From a House to a Home
Remodeling your kitchen and bathroom may be just what your house needs to bring it to life. There are numerous benefits that come with the new and improved spaces in your home, which can all make a significant impact in your daily life. Whether it be helping you get more organised, improving your energy efficiency or simply enhancing your happiness levels. It is also known that remodeling your kitchen and bathroom increases the value of your house, whether that be for selling purposes or for your own peace of mind. Melbourne Kitchen + Bathroom Design’s Mia Anthoulas, sits down with Frank Iaria, design director at Mint Kitchen Group, to talk about all you need to know about remodeling your kitchen and bathroom into a new and bespoke space.
Frank Iaria and two of his friends embarked on a journey together to combine their industry expertise, showroom knowledge and contacts within the industry to become one of Melbourne’s leading retail kitchen, bathroom, laundry and wardrobe renovation specialists. “We retain our own individual showrooms but use our joint expertise to have better buying power and greater marketing experience,” Iaria explains. Some may say that three is a crowd, but as Iaria states, the three of them together make for a stronger and more effective team.
THE LATEST FASHION
So, what actually makes a kitchen and bathroom look modern? “The best way to make a kitchen and bathroom renovation look modern is by using colours and textures that are currently dominant in the industry.” There is an endless number of options when picking your renovation material, but choosing what best represents you will never go out of date.
Trends are always another thing to consider, but not something to live on, Iaria explains. “In Australia, and especially within our business model, we tend to follow the European styles as we feel they tend to last longer and they don’t seem to just follow standard trends”. Additionally, “more people go down the path of lasting colours and finishes which allows clients to get more years out of their renovation because it’s not of a particular age,” Iaria continues. Nowadays, the renovation industry is seeing a world of different designs that are unique to each person. “We’re
seeing more bold but pastel type colours of warm hues such as terracotta, lighter aubergine, pinks, beige tones. These colours keep everything warm, light and inviting”.
Mistakes are inherently part of life, but when it comes to building and design it’s best to prevent them as best you can. Iaria advises against “taking short cuts and using inferior products, particularly hardware. There is a great deal of imitation products on the market and companies are resorting to these to save costs, but they just don’t have the longevity that the well-known European brands do.” He then explains, “companies use unregistered and unlicensed suppliers and contractors to save costs but if anything goes wrong, and let’s face it, things can go wrong, you may not be covered. This can be due to your supplier or contractor being bankrupt or simply deciding they had enough, and you will lose your money with an unfinished job that doesn’t have insurance to help you complete it. Any renovation over $16,000 must be registered and insured through a licensed builder.”
TECH-SAVVY AND FUNCTIONAL
In a world of technological enhancement, new and improved features have been implemented to improve the functionality and appeal of kitchens and bathrooms. Iaria notes that some of the enhancements he has seen include “pop-up features out of benchtops such as power points and USB points, downdraft rangehoods and lift-up appliance cabinets out of benches and bars.” All these features are designed to make everything tech-savvy and functional. Additionally, Iaria has seen “loads of lighting within cabinets, outside cabinets, at kickboard level, when opening doors, when walking into a room – lights just seem to be used everywhere now.”
With the cost efficiencies of LED, it makes it even more affordable for people as well, proving to be both pleasant to your bank account and eyes. Many LEDs also offer advanced features and are
now shown to be the smarter option. Some of the LEDs are wi-fi connecting and can give you the option of integrated dimming which you can control through your smartphone and even set lights to dim on a schedule. They have a longer lifespan, lasting up to 40 times longer than incandescent bulbs, emit less heat and are safer to touch and use, making them a great addition to your remodel.
THE RIGHT FIT
Embarking on a renovation journey can be stressful and overwhelming. From the choices and decisions you must make to the trust you give to your designer and builder to transform your house into a home. Iaria advises who are looking to remodel and design their kitchen and bathrooms to “look for a company that has been in the industry for a while, check out their credentials and ensure they are licensed to carry out the work you require them to do.” He adds, “make sure you feel comfortable with the designer you are dealing with and that they are listening to your needs. If you feel comfortable with them, they will deliver what you want them to and not what they want to.”
Every company has its own advantages, but finding the right builder is understood to be crucial for the entire building process. Iaria discusses what sets his company apart in the market, “we offer a full service from design right through to the final clean, we are registered builders and can take on full renovations for kitchens, bathrooms and laundries – as well as other inbuilt furniture such as robes, bars and buffet units.” He then goes on to state, “we have fully qualified designers – interior designers and kitchen and bathroom designers and only use qualified professional trades people for the entire project.” Mint Kitchen Group are currently the most awarded kitchen and bathroom designers in Victoria and have been for the past 15 years.
Photography courtesy of Mint Kitchen Group