One thing we hear a lot from our clients during a kitchen remodel is that they didn’t realize how many little decisions there would be to make along the way. Luckily, your Powell Construction designer can help you through all of them! Here are our top 5 suggestions for things to think about before you start a kitchen remodel.
1. How do you use your kitchen?
It sounds like an easy question, but the first step to any design is to think about how you use the space you are remodeling. The National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) recommends using “the work triangle” – basically, placing your sink, fridge, and cooktop in a triangle, like this:
This is a great starting place, and something we think about on every kitchen remodel. But when it comes to a custom design just for you, we are more interested in how you work in your kitchen. Maybe you use your oven more than your cooktop; maybe you care more about having your dishwasher conveniently located than your refrigerator. The question of “how do you use your kitchen?” is where we start with every design, and it also influences later decisions – where we might put a spice drawer, for instance, depends on your work style.
2. How much wall space do you need for your cabinets?
It’s so tempting to want to take away or move walls to open up your kitchen, and often times you can do that! But keep in mind that the more walls you take away, the fewer walls you have to put cabinets against. This might be just fine if you have room for a big island or peninsula. But think about your desired cabinet layout as you are thinking about those big ideas like taking out walls. That said, at least half of the kitchens we do involve removal of a wall. So if this makes sense for you, we are experts at it.
3. What are the most important things for you to invest in?
If budget is a concern, some people would rather have an open floor plan and choose to reuse existing appliances or pick lower cost finishes in order to accomplish that. Other people may decide to keep the kitchen with the existing footprints and not open up a wall. They would rather have higher end finishes or appliances than worry about creating a bit more space. One thing is for sure, each client has a unique set of priorities. While it is good to think about resale value, the most important things to invest in are the features that you will enjoy the most while living here.
4. What is your design style?
This can be hard to pin down, but it’s another question that our design team loves to help homeowners answer. In fact, we have another blog post about just that! Check it out here.
Traditional vs. Contemporary
When choosing tile, light fixtures, and things like that, just picking everything you like can sometimes ends up turning into a bit of a hodge-podge. Some clients really strive for an eclectic look like this. But, if you enjoy a more cohesive look then understanding styles and knowing what kind of basic features belong in each style can help you find things you like that also go well together.
5. What are the secondary functions of your kitchen?
Maybe you never intended for this to happen, but somehow you ended up always taking your phone calls in the kitchen. Or maybe you have kids who sit at the peninsula to do their homework. Whatever it is, you have two choices when it comes to your kitchen remodel – incorporate those functions into your design, or intentionally plan for them to take place elsewhere.
Taking the time to plan these things out ahead of time makes all the difference. Because, after all, this kitchen remodel is something you have wanted to do and you want it to be amazing!