As one of Montreal’s leading designer of custom kitchens, Cuisine Nuenza knows how stressful a custom kitchen renovation experience can be if you haven’t prepared for it to the extent that you should. Homeowners, who did not realize that the kitchen is the heart of the home, certainly do so when they begin the renovation process. Each custom kitchen renovation project is unique. The duration of the project will be different if you are replacing existing cabinets or if you are putting down new floors, adding new lights and changing the actual physical plan of the room. Depending on the type of project, your kitchen renovation might take between couple of days to couple of weeks. As such, we’ve compiled some tips on how to both prepare and survive a kitchen renovation with ease:
1) Prepare meals in advance
If you estimate that your custom kitchen renovation will take about 1.5 weeks, you can prepare your meals in advance and have them frozen for later use. Make sure you can unfreeze, thaw and reheat your meals in your microwave or oven (if you’re able to move it to a separate location in your home, which we mention in tip #3).
2) Establish a prep area
Designate a particular area of your home as the main prep area for meals and dining. Our clients often use the family room for this. Move over the family room furniture and establish a space where you can dine, brew coffee and prep meals for the family. Foldable tables are a great option for the meal prep and coffee brewing location. Since you will most likely not be able to have access to your kitchen sink during the renovations, it is important to plan ahead about where you are going to wash your produce and clean everything after each meal.
3) Relocate your appliances
Now that you’ve established a temporary prep area, you can move over your oven, fridge and microwave to this area as well (if possible). This way you can continue to use the appliances during the kitchen renovation that will provide some ease during the experience.
In case you can’t relocate your appliances and you don’t have access to a stove you can still be able to prepare meals. You might be surprised to know that there are many delicious and simple recipes that you can prepare without the use of a stove.
4) Keep only the essentials
As your kitchen cabinets and general kitchen space will be off-limits during this period, you will need to keep only the most essential utensils and cookware. The rest will need to be packed up and placed in storage. Most pots, pans and cutlery will need to be stored away. You can also use this opportunity to review your kitchen accessories and dispose of any unneeded or broken items.
5) Increase plastic cutlery
Considering that you will most likely not have access to your dishwasher, it is important to have a sufficient amount of disposable plates, cups and cutlery to accommodate your everyday meals.
6) Bring out the BBQ
Now that spring has arrived and summer is on the way, it’s time to pull out your BBQ. During periods of warm weather, the BBQ can be a lifesaver. This is surely one way to cook up a delicious meal while your kitchen is being renovated.
7) Go small and convenient
Last but not least, make sure that the appliances you use are small and based on convenience. Toaster ovens and slow cookers can be of great value during a time of complete kitchen redesign. It is also advised that you plan your meals according to the smaller appliances available to you. To boil water you can use a plug-in kettle then place it to the side once you’re done with it. Sandwich presses are incredibly practical for quick and filling meals as well.
We know how stressful all of this may sound but there’s no need to fret. Follow these guidelines and be sure to stay organized. We guarantee that it will all be worth it.
Do you have any questions regarding a custom kitchen renovation? Our trained experts at Cuisine Nuenza can help!
If you are considering having your kitchen remodeled this season or have any questions regarding the matter, we invite you to contact us for a free consultation. Don’t forget to visit our kitchen showroom for an array of sample kitchen cabinets, backsplash and countertop materials, flooring options, and many avant-garde kitchen accessories. We also invite you to visit and follow us on our Houzz, Facebook, Pinterest and Google+ profiles.