Renovations
Selecting Appliances
If new appliances are part of your project, put some thought into what features you find appealing, and requirements for your lifestyle. Take the time to visit appliance showrooms – you will be amazed at how much variety there is in all major appliances. Remember that new appliances must be part of your budget. Some questions to ask yourself are as follows:
Cooking appliances
- Range or cooktop/wall oven combination
- Gas, electric, or dual fuel
- Size of cooking surface, number of burners
- Single or double oven
Ventilation
- Vented outside or recirculating
- Range hood or over range microwave
- Visible vent or hidden hood in cabinetry
- Amount of air flow required
Microwave
- Built-in or freestanding
- Is an over range microwave beneficial
- Should it have a convection feature
Dishwasher
- Size 18 or 24 inches
- Noise level - open concept kitchens need a quieter dishwasher
- Built-in or integrated (hidden)
- Standard door or dishwasher drawers
- 1 or 2? 2 Dishwashers is a popular trend right now
Refrigerator
- Freezer on the bottom
- French doors
- Capacity (cubic feet)
- Would a shallower appliance enhance your kitchen?
- Ice maker or water dispenser
Key Takeaways
- If you are thinking of a gas range you will need a dedicated range hood above.
- Be reasonable with the size of the appliances you are selecting- large appliances in a small room always feel out of place. Similarly, if you aren’t going to use that 42” range to its potential, you may find better functionality by sticking with 30” and adding another cabinet.
- It is easy to get carried away with appliances. Remember that every dollar you spend on appliances is a dollar less to spend on other parts of the project.
- Being prepared will help you in the selection process and will help your designer to do their job. Without knowing your appliances, it is not possible for us to create accurate renderings of your room.
- Projects cannot go into production until your appliance selection is finalized.
