It is important that you know how each material

Moderate, rejuvenate, innovate, contemplate. This is the mantra to renovate a kitchen. While one can find ample options and suggestions, putting together value based information before the start of the renovation project can be the best companion for all the right answers one seeks for a new kitchen.

It is very easy to fall into the trap of being lured by the most exclusive looking kitchen and spend a fortune on it only to realise in due course of time that it never really suits you.

Trends are only an indication of popularity and for spaces like a kitchen, it is recommended to look into one's lifestyle and budget than look at what's popular. Lifestyle and budget are key factors that should moderate the renovation project. Ask yourself some basic questions first: How do you use your kitchen? How much time will you spend in the kitchen every day?

How many of you will be using the kitchen at a time? Will you all be dining there as well? How much of storage do you need and most importantly what sort of storage? Let a clear understanding of your lifestyle guide your choices. Budget is imperative to the choices as well as determining the extent of the renovation.

Getting a new look for the kitchen need not entail a complete overhaul. At times, a revamp of a surface or interesting additions such as accessories can bring in the much needed renewal. The wall surface can be the most apparent to start with. Retiling the walls can be a start.

While tiles are useful when it comes to maintenance, one has to be careful about the joints and the height to which the tiles are being laid. The pattern on the tiles are important for creating the ambience of the space and in making the kitchen seem larger or smaller than it actually is.

Light, especially natural, adds exceptional warmth to the kitchen. Planning for a window in the kitchen adds value, preferably away from the cooking area. Even if the natural light can be filtered in through overhead openings, it should be accommodated.

Integrating light fixtures as accessories is good too. Colours matter. They rule the psyche. Each colour has a perception significance, which has made its impression on our minds over centuries. Colour affects our moods, whether it is in our living and working environment or in the clothing we wear. For a kitchen, colour is vital. Be it through paints or stains of the wooden furniture or the cabinetry, colours can revive a space.

Most often, one ends up in predictable types of kitchens. The layout of the work areas usually follows the conventional open, L shape, U shape, corridor or island kitchen types. While these are tried, tested and successful options, one should innovate and explore combinations of these types for an effective use of space and to evolve a personalised and interesting kitchen.

Segregating a pantry and breakfast area from the actual cooking area, exploring lighting fixtures as accessories, placing planters, integrating a music system in the kitchen; these are some 'out of the ordinary ways' of setting up a kitchen. However, maintaining the work triangle is important for ease of work.

Innovation will surely add interest and more importantly personalise it making the use of the kitchen more delightful. However, the path to remain innovative yet generic could also be tried if one anticipates renting the space in the future.

In either case, the exclusiveness and identity of the kitchen is established.

Certain parameters have to be contemplated upon for any kitchen design. Ease of maintenance, quality and durability of material and hardware used, ease of operation and most importantly ergonomics are principal factors. All these have set standards but it is advisable to determine them based on one's requirement especially the height of the countertops and overhead cabinetry.

Maintenance of different areas of the kitchen, especially the worktops and the underneath surface of the cabinets are critical. The worktops are the most used surface in a kitchen and the choice of the material for this has to be carefully evaluated. Stone tops like granite are the conventional ones. While they do not require a lot of maintenance, they can be aesthetically limited in terms of colour and pattern. The stone tops which are porous can become cold surfaces.

Acrylic solid surface countertops are a competitive option. Composed of nature's minerals and acrylic polymers, this nonporous solid surface can be fabricated and installed with invisible seams.

The choice of colours and patterns are plenty and can be customised as well. Fixture choices determine the durability in kitchen apart from the worktop. The hardware used, especially of the cabinetry, hinges of shutters and drawer pulls, are the most taken for granted elements in a kitchen.

These need attention and their detailing holds the key to the kitchen's longevity. The search for exclusivity and identity reigns in every section of the building industry. Base your kitchen renovation on personal choices than on market forces, making the smart picks to give your kitchen the right ambience it needs.