Capitol Design | Award Winning Kitchen & Bathroom Design In Austin, TX

kitchen remodeling

How to Plan a Luxury Kitchen Remodel

by

Are you ready for a luxurious update to your home? What better way to infuse style and class into the ambiance of your home, than with a luxury kitchen remodeling project.

This guide will show you exactly how to plan a luxury kitchen remodeling for your specific needs. Are you ready to go all-in and completely redesign your kitchen, or are you looking for quick and simple fix for your existing kitchen?

No matter if you’re planning a large luxury kitchen remodeling, or a simple switch-a-roo of some elements in your kitchen, read on to find out exactly what you should consider as you go along.

3 Things to consider for your luxury kitchen remodeling project

How do you plan to use your luxury kitchen?

Do you plan to do more heavy-duty, or light cooking in your kitchen? If you’re the main chef, then you can probably decide on your own what types of surfaces would work best for you. However, if you employ a cooking staff, then you’ll want to quiz them on how they cook and what types of materials could improve their workflow.

Do you expect lots of traffic in your kitchen? If so, you’ll want to consider more resilient materials for your flooring that will also retain that elegant style that you’re looking for in your luxury kitchen remodeling.

Will you be able to handle yearly maintenance on certain items for your luxury kitchen remodeling? Chat with your family to see how they feel about maintenance. For example, some countertops like soapstone require you to apply mineral oil so it ages to perfection. Granite, and limestone also need to be sealed once per year. If this is too invasive for your lifestyle, you may want to consider other countertops for your luxury kitchen remodeling.

What style elements are important to you?

Of course style plays a huge role in every luxury kitchen remodeling. How would you define your interior design style? Do you prefer a more rustic, or modern look? Do you value function over style, or style over function? All of these questions will need to be considered when planning your luxury kitchen remodeling.

Be sure to work closely with your kitchen designer to ensure that you’ve combined all the elements in your kitchen to work together for an overall style that suits your personality.

What’s your budget for your luxury kitchen remodeling?

Luxury kitchen remodeling can take a real toll on your purse. Luxury materials like granite and vintage wooden floors can easily consume most of your budget. If you’re also looking to bring in designer furniture and lighting, then it can really all add up.

Luckily your kitchen designer can help you to plan out your luxury kitchen remodeling in a way that honors your budget. Be honest with your designer upfront about your maximum budget so that they watch out to make sure you don’t go over.

What are your luxury kitchen remodeling questions?

Email our team to get answers to all of your luxury kitchen remodeling questions.

Kitchen Renovations: Where to Start

by

So, you know that you definitely want to do a kitchen renovation, but you’re not quite sure where to start? Look no further, as this definitive guide will give you all the answers you need for planning the perfect renovation for your kitchen.

Make a list and make sketches

Kitchen renovations require proper planning. Take the time to really think and discuss with your family their requirements for a new kitchen. What are the pros and cons of the current kitchen? Are there elements that you’d like to keep?

Kitchen renovations are inherently creative processes and it can sometimes help to keep moodboards, or make sketches of your dream kitchen. You can always use these later when discussing kitchen renovations with your kitchen designer and construction staff.

Discuss construction with your family

Kitchen renovations can be very messy and time consuming. You can expect to have a construction crew sawing and drilling in your home for months if you’re doing an extensive kitchen renovations project.

Will someone be home to stay with the construction workers as they work? Which season would work best for your family to begin construction? How much construction can you really take?

Discussing kitchen renovations projects upfront can ease the stress and help you to plan the perfect timeline with your construction team.

Think about your kitchen renovations requirements

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with kitchen renovations when you think of the project as a whole. However, breaking the kitchen renovations down into smaller chunks can help you to process your needs.

First, think about your countertops. What kind of cooking do you plan on doing? Talk with your designer and see which materials would best meet your specific needs.

What kind of storage would work best for you? Do you need custom cabinets or can you use some ready-made ones for your kitchen renovations?

Go through your kitchen item by item. Take a look at the counter tops, floors, cabinets, lighting, walls, windows, sink, stove, fridge, dishwasher, etc. and make a note of any changes that you imagine taking place in your kitchen renovations.

Decide on your design and construction teams

Eventually, once you’ve done as much planning as you possibly can on your end, you may want to hire a professional kitchen designer and construction crew.

A kitchen designer will be able to help you plan your kitchen renovations in excruciating detail. They’ll also be able to help you find and purchase local materials for the best deal. And, they can liaise with your construction crew to get things done.

Together, a kitchen renovations designer and a construction team will help you to build your dream kitchen—whether than means smashing down walls, or simply putting in new cabinets.

What kitchen renovations are you planning?

Are you just looking at options at this point, or are you getting ready to get started with your kitchen renovations?

Shoot us an email with your specific questions and our expert team will get back with you. We’d love to help you plan your dream kitchen.

Kitchen Remodeling 101

by

Whether you’re looking to give your kitchen a much-needed update, or you’re ready to plan a full-scale kitchen remodeling project, this list is for you.

Top 5 Questions To Consider For Your Kitchen Remodeling Project

How do you intend to use your kitchen?

It’s best to ask yourself practical questions about your kitchen remodeling project. Why are you choosing to remodel? What must-haves do you expect in your newly remodeled kitchen? And of course, how do you intend to use your kitchen?

Will the kitchen be an area for extensive cooking, socializing, or both? If you plan on cooking, this will guide your kitchen remodeling project. If you’d rather entertain family and guests in a larger kitchen/dining combo, then this will also guide your kitchen remodeling decisions.

Take time to prioritize your requirements for your kitchen remodeling project. Take notes and make sketches of how you visualize your dream kitchen and then stick to your must-haves as you begin talking with your kitchen designer and construction team.

How much construction can you handle for your kitchen remodeling project?

This brings us to the next point—how much construction are you willing to put up with for your upcoming kitchen remodeling project?

Remember, construction can be noisy, invasive, and overall a rather unpleasant experience. You’ll need to plan construction for your kitchen remodeling to coincide with your availability, as well as the seasons.

Would your rather have construction workers for your kitchen remodeling in your space during the summer months, or during the autumn or spring?

Are you ready to invest in some earplugs for this kitchen remodeling project?

What types of materials meet your requirements?

Based on how you plan to use your kitchen, and how much construction you can handle, you’ll next need to decide on materials for your kitchen remodeling project.

For example, if you plan to use your kitchen counters for extensive and messy cooking, you’ll want a durable material like laminate, or marble countertops. If style is more of a concern for you, then wood might be more up your alley.

Do you plan on having a lot of traffic in the kitchen area? If so, then linoleum may work best for you, as opposed to other less durable flooring materials.

Consider your specific needs and match your materials to meet them for this kitchen remodeling project.

What’s the style for this kitchen remodeling project?

Finally, you can’t forget your style. A modernist isn’t going to fully appreciate a shabby-chic kitchen. In the same manner, you shouldn’t preference affordable materials over your own style.

Start creating a moodboard of colors, textures, and other interior design elements that you feel attracted to. This will help you in your conversations with your kitchen designer, as well as when selecting final materials for your kitchen design project.

What are your top questions for your kitchen remodeling project?

Feel free to reach out via email with any questions. We can’t wait to hear from you and lend our expertise.

Kitchen Lighting Options

by

Selecting the Right Kitchen Lighting Options

So, you’re ready to remodel your kitchen? You’re probably thinking of your flooring, cabinets and appliance options right off the bat. But, have you considered your kitchen lighting options? Lighting is what makes your kitchen cozy on dark winter days and allows you to sit up late with your kids at the kitchen table helping them with homework. You definitely don’t want to overlook your kitchen lighting options and that is when an experienced kitchen designer can help.

Kitchen Chandeliers

Are you remodeling your kitchen for a very expensive look? Why not hang a chandelier above the kitchen table for a real wow-effect? Vintage or new chandeliers will give your kitchen a look of elegance and refinement. Your dinner guests will certainly be impressed with your kitchen remodeling project and your lighting choice.

Decorative Kitchen Pendant Lighting

Decorate pendant kitchen lighting options will give you a nice ambient glow, while also mimicking the classy look of a chandelier. Decorative pendant lighting comes in all shapes and sizes, as well as all price ranges. So, take time to chat with your kitchen designer about which options may be in your price range.

Kitchen Lamps

Who says a kitchen can’t have some lamps? Yes, we commonly think of lamps as living room, or bedroom lights, rather than kitchen lighting options. However, you’d be surprised how a few lamps can really add a sense of style and class to a kitchen. Why not add a lamp with a country chic shade to your kitchen counter? You’ll love the homey feeling this will give to your new kitchen. You can also try a standing lamp in a corner that lacks illumination. This is a great low cost method for lighting your kitchen.

Kitchen Track Lighting

Track lights will give you a bit more flexibility in terms of lighting all the areas of your kitchen. Yes, you might be used to seeing track lights in museums, but they really do look great in a kitchen. Track lighting will allow you the flexibility to point each light in the direction of your choosing. This is great for illuminating darker areas. However, you can’t switch one light on and another one off with track lighting options. Unfortunately, it’s all or nothing with track lights.

Kitchen Flush Mount Lighting

Flush mount lighting comes in a tremendous variety of styles. Some styles are bulbs, while others mimic the style of chandeliers. The real defining factor in a flush mount light is that there is little to no gap between the fixture and the ceiling. The flush mount light is mounted directly onto the ceiling. This type of lighting is extremely versatile and will provide ambient illumination throughout the entire kitchen.

Under-Cabinet Kitchen Lighting

If you love cooking, you’ll probably love under-cabinet lighting, as well. This kitchen lighting option will provide you with excellent illumination in all of those hard to reach places. Now, you can cook any time of day and be able to see everything flawlessly. Once you install under-cabinet lighting, you really won’t be able to live without it.

Recessed Kitchen Lighting

Recessed lighting is a very modern form of lighting in which the light fixture is actually recessed into the ceiling. This unobtrusive and modern type of lighting is a great kitchen lighting option for your redesign. You can easily have a dimmer attached to your recessed lighting, which will give you the control of dimming or illuminating your kitchen with the touch of a button. Additionally, recessed lighting can be wired individually, which will allow you to illuminate certain areas of the kitchen when needed.

Which kitchen lighting option will you choose? Let the kitchen design experts at Capitol Design help you select the perfect kitchen lighting options for your kitchen.

Kitchen Flooring Options

by

Kitchen flooring options for your kitchen remodeling project

Are you getting ready to tackle a kitchen remodeling project? Flooring will definitely be one of your main concerns, as the floor is a huge component of any kitchen. Proper kitchen flooring must be of a durable material and a design that matches your overall kitchen design. Choosing the wrong kitchen flooring can really spell disaster, so you’ll want to make sure that you think through and discuss all of your kitchen flooring options with a kitchen designer.

Hardwood Kitchen Flooring

You really can’t go wrong with hardwood. Hardwood is a classic and timeless kitchen flooring option for any home. Hardwood kitchen flooring will bring a sense of warmth and coziness to your kitchen with either a light or deep stain.

If you treat your hardwood properly, it can really last over a lifetime. However, hardwood can easily be scratched with shoes or pet’s claws. Therefore, if pets or shoes in the house are priorities for you, you may want to consider other kitchen flooring options.

Cleaning your hardwood kitchen floor should be a breeze. Simply sweep, vacuum, and use a damp mop on the floor regularly. Sprays and waxes from oil should be avoided, as well as cleaners that are not intended for wood surfaces, as they can be rather harsh.

Concrete Kitchen Flooring Options

You may think that concrete is only for sidewalks, but you really couldn’t be more wrong. Concrete is a very environmentally-friendly kitchen flooring option for your home. Concrete may even help you save on your monthly energy bill, as it helps to absorb and retain your heat. It’s also a great kitchen flooring option for the summer, as it helps to keep the cool in your home.

Concrete can be styled in a wide variety of ways. You can stain the entire floor, or create various stained patterns within the concrete. Concrete can be stamped, scored, polished, and stained to create a wide variety of kitchen flooring options. The possibilities are endless.

Concrete flooring options are also super simple to clean. You can easily clean with gentle cleansers, or even vinegar, paired with regular sweeping and vacuuming.

Laminate Kitchen Flooring

Perhaps concrete and hardwood are a bit out of your budget. That’s not a problem, as laminate comes in a wide variety of styles. Some laminate styles even mimic hardwood or tiles. If you have pets, kids, or frequent spills, laminate kitchen flooring may be the best option for you. Laminate is incredibly durable and very easy to clean. It can withstand frequent kitchen traffic from people and pets. Why is laminate so durable? It’s made up of four layers that are fused together to provide the ultimate in strength.

Laminate is a low maintenance and low cost kitchen flooring option. With laminate, you won’t need to polish or stain the floor over the years. And, there are plenty of environmentally-friendly laminate options these days, as many laminate kitchen flooring options now use recycled materials.

Tile Kitchen Flooring Options

If you’re considering tiles for your kitchen, you’ll want to be sure to consult your kitchen designer. Tiles come in a wide array of materials which leaves you with boundless kitchen flooring options for your upcoming kitchen redesign project.

Travertine tiles are made from a byproduct of limestone and is formed in hot springs. Every piece of travertine is unique and will give you an earthy and natural look for your kitchen floors.

Ceramic tiles are another kitchen flooring option. Ceramic tiles are made from natural clay.

Porcelain tiles are a bit denser than ceramic tiles, as they are made from more refined clay. Porcelain tiles are so durable that they can be used both indoors and outdoors.

But this isn’t even the tip of the iceberg in terms of tile options. You also have slate, marble, faux wood, granite, onyx, and quartzite options, just to name a few.

Are you ready to remodel your kitchen? Are you looking to remodel your kitchen? Contact our kitchen remodeling experts to get advice today.