Is your kitchen starting to take a few wrinkles? Do you want to bring it up to date by renovating it? If the kitchen of your dreams has been in your head for a long time, you should know that reality is often more complex. Also, before you start carrying out your work, it is necessary to ask yourself the right questions. In fact, by making the right decisions from the start, you will avoid unnecessary expenses and wasted time. What are the elements to take into account before renovating your kitchen? What to choose between a total renovation or a simple makeover? What are the constraints to be considered for smooth work? Decryption in the article.
What are the elements to take into account before renovating your kitchen?
In order not to go wrong and to have regrets once the work is finished, the renovation of your kitchen must be done in a thoughtful way.
To be pleasant to live in, it must combine practicality, aesthetics and ease of maintenance. To help you build your roadmap, here are Things You Can Do to Upgrade Your Kitchen.
How do you use your kitchen?
This question may seem obvious. However, we do not all use our kitchen in the same way. Depending on our activities, our tastes and the number of people living in the home, the kitchen can have different purposes and its renovation depends on it.. Thus, for a single person, the choice of household appliances in the kitchen is not the same: small fridge, optional dishwasher or even less storage space are possible while a large family will have no other choice. than opting for a much larger household appliance, for example, but also more furniture for better storage solutions. In addition, if you are not an aficionado of the stoves, no need to encumber yourself with multiple state-of-the-art equipment, opt instead for a worktop space.
In any case, keep in mind that the layout of your kitchen must be based on 3 pillars that correspond to the 3 key activities in a kitchen: cooking (the hotplates), washing (the sink) and storing (the refrigerator) . This is called the activity triangle.
You also have to be realistic : if you have small children, the bar is not the ideal solution to make them lunch. If you have a very small kitchen, the central island is also not recommended.
Kettle, coffee machine… Imagine the arrangement of your various household appliances upstream . This step will allow you to position the electrical outlets in the right place and in sufficient number.
How much space do you have?
Depending on the size of the room, you will have to adapt. For a small kitchen area or for certain kitchen layouts such as the hallway kitchen, it is wise to bet on space-saving furniture and household appliances.
Do not hesitate to draw up a detailed plan of your project in order to have a global and concrete vision of the various possibilities available to you. If you want to take advantage of this renovation to expand your kitchen by knocking down a partition for example, call a professional.before designing your kitchen to ensure the feasibility of the work. A professional can give you information on the prices for renovating your kitchen. He will establish a quote item by item to help you make your choice. Sometimes all it takes is a few adjustments to renovate a kitchen and make it more aesthetic. You can diagnose your need with the services of an interior designer. He will be interested in all the different elements that make your kitchen a beautiful and functional room.
Think about storage! Pots, pans, crockery… The kitchen is full of utensils and accessories. The key to your happiness? Storage, in sufficient number.
If you have a small kitchen - closed or in a hallway - using the entire ceiling height of your kitchen will allow you, for example, not to pile all your pots and pans in the same place.
Kitchen renovation, which ventilation system to choose?
Odors, grease residues, bacteria… When renovating a kitchen, the design of the aeration and ventilation system is an essential point of vigilance. The goal? Guarantee optimal air renewal:
- The installation of a single or double flow CMV (controlled mechanical ventilation) is strongly recommended to ensure the renewal of the air in addition to natural ventilation. But it is not always possible to have such a system installed when renovating your kitchen because it requires major work due to the passage of ducts and the creation of a false ceiling to hide them. In this case, you can opt for an air extractor placed high in your kitchen to extract the stale air.
- Who says cooking, says cooking and of course everything that goes with it: oils, cooking vapors, fats ... This is when the hood comes into play.
- For extraction or recycling , it is important to get advice on choosing the hood that will suit your kitchen.
- Respect the standards.
For example, the cohabitation of a gas boiler and an extractor hood (with motorized extraction) on the same exhaust duct is not legal, because of the risks of backdrafting of the fumes and the presence of carbon monoxide. carbon, a poisonous gas. - Ask a professional for advice and, if necessary, do not hesitate to have a complete assessment of the evacuation of vapors and smoke carried out.
What materials and designs to choose for a kitchen renovation?
When renovating a kitchen, you don't have to change everything. You can indeed decide to keep some of your equipment and furniture as long as it fits well into your new atmosphere. For example, you can keep the boxes of your kitchen units and change only the visible part of the furniture, that is to say the facade.
When choosing the different materials for your kitchen and the finishes you want to add, you have to think about aesthetics but also practicality.
Indeed, an aesthetic material but very difficult to maintain can turn out to be a bad choice if you cook daily and have small children. Keep in mind, for example, that a lacquered finish will mark fingerprints more easily than a matte finish. Certain colors, black or white in particular, will also forgive dirt less well than a facade in wood shades.
For the work plan, here are some elements to help you make your choice:
- If you opt for materials based on wood panels (melamine, laminate), you will have no difficulty cleaning them. The least though: they have less resistance to heat, scratches and humidity.
- Solid, veneered or plywood, wood is a safe bet ... As long as it is well protected with a varnish. Its flaw: it can crack in the event of high humidity.
- Another interesting material: stainless steel, very solid, hygienic and easy to maintain. Watch out for scratches and its high price.
- Ceramic is one of the most resistant materials, along with quartz, for kitchen worktops. However, be aware that these surfaces are not easily repaired when damaged.
Renovating your kitchen: should the flooring be changed?
You may invest in the most modern of decorations, if your floor is not up to date, it will undoubtedly betray the age of your kitchen.
So think about opting for a coating that is at the same time design, resistant and easy to maintain.
While tile is unsurprisingly the king when it comes to the kitchen floor, there are other options, like lino and hardwood, which are increasingly coveted in this room.
Count 95 € per m² for the installation of a tiling and / or a splashback.
As for linoleum, count an average price between 15 and 20 € per m².
What to choose between a total kitchen renovation or a simple makeover?
With regard to your budget but also your desires, you can decide to change everything in your kitchen or simply to revamp and give a second life to existing furniture and appliances.
How do you decide? Here are some ideas:
- Depending on your budget: as you can imagine, a complete kitchen renovation does not have the same financial impact as a simple makeover. To give you an idea, it takes around € 1300 minimum to change the furniture of an L-shaped kitchen made up of high and low elements. To this you have to add the household appliance and the change of floor and wall coverings. So, if you have a tighter budget, it is better to go for a makeover of your current kitchen (painting existing elements, replacing the worktop, etc.).
- Depending on the condition of your kitchen: an old-fashioned or aging kitchen does not necessarily mean that it is in poor condition. Also, it can perfectly lend itself to the makeover game for a very satisfactory result. However, if it is damaged and not very functional, total renovation should be considered.
- Depending on the nature of the work: when deciding between a total renovation or a makeover of your kitchen, you should also keep in mind that the scope of the work is not the same. Renovation work can indeed be quite heavy and last over time.
Kitchen renovation: the constraints to be taken into account
Are you already thinking about your beautiful, completely renovated / redesigned kitchen? Before moving from dream to reality, there are still certain constraints to take into account:
Budget constraint is usually the first obstacle one thinks of when considering any work. Note that it usually takes 100 to 250 euros per m² for a simple makeover and 700 to 1000 euros per m² for a complete renovation . However, according to professionals and regions, these prices may vary. Do not hesitate to have several quotes made in order to compare and obtain the best quality / price ratio.
The space and configuration constraints of the room must also be analyzed: apart from the dimensions of the kitchen, the location of windows, doors or even ventilation grilles must also be taken into account.
Finally, sometimes difficult to estimate, the duration of the work is an important element to take into account. For a makeover, count a few days depending on the changes . On the other hand, a complete renovation will require more time: plan at least two weeks of work depending on the available labor and the type of work envisaged.