A kitchen remodel is a sizable investment that needs to be done right the first time. Working with a kitchen designer is the smart way to have a perfect kitchen. To ensure a successful project, here are 7 steps for you to follow:
1. Spill the Beans
Tell the kitchen designer about everything you do in the current kitchen, and what’s wanted from a new kitchen. Don’t worry about oversharing because every detail matters. The more a designer knows about daily habits, needs and wants the more their designs will reflect your perfect kitchen. If a designer is not asking a lot of questions or engaging in detailed conversations, that’s a red flag that it’s not a true collaboration, which can result in an unsatisfying kitchen.
2. Set the Budget
There’s no correct amount to spend on a new kitchen; what you can spend is what your designer will work with. Be honest about your budget so the designer is working within realistic parameters. Think about this: anyone can design a boffo kitchen on a limitless budget. But the best designs come from working within limitations because it inspires creative solutions.
3. Accept Wise Advice
Discussing your ideal kitchen with a designer is an invigortaing adrenaline rush, so brainstorm and share everything – the sky’s the limit. Then give the designer time to work with your list of details and budget. This is when their experience with value versus want comes into play. For instance, you desire a pizza oven, a convection microwave and a double wall oven, and the designer finds a way to meet all those needs with fewer appliances, which also saves money. Take advantage of their wisdom and skills, especially when it’s respecting your pocketbook.
4. Consider Surfaces
An island with a honed, white marble countertop may be the dream, but if the reality is a boisterous house of young children and messy adults, now may not be the best time to invest in a natural stone top. By this point, the designer understands your lifestyle so can suggest the most appropriate countertop and flooring materials. Plus, they know how to mix and match surfaces to meet needs and desires while respecting the budget.
5. Make Room
One of the biggest motivators of kitchen remodels is not having enough room to properly cook or entertain. This problem can be solved without adding square footage by rearranging elements, creating work zones, and utilizing innovative storage. Even when a physically larger kitchen is in the cards, designers make sure someone can, for example, walk by while a cabinet door is open. Proper space planning is the unseen magic of a successful kitchen remodel.
6. Take a Test Run
Many design ideas are proposed, so many decisions need to be made. The modern way to make an informed decision is with a 3D “tour” of the kitchen remodel. With graphic software, a designer can turn their floorplans and drawings into a 3-dimensional, 360 degree tour of the proposed kitchen (see example above). This technology conveys how it feels to walk around the island, check how the floor looks against the cabinets, and experience the view from the family room into the kitchen. 3D renderings can also reveal problems, so there’s time to make changes “on paper,” which is always cheaper than making changes once construction begins.
7. Get It in Writing
Once the decisions are finalized and selections are made, be sure there is a written scope of work that details every aspect of the project. A work scope contract keeps you, your designer and your construction crew working toward the same goal, and greatly reduces the chance of misunderstandings or dashed expectations.
Following these 7 steps helps guarantee a successful kitchen remodel. In Metro St. Louis, the certified kitchen designers of Mosby Building Arts use this process to create beautiful kitchens and a great working relationship. See a portfolio of some of their kitchen remodeling projects. To get started, call the Mosby office at 314.909.1800 or contact them here.