Gone are the days when kitchens were off limits to anyone who wasn’t preparing a meal. Kitchens are now the center of the home and can be used for everything from bill paying to homework. In new construction, ample square footage is alloted for the kitchen, and living areas are often attached in an airy, open design. Here are a few quick ways to open up your kitchen on a limited budget. Check out the following ways that you can reshape your kitchen to increase both its shape and efficiency:
- Create a relaxing work nook by surrounding a window with two vertical cabinets joined by a horizontal work surface or desk.
- Check every wall in the kitchen and consider pushing back into another room. Guest rooms, offices and formal dining rooms are important but consider the time spent in the room you are “moving” into and homeowners often decide that a larger kitchen is more important.
- Another cost efficient way to put an addition on your kitchen is to close in an adjoining outdoor space such as a breezeway or porch.
- A half wall or pass through is a great way to join the kitchen with another room.
- Floor or wall cabinets can take the place of a wall. This will allow you to remove another wall to open up the space.
The key to success with minor or major kitchen updates is that the design blends seamlessly with the rest of the home.