Posts tagged with "kitchen island"

If you're looking for a multi-room remodel like a kitchen & living room remodel, you're likely asking a few of these questions:

• can I get an estimate that is broken into phases, so I can see the living room phase and kitchen phase separately?
• if I like my flooring, can we salvage it?
• is there a ballpark cost, or does it vary greatly from project to project?
• what are the best window options so we can maximize natural light?

We know how overwhelming it can feel to start doing research and hope that you're not missing anything major. But don’t worry. You’re in the perfect place! 

In this article, we will answer some of the most important questions so you can make a great decision for your kitchen and living room.  

Collaborate on your design and product selections:

• Call NOW to hear about our Teknik True Quote process and how we will customize it to fit your project!

Really?...Majority of Decision Energy Spent on Cabinets?

We are often asked "How long does it take before you can start?", "How quickly can we get through the design and selections process so we can get started?"

Designing your new cabinets involves dozens of decisions; sometimes they account for 50% of the decisions you will make throughout your entire project. Holy complicated cabinets, Batman! Here is a small sampling of features you can consider:

• Deep full extension heavy duty drawers including dove-tail joints
• Full extension rollout trays
• Pull out storage units on side of island
• Pullout spice rack by stove
• Double pullout trash cabinet
• Island with cabinets on all 4 sides with matching panels on all non functioning sides for full furniture look and 4 large size solid wood legs
• Rollouts and tray divider storage on tall pantry cabinet by refrigerator
• Double stack uppers with glass doors
• Wine rack
• Custom drawer inserts such as dividers and pegs
• Crown molding
• Solid wood carved corbel details

The goal is to find a contractor who is able to be your coach and a good coach will do two things: they will guide you to keep you on track with your expressed goals. And they will pace you, i.e. run along side you as you make each decision. 

When you do business with the right firm, they will always be one step ahead of you so you wont be waiting on them for input and feedback. Your timeline will be unique, but the right partnership will keep you moving forward.

Everyone's Favorite Feature - Your Island

If the kitchen is the most important room in the house, the island is arguably the most important feature in your kitchen. It is, after all, literally the centerpiece. 

One of the most beautifying options that families fall in love with is door panels on the sides of the island that don't open, for a uniform furniture look. See below for pictures of our recent Carlsbad kitchen island.

Consider if you will use your island primarily for cooking, entertaining, or something else. Perhaps the kids will study there? Families who use their island primarily for food prep often want their primary sink in the island to reduce dripping every time they transfer from island to counter or vice versa. 

In contrast are families who often entertain guests. They like to place a smattering of yummy dishes across the island to facilitate the natural gathering around of conversation, wine and sharing bites. The sink would both interrupt the flow and attract dirty dishes and hand-washing. Clutter and contamination? No, thanks. These families keep the sink in a separate area.

FAQ: Can we have a movable island? No; the building code requires electrical outlets be wired into the island, so it must be fixed.

Continuous Flooring or...?

Opening up the room is a common motivation of families who choose to install continuous flooring throughout their remodeled space, or the whole first floor. It adds a quality of flow to the rooms and contributes to people moving freely throughout the space. 

Saving flooring comes up periodically as a potential option to save money. If you are replacing your cabinets and island, this is a poor strategy. The increased labor cost you will incur to have the crew gingerly and slowly demolish everything around your flooring without destroying the floor itself, will more than cancel out the savings. If the budget is a priority, replacing the flooring is actually more cost effective.

Option for Indoor-Outdoor Living

If your backyard is wholly absent or if your backyard is a beach cliff, ignore this paragraph. If however, your backyard has a lawn, patio, pool, barbecue, or trellis, you must consider indoor-outdoor living. Sunshine is why we live in San Diego, California!

It is often possible to open up a wall that currently exists with two or three windows, and convert it to a multi-panel glass door that opens up to an outdoor dining area. This is such a beautiful change to make. When the door is open, guests feel drawn through the kitchen and directly into your outdoor living area! Check out these before and after pictures to see what we mean!

Why Choose Teknik?