Tips for a rewarding kitchen redo – in budget, on time and on form
Interior design creative and human behavioural specialist, Kim Williams, shares some crucial tips and secrets to get you that perfect kitchen redo you are dreaming about!
11/09/2020
The Covid-19 shutdown was unfamiliar territory for many of us who are not used to spending so much time at home with our families, not to mention working from home and eating out less.
When working on any home redo project, Kim Williams believes it is crucial to have a very good understanding of what you need in the kitchen space you have that requires a redo, and that you know what you like and what your style and tastes are. Most importantly, all this should be clear ahead of time before you contract an expert or purchase anything.
Your main objective should be to focus around the functionality of your kitchen. Assess the space available, and then combine the design and plan for your kitchen redo on how you want your dream kitchen to feel once it is completed.
It is crucial that what you yourself like and feel is on trend, can last for a period of time, and it should therefore fit in well with what your particular tastes are. Plumbing, tiling and lighting should be considered as longer-term investments and commitments for your kitchen, as they are often far most costly, where paints and wallpapers can easily be updated at a reasonable and affordable cost.
Remember the design should always be about who is going to live there and who uses the space, and for what purpose.
In order to get the ball rolling, herewith Kim’s kitchen redo tips and checklist - also useful for designing any other areas in your home:
Tip 1: Ask yourself who will be using this area the most and what their most important needs are in terms of functionality.
Tip 2: Understand the particular tastes of the person who will be using the space that need these changes to be implemented.
Tip 3: How does this area fit in with the rest of your home? Keep in mind there should be flow between the kitchen and the rest of the home.It is not advisable to be so different that it completely stands out in comparison to the look and feel of the rest of the home, unless this is your starting point and you are planning a redo of the entire house.
Tip 4: Carefully take the time and plan what elements can be brought in that can easily be changed again afterwards - if you would like to update it a bit in the future - for example, changing or painting over wallpaper, placing other objects on shelves, etc. You would be surprised by what a difference these small things can make and they can completely change the look and atmosphere of a particular space.
Tip 5: Remember to have fun creating new spaces; where else in life do you get the opportunity to redo things as many times as you want in the convenience of your own home?
For more smart tips and insights from Kim Williams - follow her on social media @kimwilliamsdesign or go to www.kimwilliams.co.za and subscribe to her blog: My Yellow Room, or her monthly design insights newsletters.