*I dedicate this post to my friend Marianno and the family, my long time customers. I congratulate Marianno on nuptials and wish him and his bride Maria many years of happiness, love and prosperity.
In my years working in the industry, I came across a phenomenon which I have come to call “first time over”. It pertains to families moving from small apartments into houses or larger condos and first time remodelers. There are many aspects to this ….. “tendency”, but I’ll concentrate just on three.
1. Over research. In this age when all the research can be done on the phone or a tablet, people tend to overwhelm themselves with information. From contradicting blogs, to consumer reports, to décor publications, there are just too many choices. At European kitchen Center we offer close to a thousand of finishes, but after short interview with the buyer, we steer our clients to what is the most suitable to their space, style and budget.
2. Over planning. During your research, you see pictures of the kitchens with huge multi-level islands accommodating seating of 20, with stacked wall cabinetry going to the sky, opening to the terrace with an ocean view. You want your kitchen to look like that, but your kitchen is 10×12’ with ceiling height of 8’ opening into (if you are lucky) backyard with view of brick wall. Sometimes kitchen is just a kitchen and there is not enough room for an island with seating, bar area and the “dance floor”. Make a decision on what’s the most important (ample storage, plenty of counter space, eat-in area), prioritize your wants and convey this to us. At European Kitchen Center, we are trained and experienced in proper space allocation for elements, sizing and traffic flows.
3. Over gadgeting. After cooking on 24” range and storing food in small apartment refrigerator, some customers spend disproportionate amount of their remodel budget on appliances. They want (in their mind a must have) a professional grade range, huge refrigerators, speed ovens, steam ovens and double ovens. These appliances will not make you a better cook, you will not master new cuisines, and you will not be hosting dinner parties every week. Buy appliances suited for your family. Refrigerator should store enough food to last for few days and be replenished at least twice a week. For most cooks a 30” range will suffice. On the rare occasion that you want to grill, use an iron grill pan. There is an easy way to steam a broccoli without steam oven and $10.00 bottle of wine does not belong in a $2,000.00 wine cooler. At European Kitchen Center we assist our clients in selecting modern materials, contemporary finishes, appliances to be used and/or installed. There is going to be plenty of leftover money get some cooking lessons.
My advice to new owners, pick a kitchen professional with whom you are comfortable and let him/her guide you through this process. And don’t forget, we are not only a kitchen professionals, but also a clients.