Out of all the rooms in your home, there is one that is always going to cost you the most in the event that you have it rebuilt, redesigned, or remodeled – the kitchen. Aside from being the most expensive, you can also expect your kitchen remodeling project to be the most challenging of all the home improvement projects you have ever launched. Before you back out of your decision to improve this room in your house, you should know that, a properly and impressively remodeled kitchen can bring in so many benefits. Since it is where almost everything happens – from preparing food to having family talks -   making this area comfortable, attractive, and functional is a wise decision.

You need to understand though, that remodeling your kitchen involves more than just picking out pretty furnishings, beautiful finishes, and innovative gadgetry. You also need to make smart decisions in the overall design and décor to ensure that the overall safety, security, and accessibility of the room are also enhanced. Read on to find out how to achieve these goals.

Electrical Components and Ventilation Systems

Make sure that all of the receptacles that service your countertop areas are protected by ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). There should also be, at the very least, one one wall-switch controlled light in it. Have this control built at or near the entrance, for easy access. It is also advisable that your kitchen is made of at least 8 percent windows. Lights should be available on every work surface in the room too.

Never underestimate the value of a top notch outdoor-venting system. Go for one that has a minimum of 150 cu. ft. of air/minute exhaust rate. Range hoods are now considered to be a must in kitchens as well. These should be placed at least 2 feet above your stove. If the manufacturer has specific instructions for this device, follow them.

Potential Kitchen Safety Concerns

It is crucial that you understand the dangers that can arise from the kitchen. These hazards are not only harmful in nature; they can also be sometimes life-threatening. There is always going to be a possibility of fires, falls, cuts, and scalds happening, so it is a must that you protect yourself and your loved ones from these risks. Here are a few tips on how you can avoid such unfortunate events:

1. Have a fire extinguisher easily accessible and placed in a visible area. Keep it away from the cooking equipment. Everyone in the household should be knowledgeable on how to operate it.

1. Never have a cooking surface right below a functional window.

1. Do not install window treatments above the oven or a the stove top.

1. Make sure that the countertops you are going to install have rounded or clipped edges, which are far safer than those with sharp edges.

1. Use childproofing devices and accessories in all areas of the kitchen that can be accessed by small and young children.

Being able to complete a kitchen remodeling project can be a very rewarding experience, so make sure that you keep in mind the tips discussed above.

  Before you start any remodeling project at your home, make sure to do the appropriate research in hiring the right company that best suits you.  Here are 10 Things to consider when choosing a home remodeling company:

1- Do they provide you with a complimentary in house design consultation?

2- Does the company provide you with a detailed written proposal of the entire scope of work?

3- Do they provide you with a stage payment schedule contingent upon completion of work?

4- Do they provide you with an onsite designer to take your ideas or bring new ones and make them work in your space?

5- Does the designer take the clients to showrooms to select materials as well as provide a contractor's discount from all the retailers?

6- Do they provide an onsite project manager so that the project runs smoothly and you have someone in charge of your project at all times?

7- Are their workers or subs people that they work with on all their projects?

8- Are they working on more than 5 to 6 projects at a time? companies that take more than 6 projects simultaneously, tend to sacrifice on their quality of work by taking too many jobs.

9- Make sure to call their previous clients that can share with you their experience working with the company

10- Go with your gut feeling about the company, if you get a good first impression and the company seems honest and they provide you with all the points discussed before, then you are most likely to be in great hands.

Remember, choosing the right company to perform any type of remodel in your house is really important.  Not only will they be at your home for a medium to a short period of time, depending on the size of the project, but also you will have to engage in constant communication with the designer and the project manager.  So make sure they understand your needs and are always available to talk about the project and go over details with you.  But above all, make sure you have a good feeling about them.  Don't forget, this is a short term relationship so the success of your project depends on this relationship to work well while the project is in progress.

Check out our work and call us for a free in house design consultation.

  Most people when they want to remodel their entire home or just one specific area such as the Kitchen, or the master bathroom, they call up a general contractor or a home improvement company to get bids.  Little do they know that, in most cases, contractors or home improvement companies have no experience in designing spaces.  They will rely on the client to tell them what to do in terms of finishes and overall look.  This is where it gets tricky for the clients, most people don’t have the vision to successfully create a new space from scratch, let alone tell a contractor what to do.  So things can get out of hand and usually projects will take longer than normal leaving the clients very frustrated at the end of the project.

When people hire a Design Build company like Spazio LA , clients get a full team of experts.  In other words, a Designer in charge of absorbing all your design wishes as well as incorporating functionality within the overall design; a contractor with a full team of professionals to work on the project, and an onsite project manager that will, periodically, inspect the progress of the project.  Design build companies also have a number of highly qualified architects that work in conjunction with the designer in the cases where new additions, structural changes or even new construction building permits are required.

Designer:

A designer is a professional with a degree in art and design that has the tools to come up with ideas and put them on paper or computer so that it can be transformed into reality.

What kind of services does a designer provide to my home remodeling project?

For one, you can actually look at your designer as your personal assistant and best friend throughout your remodeling process.  Your personal designer will listen to your ideas, will share inspirational pictures, and will try to put together your perfect space just like you have dreamed it; and in most cases, even better than your dreams.  Your designer will also take you to showrooms to select finish materials such as, tiles, wood floors, fixtures, curtains, and even furniture and art work.  A designer from Spazio LA will also visit the project on a regular basis to make sure his designs are well executed by our builders.  In sum, your designer is the go to person throughout your entire project and is an immeasurable value to the success of your project.

Contractor:

As licensed general contractors, Spazio LA can build and remodel anything that we set our minds to.  From complete home remodels to room additions, to kitchens, bathrooms and even outdoor spaces such as pools and patios; Spazio LA has done it all. Different from most home improvement companies, that in order to cut on costs, they would bring a crew that will basically start and finish your project.  The same crew that does your demolition will also be doing your plumbing, and your electrical as well as your drywall and tile installation.  This been a normal practice among home improvement companies, at Spazio LA we run the show in a different manner.  Every crew that comes to our client’s projects is specific to their trade.  The demo crew does only demolition and cleaning of all trash and debris.  We only use license electricians and plumbers and our tile installers are exclusively doing that for us.  This guarantees our clients that the project is done right by a trade professional and with the highest of qualities.

Project Manager:

Why is important to have a project manager at my home remodeling project?

Think of your project manager as your quality control guy, as well as your problem solver.

We all know that no matter how good a construction crew is, there are always surprises along the way.  A project manager is the one that is there to take care of those problems when they arrive.  A project manager makes sure to schedule each crew according to the progress of the project in a seamless way so that there are no intermissions in the job, guaranteeing the early completion of the project.  Our project managers have worked in the construction field for over a decade and are very knowledgeable in all aspects of the construction process.  Between your personal designer and your project manager, you can make sure you can sleep well at night; your house is in great hands.

Spazio LA, was born with a single great goal in mind “customer satisfaction”.  By providing a full design build service, we are able to get close to our clients in ways that the home remodeling industry has been lacking.  We take pride in our work and are fueled by our client’s satisfaction.