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They say the most important room in a house is the kitchen. It's where families gather to socialize while dinner is being made. It's where the host chats with the guests as hors d'oeuvres are being prepped. It's the new living room for most homes.

But the average age of U.S. homes is over 30 years old. And back before the 80's, the kitchen wasn't so "central" to American life. And many of those kitchens are small.

Very small.

Kitchens of a few hundred square feet are common everywhere. It wasn't until the late eighties and early nineties that kitchens (and homes) started to get much larger.

Are you stuck with a small kitchen? There are ways to help remodel a small kitchen to make it seem bigger, but you can only slap so much paint on a pig before you realize it's still going to be a pig. You might want to consider a kitchen addition project.

When most people think of a home addition, they think of adding a second story, a bedroom, or a another bathroom. But kitchen additions are growing in popularity. Homeowners want the extra room they see on the TV shows and in the magazines. They want more counter space, more storage space, more eating area, and more room to entertain. And more than one amateur chef out there would like more and larger state-of-the art appliances in their kitchens.

First Step - Kitchen Addition Design
So, if you're considering a kitchen expansion project, you'll need to first start by planning.

Write down the pros and cons of adding on to your existing kitchen. Write down your specific needs - why you need more space, what you want included in your kitchen renovation, what your budget will be, etc. The more you know, the more you can discuss with your kitchen addition contractor. Great planning means there will be fewer surprises and you'll be happy with the finished project.

Decide how you want to expand the kitchen. Most kitchens are located at the back of a house. This means you'll more than likely be expanding into your backyard or side yard. Do you have the room? What will be in your way? Do you know where your property stops and where your neighbor's begins?

Write out these things and talk to a home addition contractor so you know what can or can't be done.

Second Step - Your Kitchen Addition Project
If you're going to try to live in your home during the kitchen expansion process, be prepared for inconvenience. You should move all your appliances to another room to set up, like a dining room. You won't have a sink, but you'll have your fridge and microwave for meals.

Expect a mess. Opening up your kitchen and expanding it out into your yard will cause dust, debris, new materials and old waste to pile up in and around your house.

To save some money, you might consider doing a lot of the demolition yourself. Just don't knock down any supporting walls, especially if you're expanding out. You can remove drywall, old cabinets, countertops, flooring and any fixtures in the room. Save what you'll use in your new kitchen. You can request a dumpster be sent to your home to throw all the remodeling waste in.

Third Step - Enjoy Your Larger Kitchen!
After your kitchen contractor is done with adding on to your new kitchen, go over everything to make sure you're satisfied with the work. Take before and after pictures and test all the fixtures and appliances to make sure they work before you make that final payment.

If you want to start a kitchen addition project, make sure to get multiple quotes. Talk to more than one home addition company to ensure you're getting the best price. You can be skeptical on the lowest bid - sometimes they have to cut too many corners to complete the job at a certain cost. Don't accept any bid from a contractor that doesn't come to your house to see the scope of the project.

To find quality kitchen addition pros in your area, submit a request to ConstructionDeal.com. We'll get you 4 quotes in the same day. There's no cost and no obligation to hire anyone. It's a fast, free way to find kitchen addition specialists.

Labels: Kitchen Addition, Kitchen Expansion

It’s that time of year; fresh flowers, new dresses, and of course... spring cleaning!

For those of us who are willing to do a little more than just straighten the house or wash the windows, it's probably time to repaint some rooms to both brighten and freshen the house.

Repainting even just one room of the house can help change your perspective of space and flow especially when you cannot stand the bland, white bathroom or the bright red dining room.

The big question is which color?

Hot Trends in Home Interior Color
The good news about paint color trends is that they tend to survive the decade they were created, unlike say... Uggs with miniskirts or those bright Kanye West glasses your teenager sported last year.

So what is in now?

The safe bets this year are natural, earth-inspired tones.

Elegance and luxury have been abandoned when the economy tumbled and have been replaced with sensibility and cultural awareness.

Respect for nature and fundamental human values are reflected in these popular paint color choices.

The first color trend in color is natural and pure, inspired by the goal to use natural or green products in all aspects of our lives. Light and shadow define the color trend through all shades of gray with faint accents of green and blue to represent earth and sky as well as tones of beige.

The next major trend in paint color is avoiding themes of Italian villas or French country cottages or modern nihilism. People are staying home more, bonding with family, and enjoying the natural beauty of their homes and neighborhoods. Changes of seasons continues to motivate homeowners to want to bring their outdoors inside. The trend for those Earth-friendly colors is as strong as ever.

The hot colors are warm yellows, oranges and greens as well as rich browns, bronzes and coppers to express the same tones, but still taking them... just a bit farther. The increased saturation of colors pushes the envelope.

Interior designers are seeing home owners taking chances with darker greens, blues and oranges with lighter blues and browns reflecting a soothing yet textured, serene tone.

Looking for something brighter and bolder?

The last major trend is influenced by the individual in an international world, therefore drawing on vivid and dramatic shades to create an unexpected palette.

Bright red, mango orange, yellow, lime green and regal purple along with many shades of blue, and even black and pink make for some exciting choices. It requires a braver soul but these are not your bright royal blues, neon greens, or blue-ish reds that the thrill-seeking homeowner has gone after in the past.

The recommended shades by interior designers and home stagers for interior, public spaces come primarily from the natural palette with beige, pale gray-blues and olives, smoky blues (to make white fixtures pop), and solid grays (great for painting over bright shades) being the favorites.

For children or rooms you want to add your personality to, deeper greens, silver grays or pumpkin are encouraged.

These colors are not overwhelming, cover up flaws, and make rooms look purposeful, airy and large; even in rooms without much sunlight.

Ready to paint your rooms?
It can be a big task. Preparation is the key to any quality painting project. Play with your personal color palette and sample paint colors on the wall before you buy in bulk or make any decisions. Better safe than sorry.

Look for low or no VOC paints because they emit no smells or other harmful gases that cut into your indoor air quality while painting and drying.

Mix up all the colors into one big bucket for larger paint jobs. Just in case there's a color difference, mixed all together, everything will match.

Remove all the outlet covers, heat registers, and lighting fixtures. You can tape them up, but it's easier to remove and not have to worry about them. Move furniture to the middle of the room, cover everything, and tape off edges.

Sound like too much work? At ConstructionDeal.com, we'll match you to local painting contractors who can handle your projects. There's no cost and no obligation to hire any of our quality painting companies. Simply submit a project and get 4 quotes fast. It's that easy.

Labels: Painting Contractors, Painting Trends, Popular Paint Colors