfect Kitchens will assist you. Visit our kitchen showroom Sydney area located at Unit 19/53-55 Governor Macquarie Drive, Chipping Norton, Sydney.

Kitchen Renovation: 6 Things to Consider Before Renovating

Planning a kitchen renovation? Hold up: you may want to read this first. We compiled a list of the top 5 things homeowners should consider before starting that renovation project.

Identify Kitchen Woes

It could be insufficient kitchen storage space, cabinetry that looks dated, a sink that you think can be positioned better, better lighting or ventilation, etc.

List everything you wish you can improve in your kitchen in order of priority. You might not be able to solve everything on your list, but you’ll feel more satisfied with the final result if you target your top problems.

Tally Resources

Listing your problem areas in the kitchen will give you an idea of the size of your kitchen renovation project. It should clue you in on the cost, too. Research possible costs.

Have a serious talk with your family about how urgent renovating the kitchen is, how you will finance it, how much you expect it to cost, and how much you are willing to spend on the renovation — both in terms of your time and money.

Who Does the Kitchen Renovation?

To hire or DIY? That is the (next) question. People who are naturally handy and have completed big DIY projects before may consider handling parts of the renovation themselves.

While DIY lowers costs, it also extends the duration of the renovation, especially if you’re doing things for the first time.

Hiring professionals may cost more but you do get your money’s worth because they get the job done right the first time, saving you time and stress.

So weigh your resources first and see which resource you can spare to see this project through to completion.

Appliances First

Whether you’re updating your appliances or keeping them, you should measure them first. The dimensions and placement of appliances like the refrigerator and stove will affect the space you have left for cabinets and counters.

Layout Matters

You may want to improve your kitchen layout, but you should know that plumbing, electrical wiring, and HVAC jobs are cost multipliers. They may also require separate permits each.

That’s why you should consider how crucial it is to reposition any of the following: plumbing, electrical wiring, HVAC, your basic appliances, and your kitchen storage.

Permits, Permits, Permits

Renovation requires a permit from your local government and depending on where you live, you may have to apply for multiple permits to cover for electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. If you’re hiring a GC for the renovation, you’re in luck as they’ll take care of this for you.

Looking for kitchen renovations Sydney area? Our helpful staff at Perfect Kitchens will assist you. Visit our kitchen showroom Sydney area located at Unit 19/53-55 Governor Macquarie Drive, Chipping Norton, Sydney.

5 Tips for a Headache-free Kitchen Remodeling

You don’t have to go through all the pain and headache of a kitchen renovation when you have experts advising you beforehand. Here are 5 kitchen remodeling tips we wish our customers knew before they reached out for a remodel.

Work With What You Have: Budget

There’s no set range for how much a kitchen renovation costs, but the first thing you should know is how much you can afford to spend on remodeling your kitchen.

These are the major things involved in kitchen remodeling:

• Plumbing (water and gas line)
• Electrical wiring and setup (lights and appliances)
• Storage (cabinets and counters)
• Appliances (purchase and installation)
• Backsplash
• Wall and floor work (tilework and/or paint job)

The lower the items are on this list, the more you can control your expenses on them.

For instance, wall and floor work are optional and there are hundreds of DIY backsplash projects online.

The rest require expertise and license to perform, so the best you can do is to shop around first.

Work With What You Have: Kitchen Layout

Repositioning your gas line, electrical, and plumbing will cause your kitchen remodeling expenses to skyrocket.

Instead of repositioning, find creative placement for your cabinets, counters, and appliances. Reinvent your kitchen’s look but also aim to improve its ergonomic efficiency.

Choose Your Appliances FIRST

Like it or not, the dimensions of your new appliances will dictate the size and dimensions of your cabinets and counters.

Pick out your largest appliances first (fridge, stove, oven) and work the rest of your storage solutions from there.

Prioritize Usage Over Aesthetics

You’ll be working at your kitchen for another 10-20 years so you would want it to look good while also being able to do many things in it.

There are ways to make a kitchen look beautiful without breaking the bank. But when your wants and needs clash, learn to compromise. At the end of the day, your kitchen should still be about utility, not aesthetics.

Set Up a Back-up Kitchen

Your kitchen will be out of commission for the duration of the renovation. Set up a back-up kitchen in the meantime, and pick a spot that’s preferably away from the dust and dirt caused by the renovation.

Looking for kitchen renovations Sydney area? Our helpful staff at Perfect Kitchens will assist you. Visit our kitchen showroom Sydney area located at Unit 19/53-55 Governor Macquarie Drive, Chipping Norton, Sydney.

Kitchen Layouts: Top 5 Ergonomic Designs for Your Kitchen

There’s a way to save space and effort in the kitchen, and that depends largely on which kitchen layout you pick for the space you have. Below are the top 5 kitchen layouts that are so ergonomic, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.

The One-Wall or Pullman Kitchen

This layout is the ultimate space saver that naturally fits smaller spaces. It occupies just one wall, where everything you need is within reach of each other: the fridge, the oven, the sink, and your counter for food prep. It’s the cheapest layout to design and implement, but usually at the cost of counter space.

Corridor or Galley Kitchen

Also perfect for smaller kitchens, the galley layout is where your kitchen facilities occupy two walls facing each other, with a corridor in between for the cook to move. One or both ends of this layout may open to other rooms in the house. Similar to the Pullman Kitchen, this layout is easy to design and implement. It also buys you more counter space and cabinets.

The L-Shaped Kitchen

This is the most common kitchen layout that’s great for small- to medium-sized kitchens and makes optimal use of corner space. Depending on the size of your kitchen, it can leave you with enough space in the middle for seating.

This also utilizes the Kitchen Triangle where kitchen facilities are all within reach. In a Kitchen Triangle, movement is minimal but its impact is optimal. An example of this is having the sink on one wall and the stove on the adjacent wall or “leg” of the “L”.

The L-shaped also has more countertops and cabinets than the one-wall and galley kitchen layouts.

The U-Shaped or Horseshoe Kitchen

The U-shaped layout is an extension of the L-shaped design and is perfect for larger kitchens, especially ones that occupy an entire room. In a horseshoe design, your kitchen facilities occupy three walls of a room. With this design, you can have two people working together who can both take advantage of the Kitchen Triangle. Smaller kitchens with the U-shaped design means the cook can access the fridge, the stove, a free counter space, and the sink without taking too many steps in any one direction.

The G-Shaped or Peninsula Kitchen

The G-shaped or Peninsula Kitchen design is an extension of the U-shaped layout. It is basically the U-shaped layout with a small counter or island extending from the tip of one of the walls, forming a letter “G”.

This works for kitchens that are walled off or separate from other rooms, where the wall with the door has enough space for one more counter. It’s also possible to use this space to create a breakfast bar or nook with some seating.

Find your perfect kitchen design today at Perfect Kitchens.