Kitchen Remodels in the Post Pandemic World
Finally a breath of fresh air! Pandemic restrictions are falling away, restaurants are opening back up to full capacity, and the construction world is moving forward at full tilt. With this long awaited return to normalcy we are also met with many new and difficult challenges. The sudden and intense wave of new construction coupled with labor and material shortages has caused prices to spike and lead times to stretch out and seem almost endless. Many of us over the last year have spent considerably more time than usual in our homes and in our own kitchen and many of us will be looking to work more from home in the future which means it is time to update that eye sore to something more functional and enjoyable to live and work in.
Updating a kitchen in today’s environment can seem a little bit daunting, but there is hope! The trick is to be picky about the materials that you are using in your remodel. While we have watched the price of lumber products such as plywood and certain solid wood products soar, other products like Laminates have hardly budged at all. There are many different forms of Laminate products that can be used as very durable cabinet materials. Many of us have seen Thermofoil products which have long been a budget option for apartments and low income housing, and in many cases given laminate a bad name, but superior laminate products such as TSS (Thermal Structured Surface) are fast becoming the go to for high end kitchen designs. TSS provides an extremely durable and easy to maintain surface that will stay beautiful for the life of the cabinet while not breaking the bank.
TSS materials are thermally fused to the substrate rather than glued like more tradition forms of plastic laminate. This provides a surface that is much more resistant to delamination that has been so prevalent in traditional laminated materials. TSS also comes in many beautiful colors that compliment a variety of different design tastes and can be mixed and matched with other materials to create many different styles. So whether your taste is Rustic or Contemporary, Transitional or Mid-century Modern, TSS could be an option to help you achieve the kitchen of your dreams.
Another option to help you stick to your budget and time line this year is to focus on spending your money on things that will be difficult to change later or on one option that you can’t live without. For example, focus on just replacing your island cabinets with something that will stand out and will be centerpiece of your kitchen now and in the future. While you’re at it, add that pop-up mixer cabinet that you have been dreaming about to make your kitchen experience feel all the more VIP. Often times the addition of a simple innovative storage solution is all it takes to change your time in the kitchen from a grumble to grin. There are all sorts of options to help you take better advantage of the space in your kitchen. From the simple roll trays in your pantry to the hands free Servo-Driven Garbage can pull out, the options are endless.
Check out the videos below to see what your kitchen has been desperately missing!
– Nathan S. & Chelsea H., Moscow Design Center Pros
