If you’re like many people, you could easily spend hours binge-watching shows on HGTV, watching houses get gutted and redecorated to suit the current owners or to sell at a significant profit. But, if you’re also like a lot of people, you don’t have the slightest idea where to start to redo your own kitchen or dining room. Maybe you have something dated as your dining room, and you’re looking to make it look more formal and modern at the same time. Perhaps you’ve always wanted open cabinets in your kitchen but quite have the perfect display for your antique glass and collectible dinnerware pieces.
Let’s take a look at how to style your kitchen or dining room with antiques to achieve the esthetic of your dreams that will leave all your guests in awe.
Hire A Designer
First things first, if you’re going to redo a huge room in your home, like a kitchen or dining room, your best bet is to bring in the big guns – an interior designer. It would be best to research your local area to find several whose style resonates with you and conduct interviews with them. Your kitchen is the hearth of your home, and your dining room is where you’re going to entertain most of the time – so you have to nail the look.
Interviewing is significant because while someone’s portfolio could be impressive, you’re going to be working pretty intimately with this person, and renovating your house is as personal as getting plastic surgery. You’re going to have to live with this space for years to come, so find and hire an interior designer that’s on the same page as you and that you connect with. You need to be able to communicate confidently and honestly with one another. You should make sure to hire a designer that knows that you’re interested in incorporating antique pieces into your new kitchen or dining room.
Secure The Right Contractor
With everyone renovating their homes during the lockdowns, contractors are hard to come by these days – but don’t settle for one that you’re not in love with and really want to work with. If you went the route of hiring a designer to help you with this serious project, they have plenty of connections in the architecture and contractor world. They may be able to help you find one of the best – but be prepared for higher prices for their services and materials than likely the last time you renovated. Since you’re using antiques as a centerpiece for your decor, make sure they’re experienced in building out the kind of shelving, crown molding, doorways, and anything else that will go with your plans.
Expect The Unexpected
If you’ve never renovated a part of your home before, you might be in for somewhat of a surprise and what some consider a “rude awakening” – in that you need to prepare for anything! The project will likely take longer than anyone’s estimate that the contractor gave you before starting. If you’re doing some major renovations, expect dust levels that you can’t imagine. But, of course, even when you run over deadlines, sometimes over budget, you are always thrilled with the results if you’ve hired the right people. As mentioned earlier, it’s a lot like plastic surgery – you’re giving your home a facelift. But, you can expect some bumps along the road in your renovation, and while you don’t want to micromanage professionals, if you see something you don’t like, make sure to speak up! Remember, you’re investing in an antique appearance for this renovation, and if something isn’t lining up or looks too modern, you need to communicate with your contractor or decorator.
Relish In The Results
Once everything is completed, and you’ve got the open cabinets of your dream with all your beautiful new glass pieces on display, the perfect French curtains, and anything other detail you’ve been dying to see in action, relish the accomplishment! Sure, you hired experienced teams to make your vision a reality, but this was your vision, and now you’ve got the dream kitchen or dining room (or both) that you wanted! Enjoy!