Homeowners thinking about a new kitchen and/or bathroom look at interior design centers for great new ideas. Maybe their kitchen & bathroom has aged some and its time for a fresh new look. Local design professional knows how to get the best functionality out of the space. Traux design experts can transform new concepts into functional reality for any of the following:

• Bathroom Renovations
• Kitchen Renovations
• Bath and Kitchen Remodeling
• Windows & Doors
• Custom Closets & Mudrooms

Those wishing for kitchen remodeling can call on our experts for an in house kitchen design consultation. Homeowners wanting a new creation may want a complete renovation. You need to know this first before you seek a design professional for help to create your new space. We can use our custom design software to give you the kitchen you desire.

The National Kitchen and Bath Association in 1992 established design guidelines based on research completed at the University of Minnesota. They cover things like the space in the kitchen triangle (refrigerator, sink, and stove,) how much space is needed for one cook or two cooks, which way doors should open, how high cabinetry should be for both standing and seated cooks, and so forth.

These guidelines are an integral part of any home renovations for kitchen & bathroom construction projects. Homeowners should have a grasp of the following checkpoints before they start to visit any kitchen remodeling showrooms or contact any commercial kitchen contractors.

Know the Scope of your Kitchen Remodeling Project

Maintaining structural integrity is the main thing to get right, in any new kitchen or bathroom remodeling job. Will the new design remain within the present footprint of the kitchen and bath? If extra space is required, will an addition answer the need?

If it’s not in the budget, then space will need to be taken from an existing room. Will this interfere with the structural integrity of the house? Do you know where all supports are located within your home?

This is the first thing a designer will ask of homeowners. When this question isn’t answered correctly, the cost of the remodel or renovation can skyrocket, and the completion date could be prolonged, which of course costs more. Kitchen design showrooms can give you many ideas, but they can’t tell you the limits of your current framing or skeletal structure for your home.

Need for a Professional Kitchen Designer & Contractor?

A general contractor is trained in engineering and home construction. Kitchen designs are more successful when a professional team effort is applied. He will look at your house, listen to your remodel ideas, and work with the kitchen designer to get the best solution implemented.

He can draw plans and blueprints for the home renovations for the kitchen or bathroom areas. He will work closely with any sub-contractors and ensure the structural integrity stays in place, as work is progressing according to plans. If you’re doing more to your kitchen and bath than refacing/replacing the cabinetry, flooring, and appliances, then you’ll need the services of a professional.

New Floor Plan

Kitchens and bathrooms are functional in nature. While there aren’t usually more than one person in a bathroom, there is frequently a whole herd in the kitchen. This is where a designer with kitchen design software enters the picture. While you’re at the kitchen & bathroom design showroom choosing cabinets, he’ll be making sure your work triangle is the right length.

Part of kitchen remodeling is making sure the right appliances are in the right places. You don’t want a hungry kid slipping his slice of pizza in a microwave situated over the stove where you’re cooking. A microwave is a busy appliance, and it should be located away from the main cooking area.

Moreover, all the appliances and cabinets should have doors opening out of the flow of traffic. One of the kids opens the door of the fridge just as someone enters the kitchen right beside the fridge. He’s going to get hit in the stomach if the fridge door opens the wrong way. Designers will make sure the kitchen is a free-flowing traffic area, so to speak.

Counter Tops And Cabinet Storage

Kitchens and bathrooms are rooms in which we do many things, maybe we just want more space. We prep meals on the kitchen counters. We use the personal grooming products on the bathroom counters. We also need ample room to store things in both rooms. The first thing those remodeling their kitchens and bathrooms seek in interior design centers is more than adequate storage.

This makes countertops and cabinetry the focus of bathroom renovations and kitchen renovations. Design professionals will listen to your dreams and needs and come up with a design incorporating the perfect for your countertops and cabinets.

Trending now, for example, is a combination of shelves and cabinetry in country kitchen remodels. Dark stained wood cabinets have bowed before brightly painted cabinets with retro hardware as another example. The style has a lot to do with the perfect for your kitchen and bath. It’s another area of expertise for the design professional, who will work into the plan your preferences and needs.

Lighting the Room

One element of design that is almost more important than the elements listed above is light. Natural light benefits us in so many ways that homeowners are incorporating more and bigger windows into their kitchens and bathrooms. Where the structural integrity of the house won’t support more or any windows, lighting fixtures take up the slack.

People are using more chandeliers and pendant lighting for ambiance. They’re using wall sconces and makeup table lights in bathrooms for focus lighting in addition to can lighting for ambiance. The days of one light fixture in kitchens and baths are gone. Today’s kitchens and baths are highlighted to show their style and beauty.

Kitchen lighting has evolved into lights above and beneath cabinets for better task lighting. Bathroom lighting has evolved with mirrors being backlit and with lights over both bath and shower. These are the two rooms needing the best lighting available, and design centers have ‘lighted the way’ for you.