Bathrooms and kitchens are neck and neck for the most common remodeling jobs people undertake. Kitchen and bath remodeling is more common than ever. There are many reasons one might want to remodel a kitchen. Your reason may be among the following:

• Create more counter space
• Change the look that has gone a bit stale
• Increase the resale value by adding equity

All of these reasons are good. But these days, the main reason might have to do with modernization. A kitchen can make a home feel more dated than it is, or more modern than it is depending on how it is appointed. We almost never hear of bedroom or living room remodels. Though arguably, we spend more time in those rooms than the kitchen. But when it is time to modernize the place, the kitchen is where we usually start. Here are a few sensible tips on how to modernize yours:

“When it is time to modernize

the home, the kitchen is

where we usually start.”

Cabinets

For whatever reason, they really love their modern kitchens in Silicon Valley. So if you take note of the best kitchen cabinets San Francisco, CA has to offer, you will be apprised of the latest trends and technology available today.

One of those trends is eco-friendliness. It is not just about choosing pleasing styles at an affordable price. It is also about selecting cabinets made from sustainable, environmentally friendly materials. We don’t have to deforest protected habitats of endangered species to achieve the perfect look.

Speaking of the perfect look, nothing addresses the aesthetics of a kitchen like the cabinets. Up high and in plain view, the cabinets are the first thing you see in the kitchen. And if you have one of those popular open floor plans for entertaining, the cabinets affect the look of the whole house. So before looking into any other improvements, take a long, hard look at your cabinets.

Energy Efficiency

Another aspect of eco-friendliness is energy efficiency. You can save money by going green and plugging the energy leaks. And the place in your kitchen that leaks the most energy is your stovetop. With a traditional electric coil and a pot that does not completely cover the element, you are losing more than half your efficiency. Gas stovetops don’t fare much better. Putting it succinctly, Grist says that induction is demonstrably the most energy efficient type of stovetop you can buy.

That means that one of the most sensible modifications you can make to your kitchen is to replace your current oven with one that has an induction stovetop. But that is not enough to complete the loop. To get the most out of an induction range, you also have to have induction-ready pots and pans. They are designed specifically to maximize heat transfer and evenly heating the pan.

You might also want to cast an eye on that toaster and microwave. You don’t need the most powerful microwave money can buy. You might be wasting energy every time you heat up your leftovers. And that toaster is also a major energy waster. Consider a toaster oven. Some things will take longer to heat. But more of the heat you expend will be contained in the oven, and therefore, your food.

Smart Speakers

For some time, the Amazon Echo has been the only stand-alone smart speaker on the market. But that is in the process of changing. Google has their own Echo competitor which does the same things, but with a focus on the Google ecosystem and strengths. This winter, Apple will be releasing their smart speaker for those in the Apple ecosystem. (Image source:)

The most popular place for all these personal assistants is in the kitchen. That is because one of their most natural uses is to answer queries are do tasks when your hands are full with other things. In the kitchen, you might be wrist deep in flour at any given moment. That’s what makes a personal assistant a smart upgrade for your kitchen.

Cabinets, induction cooking, and smart speakers may be a far more useful upgrade than granite countertops. So the next time you modernize your kitchen, take a more sensible approach, and save a bit of money in the bargain.

What are your favorite ways to modernize your kitchen?

Share your thoughts and comments with us.