Biggest Mistakes to Avoid When Remodeling Your Kitchen

We partnered with a home improvement company for this post. The opinions in the post are honest. All reviews and opinions expressed in this post are based on our personal views. We are excited because we know you will love it.

Kitchens sell houses. How many times have we heard that? Well, it’s true. Kitchens are an essential element for buyers to consider when deciding on a property. Therefore, regardless of whether you intend to sell your home or not, it is wise to consider factors that make your home more market-desirable. Enter Maclaren Kitchen and Bath, a name synonymous with quality and sophistication in the realm of kitchen design. Here are the biggest mistakes to avoid when remodeling your kitchen.

Designing a kitchen with an impractical layout 

Big kitchens are a dream of every woman that likes to cook. With lots of space to work with, you might fall into the trap of rearranging furniture for the area to be filled equally. That might result in a situation where a person cooking walks too much. When selecting what to put where in your new kitchen, think about the cooking process. If the dishwasher is too far from the sink, you will be carrying your dishes, and the water will be dripping from them all over the place. Similarly, preparing food on an island seems incredible, but some ingredients need washing, and when the sink is not right there, it’s a problem. Simply put, consider the practicality of the layout you are making. 

Overwhelming a small space

Unlike big kitchens, where one can get tired of walking around and cleaning, small kitchens can quickly become confining. It is natural to want all the appliances in the world that make cooking more accessible and more fun. Unfortunately, small kitchens do not allow it. If you cover the entire countertop with stuff, there will be no area to prepare the food, irritating you daily. Also, limit the number of cabinets so you can comfortably walk around. You do not want to make walking around your kitchen resemble exploring the catacombs, do you?  

In addition, you’ll need space for a table and a few chairs, as sitting comfortably is essential as you eat there every day. Focus on what you really need and what is not that essential. You will realize that most of the items you intended to include in your kitchen would sit there unused most of the time.  And that is one of the mistakes you want to avoid when remodeling your kitchen 

Forgetting about the storage

Getting a new kitchen is like starting from scratch. Everyone thinks this time they won’t need all those piles of dishes or so many cups. Therefore, many people disregard the storage space, thinking it is not quite that relevant. But, in reality, storage space is crucial if you want clutter-free countertops and a kitchen that is always tidy. Experts in moving and storage from  Heavenly Moving and Storage say almost all of their clients confirmed that having more storage would make their life more organized. Even if you are filling your kitchen only with essentials, it is questionable what kitchen items you will want to have in the future. Besides, times are changing, and you might develop a taste for preparing winter preserves. It would be great to have all your products in your kitchen ready for consumption. 

Forgetting about your friends

So, you are a lucky owner of a big home, and you can afford to have a kitchen and a dining room as two separate spaces. That is wonderful. Congratulations! But, when designing your kitchen, ask yourself the following somewhat odd question: Do you like to cook alone? If you do, you can skip to the following passage. Otherwise, you will need to arrange for sitting space in your kitchen so you can have friends keeping you company when you are cooking. Also, long cooking sessions can be tiring, and one could use a break. Therefore, arrange for a chair or two and a smaller table at least.

Going over budget is arguably the biggest mistake to avoid when remodeling your kitchen

Remodeling a home comes at a price that can range from modest to outrageous. The scary thing is, with some recklessness, one can go over budget very quickly. To avoid this mistake, you should create a detailed plan before you decide to remodel your home and stick to it. This plan should take into consideration what are the non-negotiable features your future kitchen should possess. The rest can vary, obviously, but doing solid research and putting it all on paper is a good step in the right direction. 

When you are making design decisions and choosing the appliances and the money you will spend on all of them, never forget that there is more to life than a kitchen. As a result, you don’t want this project to get you in debt so high that it will influence other aspects of your life. Sticking to the budget you decided on is the proper decision to make at all times, and don’t let creativity lead you to financial problems.  

Adopting designs that don’t represent your lifestyle

My mother bakes a lot. She makes apple pie that is truly unparalleled. I, on the other hand, rarely use a stove. But, I use a steam cooker almost constantly, which my mother finds outright appalling. The moral of the story is – each person has their preferences and should design their kitchen accordingly. The woman who bakes for a family of 8 wants a kitchen with two ovens. These look amazing but are a total waste of money for a home where only two people live. Don’t just choose a kitchen design you like to look at. Choose the one that represents your lifestyle and needs. Everything from appliances and the flooring to the backsplash tiles should fit your needs, primarily. The decision related to its aesthetics should come afterward.  

Not harmonizing the kitchen design with the rest of the home

Finally, always bear in mind that your kitchen is not an isolated room. It’s part of the home, and it should be in harmony with it. If the rest of your home is modern, making a vintage kitchen wouldn’t be esthetically correct. Just like with different clothes, try to get your kitchen to match the rest, so the impression your home makes on the observer is stunning.

Conclusion

It is essential to become familiar with these mistakes to avoid when remodeling your kitchen because they can be both costly and decrease your home’s value. Besides these quite serious issues, there’s the matter of functionality, too. Just study the advice above, and you will have the kitchen of your dreams.

Guest Post - Color Trends to Match in Your Home Interior for a Fresh Summer Look

Home and interior design can be a fun project if you’re looking for a change of environment. You only need to learn essential home interior ideas to make the home interior upgrade more manageable, and you can begin with the color theory. 

 Color theory is a big part of choosing colors for your home, allowing you to identify contrast and create unity. Once you learn the concept’s basic principles, you’re on your way to creating an interior design masterpiece. If you’re looking for colors to incorporate into your home interior, this article will discuss several color trends and how you can apply them to your house’s overall design. 

What is color matching? 

Color matching is choosing colors for design projects. The goal of color matching is to create a balance between your preferred colors, resulting in a pleasing effect. 

Choosing the right colors for the home interior can be challenging, especially when so many options are available. A good start is familiarizing yourself with the color theory and color schemes, which can provide helpful guidelines for selecting colors that blend well.  

5 Trending Colors and Their Appropriate Matches 

1. Blue and Green: Indigo and Turquoise 

Indigo and turquoise have unique personalities. Indigo is more sophisticated, while turquoise has more of a hippie vibe. Indigo is an intense blue that goes well with black and other dark colors.  

Meanwhile, turquoise is bright and cheery but not as fierce as indigo. Nevertheless, indigo still has a lot of depth. It seamlessly complements other colors and can stand on its own as the main focal point. 

These shades of blue go well with floorings, walls, and seats. However, choosing one over the other will depend on the motif you want. Do you want something that feels chic and sophisticated? Then, go with indigo. Prefer something bright and whimsical? Turquoise is the perfect home interior and furniture color. 

2. Yellow and Brown: Habañero Gold, Dijon, Honey, and Chestnut 

Habañero gold, dijon, honey, and chestnut are trending colors because they perfectly combine warm and cool tones. These shades of yellow are also nice colors to incorporate into your home decorating if you want a fresh summer look. 

Habañero gold is a beautiful warm tan and is excellent for any room in the house. It brings in a lot of natural light and relaxes your space. A perfect shade for summer and fall, honey is similar to habañero gold but has more gray undertones that give it a more sophisticated look when used together with other colors like brown or black. 

Dijon is a medium brown shade with very subtle hints of red and gold. It is a versatile color easily usable for any part of your home interior design. Lastly, chestnut’s rich brown hue will make any room feel cozy and comfortable! It’s great for all seasons and works well with most interior design styles. 

3. Yellow, Orange, and Pink: Lemon Verbena, Orange Pop, and Aurora Pink 

Fresh, clean, and bright color palettes typically dominate the color trends for summer. The trend is all about light, airy hues that will bring a brightening effect to any home, and these bright color shades tick the boxes. 

 Lemon verbena takes its inspiration from the citrus fruit. It’s bright, fresh, and calm, adding a vibrant touch to your home’s interior design. 

Next is orange pop, a shade inspired by the citrus fruit orange. The color adds a fun vibe to your home’s interior design. This color is an excellent choice if you want to give interior design a pop of color without making too bold of a statement. 

Meanwhile, aurora pink is a shade alluding to the aurora borealis or the northern lights phenomenon. Aurora pink adds a touch of magic to your home’s interior design and is perfect for creating an intimate ambiance in your living room or bedroom. 

4. Yellow and Green: Mellow Yellow and Verdant Green 

Mellow yellow is one of the most versatile colors you can use in many different ways throughout your home. For example, if you’re bold enough, you can have it as an accent color on one wall or as an entire room theme. 

Another excellent way to utilize mellow yellow is to have it in pops of paint on furniture pieces like accent chairs or side tables. You could also add accents in other hues, like blue or purple, to make things more interesting. 

If you want a color to balance mellow yellow’s boldness, then verdant green is the perfectly complimentary color. A color characterized by its cool touch, this lush-looking green is ideal for rooms that are too hot or cold. It’s also a good color if you want to bring some nature into your home. 

5. Blue and Yellow: Blue Atoll and Vibrant Yellow 

Quite possibly, the trending color combination that is most “electrifying” in this list is blue and yellow, specifically blue atoll and vibrant yellow.  

Blue atoll and vibrant yellow colors are trending, and it’s easy to see why. The colors are warm and inviting and feel like sunshine. They are also easy to work with in almost any room. 

The shade of blue atoll combines blue and gray, inspired by the ocean water around Fiji. It’s a calming color that works well in bedrooms and bathrooms but can also be great for accent walls.  

Vibrant yellow is a bright version of gold—think goldenrod or canary yellow. It is easy to incorporate into your home interior design as it provides an energizing summer-esque hue that evokes happiness and optimism. 

Mix, Match, Maximize 

It’s often a misconception that you need a vast knowledge of home interior design techniques to redecorate a space. However, a basic understanding of color matching or repainting is already a good foundation and an inexpensive way to spice up your space, whether it be your condo, house, or room. 

Author Bio:
James Sab Labrigas is a Marketing Officer for HTLand, Inc., developer of Mandani Bay. He remains inspired at work through remarkable green architecture and interior design projects. Outside of the property and real estate industry, you may find him painting, playing volleyball, or doing photography.

Perfect Backsplash Tiles for Your Kitchen Renovation

When you think about the perfect kitchen, what comes to mind? For many, the focus would be on appliances, cabinetry or things that attract attention. A look at what takes up most of a kitchen remodeling budget sheds some interesting insights. Cabinets take up more than half. After that comes the appliances, countertops and plumbing fixtures.

But, there is a common phrase that makes so much sense. It is the little things that count. What some consider minor improvements like a backsplash can make a huge difference. 

Indeed, you can change the look and feel of the kitchen with the right tiles. Our article looks at perfect backsplash tiles for your kitchen renovation.

Choosing Backsplash Tiles

Tile makes sense when choosing a kitchen backsplash. There is the functional aspect of protecting the wall and liquids. Tile is easy to clean, durable and low on maintenance.

Then there is the aesthetic value tiles bring to your kitchen. The right choice of tiles can transform the decor and make the backsplash a focal point. 

Finally, the tons of stylish options mean you will not miss a style that fits into your decor style. But how do you go about getting the perfect kitchen backsplash tile?

Porcelain or Ceramic Kitchen Backsplash Tiles

Porcelain and ceramic kitchen backsplash tiles are fantastic options for many reasons. You get durability, functionality and aesthetic appeal in one neat package. 

Taking care of the tiles will be easy. All you need to do is wipe them down. That makes ceramic and porcelain backsplash tiles fantastic for hygienic purposes. Don't worry about moisture penetrating the walls due to the water resistance.

In terms of cost, expect to spend a little more on ceramic than porcelain. The latter is also quite fragile. That means whoever is doing the installation must take extra care. Thus, it would be a good idea to let professional installers do the work for you.

Glass Tiles Also Look Amazing

Have you heard of glass tiles? If not, you may be missing out on the perfect tiles for your backsplash. Glass tiles are moisture and stain-resistant, making them ideal for a backsplash. You can also get different design options. These include subway style, mirror effect, frosted glass mosaic and more.

Remember, glass has reflective capabilities. Light will bounce off the backsplash, thus making your kitchen brighter. Also, don't worry about scratching or breaking. Your supplier can give you reinforced, scratch-resistant glass tiles if you wish.

One thing you need to invest in, though, is professional installation. Due to the glass transparency, poor workmanship can result in grout showing. It could impact how the final backsplash looks.

Play Around With Tile Shapes

It is not uncommon for people to choose subway tiles for their backsplash. There is a certain appeal in the timeless style. You get a backsplash featuring rectangular cut tiles in a staggered brick-like setting. 

The advantage is you have leeway in how you arrange the tiles. These include herringbone, vertical stacking or the more common horizontal stacking. Contrasting grout brings in an interesting design element. That can liven up what would otherwise appear rather bland or minimalistic.

But, as we stated, there are so many tile options you can try out. These include hexagon tiles, square formats, chevron, penny tiles and picket tiles, to name a few. Don't stifle your creativity or preferences by opting for the more common trends.

You can also introduce some character to your backsplash with three-dimensional tiles. They will introduce a unique look you will not find in many homes.

Don't Be Afraid of Color

A pop of color always makes a space feel livelier. And you can use the backsplash tiles to do that. Let's say you stick to the more neutral shades for the walls, appliances and cabinets. Then you make the backsplash the focal point with colored tiles. You can go for one palette or even mix and match. Indeed the latter in a mosaic pattern looks outstanding.

Some people would say create a flow by matching the backsplash tiles to the floor color. We say open the kitchen window and throw out that outdated rule book. The tile color you choose should bring out your preferences.

It doesn't hurt to consider the room's lighting, though, when deciding on the tile colour. Dark tiles will look great if the kitchen receives plenty of natural light. Lighter colors will make your kitchen look brighter. Colors like blue, yellow and orange will make the space feel more cheerful.

Glass tiles in a small room will reflect the light, making it feel more spacious. Here is an idea for a small kitchen. Take the glass tiles up to the ceiling to enjoy their reflective capabilities.

Tile Size Matters

Use the kitchen size to determine the best tile size for your backsplash. Subway tiles come in 3" X 6". But, there is a range of other sizes available.

If your space is small, go for bigger tiles for your backsplash. The arrangement of smaller tiles will result in many grout lines. This can make the room feel cluttered.

The tile size also depends on how much you want the backsplash to extend. Smaller tiles should be fine if it is above the sink. But, if the backsplash will cover a greater part, opt for the bigger tiles. That way, you bring in a feeling of spaciousness that you can’t achieve with smaller tiles.

Final Thoughts

What makes a kitchen backsplash great is its versatility. The right choice of tiles can affect the final look. You have the option of making the backsplash a focal point. All it requires is playing around with tile colors, shapes and arrangements.

You also have tons of choices with regard to materials. The most popular backsplash tiles are ceramic and porcelain.

But you can try other options like glass, stainless steel or metal. The right tile supplier should have a wide range that you can choose from.

Also, unless you have the expertise, consider professional installation of the backsplash tiles. As we stated, materials like porcelain are pretty fragile. The translucency of glass also means that any shoddy workmanship will show. Yet, your backsplash is a focal point in your kitchen. Thus, it deserves the same attention as other parts during the renovation.

Ways Natural Stone Can Increase Your Home’s Value

Anyone who owns a home wants to find ways to increase the value of their property. From upgrading your entertainment spaces to adding new appliances, there are many options for homeowners to invest in their homes. However, incorporating natural stones is the easiest way to increase your home’s value.

Using natural stone in home construction and décor has always been the go-to way to upgrade a house’s value. Although natural stone is more pricey than other construction materials, it may be worthwhile to get. The increase in value it brings is due to its strength, elegance, and resale value. It’s important to note that there are more reasons to use natural stone other than increasing the home’s value. The material is sustainable and durable and remains timelessly attractive when maintained correctly.

If you’re having trouble thinking of ways you can incorporate this sustainable material, read on. Here are a few ways natural stone can increase your home’s value.

Create an Elegant Bathroom

Upgrade your master bathroom by adorning the walls and floors with beautiful natural stone. In the bathroom, you can use natural stone in numerous ways to help increase the value of the space and overall home. You can add stone to your shower walls, vanities, shelves, countertops, and more.

Add Stone To Complement Your Patio

Why not incorporate natural elements if you have a gorgeous backyard with a beautiful patio? Adding boulders, cobblestones, decorative gravel, or stone edging can add much more character and texture to your patio and landscape. Natural stone varieties like cobblestone and decorative gravel are easy for homeowners to obtain, and they’re simple to work with.

Use Natural Stone as a Countertop

When people think of ways to increase their home’s value using natural stone, the first thing they do is upgrade their kitchen countertops. Since the kitchen is one of the most used spaces in the home, it’s no surprise that people want to redo it first. When you upgrade your countertops, you can create a chicer look in this high-traffic space.

Create a Decorative Stone Wall

Natural stone walls can be decorative and functional depending on your backyard’s landscape. Building a stone wall can help prevent sloping and drainage issues. However, if your landscape is flat, you can create a decorative natural stone wall that you can use as a backdrop to give your yard depth.