When it comes to your home, selecting the materials you use during a renovation can be overwhelming. There are so many choices available to you! Not only do you need to narrow down the selection, but you must live with your decisions day in, and day out.
When it comes to your home, selecting the materials you use during a renovation can be overwhelming. There are so many choices available to you! Not only do you need to narrow down the selection, but you must live with your decisions day in, and day out.
All you know is you want your kitchen renovation to be the best that it can be… and we agree! When it comes to your kitchen renovation materials selection, there can be several questions that come to mind.
While none of these questions are complex, they do require consideration. However, if you’re working with Hammerdown, you know that you can lean on the expertise of our entire team – from design-build contractors to our interior designers. So, if you have any questions about the kitchen renovation materials you should use as part of your kitchen design – you’ve come to the right place!
First up, what factors should you consider when selecting your kitchen renovation materials? Remember, your kitchen is a daily-use, high-traffic part of your home. If you’re like us, your kitchen is the heart of your home – where you entertain family and friends, prepare meals for loved ones, and spend quality time.
However, these days, your kitchen is likely doing double or triple duty. It may be your home-school space, arts and crafts or puzzle room, and part-time home office. As your number one guiding principle when selecting your kitchen renovation materials – be true to what your needs are from your home.
Some of our top picks for factors that can help your kitchen design material selection process are:
Now that you have the important factors in mind, you might be wondering how in the world you’ll make these decisions for yourself. Keep reading and we’ll touch on what you can do to ensure you get the right materials for your kitchen renovation.
One of the most important factors when considering which kitchen renovation materials you select is your budget. The price variance is almost as massive as the options available to you in the first place. But when it comes to your home renovation, how do you know the best place to spend more or save? Here are our best tips, and how you can get the guidance you need.
They will be able to help show you where it makes sense to spend more. You can help them by being forthcoming with your lifestyle needs, style preferences, and available budget (we can get creative with smaller budgets!)
More expensive doesn’t necessarily mean more durable, functional, beautiful, or better. Sometimes, it just means it costs more. Your interior designer will be able to guide you and suggest materials and options you might not even know exist. Ask for their opinion and, if you did your due diligence before hiring your interior designer, trust their judgement.
One of the most important aspects of any kitchen renovation is cabinetry and storage. There truly are countless options and combinations available to you, so it’s good if you can do some preliminary research. Start narrowing down your style preferences by looking at popular websites like Instagram or Pinterest, flip through renovation or interior design magazines, or browse your renovation company’s website.
Generally speaking, there are 3 common styles of cabinet doors – slab (flat panel), shaker, and raised panel. Each type of cabinet door inherently leans to a particular style on a scale from modern to classic to traditional.
After you’ve decided on the style, material, and finish of your kitchen cabinets, you’ll want to pair them with a countertop.
When you aren’t sure which countertop material to select, we typically recommend either natural stone (most commonly granite or quartzite) or quartz. They both have similar price ranges, but each with benefits and drawbacks. Once we know a bit about your lifestyle, we can help match the countertop material that will be best for you.
However, that’s not to say you can’t select another type of material. Granite and quartz will always be in demand as safe bets for their quality and durability. But feel free to explore other natural stone products or some less common materials, such as the following:
Similar to the popularity of granite and quartz for countertops, is the rise of luxury vinyl plank (LVP) or luxury vinyl tile (LVT). Either of these can be a great option as a kitchen flooring material. Luxury vinyl materials have been increasing in popularity due to:
The classic option – hardwood; is available in solid and engineered construction. Solid hardwood tends to be more prone to moisture fluctuations but provides the most longevity. Engineered wood is great for our climate, but is limited in its ability to be altered in the future. Both are less water resistant than luxury vinyl, but hardwood will age better over time. The appeal of hardwood is both in the warmth it brings to a space and how it feels underfoot. You can always refinish your hardwood floors if they are starting to show wear over time.
Tile or natural stone floors will always remain popular for their durability. However, due to our climate, if you’re installing tile or stone, you may want to also invest in in-floor heat. Even without heating your floors, tile or natural stone is usually the most expensive option. Due both to the cost of the materials, but also as it is the most labour-intensive installation.
Finally, you may consider cork, which is a very soft and comfortable material to stand on but easily damaged. Cork floors have many of the same benefits of hardwood, but without the durability. We tend to stay away from cork flooring in kitchens unless your home is very low-traffic.
While it might not have been initially high on your list of things to consider, lighting is an essential part of your kitchen renovation materials selection. Lighting your home properly can be the difference between a “good renovation” or a “great renovation” – lighting really delivers you the “wow” factor.
There are too many fixture options to list, but your interior designer should help you narrow selections based on your preferred style. However, they should also help you create a lighting plan to illuminate your space appropriately.
You likely already have “custom backsplash tile” in your mind as a kitchen renovation material must-have. It’s a great way to add a pop of colour, introduce a pattern, or accent with a touch of natural material. However, the most important function of the backsplash is that it protects your walls from wear and tear. Therefore, the selection of material should suit your lifestyle, while also considering the best compliment for your countertop that meshes with the style of your cabinetry and flooring. Ideally, your backsplash is a crucial selection that should help tie your kitchen space together, not divide it.
If you’re feeling adventurous, some other backsplash materials are:
You’ve heard us mention “durability” and “high traffic” in this article, but perhaps, there is no higher traffic touchpoint in your kitchen than the sink area. With the constant splashing of water, and as the hub for cleaning it will see many bumps and scratches from heavy pots and pans – you’ll want to ensure the durability of the materials you select.
Your interior designer can help recommend brands and styles of faucets that are more durable than others. As for the sink itself, farmhouse-style sinks and under-mounted sinks have surged in popularity due to their functionality and practicality.
Whatever you decide, spending a bit more on your sink setup now can actually save you dollars over the long term. If you opt for inexpensive now, it will often mean the fixtures were constructed of lower-quality materials and components. If this is the case, it’s likely your sink and faucet will need to be replaced long before your stone or quartz countertops. It can be difficult to retrofit a sink into hard surface countertops, as they are custom cut and polished to spec.
While your priority when selecting a sink and faucet should be practicality and durability, these must be stylish too. You can rest easy here as brands offering high quality are also on the leading edge of in-demand styles. Consider how mixing the metal finishes of these fixtures, along with your cabinet hardware, appliances, and lighting can create a stimulating combination that stirs up your home’s appeal!
If you have your mind (and heart) set on a specific renovation material – just talk to us! We’re here to help you get what you want from your home. We’ll do our best to help you source the material, and of course, take care of the logistics and installation.
Another note is to not overlook your kitchen appliances, especially if you plan to purchase new ones. While not necessarily considered kitchen renovation materials, your appliances can be a large part of your renovation budget and often aren’t included in project pricing (as they vary so widely). However, when the time comes to shop for your appliances, we’ll have discussed what options to look for so they’ll fit with the design plan for your kitchen. Keep us informed on your selections as we look to match colours, materials, and finishes to your appliances. We’ll also need the dimensions of your appliances when we order your cabinetry, to ensure a perfect fit.
At the top, we said kitchen renovation materials can become overwhelming! In this article, we’ve just begun to scratch the surface. The good news is we work through the process with you – our interior designers and design-build team are incredibly knowledgeable – to help make this as fun and smooth a project as possible.
Let us take the stress and strain of decisions off your plate. Contact us and request your interior design consultation, or book your meeting to discuss your kitchen renovation directly on our website.
At the beginning of the year, I often see home contracting companies offering advice on the latest trends in home renovations. While it’s important to be aware of trends in interior design and house remodelling, one shouldn’t get too caught up in the most recent trending product – as next year, it might be trending in the opposite direction.
Read More
If you plan to renovate your basement and live in Winnipeg, our basement renovation guide is a must-read – before you start your project. We’ll share some of our client’s most common questions when creating their projects, along with other tips and ideas.
Read More
At the top of the wish list for many of our clients in Winnipeg and the surrounding area is redesigning their kitchen. As part of their larger kitchen renovation project, they want to see improvements in functionality and efficiency.
Read More
