A beautiful kitchen cabinet remodel can really lift the usability and style of any kitchen, but remodeling for homeowners has a lot of unknowns if this is your first major remodeling project. We have helped homeowners in Dallas, Tx, and the Metroplex for over 30 years as CTSDesigns, but our commitment to making homeowners as informed and comfortable with the remodeling process hasn’t changed.
Here are a few steps for you to get the best results for your kitchen remodeling project.
A beautiful kitchen cabinet remodel will improve your entire kitchen experience.
If you are not working with an interior designer and want to make your own custom kitchen design, read on. Here are the top five things to consider before you get started on your beautiful new home renovation.
What do I need in my new kitchen?
The type of kitchen you want to design will depend on what it is you need in your kitchen. Before drawing up the new blueprints for your dream kitchen, write down all the things that are necessary for a functional space like countertops and storage.
A well-designed kitchen should have:
Countertop and Cabinet height: Counter height or bar style? This is primarily based on your family’s lifestyle (entertainment vs accessibility vs children).
Style
What style do we want our cabinets to be? What materials should they be made out of? How many cabinet units do we need? Most kitchens have a degree of symmetry, it’s best to plan this beforehand.
Kitchen Storage
We want your next kitchen design to go as smoothly as possible so take stock of your current kitchen storage. Do you need more? If yes, space-saving frameless cabinets might be a good choice. Make sure your new design has adequate storage to fit your family.
Dining Table Space
It might seem obvious, but your kitchen design should allow adequate dining table access and room for chairs to fully pull in and out.
Bar Design
Many modern kitchens offer kitchen bars, complete with bar stools. If you are interested in a bar with stools, leave enough floor space in your design to allow the barstools to stand unobstructed.
Kitchen Counter
Counters are where we cook, prep, and nourish our families. The functional and hardworking kitchen counter deserves consideration when thinking of your kitchen design. Make sure your next design has enough counter space for your kitchen.
Floor Space
The most important access for the kitchen isn’t about dining room tables, chairs, appliances, or drawers! Floor access is crucial. An ill-placed kitchen island can completely wreck the floor access, so aim to have adequate floor access for foot traffic in your new kitchen.
Lighting
Am I building a cabinetry layout that uses my existing lighting or do I need to add more lighting? We want the cabinetry to have adequate lighting in the box for better usability. Under-counter lighting is one way to help a dim kitchen design.
Appliance and Drawer Access
We consider this more of the “functional arrangement” of your kitchen. We aren’t just talking about appliance access. Although having room for the refrigerator and over doors is important, consider the amount of floor space needed in front of each appliance and cabinet to allow full utility, without bumping into other cabinet spaces.
Plumbing and Electrical Access Consideration When Designing Kitchen Cabinets
Where are all the plumbing and electrical outlets? How can we have enough space for a dishwasher, fridge, or oven without compromising the functionality of other kitchen appliances? This is something that needs to be considered when designing your cabinetry layout.
Appliances
Do I need more cabinets just for my kitchen’s major appliance so they aren’t inaccessible? Doors take up space and need to open and close comfortably.
Designing a Kitchen Island
If you have a kitchen island, does it need to be the size of your entire kitchen? Will it only work as an eating space or will we also use it for cooking purposes?
Kitchen Island Design Considerations:
-Do I want my stove and sink on the same part of the island so they’re close together when doing dishes?
-Do I want my kitchen island to be more than one level so that it isn’t just a “workspace”?
-What type of work surface do I need on the kitchen island, granite or wood?
-How will this affect the lighting in my kitchen and how much power does it use. It’s a good idea to carefully plan this before making a final decision.
A beautiful kitchen island remodel will improve your entire kitchen experience.
How long will my kitchen remodel take?
The first thing to consider is how much time you can give the remodel. If it’s a new kitchen, this will take longer than if renovations are being made on an existing one.
Consider how long your family will need to be living with the kitchen remodeling process. Talk to your contractors to get an approximate timeframe if you are working with a contractor. If you are doing it yourself, have a start and end date – try to stick to it and avoid unfinished projects taking too much time!
Vendor Shopping & What’s my final budget?
At this point, you need to decide which is best: The Custom Cabinet Angle or RTA cabinetry. There are pros and cons to each and please read our content on: RTA VS Custom Cabinets to learn more.
After looking at vendors and contractors, you will have a good idea on the pricing they have shared with you. Make sure you have enough budget to cover this project before proceeding.
Call a cabinet builder and installer
Ok after all that shopping, sizing, and planning. Contact a cabinet builder or retailer to get started!
We hope you feel more confident with your upcoming kitchen design.
