The last few years have taken a toll on our psyches, our wallets, and on home remodeling in Fort Lauderdale. Kitchen remodeling projects have always been some of the most popular home improvements, but this year kitchen remodeling trends have changed vastly.

This year’s remodeling trends are much more money and space saving. And this is because homeowners have tighter financial belts and tighter kitchen spaces. Still, many of the latest Fort Lauderdale kitchen remodeling trends offer style and beauty, along with functionality and cost effectiveness.

Top 3 Kitchen Remodel Ideas For 2010

Glass Cabinet Doors
Money:Updating kitchen cabinets is an affordable kitchen remodel project.
Space: Glass features have always had the ability to make spaces look and feel larger.

This year, glass cabinets have made a big comeback. They are available in many different styles, including French door inspired varieties. They also turn your dishes into part of the decoration in your kitchen, since you can see them through the glass. Another plus to glass cabinet doors is that you will never again have to open every cabinet door to find what you are looking for.

Mirrored Backsplashes
Money: Tiling is also a really affordable home improvement. Plus, today you can find beautiful, low cost recycled glass tile everywhere.
Space: Like glass, mirrored elements are also known to “grow the space” in small areas.

Glass, metallic, and other reflective tiles are really popular right now. You can create beautiful, upscale, modern backsplahes simply by tiling. And as mentioned before, there are lots of wonderful recycled glass tiles on the market. They not only have the same gorgeous luster as new glass, but they are also proven to have the same high quality at a cheaper price.

Pull Out Features
Money: There are some simple and greatly affordable pull out features that are really effective in kitchens.
Space: Pull out features are organization elements that all you to have more elements in your kitchen without taking up more space.

Any type of pull out kitchen feature is highly desirable right now. Now a days many Fort Lauderdale homeowners have smaller houses and smaller kitchens. The kitchen has taken on new responsibilities. It is an incredibly multi-functional area. It has served as everything from a laundry organizing area to a home office. Some simple pull out features are pull out waste baskets, pull out desks, and pull out ironing boards. To create a kitchen side computer station, you can simply have your contractor build a “cabinet” which opens up to the computer.

A critical part of planning a kitchen remodel is creating your Fort Lauderdale kitchen remodeling design.  It is really important to spend whatever amount of time you need to develop the exact design you want in your kitchen remodel.  In fact, it is very important in controlling the cost of your remodel to decide on the exact design before work begins.  Getting the design right first is one of the most effective ways to keep the cost of the project within your budget.

Browse magazines and books on home design.  Surf the internet for ideas and pictures of kitchen designs. Visit new homes and model homes for ideas. Visit home improvement stores, kitchen design stores and other types of stores for ideas and trends. Be sure to ask sales associates in the stores about the new trends and the trends on their way out. This research will help you in creating your kitchen remodeling design.

You might be designing a professional kitchen or you might be designing a room that is convenient and efficient as a kitchen but also a place that will be the center of family life. You might be designing a kitchen that will be the place people gather when you entertain.  Creating your kitchen remodeling design should begin with a clear understanding of the function of the room. Who will use the kitchen? How will it be used? What are the important features you want in your kitchen? What is most important of all of your ideas? Function should be your guiding principle when you are creating your kitchen remodeling design.

Here are some Fort Lauderdale  kitchen design points to keep in mind as you design your kitchen remodel:

• It is expensive to move plumbing
• Remodeling is a good time to upgrade insulation
• Tile removed before a remodel cannot be reused.
• Think about the visibility of pipes when choosing sinks and surrounds
• Think about where to put all electrical outlets for greatest efficiency
• Think about lighting – especially in task areas
• Always consider alternatives that can save money
• Think carefully about storage and counter space needed – try to think about efficiency over size
• Keep your priorities in mind
• Make sure all of the materials and finishes will work together
• Make sure the products you select are durable, safe and functional

With these points in mind, you should have no difficulty creating your kitchen remodel design.  Think first and always about function and priorities, and you will make kitchen remodel decisions that will stand the test of time.

When remodeling your kitchen, you might want to consider some “green” options.  There are several flooring materials you can choose that come from renewed or renewable sources.  These green kitchen flooring options are easy to maintain and beautiful. Their protective coatings make them perfect for kitchen flooring.

If you are environmentally concerned, you might want to consider one of these flooring material options for your Palm Beach County kitchen remodel:

Cork has not been used widely during the past thirty or so years. Before that, cork was a very popular flooring material, especially in areas where quiet and comforts were important considerations.  Cork comes from the bark of a tree in the beech family. Because it can be harvested in nine to eleven years, it is considered a rapidly renewable resource. Because the cork is taken from the bark, the trees can be re-harvested for many years (unlike most hardwood trees which are completely used at once).  Cork is available in planks and tiles. These are treated using new technologies with several coats of an acrylic that can be cleaned by routine sweeping or vacuuming.  Cork flooring is very durable, comfortable to walk or stand on and fire-resistant. It is available in a surprising number of textures, colors and patterns. It can be installed easily so it “floats” over other hard surfaces (wood, vinyl, tile) or it can be glued to a hard sub-floor.

Bamboo is also a rapidly-renewable product that makes very attractive flooring material.  Bamboo is a grass that can grow in just four years to a height of 65 feet. Harvesting the mature bamboo does not destroy the plant, so it quickly regenerates. Bamboo planks are coated with a durable wear-resistant finish and are ideal for long-term use.  The fibers of bamboo do not absorb water as readily as common hardwoods. Cleaning is a matter of sweeping, with an occasional use of a damp mop. Bamboo flooring is available in a number of colors. Because the bamboo stalks can be cut either vertically or horizontally, it is possible to find very different designs to compliment any décor.

Reclaimed antique hardwood is also eco-friendly because it reclaims existing materials and does not require new hardwood to be taken from the forests.  Reclaimed antique hardwood can only be purchased from sources of reclaimed lumber.  Dealers have purchased or salvaged the wood of homes and barns scheduled to be demolished that were built during the 18^th and 19^th centuries.  This salvaged wood is then processed to eliminate moisture, insects, etc. and produces a hardwood with a beautiful patina. These hardwoods can only be obtained by reclaiming these antique woods.  The finished wood planks offer the knowledge that no trees have been destroyed, that you have reclaimed a natural product, and that you are including a piece of history in your home.

As you choose materials for your Palm Beach County kitchen remodel, these three flooring materials are good options to consider.