So it’s time to update your kitchen. Where to start?….When deciding to update your kitchen there are 5 things you should keep in mind before you embark on this journey.

A good kitchen designer should be able to work with you to create the design that will both fit your desires and needs and that squares with your budget. Therefore, an experienced kitchen professional will be key! Here we’ll discuss 5 important things you need to determine prior to contacting your kitchen expert.

1. How much are you willing to spend?

Be honest with your designer about how much you feel comfortable spending on your kitchen design renovation. This helps your designer have a clear direction on what to recommend for your project as far as material and appliance selections go. Now, of course, you may have no clue on how much things cost these days so be open minded as your designer pro elaborates on the current cost of labor, materials and goods. This is a very important conversation to have at the very beginning to ensure a proper design is created that respects your investment level.

At CPDS we spend a considerable amount of time during our on-boarding phase to ensure we understand the scope of your project and then take the time to create a realistic investment proposal for you to approve. Then, and only then can we begin designing your perfect kitchen.

Download our Good, Better, Best kitchen budget samples list to get an idea.

2. How much time and stress are you willing to take on?

Know that kitchen renovations can take anywhere from weeks to a couple of months. Consider what your personal daily demands are and can you add a construction project to that workload?

You may realize that you are so busy with work, life and family that it would be a nightmare for you to be the point of contact for every decision and detail. Or you may decide that now is the time when you have lots of free time in your schedule and are finally ready to take on a kitchen remodel. Or you may be somewhere in between, with a semi busy schedule, but can make the time to be involved in the renovation process. Which ever of those scenarios you fit into, there’s a level of service available to you to help you as much or as little as you need.

FULL SERVICE DESIGN: Most interior designers who specialize in kitchens will offer what we call Full-Service design. This is the most comprehensive level of service to ensure that your design project is as stress free as possible, for you.

The designer takes on all the stress away by providing the design concept, layout, elevations, all material specifications and product/appliance selections. She will handle procurement of all finishes that she has specified and handle them until ready to be installed. She may even recommend a contractor if you don’t already have one. Then together with the contractor, the designer will communicate and work together to ensure that the design is implemented accordingly during the construction phase. The designer oversees all phases of the construction and if problems arise (as they always do), the designer and contractor will figure out solutions together without the need to always involve the homeowners. Of course, if it’s a situation that involves your approval to do something totally unexpected or costly then the homeowners are brought in. But, for the most part, the entire project is handed over to the designer and contractors for them to execute and make all the magic happen on your behalf so you can go about your daily life with minimal disruptions and enjoy a beautifully finished space in the end.

DESIGN-ONLY: Another level of service that might be right for you is getting all the ideas, solutions and all the design specifications from the designer in what we refer to as the Design-Only. This means, you get have a professionally designed kitchen plan and then you’re off to the races on your own. You have more time on your schedule, so you decide to take a more hands on approach - you hire the contractor, show him your design plan, he bids it, you sign on and together, you and the contractor make it happen. This type of involvement on your part requires you to be present and/or available (a lot) to the construction team to answer questions and make decisions that arise out of unexpected circumstances. Together you and the contractor will find a solution. You’ll need to be aware of all the details involved in your design to ensure that the contractor and the subs implement the design as intended.

Read more information about our Full-Service process HERE and about our Design-Only process HERE.

3. What is your design style and preferences?

Now, it’s not absolutely necessary for you to know the exact style you envision for your new kitchen. After all, that’s what designers are for. However, it is necessary for you to know at least what you don’t like so your designer can make sure to cross that off the list. It is extremely helpful to provide a collection of inspiration images from any online source like Pinterest or any print publications.

Here are some things you can think about: Do you like shiny and glossy surfaces or matte? Light and neutral colors or bold contrast? Barstools with backs or without? Casual and kid friendly or dressy and elegant?

You get the point! This should be a fun exercise so don’t let it overwhelm you. At CPDS we have a fun way of helping our clients figure this out and it’s part of our Design Development phase. This ensures we’re all on the same page and that we will deliver a design that is right for you and also compliments the architecture of your house.

Design: Grayscale Design | Photo: Carina Skrobecki

4. How do you use your kitchen?

Think about how you want this space to function for you. Do you cook alone of do you have helpers? How often do you cook? Do you bake often and need a baking station? A coffee station? Is the primary cook very tall or short? You might need taller or lower countertops to accommodate for this. Will you be doing a lot of entertaining with family and friends? Is the kitchen the primary place where the kids hangout to do homework and school projects?

As you can see there are lots of questions that are unique to you and your family’s lifestyle. A well designed kitchen should meet all your needs and it’s worth spending time thinking about all this prior to starting your kitchen design.

5. Set up a temporary kitchen during the renovation.

You will need to prepare for the disruption that will be caused by your kitchen design project. But with the right planning it is possible to still have your household function smoothly. Think about where you’d like to set up a temporary kitchen in another area of the house. This might be in the dining room, if completely separate from them kitchen. Here you can set up a hot plate, small appliances like a blender, toaster oven, crock pot etc., lots of paper plates and disposable cutlery, a few basic spices and condiments, a coffee and tea station of course. Designate a bathroom sink (or tub) as your washing station for items like pans, blender, spoons etc. This is not a fun picture I know, but it’s very helpful to have a makeshift kitchen so you don’t feel like you have to go out for every single meal for the next 8 weeks. If you have an outdoor kitchen you might decide to schedule your kitchen renovation during the warmer months to make use of the outdoor kitchen as much as possible.

The more organized you are prior to “demo” day, the less frustrating it will be to live through a kitchen remodel. It will all be worth it in the end and you will be so glad you did it!

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