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More Tips and Hints
A little preparation goes a long
way when deciding to have your kitchen renovated. Here are a few
simple things to consider.
Because the cost of the
renovation will depend on your choice of materials and finishes,
it’s best to decide how much money you wish to invest and which
materials you are looking to include.
Get your house ready for the
renovation team well before their arrival date. Remove items
that you don’t want to use in your new kitchen, put things in
boxes and label them. You’ll need a room in the house for your
microwave and food requirements. Empty the fridge so it’s easier
for the installers to remove and place it in a convenient
position for you until the renovation is complete.
With so much time spent in and
around the sink, it’s important to choose one that not only
suits the style of your kitchen but your needs too.
The standard bench height is
900mm. However, if you are taller or shorter than the average
person, ensure you have the bench height modified to suit your
needs.
Accessories in your kitchen such
as prints and canisters make individual statements and finish
the overall kitchen look.
Any venting of your range hood
needs to be either to the atmosphere (externally) or recycled
into the kitchen. Ensure you choose one that suits your needs
and can handle the workload required.
While it may be tempting to save
money by using your existing appliances, you wouldn’t buy a new
car with a second-hand engine. Your appliances are the engine of
your kitchen.
Adding a mini stereo to your
kitchen design will allow you to listen to your favourite music
while cooking. Why not add a flat screen monitor, TV or internet
connection so you can surf the web for your favourite recipes.
Corian ® is a special formulation
of natural minerals and high performance acrylic. Offering an
amazing combination of creative and functional advantages, it’s
a great choice for kitchen bench tops.
CaesarStone is made from a
combination of natural quartz and resins. While it has the look
of natural stone, it offers more colour options and plenty of
design flexibility.
When choosing your flooring
options ensure you consider comfort and safety as well as style
and finish. Domestic kitchens are not immune to slips and falls.
The correct flooring choice will make your new kitchen enjoyable
as well as safe and practical.
60% of your time in the kitchen
is spent around the sink area, so positioning of the sink is
therefore very important.
Think about entertaining, how
many people will you want to accommodate and how your seating
should be configured.
Take lighting into account, as
this can really make or break the look of your new kitchen by
adding visual accents to certain spaces.
Consider safety either for the
very young or the elderly.
Think about how many power points
you will need.
When putting together your short
list of requirements, give a degree of thought to the internal
fitments for your cabinets as these can often save you time and
space. Companies such as Hettich specialise in a wide range of
high quality options.
The average life span of
appliances is around 7-years. Using existing appliances may save
you money now but in the long term may not pay dividends.
When choosing your new
appliances, ask about extended warranties which are on offer for
a small cost.
With a shortage of water on
everybody’s minds right now, saving as much as we can is of
primary importance. Choose water efficient tapware and ask our
showroom consultants about the new ‘WELS’ Water Efficiency
Rating System.
If space and budget permits, you
may wish to incorporate the latest technology into your kitchen,
such as a mini stereo system or compact LCD screen. For more and
more people, the kitchen is the hub of the home and technology
plays an important part in the modern kitchen.
Spend time selecting your bench
top. Remember, the bench top is usually the thing that takes the
majority of the workload and materials such as Caesarstone and
Corian are amongst the most durable.
Insist on being shown a fully
rendered visual of your new kitchen. This will allow you to view
the room properly and will enable you to be sure you have
arrived at the right look.
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