The kitchen is one of the most valued spaces in a home because people spend so much time socializing and preparing meals in this room. It is important to many homeowners to have their kitchens tailored to their specific needs which is why kitchen remodeling is one of the most common home projects. However, if you do not think the current floor plan of your kitchen is sufficient enough for your remodeling ideas, you can create an entirely new kitchen by building a kitchen addition onto your home. Kitchen additions allow you the freedom to design a completely personalized kitchen from scratch but the design and construction of a home addition is a complicated process. These tips will help you ease the process of designing a kitchen addition as well as come up with good kitchen ideas for your addition.
Come up with Kitchen Addition Ideas
In the earliest stages of the planning process, your kitchen addition is just an idea that needs to be further developed before you can talk to a home design professional. You can get ideas by looking at pictures of completed kitchen additions online or in-home remodeling publications, and collecting pictures that appeal to you will help you better visualize your kitchen design and explain your ideas and preferences to a home design professional. The more refined your ideas are for the kitchen addition, the easier it will be to create a design with a professional designer.
Create a List of Materials
In addition to coming up with kitchen design ideas, you should also make a list of the desired materials you want for your kitchen addition before meeting with a design professional. This list can include specific materials and products as well as design features such as cabinet types and style, appliances, flooring, countertop materials, and lighting among others. Do not worry too much about your budget during this stage as a design professional will help you prioritize and create a budget for your list as they incorporate your chosen materials into the design.
Consider Space as well as Functional and Architectural Elements
Space planning is a very important element of home addition plans and something you should be ready to discuss when you meet with a design professional for your kitchen addition. Any functional and architectural elements you want incorporated into your kitchen design should be considered in this stage as well as the following:
- Preferences for the kitchen layout
- Storage space
- Foot traffic
- Entryways
- Integration of the kitchen addition with your home’s interior and exterior
Modern luxury hi-tek black and white kitchen interior, clean design
Consider Personal Specifications
Building a kitchen addition allows you plenty of design liberties so make sure to take advantage of the opportunity to incorporate your personal preferences in the design. This may include the number of cooking stations, the width of entryways and aisles, shelving and cabinet types, and the height of the stove, cabinets, and countertops.
Plan the Size and Location of your Kitchen Addition
Home additions can be made to the ground floor as well as the second story of a home and the building process will differ depending on which floor gets the addition. If you are planning a ground floor addition, you should determine the dimensions of the addition and make sure it will fit within your yard and property. Home remodeling professionals can help you determine if your kitchen addition is within the zoning regulations of your area and obtain the necessary building permits before the construction begins.
Budget, Budget, BUDGET
While it has already been mentioned not to get too caught up in your budget in the planning stages, you should have some idea or estimate of what your budget will be. You should definitely have a good idea of what your budget is before meeting with a design professional so they can help you create a design that is within your allotted budget. The average kitchen addition cost is much higher than that of a traditional kitchen remodel so it is important to use your budget effectively.
Meet with a Remodeling Professional that Provides Home Additions
Once you have a very good idea of the design ideas, materials, specification, and budget for your kitchen remodel, it is time to discuss your idea with a reputable remodeling professional that provides quality home addition services. The professionals of Patrick A. Finn, Ltd. provide home addition design and construction services to help design and build any type of new additions. Our professional designers will help you create a design that covers every aspect of your kitchen addition including layout and materials and we will get the building permits needed for the construction. Contact Patrick A, Finn, Ltd. online or call us today at (847) 358-4133 if you are planning a kitchen addition to discuss your project with a design professional.
