The preliminary space-planning and design design phase is the most important part of a kitchen remodel. A kitchen can be filled with beautiful finishes and materials, but in the event the design and space don’t work well, it is not a successful layout. In kitchens, even more than in any other area, a good space program and flow are critical. Anyone who has tried working in a poorly designed kitchen knows this.
When working on a project that’s likely to include moving items, opening up walls or doing an improvement, I recommend that homeowners operate with a kitchen designer or other professional to come up with a schematic plan and get preliminary estimates on construction prices. This is a superb way to keep your eye on the funding while you finalize the layout.
The alternative is to design the distance down to the last detail and then get quotes on the materials and construction or ship it out for bidding. The problem with the latter option is that most individuals become emotionally tied to the original layout at this point, and it can be frustrating to rework a layout due to funding.
Larger isn’t always better. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve met with customers who told me they’d abandoned a remodel years ago because they couldn’t manage the layout as it had been planned. It took two decades to get over their first design program and be eager to talk to another designer to investigate alternative choices. Continue reading for some techniques to avert this.
Alan Design Studio
1. Decide on a plan for your area. Most customers start out with a wish list along with a group of inspiration pictures. This really is a good aid in getting started, but try to focus on the space programs before becoming too caught up in what the kitchen will look like.
Space plans could be demanding — they are about the best design. You or your designer should try out some different alternatives for where the appliances will go. What is the best design for your area? An L-shape kitchen with an island? A U-shape kitchen? Or do you own a galley kitchen?
Do you have the room for an eat-in kitchen? Are you going doors or changing windows? These programs don’t have to detail where your pots, pans and silverware are going or what color the cabinets will be — maybe not yet.
Guides: Expert tips on planning for your appliances
Alabama Sawyer
2. Get preliminary quotes. As soon as you’ve got a suggested floor plan in hand (plus a written scope of work), most contractors thinking about the project will be inclined to come over and give you a ballpark estimate.
The more info that you have, the more precise the ballpark number, so if you can get your designer to do a schematic electrical and lighting program, that’s even better.
All this is subject to change, but you have some idea of prices before you get too emotionally committed. At this point, you might also estimate material costs such as cabinetry, countertops, tile and flooring square footage and so forth.
J. Hirsch Interior Design, LLC
3. Develop plans, elevations and 3-D drawings. Now that you have got a plan you adore, allow your designer actually detail it out. Drawings will help you visualize exactly what the cabinetry will look like. Note on the drawings and plans where spices, pots and pans, silverware and utensils will go.
At this stage, it is not just about the functional and functional. This is where you get to be more arty. Cabinet layout is a bit like modernist art because it’s about the rectangles and squares of cabinet doors, and how they relate and intersect.
The proportions of doorways and the scale of three doors beside one another, rather than two, make all of the difference in earning a kitchen look dynamic and intriguing.
Moroso Construction
4. Plan finishes and materials. Now that you are working with more developed drawings, you are able to visualize what substances are going to go where, in addition to the proportions of these substances.
Above all, there’ll nonetheless be a last design development period and construction documents, and after that a last phase through which the drawings, specifications and scope of work are given to the contractor for final pricing.
Next: When to Select Kitchen Finishes and Cabinets
More:
How to Use a Kitchen Designer
How to Remodel Your Kitchen