Remodeling your kitchen is one of the more expensive home improvement projects you can undertake. It’s also a project that recoups more of its cost at resale than most others. And with a few extra touches–like a chalkboard area, exhaust fan and sliding kitchen cabinet doors — your investment in a kitchen remodel can dramatically improve your quality of life while you’re in your home and put more in your pocket at resale.
Back to the drawing board
The kitchen has become the hub of activity and an information center for many households. But rather than forcing a dry erase board into an existing spot once you’ve remodeled your kitchen, why not make it part of the plan from the get-go.
For example, many new kitchen remodels include wall space painted with chalkboard paint. This gives families a great space to keep important lists and dates and is very easy to maintain since chalkboard paint is easily cleaned with an eraser or damp cloth. You also don’t have to concern yourself with fitting in a drab white dry erase board. And, last but not least, your little ones will finally have a place to draw their favorite pictures without causing permanent marks.
Exhausting your new kitchen’s possibilities
Adding an exhaust fan to your kitchen is another nice touch to a kitchen remodel. Exhaust fans not only help eliminate obnoxious smells from your kitchen; they can be a beautiful design accent as well.
Besides being functional, exhaust systems are available in different materials such as wood or stainless steel, which can coordinate nicely with your cabinetry or countertops. So in addition to getting rid of unwanted smells from last night’s seafood dish or the peas you accidentally burned, you further accentuate the beauty of your remodel.
Letting your kitchen cabinets slide
When it comes to remodeling your kitchen, especially the cabinets, it’s easy to get hung up on looks. But you also want your new cabinets to be functional. To that end, sliding cabinet doors are a functional and attractive alternative.
Sliding kitchen cabinet doors work in a similar fashion to sliding patio doors—on a grooved run–only on a smaller scale. So, if you’re sick of bumping your head or other body parts after somebody left a cabinet door open, it’s an option with great functionality.
In terms of looks, kitchen cabinetry with sliding door fronts tend to work best in contemporary, modern, or Asian-inspired designs. While available in a number of attractive wood styles, sliding cabinets are also offered with clear glass doors. This gives you not only a stylish design, but an opportunity to display your dinnerware or barware.
With or without these extras, remodeling your kitchen is a major renovation that can dramatically improve the quality of your day-to-day life. Take your time, get several opinions and don’t forget those little extras that can elevate a good remodel to a great one.
Sara Shragal is a staff writer for DirectBuy. For more information or other helpful tips for your home, or to submit a question, please visit www.directbuycares.com or write us at questions@directbuycares.com.
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