Surviving a Kitchen Remodel

at Atlantic Design Center ~ A Bi-Monthly Newsletter

Surviving a Kitchen Remodel

Timing is everything – so planning the timing of your project is just one of the keys to a successful remodel. Do you wait until the summer so you can do the cooking comfortably outside on the grill? Better yet – how about having the contractor start the tear out, the dirtiest part of the project, while you are at camp? Or do you wait until the fall when the kids have gone off to college and all your summer guests have gone home? I’ve even had clients plan their remodeling project knowing that they would not be ready for Thanksgiving – that way they knew they didn’t have to host it!

Once you’ve decided on a start date, you can now begin to get organized. A large notebook or an expandable file will do. Start choosing all the finishes and items as soon as possible. There is nothing worse than getting a call from your contractor saying, The electrician is arriving tomorrow so we need to know what lighting fixtures

you are using” or “the painter is here – do you have those wall colors picked out?” which means you have to drop everything to go to the store to make hurried decisions.

Plan on putting your refrigerator and microwave in a corner of an undisturbed room to create a makeshift kitchen. This allows you to at least make coffee and breakfast in the morning.

Expect the unexpected!!! If someone tells you it’s a three-week project, plan on six! Whatever you have budgeted for money, set at least ten percent aside to cover any surprises. I promise you will have some!

Please keep the end result in mind to stay polistive. Take “before” shots and lots of interim pictures for prosperity – it will all be worth it!

Counter Top Trends

A popular trend in kitchen remodeling has homeowners incorporating different countertop surfaces, allowing them to create a focal point for an island or a piece of furniture. Most designs include granite or man-made quartz countertops for the majority of the working kitchen surface area and then the complimentary surface is typically a beautiful mahogany or teak wood surface. Occasionally, we will see stainless steel for the more contemporary designs. Other options include gorgeous glass countertops, distressed metal surfaces and colorful concrete. Of course, there are also beautiful laminates available for the budget-conscious consumer which, when partnered with a stone remnant for the island, provides the perfect solution for creating your own unique and more affordable kitchen space.

Nancy Bither has a total of 29 years experience in the building supply business. For 21 of those years, she has specialized in kitchen and bath design and sales. As the Director of Design at Atlantic Design Center, Nancy oversees the design standards and project details for each designer. She is certified by the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) for both Kitchen and Bath Design and was a founding member of the NKABA Main chapter. Nancy’s designs have been featured in national publications, in addition to an array of local designer show houses. As a designer, Nancy enjoys the challenge of making each kitchen unique to each homeowner. She especially loves designing other rooms in the home, such as laundry rooms, entertainment centers and home offices.

Hot & Trendy Archive

Craftopia-Your Dream Workspace Awaits

January 22, 2020 4:16 pm

If you're tired of having your craft supplies boxed up and making do with make-shift workspaces, this newsletter will put you on track to creating your dream space...Craftopia! Read more →

Kitchen Design Trends for 2013

September 14, 2019 3:03 pm

Re-post of a popular article on kitchen design trends for 2013 - what styles, colors and materials were gaining popularity - are they still popular today? Read more →

TRASH – Doesn’t Have to be a Dirty Word!

May 25, 2019 5:49 pm

Planning a remodel? Don't just junk the old - think about recycling. "One man's trash is another man's treasure." Keep the landfills clear of more debris and let your 'old' be someone else's 'new'. Read more →

Magnificent Mosaics!

February 27, 2019 3:05 pm

Adding Mosaique Surface to its line of tile vendors brought an array of detailed, exquisite and creative mosaic tiles to the offerings at Atlantic Design Center. Read more →

Save this Article

Was this newsletter helpful? You can save or print a copy here.

Print this Newsletter

Kitchen & Bath Planning – A Word to the Wise

at Atlantic Design Center ~ A Bi-Monthly Newsletter

Kitchen & Bath Planning – A Word to the Wise

First of all, when it comes to any major project, you can never start too early in the planning process. If you are serious about remodeling your kitchen or bath, you should connect with a designer as soon as possible. That relationship is so important! You will be spending a lot of time with this professional, so you want to be sure that you feel confident in their experience and comfortable with their personality.

In deciding how you want to remodel a space, doing some homework ahead of time is beneficial to everyone. There are web sites to go to (my favorite is www.houzz.com), magazines to pour through and different retail centers to visit (i.e. appliance dealers or plumbing showrooms). You will want to have a collection of ideas to bring to the designer. One hint, though is to make notes as to why you have chosen that particular picture or idea. You would be surprised how easy it is to forget a month later why you selected it!

Another thing I suggest is to leave a pad of paper and a pen handy in the room you plan to remodel. As you cook in the kitchen or get ready for work in the bathroom, take notes on things that are important. Write down both the good and the bad issues you come across. Then, when you start the interview process with the designer, the more information that you have in the beginning about your wants, needs and “hope to haves”, the smoother the project will go,.

So – in conclusion – give yourself a chance to think about the changes you want and allow plenty of time to work through the design process.

Stay tuned for more tips and ideas…