Andoni Centino

Which Way To Lay Wood Flooring

By Andoni Centino

So you’ve decided to install some beautiful hardwood floors. It’s a classic design choice, a timeless flooring material that you can’t go wrong with. But now you’re wondering which way to lay your new wood flooring. There are a lot of factors to consider: the plank shapes, the orientation, and the tiling pattern.

Larger rooms, for example, should have wood flooring oriented to create square, repeating patterns. Smaller rooms are more suited to having parallel wood planks. You can also play with the color of the planks, their size, and their bonds to create an endless variety of options.

Today, we’ll be going through the different considerations homeowners need to think about when laying down new wood flooring.

Wood planks are oriented perpendicular to natural light sources from windows to help hide the seams between boards. — unsplash.com / Jurre Houtkamp

Rectangular

Rectangular wood floorings are planks or tiles that have one dimension noticeably longer than the other. It’s the most common shape for wood floors and is widely used for its simplicity and flexibility.

It’s versatile enough to be used in both large and small rooms as well as outdoor spaces. And since rectangular floor patterns are relatively simple, they’re the easiest to maintain. Rectangular wood flooring is the best option for those new to installing and using hardwood flooring.

1. Parallel

One way to orient rectangular wood flooring is to lay them parallel to the orientation room. If you’re dealing with a generally square room, you’ll want to orient the floor pieces perpendicular to any light sources from windows or open doors. This helps make it so that the seams between wood planks are not so visible. If the room itself is rectangular, you can choose to lay your flooring parallel to either the shorter or longer dimension of the room. Both have their own pros and cons.

Laying your wood flooring parallel to the longer side of the room is useful if you’re looking to make that dimension seem longer. If you’re working with a particularly small floor area, orienting your wood flooring parallel to that room’s depth will help visually elongate it.

Conversely, if you’re dealing with a larger room, you can help balance the space by orienting your flooring parallel to the shorter side of the space.

2. Diagonal

Laying wood floors diagonally is an easy way to add some flair to your wood flooring. This is also useful if your natural light sources are located in the corner of a room and not in the middle of a wall.

3. Bonds

Bonds are how repeating flooring tiles are stacked next to each other. There are a few common ones that you can choose from when laying down your wood flooring.

a. Running

Running bonds are when you lay wood planks such that the next row is staggered from its preceding row. The most commonly used pattern is the ½ running bond which staggers the next row exactly halfway from the last. You can also choose to employ ⅓ and even ¼ running bonds which have varying visual effects on your finished floor.

b. Stack

Stack bonds have tiles lined up exactly in line with each other in both directions. Stack bonds create clean, crisp lines and are perfect for those looking to have a more modern, minimalist look for their flooring.

c. Random

Homeowners can also choose to run their flooring rows at random staggered intervals. When done right, it adds a homogenous, rustic feel to any room. This is also perfect when using faux wood tiles that have repeating patterns on them – breaking them up into random staggered intervals makes it less obvious.

Square

Some smaller wood planks and tiles come either in square shapes or come in sets of wood pieces that create square patterns on the floor. Since these patterns have no dominant dimension, they are highly flexible and easy to apply to any larger-sized room.

1. Mosaic

Wood parquets are small, hardwood finger tiles usually grouped in sets of 3 to 5 pieces that form a square. A mosaic floor pattern means that these groups or wood parquets are tiled next to each other such that the adjacent wood parquets are oriented perpendicular to the last.

Mosaic patterns are easy to achieve and are one of the more commonly used square wood flooring patterns.

2. Basket Weave

Basket weave patterns are achieved by using sets of parquet pieces and a square filler piece. They are arranged in a way that the floor looks like a series of weaves intertwined with each other.

Basket weaves are a classic wood tiling pattern and are used in many older homes. Use these if you want to add a timeless feel to a space.

3. Checkerboard

Checkerboard patterns use two sets of parquet pieces or square tiles with two varying tones, typically one being a lighter-toned material and another being darker. Stacking them in alternating order creates a floor that, true to its namesake, looks like a chessboard or checkerboard. To achieve this effect, homeowners can opt to use two different types of wood floor finish.

This is most commonly used in common areas such as the living room, kitchen, and dining room. These add a mid-century modern flair to a space.

Zigzagging

Zigzagging tile patterns, also known as a V arrangement, uses wood floor planks that are alternately oriented at a certain angle (usually 90 degrees) from their adjacent rows of planks.

1. Herringbone

The Herringbone pattern is ancient – it was used as far back as Roman times and has persisted today due to its ease of installation and visual impact. Rectangular wood pieces are arranged in a V shape, with the butt of one plank resting on the side of the opposite plank. With how versatile this pattern is, it can be used on high-end hardwood planks just as easily as pallet wood planks.

2. Chevron

The Chevron floor pattern is similar to the Herringbone with the key difference being how they are joined together at the ends. Instead of fitting the rectangular tiles as is, the ends are instead cut off so that they meet perfectly at the center. The result is clean midpoint lines that create a crisper, more angular look on the finished floor.

Chevron patterns make for clean but interesting wood floors. — unsplash.com / DDP

Hexagonal

Hexagonal floor patterns are among the most complex to be used on wood flooring. They come in odd angles, not the usual 90 degrees, to form a six-sided hexagon unit. As such, they’re not as common as the previously discussed patterns.

But they produce some of the most interesting visual patterns and, when utilize correctly, can add some character to any room.

1. Honeycomb

Wood tiles can come in hexagonal shapes that act as perfect tesselations with each other. That is, all of the sides fit snuggly against the adjacent tiles and no filler pieces are needed. They create a honeycomb pattern and create an interesting floor plane pattern.

2. Star

Instead of using full hexagonal pieces, you can also choose to utilize three separate diamond tiles that form a full hexagonal set. When viewed as a whole, you can also interpret the pattern as having six-sided stars.

In summary

Take careful stock of all the patterns you can use – the typical rectangular planks, the wood parquet square patterns, and the more eccentric hexagonal pieces. All are good options as floor tiles, depending on the room they are used in, and all of which we’ve covered in our article. Hopefully, this guide can help you decide on which way to lay your wood flooring.

How To Hide Trash Cans in the Kitchen

By Andoni Centino

How do you hide unsightly trash cans in the kitchen? — **unsplash.com / Bluewater Sweden**

Proper waste management is key to proper kitchen maintenance. Kitchen trash cans are therefore essential to keep the kitchen running. However, most waste bins are bulky eyesores. This is especially true for houses that observe proper waste segregation and recycling practices.

Most homeowners look for various ways to hide these bins while keeping them within easy access to the kitchen work area. Solutions can range from doing away with waste bins in the kitchen entirely to making use of designer trash bins. In this article, we’ll review some of the more common creative ways to hide trash cans in the kitchen.

Placement

One of the most straightforward ways to deal with unsightly trash bins is to relocate them to somewhere out of sight. It’s fairly simple but you do still need to make sure that their placement shouldn’t add unnecessary work to kitchen users. You could also utilize garbage disposals to lessen the need for kitchen trash cans. In any case, finding the right balance between location and accessibility is the key to making it work.

1. Outdoors

Kitchens are commonly where a home’s side or back exit is located. You can take advantage of this by placing your kitchen bins right outside of the house, next to these exits. This works best if your auxiliary exit is on a side of the house that’s hidden away from public view.

This relocation has two added benefits. First, any foul odors coming from your trash bins are automatically kept outside of the house; no need for any additional ventilation measures. Second, this means that your kitchen bins will be that much easier to empty into your main outdoor waste bins when trash day comes.

2. Utility Closet

Utility rooms located right next to your kitchen are perfect places for trash cans. Just be wary of two things when doing this. First, try to use utility rooms that have ventilation systems set up. Natural ventilation from outdoor windows will do if the room doesn’t have exhaust vents. This is to deal with any unwanted odors coming from the trash cans. Second, try to make sure that you don’t store any food items too close to the trash cans in the same room.

Having a dedicated storage closet for trash bins next to the kitchen is a common workaround. — **unsplash.com / charlesdeluvio**

3. Garage

If your house has your kitchen located right next to your garage, you can make use of their proximity to each other by storing your main trash bins there. It’s a quick solution that a lot of households employ. Garages are typically already used for extra storage so relocating your trash bins there is easy to do.

Compact Spaces

One surefire way to minimize the risk of having your trash can ruin the look of your kitchen is to simply make sure that it takes up as little space as possible. Depending on how much trash your kitchen produces, you can find smaller, more compact bins to service the space.

If you’re going for a more minimal look in your kitchen, employing space-saving methods is important. In this vein, there are ways to make it so that trash cans are kept compact and visually unobtrusive.

1. Garbage Flaps

Garbage flaps are clever and accessible ways to hide away kitchen garbage. — **unsplash.com / Mitchell Luo**

Garbage flaps are typically what you see when you visit neighborhood coffee shops with self-serve counters. They’re those circular flaps and cutouts where you can discard your used straws and stirring sticks when you’re done with them.

You might be surprised to know that garbage flaps aren’t just for coffee shops. You can install them on your kitchen countertops at home and use them to access trash cans under the counter without having to pull them out.

Garbage flaps make for easily accessible and usable waste disposal while also keeping your trash can tucked away and hidden in your kitchen cabinetry. You can even install a bunch of them to make waste segregation easy.

Do note, however, that garbage flaps have a set size. So larger waste materials might not easily fit through them. Another disadvantage is the fact that you won’t be able to tell right away if your trash cans are getting full.

But if you’re diligent about sorting, checking, and taking out your kitchen waste, garbage flaps are the perfect addition to your kitchen.

2. Pull-out

Trash bins can also be mounted on pull-out shelving mechanisms attached to your kitchen drawers. These kinds of pull-out trash cans fully utilize the depth of your kitchen counter and cabinetry while also making sure your trash cans stay hidden.

When using pull-out trash cans, there is the added convenience of being able to effectively swipe away any kitchen waste on your counter or kitchen sink and place them straight into the trash bins. If you place multiple trash bins in the same drawer rail, that’s an easy way to keep your trash segregated but also not take up too much space.

3. Wall-Mounted

If you’re all out of cabinet space, certain types of trash cans can mount on vertical surfaces. If you’re trying to hide trash cans in the kitchen but you still want to keep things nice and compact, you can mount these trash cans on the inside of a cabinet panel or the concealed side of a kitchen island.

It’s worth noting, however, that most wall-mounted trash cans are smaller in size and can only handle a certain amount of trash. These types of compact trash cans are more suited for kitchens that serve a smaller amount of people.

Hiding places

If you don’t have a surplus of extra rooms or space in your house, finding alternative placements for your kitchen trash cans can be tricky. Apartments in buildings, for example, won’t have the luxury of placing their bins outdoors or in a garage.

In those cases, trash cans have to be located within the kitchen itself. Thankfully, if trash cans must be placed in a kitchen, there are clever ways to hide them in plain sight.

1. Mobile Bins

Trash cans don’t have to be fixtures in a kitchen. Many variants come with built-in wheels so that you can move them from place to place easily. Other trash cans come in easy-to-carry sizes and shapes for the same reason.

These mobile trash cans are perfect for smaller homes. Users can have them handy in the kitchen when cooking and cleaning but also have the choice of hiding them in another location when not being used.

2. Counter Curtains

If moving your trash can isn’t for you, covering them up with small curtains when not in use is another clever way to conceal them. These are quick and easy ways to make sure that your kitchen trash can is nearby when needed but concealed when unused.

Kitchen curtains are cheap, easy to use, and quick to install. You can even use them to conceal other fixtures in the kitchen that you don’t want out in the open, such as washers or dryers.

3. Stylish Bins

Some trash cans don’t need to be hidden; they can even be used as accent pieces in the kitchen. — **unsplash.com / Andrea Davis**

Sometimes, one man’s trash can be another man’s design centerpiece. Instead of covering up or relocating your kitchen trash can, you can even choose to keep it out of the open. Certain designer trash bins are styled in a way such that they’re not eyesores when kept in view.

You can play around with the different available options in terms of form, material, and color. Depending on the look you want your kitchen to have, the variations of designer trash bins are endless.

How Long Does a Bathroom Remodel Take?

By Andoni Centino

How long a complete remodel for a bathroom like this takes will depend on various factors. — unsplash.com / R ARCHITECTURE

Remodeling bathrooms can be a bit trickier than most other renovation jobs. Aside from the typical choices you have to make in terms of finishes and fixtures, bathrooms come with added complexities. You need to plan around plumbing lines, ventilation systems, waterproofing, and even the insulation in your bathroom.

Three to four weeks is typically how long a bathroom remodel will take. But it could easily take much longer depending on the size of the renovation, both in the amount of floor area and in the scope of work. Working with a larger bathroom or refurbishing every square inch of the space could easily double the construction time.

So if time is a factor in your bathroom remodel, here are some tips for minimizing the number of delays in construction or design.

The Design Phase

Planning the details of the bathroom renovation is an important first step. It begins with taking accurate measurements of your bathroom and laying everything out on paper. If you decide to hire a professional designer to help out, they typically draft up as-built drawings of the bathroom.

From there, you can make informed decisions on what you want to do with your space. The last thing you want to happen is to have weeks of delay in the construction process because you found out that the tub you purchased doesn’t fit your bathroom.

Don’t be afraid to take your time in designing and planning out the renovation. Study up on the basics of good bathroom design and familiarize yourself with basic plumbing concepts. Time spent doing so can save you time spent in construction by tenfold. And it costs you nothing.

The Construction Phase

When all major design decisions have been planned out and verified, that’s when actual construction works can begin. Most bathroom remodels follow these standard construction phases.

1. Demolition Works

You start with removing any old fixtures or materials that you’re looking to replace. For more significant remodeling cases, major demolition work might be required such as taking down walls.

Major demolition works involve a large amount of hauling out of debris and garbage. — unsplash.com / Stefan Lehner

This sets the framework for the rest of the construction phase. The less you decide to demolish, the less you need to rebuild. And the less you rebuild, the faster you finish.

2. Structural Elements

After demolition, the next step is to make sure that the structure of the bathroom is sound. Inspect any structural lumber and carpentry works that hold up your walls, flooring, and ceiling. Refurbish or replace any elements that need fixing.

If you live in a building, you need to be more mindful of not affecting any major structural elements. These are harder to alter or relocate because it affects more than just your bathroom.

3. Utilities

This step involves roughing in both the plumbing lines and electrical lines of the bathroom. If your final design requires moving any fixtures, the utility lines also need to be adjusted accordingly.

This is usually the step that requires some professional help. Depending on the laws in your area, you might need to hire professional plumbers and electricians for this part of the construction process.

4. Walls

Wall elements are typically made up of an inner core of insulation as well as adequate waterproofing which are then sandwiched between outer layers of drywall. The layers over that drywall can either be wall paint or bathroom tile, depending on the finish you want to apply. Putting up walls properly will help deal with moisture, humidity, and even unwanted noise pollution coming from your bathroom.

Be careful to use waterproof finish materials (i.e. bathroom tiles) on walls that are more likely to get water and moisture on them. The walls around your shower booth, for example, should always be waterproof.

5. Cabinetry

If you’re looking to install any built-in cabinetry in your new bathroom, this comes after the walls have been put up and finished. This includes any storage cabinets under your sink, wall-mounted shelves, and medicine cabinets.

Double-sink setups like in this bathroom give you the opportunity to have double the amount of under-sink storage space. — unsplash.com / Aaron Huber

6. Flooring

This step involves laying out and grouting the tiles in your refurbished bathroom. You could also opt to use materials other than tile in areas in the bathroom that are less likely to get wet.

You can play around not just with the type of flooring material for your bathroom you use but also with how you decide to lay your flooring out. Experiment with different types of patterns to see which one you like best.

7. Bathroom Accessories

The last step is the installation of bathroom accessories such as wall hooks, towel racks, soap dishes, and toilet paper holders. Your main focus is functionality but do not be afraid to consider different materials or finishes that suit the aesthetic you’re trying to achieve.

8. Inspection

Most local governments will require major bathroom renovation to be approved by professional inspectors before construction work can officially be considered finished. Inspections typically happen after utility lines are installed or relocated and after all remodeling work has been done.

Construction inspection will typically make or break the schedule of a renovation. — unsplash.com / Clem Onojeghuo

Remodel Within Your Means

The available budget is the main driving force for most design and construction decisions during renovations. Per square foot, the bathroom can easily be one of the more expensive rooms in the house in terms of materials, utilities, and cost of construction.

Being concerned with how long your bathroom remodel will take can also affect how expensive the renovation will be. If you’re unwilling to compromise on both schedule and budget, be prepared for lower-quality materials or labor.

There’s no way around it, the bigger your allotted budget is, the better the output will be and the sooner the turnaround.

DIY Labor

If you’re an avid and experienced DIY enthusiast, bathroom remodels can be a piece of cake. You decide on what parts of the bathroom you want to renovate, you purchase the materials, and you get to work. Maybe you can get a friend who can help with jobs that require more hands. And the best part is you don’t have to spend a cent on labor costs.

The only catch is – the amount of time you spend remodeling a bathroom on your own is directly proportional to your DIY experience and skill. In other words, if you’re a DIY beginner and have had no experience working on bathrooms, don’t even think about doing major remodeling in 4 weeks.

So take good stock of what you can and can’t do by yourself and don’t be afraid to hire extra help. It will save you a lot of effort and time.

Bathing in the Meantime

In the three to four weeks that the bathroom is being renovated, most bathroom activities will have to be done elsewhere. Bathing, showering, and using the toilet in the bathroom are all private and personal activities.

Prepare contingencies for the period that the bathroom is out of commission. If there are other bathrooms in the house, make do with those for the duration of the construction phase. If you have no other bathrooms, consider staying at a hotel or with a friend for a month. Having a gym membership is also quite useful since you’re able to use the gym bathroom facilities in the meantime.

Is a Month Enough?

It’s been mentioned at the start of this guide – expect to take more than double the amount of time initially estimate with larger remodeling projects. There can also be unplanned delays such as orders being delivered late or emergency workplace accidents.

But the important thing is to manage your renovation project properly, communicate with your hired professionals in a timely and thorough manner, and get your orders in on time.

Take the time to understand and internalize the concepts we’ve discussed. With a little bit of luck, you can minimize construction time and get your dream bathroom finished in a month.

How To Hide a Washer and Dryer in Your Kitchen

By Andoni Centino

Washers and dryers are must-have household staples with a fatal flaw – they’re just not that nice to look at. In homes that need to keep these appliances in their kitchen, this becomes a problem. A major design consideration is how to hide these big, unsightly boxes while still making sure they’re fully accessible when needed.

One common workaround is opting not to even have washers or dryers at home. Homeowners can use a laundry service or make regular visits to a local laundromat. But the budget and time costs of outsourcing the cleaning of dirty laundry eventually start to rack up.

So today, we’ll be looking at the different ways you can get a washer and dryer for your home and seamlessly integrate them into your kitchen space.

Location

A quick workaround to any washer and dryer placement problem is the careful planning of their locations. Both of these appliances are reliant on utility lines to function properly, so you’ll need to have a good understanding of the power, plumbing, and ventilation systems in your home. Here are a few of the best locations that can help hide your washer and dryer.

1. Bathroom

The bathroom is a common location for a washer and dryer. — unsplash.com / Point3D Commercial Imaging Ltd.

Perhaps it is cheating to suggest a place that isn’t a kitchen in an article that promises tips on how to hide a washer and dryer in a kitchen. But we would be remiss not to mention one of the most common alternatives to storing these appliances in a kitchen – placing them in a bathroom.

The main reason washers and dryers are placed in kitchens is their functional need to connect to a home’s water source, a sewer/drainage system, and adequate ventilation. The only other room in most households that have all three of these is none other than a bathroom.

Bathrooms are also tucked away more so than kitchens. It’s a perfect palace to hide a washer and a dryer.

2. Kitchen-Adjacent

Other good places to keep your laundry appliances are any service or storage rooms located right next to your kitchen. Since they share a wall with the kitchen, they also have the same access to the utility lines that service it.

Small rooms next to the kitchen make for perfect places to hide away your laundry appliances. — unsplash.com / Bayu Syaits

Most people have laundry rooms, even just small ones, that they place next to the kitchen for this very reason. Other choices include dedicated outdoor laundry spaces, garages, and basements adjacent to the kitchen space.

3. Walk-in Pantry

A quick way to conceal any unsightly kitchen tools, meal ingredients, and appliances is to make use of a walk-in pantry in your kitchen. Homeowners can choose to give up a few square feet of kitchen real estate for a dedicated pantry area.

Using a closed-off pantry means that you can hide anything you don’t want to be out in the open behind literally closed doors.

Coverings

When you’re working with a relatively small square footage of home space, you might not have much of a choice when it comes to picking out an ideal location for a washer and dryer. Or even in cases where they do have enough room, homeowners just might flat-out prefer the kitchen proper as a space to keep their home laundry appliances.

In these cases, the best way to hide them from view is to cover them up. There are a variety of options for this and all have their pros and cons to consider. Let’s take a look at some of the more common cover-ups.

1. Kitchen Cabinetry

Homeowners can choose to integrate their laundry appliances with the built-in cabinetry in their kitchen. A common practice is to cover up the washer and dryer with cabinet doors, bi-fold storage doors, and sliding doors.

This keeps the appliances accessible and ready to use and it lets you show off more of the gorgeous cabinet doors you decided to use for the kitchen.

2. Curtains

Some clearances might not be enough to accommodate extra cabinet doors for washers and dryers. Other times, the type of cabinet doors in a kitchen just can’t lend themselves to being used for a washer or dryer.

In cases like these, a well-placed curtain can be your best friend. They’re easier to open and close and they take up very little space, so they’re ideal ways to cover up appliances.

3. Kitchen Island

Well-placed kitchen islands are great covers for any unsightly kitchen appliances. — unsplash.com / Christian Mackie

With kitchens that use island counters, there’s typically a side that faces the rest of the house. The opposite side is hidden and can be accessed only by walking over to the working side of the kitchen. This is the perfect place to hide any unsightly kitchen appliances.

The kitchen island can serve not just as an effective solution to hide away a washer and dryer, but also as a design centerpiece for the kitchen.

Space-saving Workarounds

Washers and dryers aren’t compact appliances. They can take up to 5 square feet of floor area each. This can pose a big problem for more compact kitchen setups – even if there’s enough space to store both a washing machine and a dryer, they take up so much of the space that it’s almost impossible to cover them up.

In those types of situations, the best workaround is to find ways to cut back on how much space these appliances take up.

1. Just Washer

Using just a washing machine saves a ton of space in your kitchen. — unsplash.com / Lucie Morel

Homeowners can simply do away with having a dryer. You take away the need to accommodate an extra machine and you don’t have to worry about hooking a dryer up to the ventilation system. This makes it that much easier to hide the washing machine.

If you keep just a washing machine in your kitchen, you can choose to use whatever outdoor space you have to airdry your clothes. Homeowners with backyards or outdoor patios can use those for hanging and drying their laundry. Those in buildings might have balconies that they can utilize.

If there’s too much rain or snow in your area, modern bathroom technology from Japan makes use of ventilated and heated clothes dryers that function just as well as outdoor air drying. You can also opt to use a typical heater for the same function. Just make sure the humidity levels in your rooms won’t inadvertently promote the growth of molds.

2. 2-in-1

Some homeowners just can’t do without having a dryer. Another way to effectively half the required amount of space without having to get rid of a dryer is to make use of a combination washer and dryer. These machines essentially do both washing and drying of laundry.

The two main downsides to using a combination washer and dryer are the limited laundry capacity and the longer duration of a complete wash and dry cycle. But if you’re from a smaller household and you don’t have too much laundry to deal with regularly, then those are minor issues.

3. Stacked Appliances

Plenty of washer and dryer sets were made to be stacked on top of each other. — unsplash.com / Steven Ungermann

If you have a kitchen that has small square footage but a sufficiently high ceiling, you can always choose to stack your washing machine and dryer on top of each other. A lot of washer and dryer sets were specifically designed to be stacked.

This is a perfect way to still have the use of two dedicated appliances but also conserve some space to more effectively hide them from view.

How Long Does a Kitchen Remodel Take?

By Andoni Centino

A kitchen mid-remodel. — unsplash.com / immo RENOVATION

Kitchen renovations are daunting tasks. Picking out a new look and feel of a space is one thing, but function-heavy areas like a kitchen require a much more involved design process. You need to think about utilities, storage space, and your construction schedule. So how long does it take to completely remodel a kitchen?

On average, a complete kitchen remodel will take 2-3 months, but that always depends on many factors. You might need closer to double that amount of time for more significant renovations, where you might need to take down a wall or two, rearrange utility lines, and completely replace all furnishings and fixtures. If mostly cosmetic, where you repaint the walls, replace the tiles, or maybe install some brand new appliances, it may take less than a month.

So before you start remodeling your kitchen, here are a few factors you should consider to minimize construction time.

Budget

The first thing you need to think about is the cost. This dictates almost all other aspects of the remodel. Are you willing to pay for designers and contractors or would you rather take care of it yourself? Are you looking to pay everything out of pocket or are you looking to avail of a construction loan? What kind of changes can you afford with the remodel?

At this point, you should familiarize yourself with the Iron Triangle. Good, Fast, Cheap – pick two.

If you’re working with a tighter budget, expect the kitchen remodel to either be fast or cheap. But it can rarely be all three.

DIY Remodeling

There are two phases to any kitchen renovation: the planning phase and the construction phase. For either of those, you can decide to work with industry professionals or you can try to go down the DIY route.

Seasoned DIY homeowners have a big advantage. They have the skills and the know-how to undertake major renovations by themselves almost as well as professionals can. They’re able to minimize the costs of construction as well as the timeframe of the process while also being sure of the quality of the finished work.

Doing complete kitchen remodels DIY will usually take longer since there are simply fewer hands on deck. Some may say that working alone does away with unnecessary back-and-forth and so that helps them finish things faster. But the bigger the project, the less that’s likely to make a difference.

For DIY novices, it is highly recommended to hire kitchen remodeling professionals if you’re planning a complete and major renovation. And especially if it matters how long the kitchen remodeling would take. It’s a big enough project that basic kitchen renovation experience should be mandatory. There are other simpler projects for beginners to try so they can first get the hang of DIY remodeling.

Professional Designers

Designers offer their experience and sense of style. — unsplash.com/ Christina Morillo

Commissioning kitchen designers can seem to be initially pricey, both in time and money. But if you’re working with seasoned professionals, you avoid making costly mistakes that eventually have to get fixed. Having them with you during the design process eliminates a lot of the guesswork that comes with planning a design yourself. Especially for first-time kitchen remodelers, this gives you peace of mind during the whole remodeling process.

If you do decide to work with dedicated designers for the planning phase, expect to add an extra month before actual construction starts.

Professional Contractors

Kitchen contractors have a huge effect on how long a kitchen remodel takes. — unsplash.com / Annie Gray

The actual construction phase of the kitchen remodel can either be done by hired contractors or by the homeowner wishing to try out DIY. The DIY route saves a lot of money, but it is important to assess your initial skill level and experience before jumping on that train. You might end up spending more trying to fix your construction mistakes.

Almost always, hiring contractors will get the job done quickly and properly, but it will probably cost quite a bit more than if you decided to take on the job yourself.

Unavailable Kitchen

A bulk of remodeling jobs have to do with the finishes of the room. This means that homeowners are still able to use essential kitchen appliances and fixtures needed for cooking and cleaning. So it won’t be like the kitchen will be unavailable for use the whole time it’s being remodeled.

On average, kitchens will be out of commission for 6 weeks with larger remodeling projects. So plan your daily meals accordingly for that period. And if you can, ask your contractor to prioritize giving you a temporary space with access to a sink, a portable stove or microwave, and a refrigerator. So you don’t have to keep ordering takeout for a whole month and a half.

Minimizing Delays

In preventing delays, it’s essential to plan as thoroughly as you can and to avoid big design changes mid-construction. Make the necessary material orders on time, and keep clear communication lines with all professionals involved in the remodel. Staying on top of a project like this gets you done as quickly as possible without major incidents or issues.

Here are a few things to keep in mind for a kitchen remodel that would affect construction time:

1. Layout

Take note of the basic kitchen work triangle. This divides the kitchen into three different zones: storage, wet work, and cooking. This means that you should note where your refrigerator, your sink, and your cooking range are located relative to each other.

If they’re not too far or too near each other, then the workflow in your current kitchen layout works as is. No need to change anything up. If it doesn’t work, however, a lot of planning has to go into figuring out a better layout. And inevitably, that also means it would take longer to remodel the space.

2. Plumbing Fixtures

It’s usually a bit intimidating to homeowners when they have to rework their plumbing. Unfortunately, remodeling a kitchen means you have to deal with the plumbing connected to kitchen fixtures and appliances.

In cases where the owners decide not to move around any of the existing fixtures, it is still necessary to be aware of where the current pipes are laid. Remodeling and rearranging counters and cabinets in a kitchen might interfere with an existing water line.

A burst pipe is a surefire way of making your kitchen remodel take longer to finish.

3. Appliances and Lighting

Kitchen appliances need dedicated power sources or connections to water supply and sewage lines. Some, like a dishwasher, need both. Take note of all the requirements of the kitchen appliances you plan on using and make sure they’re all met.

Kitchen lighting defines the space. — unsplash.com / Zac Gudakov

The same goes for all the lighting fixtures you wish to install. The perfect placement for that pendant lamp that you want to use for your kitchen island might not have enough space for a power supply.

Make thorough notes and measurements even before you start remodeling to minimize construction time.

4. Ventilation

The relocation of ovens, cooktops, and range hoods has a big impact on the kitchen. Always keep in mind that the ventilation systems for these are set up so that they transfer out all the smoke and smells from your kitchen to the outside. Be aware of how these vents are set up and what you would like to do with them when remodeling.

Additionally, make sure you have an adequate amount of fresh air coming in through operable windows in your kitchen. Adding new windows is a big part of most kitchen renovations.

5. Storage and Countertops

How many cabinets do you need to store everything in your kitchen? Will they be over the counter, under, or both? What kind of material do you want to use for your countertops?

These are just a few questions you need to ask yourself when remodeling your kitchen. Take note of how much space you need for your kitchen’s storage and pantry.

Cabinet and countertop materials defines a kitchen's feel. — unsplash.com / Sidekix Media

Kitchen cabinets and countertops, for the most part, dictate the look and feel of a kitchen more than any other elements. So you’ll also need to carefully plan out the material finishes and hardware you’ll be using. More often than not, countertops and cabinetry are custom-made and take the longest to order and install.

How Long Will It Take?

So can you completely remodel your kitchen in three months? Only if you’re willing to put in the work. But with all that we’ve covered in this article, you might be thinking that there are quite a lot of things to consider when remodeling a kitchen.

Taking your time to think about these thoroughly and carefully doesn’t cost anything. And doing so will ultimately save you money, labor, and overall construction time when you actually do decide to push through with the renovation.

So use the information in this article to do thorough research on how you want to remodel your kitchen. Hire the right professionals, be decisive with your choices, and you’ll have your dream kitchen in no time.