Simple Recipe for a Successful Home Remodeling Project
Have a Dream, Make a Plan, Select the Right Products.
A brighter, airier kitchen. A more practical mudroom. A warm and
inviting family room. Pick a home remodeling project to tackle this
season and you’ll be in good company. Every summer, millions of
people head off to their favorite home improvement store to get
started with their home makeover project. But, before you go shopping,
it’s important to have a game plan. Here are three tips to ensure
that you’ll be happier and save money with your remodeling project
-- no matter how big or small:
Have a dream
With new innovations in product design, your dream -- or at
least part of it -- may be closer to coming true than you think.
If you’ve longed to replace that old vinyl floor with wood but couldn’t
afford it, you can give your existing home a timber-style makeover
using affordable, easy-care materials such as laminate flooring
with the look and texture of real wood grain. Or, if you’ve fantasized
about cooking in a Tuscan-inspired kitchen, you can update your
countertops using durable high-pressure laminate with the look and
texture of Italian granite or stone.
The key is to dream big and plan from there. You’ll be pleasantly
surprised to find that you can have the look of real stone, granite
or wood with more affordable, hard-to-tell-the-difference, man-made
products.
Make a plan
Familiarize yourself with the newest remodeling trends and start
working your dream into a design theme. According to design trend
expert Reneé Hytry, today’s home makeovers are reflecting our desire
for comfort and familiarity. As vice president of design for Formica
Corporation, Hytry ensures the company brings trend-right high-pressure
laminate, solid surfacing and flooring materials to market.
“Homeowners are creating amazing rooms using natural-looking materials
with contrasting colors and textures. These design trends, combined
with innovative technologies, are allowing them to do more with
their interiors than ever before,” says Hytry.
For example, if you’re investing in sleek, stainless steel appliances
for your kitchen, you can trade off the cost of real granite countertops
with an affordable, easy-care laminate.
Select the right products
Do your homework, because remodeling is not an “I’ll know it
when I see it” proposition. Spend some quality time flipping through
magazines, viewing home remodeling shows, visiting Web sites (such
as formica.com) and collecting ideas before walking into the store.
Determine whether you will do all of the remodeling or hire a contractor
to manage part of it. Your decision will be based on the level of
difficulty of the product installation, the budget and your time
to invest in the project. Then, make your shopping list -- noting
items that require a major investment, as well as practical materials
that provide the look you want, yet keep you on budget.
With man-made materials incorporating more sophisticated designs
and offering high-end looks for moderate budgets, today’s homeowners
are selecting familiar styles and mixing them with natural materials.
- High-Pressure Laminate (HPL) -- Today, the classic countertop
surfacing comes in new trendy colors, patterns and finishes. Formica
brand laminates have a new granite- and stone-inspired “Etchings”
finish available. Its softly polished and etched surface is reminiscent
of natural materials dappled with highlights from tiny fractures
and fissures.
- Solid Surfacing -- When you are searching for the look and
feel of natural materials with the strength and design flexibility
of a synthetic solid surface, there are many new products available
-- from countertops and windowsills to wall panels and backsplashes.
Trendy “Ice” designs from Formica Solid Surfacing capture the
cool colors of water and combine the transparency of glass with
subtle pearlescent shimmers.
- Flooring -- Take a close look at different flooring manufacturers’
laminate wood plank and tile pattern designs. These days, it’s
tougher than ever to separate laminate flooring from the real
thing. Formica Flooring’s 3D In-Register Embossing technology
actually matches textures to wood grains, so where you see a knot
in the pattern, you’ll feel it in the texture.
The same holds true for tile patterns. More realistic grout lines,
hand-crafted-looking textures and natural-appearing finishes make
them convincing, high-performing substitutes for stone and tile.
Finally, make sure you are happy with your color scheme and product
selections. “Making the final purchase is an emotional decision,
and consumers need to feel satisfied with their design choices,”
says Hytry.
Once you’re in the store, check out the product displays and lay
out all of the products you’ve selected to see how they blend together.
Work with the sales representative to make sure your “shopping list”
has everything you need. Ask for directions on installing the products,
as well as a demonstration. And don’t be afraid to ask for product
samples that you can take home and see how they look in your room
and with different lighting. Once you’re satisfied with the selections,
it’s time to begin the room transformation.
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