Category Archives: Kitchen Remodeling

Rethinking Your Conventional Family Kitchen

A kitchen remodel is one of the best ways to reinvent your home. As one of the most important rooms in the house, the kitchen plays a big role in the life of most families.

Read more in Plan the Ultimate Kitchen Upgrade, a new ebook from Atlanta Design & Build.

Our first post this month focused on the gourmet kitchen. In this blog, we are looking at the conventional kitchen, for those families that don’t need the full gourmet experience.

Two of our Atlanta Design & Build design experts – President Dale Contant, MCR, CRPM, UDCP, and Design & Sales Consultant, Heather Marcet-Henderson, AKBD – share insights on kitchens in the Atlanta area.

A high-end look on a budget

Having a realistic budget maximum to spend on a kitchen remodel does not mean you have to settle for a kitchen that doesn’t meet your needs.

At Atlanta Design & Build, we’re experts in finding the right solutions for your kitchen, to design and build a project that accomplishes your goals. Our proprietary HOMEStyle System™, facilitates our working with you to prioritize the most important aspects of your kitchen project. This allows us to focus on what matters most in your specific remodel. Every family is unique and every kitchen deserves that same attention.

Our goal is to set realistic expectations from the beginning and understand your goals for style, function and budget.

Finding pain points

What are the problems in your kitchen? Almost everyone who comes to us for a project has a kitchen that was designed by somebody else, whether it be a builder or previous homeowner, that simply isn’t meeting their needs.

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Transforming to Your Gourmet Kitchen

Your kitchen is the heart of your home, the gathering place for family and friends. A kitchen remodel is a great way to make a big impact on your life.

Read more in Planning the Ultimate Kitchen Upgrade, a new ebook from Atlanta Design & Build.

This month, we’re exploring the trends we’re seeing in the kitchen. This post will focus on the “gourmet” kitchen, while later this month we’ll tackle kitchen remodels for those who don’t want the full-fledged gourmet experience.

To get insight on designing a gourmet kitchen, we talked to two of our Atlanta Design & Build experts – President Dale Contant, MCR, CRPM, UDCP; and Design & Sales Consultant Heather Marcet-Henderson, AKBD.

Defining the needs

At Atlanta Design & Build, kitchens are one of our most requested remodels. Many homeowners desire a gourmet kitchen, but a gourmet kitchen does not mean the same thing to everyone and it is not the answer for every client.

We know that every client has different needs and that is why the most important part of the project starts before construction ever begins. Using our proprietary HOMEStyle System™, we’re going to make sure we understand everything you need and want in your kitchen. We’ll talk about how you plan to use it, what you like about your existing kitchen and what you don’t. Our HOMEStyle System™ ensures we create, in design and in construction, the best solution for you and your family.

“Our process helps the Atlanta Design & Build team focus in on the ‘must-haves’ and the ‘nice to haves’ for each client”, Heather says.

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Wellborn, red color trend modern kitchen

Color Trends for Your Remodeled Kitchen

Expressing your personality is often ignored when it comes to updating your home’s kitchen. While white is classic, and a go-to color for many kitchen remodels, it is not your only option. When you decide to remodel your kitchen, consider playing with a color trends. Moody and jewel tone color trends in the kitchen are huge for 2020. Your kitchen is more than just a place for preparing meals, it’s a room for chatting, entertaining, and the place where kids may get a snack and do their homework after school. Because your kitchen is one of the most used rooms in the home, the color palette you use can contribute to your mood.

Playing it Safe or Customizing Your Forever Home

If you aren’t planning to stay in your home for at least the next five years, you may want to consider the resale value of your home before using any finishes or color trends that are currently popular. Safer color choices are better for resale value but consider using a pop of color on your island cabinets or other accents in a smaller area. If you really want to play with color, choose areas that are easily changed or accent furnishings. Remember, don’t pick a color just because it’s in style: use colors that you love!  

There are so many spaces within your kitchen to use color. Your walls can always be painted in whatever shade you like, but think cabinetry, countertops, tile backsplashes, statement appliances and more!

  • Cabinetry: Use neutrals or consider having a colorful island with neutral cabinets.
  • Countertops: Countertops can be a great place for a pop of color. Countertop finishes are available in many color varieties depending on materials and tastes.
  • Backsplashes: Super colorful and patterned backsplashes are not very popular right now, but using a bold, solid, color tile for a backsplash is a huge trend.
  • Statement appliances: New colorful appliances make a great centerpiece in your brand-new kitchen. While they can come with a hefty price tag, they are more easily swapped out than cabinetry if you get bored or want to sell your home. Many of these appliances are also high-end and can last a lifetime. Some options are even being designed with removable front-pieces so that you can simply swap out the color.
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Accessible Kitchen Design Considerations

Universal Design aims to provide useable space planning for people of all abilities and ages. Another growing trend is Inclusive design which is similarly creating spaces that are more accessible to everyone. Accessibility options can also be highly personalized for individuals with specific needs. Imagine a world where any guest could feel comfortable using your home? Also, when choosing to remain in your existing home as you age, accessible design is an important consideration.

One of the most important rooms to consider when creating accessibility is the kitchen. Being able to safely prepare and clean up after meals is one of the primary considerations of the accessible kitchen. Mobility is usually an important concern for current and future needs. The following measurements are ideal for accessibility to all. Hardware and fixtures can also improve functionality. Accessible kitchens can include design details that accommodate children too, as universal design wants people of all ages to have greater accessibility.

Facets of Your Accessible Kitchen: Mobility and Convenience

Doorways and Clearance: Between 36-42” wide, with pocket doors, or swing clear hinges, and lever door handles. Clearance for a pass-through kitchen is 40” while U-shaped layouts require 60” of clearance.

Cabinets: Cabinet height can be individualized, but motorized, adjustable cabinets are the ultimate in universal design in a kitchen for multiple users. Swing up doors with hinges at the top and touch open doors are ideal for accessible kitchens. Lower cabinetry like a lazy Susan, or cabinets with pull outs, can help keep users from having to lean down into cabinetry to reach items. 

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miniamlist kitchen, appliance garage

ADB & The Minimalist Kitchen

Does your kitchen need to be updated—not only for the latest trends in countertops or cabinets— but for the most functional workflow? Minimalist kitchens are increasing in popularity due to their amazing functionality and easy maintenance. We appreciate facets of the design and build process that keep in mind that the clients’ most precious asset is often their time. Here are some of the ways a low-maintenance minimalist kitchen can save you time.  

Everything is Streamlined and at Your Fingertips

We can replace upper cabinetry with open shelving to display objects you love and use daily. While maintaining the staged look of elaborate open shelving can be somewhat labor intensive, the ease of use is wonderful—and you can keep it simple. Everything you frequently use can be easily reached without opening a cabinet. Lower drawers and cabinets can hold most of your kitchen items, whether it is deep drawer storage, with dividers, or a full pantry wall, kitchen storage has come a long way. New and versatile kitchen storage can be one of the most exciting aspects of a kitchen remodel. Not only is lower cabinet storage often more organized, it is easily reachable. No more standing on a step stool to reach items in a high cabinet.  

Minimize Clutter & Clear the Countertops

Minimalist kitchen, appliance garage with Kitchenaid mixer
This appliance garage keeps your stand mixer close enough for easy use, while stowing it neatly away.

We suggest carefully evaluating which countertop appliances to keep in a minimalist kitchen. If you have not used an appliance in the past year, donate it or dispose of it. Don’t waste precious space on gadgets you do not actually use. Stow countertop appliances in appliance garages! Corner cabinets can be conveniently designed with outlets and you only have to open a cabinet door to access small appliances. This way your countertop stays clear when appliances like blenders, toasters, coffee makers, and slow cookers are not in use.

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Plan the Ultimate Kitchen Upgrade

Article reposted with permission from NARI.

A kitchen serves as command-central of most homes, so it’s also one of the first rooms homeowners choose when it’s time to make upgrades. When approaching your kitchen remodel, it’s important to keep your family’s lifestyle at the forefront of your planning to create a space that fits the way you like to live.

Get the most livable space and enjoyment out of a kitchen remodel with these tips from the experts at the National Association of the Remodeling Industry:

Make purposeful changes. A desire to bring your kitchen’s style up to date is plenty of motivation for a renovation, but to get maximum benefit from your new space, spend time considering what functional improvements you can make, too. Do you need more cabinets for storage? Is there enough counter space for meal prep? Does the overall layout suit your family’s needs? Even if you chose the original layout and floorplan, chances are good that over time you’ve found a few things you’d change given the chance to do it again.

Consider physical space. If yours is a family that cooks together, or if guests tend to congregate in the kitchen when you’re entertaining, a renovation is the perfect time to make adjustments that accommodate more bodies in the kitchen. You might want more work zones for multiple cooks or an island or peninsula set away from the high-traffic zone for guests more interested in snacking and chatting than getting hands-on.

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