What Clients Want in Their Luxury Kitchen Remodel: Interior Design Tips
If you’re about to embark on a kitchen remodel and you haven’t hired a designer yet, your head might be spinning. There is SOOOO much to know and think about. Decision fatigue is real and the decisions for the appliances are just the beginning.
We’re going to go over a list of decisions you’ll be making to kick off your kitchen remodel. Starting from the outside working inwards, we will address things like electrical to countertops and dishwashers to paint colors.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN A KITCHEN REMODEL
Kitchen Zones
Kitchen zones are areas of your kitchen that need to function in a certain capacity. By considering these tasks you will complete in your kitchen, you can plan how they interact and keep that working triangle in shape.
- Prep zone
- This is the area you’ll be preparing your meals- countertops, island
- Cooking zone
- The cooking zone includes the oven, stove/range, perhaps the microwave
- Clean-up zone
- Your sink and dishwasher are in the clean-up zone– also think about food disposal
- Storage
- The storage zone, sometimes called non-consumables or put away zone, is where all of your plates, platter, utensils, cookware and bakeware and drinkware are housed.
- Consumables
- Food! This zone includes the refrigerator for cold & frozen goods and also the pantry for dry goods.
Things to Consider in a Kitchen Remodel
- Eliminate wasted steps- working triangle
- Design wide walkways
- How will traffic flow through the kitchen?
- Have enough counter space
- Can you hide the microwave in an appliance garage
- Determine the island’s function
- Plan landing space near appliances
- Consider the countertop materials
- Where will you have outlets- counters, cabinets, walls, undermount
- Make sure you have adequate lighting
- Plan for trash and recycling
- Storing small appliances
- Storage for entertaining wares
- Pantry function
- Where are your entry doors
Common Kitchen Layouts
These are the most common kitchen layouts which can be used in your kitchen remodel. Likely you already have one of these layouts and we can improve the way it functions and looks without making structural changes.
However, if your dream kitchen is an open island kitchen and you live in a cape cod or a colonial, we’ll likely be blowing out walls, adding structural support and expanding the back of the house to make your magazine worthy kitchen dreams come true!
- One Wall Kitchen
- Galley Kitchen
- L-Shaped Kitchen Layout
- U-Shaped Kitchen Layout
- Island Kitchen
- Kitchen Peninsula
Purchases/Selections
Like I mentioned earlier, there are a TON of selections you will need to make in preparation for your kitchen remodel. Here’s a starting list:
- Cabinetry- style, color, layout
- Cabinet Hardware
- Sink
- Faucet
- Backsplash
- Countertop + profile
- Island Lighting
- Sconces & under-mount lighting
- Range hood
- Range
- Microwave
- Oven
- Refrigerator
- Dishwasher
- Outlets, lighting trim kits
- Drawer storage solutions
- Window Treatments
- Eat-in area lighting
- Kitchen table & chairs
- Paint color
Kitchen Remodel Schedule
Now that we’ve considered how we will use the kitchen, which will help us build the layout, let’s talk about the actual renovation process. Here are the steps that typically accompany a kitchen renovation or new build.
- Planning/Layout determined
- Selections made
- Demo prep
- Demo – walls, floors, cabinets
- Framing
- Plumbing- rough in
- Electrical
- HVAC
- Windows
- Drywall & Millwork
- Flooring installation
- Cabinetry and Countertop Installation
- Appliance Install
- Plumbing and Wiring finish work
- Interior Painting
- Doors & hardware
- Furnishings
- Final inspections
- Punch List
- Completion walk-through
Are you still with me yet? That’s a LOT- and this is just the high level overview. Each step has multiple steps within it and often more than one trade worker involved.
So, as you can see, the more decisions you can make before you start, the smoother it will go. It’s always going to be easier if your materials can arrive before the tradesmen need them to do their part.
And it’s much easier to make adjustments/last minute changes to solve an issue when everything else is pre-planned. After all perfection is the end result, not the journey!
Are you excited to start your kitchen remodel? Overwhelmed and need help with your project- we’re here to help!
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