11 Signs You're Ready for a DOCA Custom Kitchen

Are you ready for a new kitchen? There are several signs to look out for that can help you know it is time for a kitchen remodel. Upgrading your kitchen is about more than just making changes. A DOCA custom kitchen can improve the functionality and design aesthetic. Expert designers consider the home and the client to design a unique kitchen. If you see yourself in these 11 signs, then it is time to start designing your DOCA custom kitchen.

1. Your Kitchen Lacks Storage Space

If your current kitchen lacks storage space, it can be frustrating to stay organized. Your kitchen never truly looks clean and inviting because you have small appliances, cooking tools, and food gathered on the countertops. You wish you could hide all of these items, but there is nowhere to put them. To make this situation even more frustrating, the lack of storage is usually the result of poor design, not a lack of space. Designing a custom DOCA kitchen means you can work with an expert to maximize your home’s available space. This lets you customize the storage to address your specific needs. Perhaps you need an appliance garage. Maybe you have a deep corner that is left empty. A custom kitchen lets you utilize the latest technology to create organized and efficient storage solutions.

2. Your Kitchen Lacks Workspace

The second more frustrating problem with the kitchen is a lack of workspace. This would be the countertop space available where you can prepare food and meals. Small kitchens naturally lack countertop space because there is a lack of overall space in the kitchen. However, some kitchens lack workspace simply because of a poor kitchen design. Not enough countertop space means multiple people must work on top of each other or take turns when cooking. It could also mean you have to make tough choices about the small appliances you have on the counter. A custom DOCA kitchen lets you fix the lack of workspace problem by taking a fresh look at your current kitchen. Perhaps you can expand the kitchen into the living space, giving you more square footage to work with and thereby increasing the workspace.

3. Your Kitchen Has Bad Lighting

Natural light makes a home feel big, bright, and welcoming. A lack of natural light means you need to have plenty of light fixtures to compensate. In addition, a well-designed kitchen has layers of light. There should be ambient, task, and accent lighting. If your current kitchen lacks natural light and these types of artificial light, then you probably find yourself frustrated. Having plenty of light in your kitchen makes it easier to prepare meals. A well-lit kitchen is also a safer kitchen. When designing your custom DOCA kitchen, your first option is to add more natural lighting. This could be with better window placement or even a skylight addition.

Next, the options are limitless when adding light fixtures. Ambient light is the general lighting that illuminates the entire kitchen. These are typically lights in the ceiling that generate a broad wash of light. Then there is task lighting. This could be pendant lights over a kitchen island or lighting mounts underneath the wall cabinets. Finally, accent lighting highlights the kitchen’s features and gives the kitchen a modern and custom look. Accent lighting could be LED strip lighting along the kickplate, shelf lighting, lights inside glass front cabinets, or a light illuminating a natural stone countertop from behind.

4. The Kitchen Layout Is Awkward

The ideal kitchen layout is in a triangle. The “kitchen work triangle” is a common phrase among designers, contractors, and architects. However, not everyone follows this design guide when creating or building kitchens. This is unfortunate because it considers the primary tasks performed in the kitchen. The philosophy states that the sink, refrigerator, and cooktop/oven should create the three points of a triangle. If your current kitchen doesn’t have this layout, you probably notice that cooking in it feels awkward.

Another issue with the layout is a lack of space. Narrow spaces or appliances placed too close to a wall can make it hard to move about the kitchen. A custom-designed DOCA kitchen can address both of these issues. This is your opportunity to move the placement of the appliances and change the layout for a more functional kitchen.

5. The Cabinet Design Is Outdated

Kitchen cabinet trends come and go. So, give it enough time, and your kitchen cabinets will eventually be out of style. Because the cabinets take up a large amount of the visual real estate in your kitchen, they significantly impact the overall impression and look. Outdated cabinets will make your entire kitchen look old. Updating the cabinets gives you the perfect opportunity to update the kitchen with a DOCA custom kitchen. Don’t just paint your old cabinets or replace the fronts. Instead, design new custom cabinets that use modern organizational solutions. This could be drawers behind door fronts, tall narrow pull-outs, or corner storage solutions.

6. Your Lifestyle Has Changed

Our lifestyles change as we go through life. This is perfectly natural and should be expected. Unfortunately, our homes don’t automatically grow and change with us. When you first bought your home, the kitchen could have suited your lifestyle perfectly. However, now, it doesn’t quite fit. Perhaps you had small children that are now grown and have moved out. You could have developed a passion for cooking or developed a wine collection that you didn’t have when you bought the house. Hosting may not have been a priority, but now it’s something you do weekly. A DOCA custom kitchen allows you to create a kitchen that fits your lifestyle. Add custom features, such as a built-in wine rack or fridge, additional burners, or multiple ovens.

7. It Never Feels Truly Clean

You spend hours cleaning your kitchen or have professionals come in and give it a scrubbing, and your kitchen never feels truly clean. The problem is that your kitchen is old and well-worn. No amount of cleaning can fix the usage marks on your countertops, the stained grout, cracked tiles, or faded cabinets. A new DOCA custom kitchen replaces the worn-out finish and materials and gives you a new kitchen that looks and feels clean.

8. Your Appliances Are Outdated

The major appliances in your kitchen each have a useful lifetime. They will begin breaking when they reach the end of their useful life. While you could pay to have them fixed, there will come a point when it makes more financial sense to replace them instead of fix them. When multiple appliances begin breaking, it is time to consider a bigger option. If you are already planning to purchase new large appliances, now is the perfect time to update the entire kitchen. It is best to do this before you buy the appliances. Then you can customize the kitchen to your dream appliances. Replace your small older fridge with a larger one. Update the small stove with a large professional-grade appliance. Add a dishwasher to the kitchen.

9. It Is Difficult to Host Guests

Hosting guests typically involves serving food and beverages. The entertaining is done right in the kitchen when your guests are family or close friends. After all, the kitchen is referred to as the heart of the home. A poorly designed kitchen can make hosting and entertaining difficult. Older homes tend to have a closed-off design. A DOCA custom kitchen can open up the space, giving an older home a more modern feel with an open or zoned floor plan. This can make entertaining easier because you can be in the kitchen while still engaging with your guests.

10. You Plan to Stay Long Term

If you love your home and plan to stay in it long-term, then it is time to evaluate your home’s kitchen. Remodeling your kitchen is an investment worth making when you will be in the home for years to come. This is the time to consider what you love about your current kitchen and how you can improve it. Perhaps your kitchen simply needs a style update. Or maybe your kitchen needs to fit your changing and future lifestyle. Because your current home will be your future home, you can worry less about the real estate market and buyer preferences and focus on your own preferences. A custom DOCA kitchen lets you update and change your kitchen to suit you perfectly. Your home is your sanctuary, so make your custom kitchen an expression of who you are.

11. You Hate Your Current Kitchen

All too often, people buy a home with a kitchen they hate. They tell themselves that they will upgrade or remodel once they have the money and have lived in the home for a little bit. Then one year goes by, and then another, and another. Before they realize it, 5-10 years go by, and they never get around to remodeling the kitchen. However, during that time, the feelings of dislike grow into hatred. If you are in this situation, hating your kitchen every time you walk into it, then it is time to take action. A DOCA custom kitchen is the solution. Make a list of everything you do not like about your current kitchen, and a team of designers will help you make your dream kitchen a reality.

Upgrade Your Home With a DOCA Custom Kitchen

If you find yourself agreeing with several of these signs, then it is time to consider a kitchen upgrade and removal. A DOCA custom kitchen allows you to create a dream kitchen that looks beautiful and functional. You will enjoy spending time in your kitchen again, as it will become a place that feels like an extension of who you are.

11 Signs You're Ready for a DOCA Custom Kitchen