Kitchen Renovations - The Best Tips On How To Do One.

Whether you’re doing a major kitchen renovation or a moderate upgrade, planning a kitchen remodel can create an extremely stressful and challenging environment for everyone in the family. So before you hire a contractor or pick up a hammer I want to share a few insider prep tips to help you make smart choices as you begin to plan for your next kitchen renovation project.

Do Your Research

Designer, Lori Gilder's Kitchen Renovation — Find inspirational images online or in print and focus on the styles of kitchens and interiors you’re naturally drawn to. It doesn’t matter if it’s a window style, a cabinet detail, or a paint color you’re in love with. Note what you specifically love about it. Is it the 6-burner stainless steel range, the custom zinc hood, those gorgeous French doors, or maybe the overall kitchen layout? Image from LoriGilder.com

julia childs type of kitchen — Create a comprehensive style file and/or mood board to use as your guide and share it with your kitchen design dream team. Once you know the direction you’re headed the more decisive and confident you will be during the planning process. From Chris loves Julia.com

renovation a kitchen — Do your due diligence and educate yourself on the products available in the marketplace. There are an endless array of cabinet styles, countertop and backsplash materials, appliances, faucets, sinks and flooring options on the market. Spend some time researching products online be aware of costs. Ultimately spend some time in your local kitchen and bath showrooms to become aware of what things cost and begin to build a budget.

Define Your Goals

Kitchen layouts are very important — Your kitchen layout is the number one priority where precision planning and attention to detail are of the utmost importance. Of course you will want your new kitchen design to look spectacular, but never at the expense of overall function and efficiency.

Take the time to assess your lifestyle and how you and your family currently work and “LIVE” in your kitchen. Analyze your wants and needs …what works and what doesn’t. From how long you intend to live in your home to how many cooks are in your kitchen…this is where your data is collected so make lists!

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This is precisely why hiring a kitchen design professional is critical to the overall success of your project. As your advocate we are here to help design, plan, manage and guide the renovation process for you, which will ultimately save you time, money and your sanity!

Hire Your Dream Team

DIY or Hire a Pro? — The reality is that DIY projects typically take 3 to 4 times longer than a highly trained contractor to do the job – and eventually 20% of ambitious home remodelers will need to call for some professional back up – not just to complete the work, but repair the damage that the homeowners themselves have caused.

Going the DIY route is doable if you’re scope of work is simple. Painting out cabinets, installing new hardware or even changing out a simple back-splash is a relatively simple upgrade for the handy person to tackle at home.

However when your kitchen renovation project involves the removal of walls, building new ones, any structural revisions and relocating and supplementing any plumbing and electrical systems, then you will need to hire a designer to provide the drawings that the General Contractor will ultimately build from.

Get GC references from your designer and visit the homes of the contractors’ past clients to check out their work! See the quality of workmanship with your own eyes and speak with these clients to learn about their personal experience. People are more than willing to share their kitchen renovation war stories.

Do your best to find the right dream team for you, so all the time and money you spend planning, budgeting, and designing your kitchen will be put into the right hands.