Minneapolis Kitchen Remodelers Guide: Why a Kitchen Remodel can Help you Love your Minneapolis Home

Minneapolis is listed as one of the top ten places to live in America in 2019 according to U.S. News. With three professional sports stadiums within 1.3 miles of each other, a beautiful skyline, theaters just about everywhere, and a paradise for foodies around the world, it’s not hard to see why this place ranks so high. The only inconvenience is that there is a lot of competition for homes around the area, but lucky for you, we created this Minneapolis kitchen remodelers guide to give you another option if you are living in or found a home in Minneapolis, and have a need for a new kitchen. 

The kitchen has changed pretty dramatically over time from a place back in the day where food was simply prepared in another room, to what it has become now as a modern design multi-functional open area that serves as the centerpiece of the household.  

What to consider in the Remodel

When considering your kitchen remodel, one thing that you want to be sure of is that your kitchen reflects you and your lifestyle. It should be able to provide you with a sufficient amount of space for cooking, plenty of storage space, and of course, a spot to chow down and enjoy all the hard work that goes on in there. 

Start your remodel process by thinking and reflecting on why you’re remodeling and what you are looking to get out of it. 

You will want to think about the size and space you need. This will determine what the layout of the kitchen will look like if you will have an island, extra space for storage, and whatever else you are hoping to have in your kitchen. 

Don’t feel that you need to stay committed to the present layout of your kitchen. Windows and doors have the ability to be moved if desired, as they are rarely in the right spot, especially if you are looking to do a remodel. But if you are not open to the idea of moving doors and windows around, there are always other ways to modify and play around with the layout. Try to think about things like ‘how easy is it to move around?’ or ‘what it’s like when more than one person is cooking at the same time.’ 

If you’re living in an older home, one thing that you may need to consider is the electrical and plumbing as you remodel. You can check with an architect-engineer team to make sure these are sufficient enough to accommodate the new technology that will be installed. 

What is your lifestyle like and how will you be using your kitchen? Are you the type of person that needs professional appliances for cooking taking up a majority of the kitchen? Or are you looking more of an open layout that is more beneficial for entertaining purposes? 

When determining your budget, it is important to set a realistic budget and decide on where you want to save and where you want to splurge. Experts say that you should figure between 6%-10% of your home’s value for a complete remodel. 

Types of Kitchens to Consider

1. Gourmet Kitchen – this kitchen is performance focused and is filled with professional-grade appliances, sturdy and easy-to-clean surfaces, and storage space for spices, pots, pans, and other cooking utensils. This kitchen will have focus areas for preparing your food and meals, as well as cleaning up and serving. 

Features of a Gourmet Kitchen

1. • Professional grade ranges – Generally, gourmet chefs prefer gas ranges, so if you are looking for a gourmet kitchen, odds are you will have a gas range. 
   • Double oven – As a gourmet cook, you will spend a good amount of time in the kitchen, and cook a lot. Having a double oven will help save time and will come in handy on the big nights of cooking. One of those ovens should be convection, which means there is a fan that circulates hot air around the oven so food can cook more efficiently.
   • Warming drawer – A warming drawer helps to protect the moisture of your food and allow you to keep the food warm for extended periods of time until it is ready to serve. That way you don’t need to reheat it all in the microwave.
   • Convection microwave – This microwave has the ability to double as a simple reheating unit, as well as an efficient convection oven.
   • Refrigerator – You are able to get stand-alone unit refrigerators in counter-depth configurations so they have more of that built-in look to them as opposed to sticking out in the open. French-door style refrigerators are good options to look at, as they are more attractive and allow the cook to have a clear view with less space being taken up as the doors open. 
   • Under-cabinet lighting – This lets you focus the light on specific workspaces in the kitchen where prepping, cooking, and cleaning are taking place.
2. Entertainment Kitchen – This type of kitchen is focused on entertainment, specifically, in your kitchen. When designing a kitchen that functions as an effective entertaining space, it’s all about the specialty features that are integrated into the space to make serving food and beverages easier. The size will determine whether or not you can include features like an island and extra dining space for more guests.  

Features of an Entertainment Kitchen 

1. • Sleek appliances – When your kitchen is made for entertainment purposes, you want some showpieces to dazzle the guests. You probably don’t need to purchase the professional-grade equipment unless you plan to seriously cook for guests, but get something that is quality and looks nice. A very popular purchase today is stainless steel, as many have it as a priority, which will help at resale if you ever decide to do that.
   • Point-of-service refrigeration – Refrigerator drawers and specialty units, like wine coolers, give you and your guests better access to things that need to stay chilled and cool. Something that will come in handy on a warm summer day. 
   • Warming drawers – As an entertainer, you will need a space to keep food and appetizers warm while maintaining the quality. This will help to save time and energy as well as limit the running back and forth between your guests and the microwave. 
   • Double dishwashers – Depending on the type of entertaining you do, double dishwashers will help save time on all the dishes after the party. This is something that would really only be needed if entertaining for large crowds was something that you do habitually. 
   • Flat-screen television – If you do your entertaining during sports events or tv viewing parties, or the kitchen is where you and the party normally kick it, then this is pretty much a must-have.
   • Island – Depending on the space you have to work with, an island can be a great addition to your entertainment kitchen. You can have a place to serve your guests, extra seating, etc. But the biggest key is making sure there is enough room.
2. Family-Centered Kitchen – For a family kitchen, you are going to see the value you get in the extra space and cabinetry features. These will help improve how the kitchen functions for you and your family’s everyday life. It is important to remember that your kids will grow up one day and you will eventually have it all to yourselves, so you are going to want to keep that in mind when you are going through the design and details, this way you can come up with an idea that is suitable for both areas of your life.

Features of a Family-Centered Kitchen

1. • Easy-to-clean surfaces – With a handful of little ones running around the kitchen, easy to clean surfaces are going to save you so much time. This will save you from having to break out the special equipment to clean up the bowl of cereal or glass of milk. 
   • Accessible pantry – Having enough storage space for groceries is a must for a family. Maybe you have lower sections and areas for your children with pre-approved snacks and beverages for them to take at their convenience. 
   • Open plan – The kitchen and living room should flow into the other. This allows for more open space for traffic to get in and out, as well as giving you the ability to keep an eye on everyone. 
   • Island – An island will multitask in a family kitchen. It can serve as a snack area, place to do homework, or the dining place for the kids. 
   • Convection microwave – This microwave will be a life-saver. It works for reheating and cooking, and also performs as a fast-speed oven. This allows you to not have to put in a double oven and make reheating leftovers easy. 

Hopefully, this will help with your Minneapolis kitchen remodel. Yes, there are a lot of options to choose from, but once you start to narrow things down toward your lifestyle, things become a little more clear as to what you and your family need.