Thanksgiving can be a hectic time of year. There are rooms to be decorated, food to be prepared, and guests to accommodate. Much of the holiday’s chaos is centered around the kitchen, and that is why it is vital to properly prepare your kitchen for Thanksgiving. Even if you are not hosting this year, creating a holiday-ready kitchen is a great way to invite the spirit of the season, and the earlier you start, the better. 

Maximizing Kitchen Space 

With various cooking schedules, frequent trips between the oven and the countertop, and nieces and nephews underfoot, it can sometimes feel that there is not enough space in the kitchen for all the Thanksgiving preparations. While it’s not very wise to begin an extensive remodel to expand your kitchen less than a month before turkey day, there are a few suggestions to maximize your existing space as you prepare your kitchen for Thanksgiving.

Make a List and Check It Twice

Your kitchen is going to see an influx of food this holiday—it’s up to you to make sure it isn’t redundant. As you gather supplies to craft the perfect pie, double check that you don’t double up on spices and foods you already have. Make a list of everything you will need to make your holiday menu, and then go through your pantry and spice cabinets to cross off things you already have.

Make Space for Leftovers

An essential component as you prepare your kitchen for Thanksgiving is to prepare your fridge for leftovers. They are a guarantee, no matter how many people are coming over, so now is the perfect time to clear out the condiments and sauces you never use. Dispose of any other leftovers you know you won’t eat before the holiday. That should also free up some Tupperware.

If you make space in your freezer too, you give yourself the option to save some of the holiday vittles for later. That way you won’t have to eat turkey for three days straight after the guests have gone. If you find that you still don’t have enough room in either your fridge or freezer, create even more shelving using cooling racks between corning ware. 

Make Room at the Table

Not only for guests but for food prep or service. If your table decorations are not too elaborate or don’t need to go on until shortly before the meal begins, you might utilize that space for other things. Sit there as you chop veggies or peel potatoes, or use it as a holding zone for dishes that are ready. On the other hand, once the ceremony of carving the turkey is done, take it off of the table. The bulky bird makes up 10–20 pounds of prime real estate.

Make a Cooking Schedule

If yours is the kind of family that does Thanksgiving in an almost potluck-type style, the chaos in the kitchen is not likely to be complete. If, however, you’ll need the oven on all day just to fit everything in, you might consider doing some of your holiday cooking the day before. This will cut back on foot traffic dramatically and half the amount of space needed since it will have been used the day before. Get the preparation of foods that aren’t served hot out of the way before the real fun begins.

Make Room on the Counters

The countertop is coveted space during Thanksgiving meal preparations, so it is important to make as much of it available as possible as you prepare your kitchen for Thanksgiving. Store away any appliances that won’t be used, and consider moving any holiday decorations to another location as the food is boiling or basting. You may choose to invest in a lazy Susan since they are great for serving and for storing in an organized way.

Don’t Forget the Décor

Your efforts to prepare your kitchen for Thanksgiving don’t just include food prep. Setting the scene is integral to the holiday experience as well. Fortunately, effectively decorating for Thanksgiving can be done any time after (or before, depending who you ask) Halloween and before the turkey is carved. We have a few suggestions to get you started.

Nature’s Bounty

Before the frost sets in is the perfect time to incorporate fall flora into your kitchen decorations, and your options are abundant. Pumpkins are, of course, the most common, and can be used as they are or even just in essence as motifs or shapes around the room. Wheat, sunflowers, nuts, vibrant leaves, pinecones, berries, and branches are all good choices if you like a natural touch to your autumn décor.

Creative Spaces

The countertops and table are not the only place to decorate for the season. Doors are something your kitchen probably has in abundance and can make great displays as you prepare your kitchen for Thanksgiving. You can hang wreaths or lights from cabinet or pantry doors. Even the fridge or microwave offer available space for magnetic bric-a-brac. Be careful not to overdo it, though.

A Textured Touch

If Thanksgiving is about bounty and gratitude, the perfect way to celebrate is to enrich a kitchen’s décor with texture. As you prepare your kitchen for Thanksgiving, consider using a variety of materials and patterns to add visual and tactile interest. These may include textured napkins, an interesting tablecloth, felt pumpkins, plaid placemats, and wood plaques reminding us to be thankful. Find the right blend for your kitchen, and the holiday is sure to be full of gratitude and good will.

At Lloyd’s Remodeling and Cabinetry, it is important for us to see kitchen and bathroom remodels done properly. We know that’s the only way to see complete customer satisfaction. However, we also know that a bathroom remodel isn’t always a thrifty enterprise, so, in honor of National Kitchen and Bath Month, we’re sharing eight ways to save money on your bathroom remodel.

Leave the Utilities Alone

Though usually a smaller space than a kitchen or living room, a bathroom is filled with plumbing and electrical systems that are not always easy to work with or around. While moving the toilet to the other side of the room may be one way to improve the functionality of the space, if you are working on a budget, we don’t recommend leading with that. There are many ways to spruce up a bathroom without tampering with the plumbing or wiring.

Be Wise About DIY

That being said, sometimes the plumbing or wiring needs to be changed. If either of these elements are the focal point of your bathroom remodel, make sure you let the professionals manage them. While doing renovations on your own may seem like the biggest way to save money on labor costs, be wise with how you do. Some demolition or renovation projects can absolutely be done on your own successfully, but if the waterworks or electricity is mismanaged, not only will they present a safety hazard, they can also cost you significantly more in repairs. 

Get Multiple Quotes

If you need professional services for your bathroom remodel, you don’t have to take the first estimate that someone slaps on a table (for the record, we studiously avoid slapping at Lloyd’s). Do your research, obtaining several quotes from different contractors. This doesn’t just mean go with the lowest offer—it often means you have bargaining power to work with the business of your choice at a dollar amount that works for you.

Add a Splash of Paint

A new coat of paint is very often a go-to when homeowners need a fresh look without structural changes. If you want to repaint your bathroom, clean all the applicable surfaces first. Soap scum, mildew, and dust can be pretty good at camouflage, and it’s important to not trap a layer of grime under a fresh coat of paint. Look for paints that will repel moisture well to prevent future microbial interlopers.

Get a Handle on Things

Hardware is the jewelry of a room, garnishing the total appearance while tying the space together. Simply changing out your current hardware can brighten up the room and update its style. While this certainly applies to the knobs of cabinet doors, it is even more impactful when applied to other hardware in the room, namely the faucets. Do the styles of your sinks and shower match? Do you want them to? More importantly, do the faucets in your bathroom present a fresh appearance, unmarred by hard water stains, mildew, and rust?

Find Fresh Flooring

Replacing flooring can be extensive and expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. Materials like laminate or vinyl are cheaper than tile or stone, so they may be a good fit if you want your bathroom remodel to include switching out the floor. Peelable options are also available if you want something very easy. If you are looking for a challenge, consider painting any tile you already have down. You can change the color and even add subtle or striking patterns.

Consider a Counter Offer

Peelable appliques and creative tile choices don’t just apply to the floor. Options are also available for countertops. True, countertop installation is not cheap. That’s because quality that will last requires care and structural integrity. However, if you want something as a placeholder, faux marble film is available in decals similar to contact paper. These can be helpful if you want to temporarily cover peeling laminate or cracking tile, and they are surprisingly waterproof, heat-resistant, and tear-resistant. Beware of bubbles.

Reuse Where You Can

Benjamin Franklin’s wisdom about a penny saved doesn’t just apply to pennies. It can apply to any feature you want to use in your bathroom remodel. Do you have leftover tile from a previous reflooring? Use it to give your counters a decorative flair. Wood from another project can easily become new shelving in your bathroom. Keep your mind open to possibilities. 

Even if you don’t already own the things you want to use, you can still take advantage of previous possession by buying features secondhand. Want a new vanity? Try Facebook Marketplace or the thousands of other secondhand enterprises available. Thrifted pieces may need a bit of work, but even taking that into consideration, they can still save you a bundle.

The remodeling process is one that is full of decisions. Building, too, requires a lot of brainstorming and weighing of pros and cons. One decision that shouldn’t be too difficult is whether or not to include a kitchen island. Islands add functionality and class to any kitchen, and the options on what to include are extensive.

As you decide on the features you want to include in your kitchen island, consider the amount of space you have available and the functionality the island will need to provide. Ultimately the choice on what to include comes down to the goals you have for your kitchen and your personal sense of style.

Appliances to Include in a Kitchen Island

Sink

A sink is a common addition to a kitchen island because such a central appliance almost deserves a central location. When you include a sink in your island design, frequent hand washing or rinsing is readily available; it makes washing produce and dishes without dripping everywhere more plausible; and the bioproducts of cooking like crumbs, scraps, and dirty dishes can go right into the sink without any fuss.

Dishwasher

If you choose to include a sink in your kitchen island, consider putting in a dishwasher at the same time. They can share some of the plumbing, and it makes cleaning up after a meal more streamlined. If you opt for an island dishwasher, you have a few design options. Conventional dishwashers may create traffic jams depending on how much space you have around the island. Slide-out units are also an option and have several sizing options, including one- and two-drawer configurations. Their biggest drawback is that they generally cost a pretty penny.

Stovetop

If you spend a lot of time at the stove, putting a stovetop in your kitchen island is almost a must. Having the stove in a central location improves the experience, both because of the views and the accessibility. It means did you have access to all of the island’s counter space and all the cabinets and counters surrounding it. It also means you can engage with guests or watch the game or the little ones play instead of the backsplash.

If you add a stovetop to your kitchen island, you will also need to add a vent. The two options are overhead and downdraft. Overhead vents release smoke, steam, and smells through the ceiling, while downdraft vents are less conspicuous and release through the floor.

Microwave 

If you want to add a microwave to your kitchen island, know your audience. Having the unit lower down can be helpful if you prefer to remove hot food from lower down, but it may not be a good fit if you have small children running around. Little kids are liable to put non-food items like toys and books inside of a microwave within reach, and even though many units are equipped with door-locking features, kids are smart. It only takes observing the lock pattern a few times before a fire hazard is at hand. 

Fridge

If you, like most people, plan on having a full-sized fridge in the kitchen, including a mini one in the kitchen island may be redundant. However, if you are installing an island in another room, like the basement, a small refrigeration unit may be the perfect fit. Even if you do have a full-size fridge, you might choose to include a unit in your kitchen island that is specifically for wine. While wine racks—which is another option for any kitchen island design—have a mediterranean charm, they are not helpful for storing bottles that have been opened.

Other Options

Bookshelves 

Do you have a lot of cookbooks? A few shelves to store them close at hand also add a decorative element. You can also keep magazines or other material within reach.

More Seating

If your island is especially tall, consider adding a space for some barstools so you don’t always have to cook on your feet. If spacing in your kitchen is limited, a kitchen island can replace the need for a kitchen table.

Butcher Block

A butcher’s block is a great addition if you don’t want to pull out the cutting board every time you need to slice up some apples or cheese. Butcher’s blocks preserve the edges of your knives more than granite countertops do, and any scratches and nicks in the woods can be sanded out relatively easily.

Hidden Storage or Garbage

Instead of cluttering up the floor with unsightly garbage cans, make a giant drawer for them in your kitchen island. These can slide out or open on a hinge, and your island’s storage capabilities are not limited to just the rubbish bin and recycling. 

As you design your kitchen island, leave yourself open to the possibilities. If you need help deciding which elements to include, or if you need professional island installation services, give us a call at Lloyd’s Remodeling and Cabinetry.