Kitchen

When thinking about budget, we often ask you the following questions:

• What is the goal of this renovation?

• Are you trying to make better use of your space?

• Is this your forever home?

• Are you trying to give your kitchen a facelift in order to sell the home?

Answering these questions will help us understand what your needs are and where your budget should be. Initially budgets can feel disheartening, yet having a realistic budget is the most important aspect of a kitchen renovation. Kitchen renovations present endless options for cost variation, from completely redesigning the kitchen layout to selecting appropriate materials. This makes it difficult to understand your true budget, unless you first create a specific list of needs. While creating this list of needs, we would like you to think about your biggest complaints about the existing space and how you would like to use the newly remodeled space.

• Would you like to have a chef’s kitchen or have larger space to accommodate and entertain more people?

• Would you like an open concept kitchen and dining area or would you like to have more cabinet and storage space?

Ask yourself these questions and create a list that you can share with us during the first in-home consultation. Keep in mind that complete kitchen renovations can cost anywhere between 8 and 20 percent of your home value.

When designing the kitchen of your dreams, it is helpful to know what the true potential of the space could be. Start by thinking about the size. Every inch of space is important, especially in a small kitchen. Can the existing kitchen space be increased by removing a wall or extending the cabinetry into a dining room or breakfast nook? Are you willing to sacrifice living space to create a larger kitchen? Do you have space for an island or peninsula? Don’t feel constrained by the existing kitchen layout. There may be many options of moving the appliances and working spaces around to create a more practical flow. At TSG Renovations, we can help you see the true potential of your kitchen. We design the most efficient kitchen layouts that will utilize every inch of the space and create an open and logical flow to your kitchen. If you are having a hard time visualizing what the kitchen will look like once completed, No Problem! By utilizing professional graphing tools and 3D rendering software, we can help you see your new space in virtual reality. Seeing the complete product in pictures before it is even started takes the guess work out of the equation.

Selecting materials for the kitchen can be an intimidating task. We recommend starting by looking at pictures of kitchens on sites like Houzz or Pinterest. Seeing many different styles will help you understand what you like and what you don’t like. Do you want to have a contemporary white Shaker kitchen or would you rather have traditional cabinetry with warm earth tone accents? Having selected a kitchen style before our first meeting helps us narrow down the material selection, which in turn allows us to give you the accurate quote.

Kitchen cabinetry is one of the most important part of your renovation. The total cost of the cabinets can be anywhere between 30% & 50% of the entire project budget. Think about the cabinetry as the single longest lasting investment into your kitchen. As such, we recommend splurging on few small details such as upgrading to soft-close drawers and doors. These small additions have evolved into everyday comfort items for many and will add to the longevity of the cabinetry. When it comes to cabinetry, there are quite a few choices to make, from deciding what wood species to use to selecting decorative details of the island or peninsula. TSG Renovations will help you narrow down these choices and select your new cabinetry in few simple steps.

Once the cabinet selection is complete, consider the countertops. Granite, the top choice in countertops, is available in variety of shades and textures. If you select a widely available color, granite can be surprisingly affordable. Other natural stones, like marble, limestone, quartzite and soapstone are softer then granite and require greater care. All natural stone surfaces need to be sealed periodically. Engineered stone surfaces like Quartz have become popular in recent years. They come in variety of colors and require virtually no maintenance. However, engineered stone will not save you any money over granite: the two cost virtually the same. Wood surfaces like butcher block countertops give the kitchen a warmer look and are very popular in the country traditional kitchen designs. However, they can be damaged by water and need to be oiled regularly. Can’t decide on one material? Consider mixing multiple surfaces in your new kitchen. We often incorporate different material on the island then the rest of the kitchen countertop for our custom designs.

Once you have decided on cabinets and countertops, you need to decide on backsplash and flooring. Backsplash tile is an inexpensive way to add decorative elements to your kitchen. Consider adding medallions, decorative stripes or an accent pane over the cooktop. Ideally the kitchen flooring needs to be durable and water resistant. Porcelain, ceramic or natural stone tile work best for this purpose. In kitchens where tile installation is not a good fit, natural wood, vinyl or ceramic plank flooring may be a good option.

TSG renovations will be with you every step of the way. We make the process of material selection easy and hustle free. We help you bring your vision of the new kitchen to life one step at a time.