10 THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU RENOVATE YOUR KITCHEN
AN INTERIOR DESIGNER’S STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE
The Kitchen of Your Dreams is Within Reach
Is your kitchen looking dated and you’re desperate to finally cook in a fabulous new space?
Maybe you’ve been whiling away hours on Instagram looking up #designerkitchens? Or your Pinterest board is chock full of stunning dream kitchens?
Maybe you and your significant other have made the decision to do it, and you’re raring to go?
How exciting!
STOP!
I don’t want to rain on your parade, sweetheart - I know you CANNOT WAIT to get that gorgeous kitchen out of your head and into your home - but you’ve got to make sure you’ve got all your ducks in a row.
Otherwise, you’ll end up with a project that goes from ‘dream’ to ‘nightmare’ so fast your head will spin!
Why?
BECAUSE YOU MAY THINK
YOU’RE WORKING TOWARDS A KITCHEN LIKE THIS…
BUT i’ve had clients call me
BECAUSE their kitchens START TO look like this…
Renovations are hard. They tend not to go as planned. And if something CAN go wrong, it will.
It never is as easy as it looks on TV.
Now don’t let me dissuade you. Renovating a kitchen can be super exciting. BUT it requires very careful planning and preparation. And if you’re like most people I know, you’re probably thinking ‘I want to (need to) renovate my kitchen, but I have NO idea where to start!’
Well, as an interior designer that has done this countless times, I figured I’d lay out the steps for you.
Because Babydoll, a Plan is Everything!
So roll up your sleeves, cupcake. Here are the 10 steps you should work through when planning a kitchen renovation. Think through and work through these steps and you’ll be in good shape for your dream kitchen remodel.
Drumroll, please…
10-Step Kitchen Planning Process
1 - what do you want to spend?
Establish an investment amount for your kitchen renovation and determine how much you want to (can afford to?) spend.
Notice I said ‘investment amount’, not ‘budget’.
I use these words on purpose. Your kitchen renovation is an investment. A fabulous kitchen reno will raise your property value. Have you ever heard ‘Kitchens and bathrooms sell a home’? There’s truth to that - I’ve seen it happen. So pay close attention to both the design and function of your kitchen (more on that later). And more importantly, don’t skimp on your budget here.
If you’re going to do it, do it right for your neighborhood and your market.
How do you know what’s the ‘right’ dollar amount? A good ballpark for a full kitchen overhaul is to spend approximately 10% of your home’s value on your kitchen reno. You really want to be within 5-15%, with a luxury kitchen being at the higher end of that range.
Know this, you will be swayed by the temptress of beautiful kitchen things… don’t let her get you! Figure out your dollar amount before you do anything else and stick to it!
Pro Tip: Plan for a contingency fund to cover any unexpected expenses that will inevitably arise. I like to plan for 10-15% of the total investment amount. It sounds like a lot, but you’d be surprised what you can find behind the walls once you get started!
2 - where do you want to go?
You know the saying: ‘If you don’t know where you’re going, how will you know when you get there?’
Determine what you want to achieve with your kitchen renovation. We’re talking big picture here.
Do you need to add more storage?
Do you literally, have too many cooks in the kitchen and need more space?
Or is your kitchen just plain ugly (sorry, but some just are and need a serious style upgrade!)
What you’re trying to do here is determine the scope of the renovation. How extensive will your renovation be? Are you replacing cabinets, appliances and floors - the whole shebang? Or just making minor changes?
Figuring out your overarching goals - without going into the specifics yet - is a good idea. It’ll help you nail down if your investment amount is realistic for what you want to achieve. A $15K kitchen reno for a full overhaul is unrealistic. A $150K for a kitchen that just needs more organization inside drawers and cabinets is total overkill!
I’m exaggerating wildly here to illustrate my point, but since I can’t flail my arms in a blog post like I do in real life, this is the only way I can get my point across. You get the picture, right? Mission accomplished!
3 - Assess Your Choke Points
Now grab a cup of coffee and sit down in your kitchen. Really take a close look and think about the things here that irritate you daily.
Are you always bumping into your husband when you’re trying to load the dishwasher?
Do you need a place for the kids to access snacks by themselves and increase their independence?
Are your mugs on the other side of the kitchen from the coffee machine? Do you even have space for that coffee machine???
Would you love a pantry? A bar?
Think details here and make a list of EVERY gripe, every little small thing that irks you.
This is a “if I could change every little thing, money no object” list. Don’t worry about the ‘how’ yet. Just brainstorm and let your mind go.
Don’t feel like you’re being ‘Negative Nelly’ here - this list will be super useful.
Read through your list and prioritize it, starting with the most annoying thing first.
4 - What’s the Dream?
Now go grab a glass of wine and get ready to flip the script. We’re going to be super positive. Ready?
If you could have your Dream Kitchen - money no object - what would it look like?
Close your eyes and picture it. Do you see it? No?
Well, are you closing your eyes?! You can’t be if you’re reading this paragraph!
What color are the cabinets?
What kind of countertop would you have?
Would you upgrade your appliances
Would you blow open the walls and make it an open plan?
I want you to dream, and dream big! Don’t worry about the ‘how’, honey - this is where you let your mind go.
Write down a ‘desire’ list and prioritize it. Think about your ‘Absolutes’ and your ‘Nice to Haves’ in your new kitchen. This one might take some thinking through, and if you share your space with a partner or your family, it’s best done with them. Keep these lists handy. You’ll need them soon!
5 - Look in your Crystal Ball
The biggest mistake I see people make in their kitchen renovations - or any remodel - is that they forget to consider the future.
They forget that their elementary school children will be teenagers tomorrow.
They forget that they’ll grow old and maybe putting a microwave over the range might not be the best idea.
So think through your family and your unique needs. Think about where you are in your life and if there’s anything special you’ll need now, or in the future.
Are there any medical conditions - current or hereditary - that you should consider?
Are you done having children or do you think you might add more kids to your family?
Does your 11-year-old LOVE to cook? If you have a budding chef on your hands, you might want to plan for larger walkways in your kitchen, because it’s obvious you’re going to have multiple people working at the same time!
Do you have a family of four kids who love team sports? They’re going to coming home as sweaty and ravenous teenagers, and raid your fridge and pantry. You’re probably going to need a dedicated snack spot, maybe a drink fridge, larger range and fridge.
Have aging parents? Are they likely to come live with you at some point? Think through what they’ll need and plan for that now.
Another ‘future-proof’ planning consideration is trends. Here’s my advice: don’t follow them. Just don’t do it.
I could write a whole series of posts on not following trends. But suffice it to say that your kitchen - and your home - should reflect you and how you live your life. Always tell YOUR story, not someone else’s.
6 - Hire a designer
Alright, so really, this one should be #1. But the truth is, most people have no idea how having a designer in their corner could save so much time, money, energy and heartache. Yes, heartache.
I know what you’re thinking: “Come on Tash, aren’t you being just a little dramatic?”
Nope. Not at all. You see, most folks think that all a designer does is helps them pick colors for their cabinets and their countertops. AND they think, how hard can a reno be? After all, it looks so easy on TV right?
Wrong!
A remodel requires a TON of planning, contacts, know-how and scheduling. And if you don’t know what you’re doing, what order to do it in, or more importantly, if you have no experience of what to do when things go wrong - and they will - then sweetheart, you’re going to be in for a nasty surprise! But walk into a renovation with a plan, and suddenly you’ve turned a difficult process into a much less challenging one. One that is actually achievable, and - dare I say it - pleasurable!
I don’t know about you, but I like knowing what comes next, what to expect, how long things will take and the order of work.
I like being able to envision what my space will actually look like when I’m done, instead of a haphazard, '“hopefully-this-will-work?” approach as I pick my countertops, cabinetry, tile, and finishes.
I like the security of having ALL my orders delivered and awaiting installation, rather than worrying about whether I’ve ordered enough, or ordered early enough, or whether something will arrive damaged…
I like the confidence that comes from having a plan in place for when things go wrong - because I’ve already thought through the contingencies.
And most of all, I like knowing how much I am spending in advance, instead of bleeding cash and feeling like I’m being taken for a ride.
Time and time again, my clients have said that they wish they knew that hiring a designer made life and their reno so much easier. They would have done it a long time ago! And that they would NEVER try to do a remodel without me again! While I love hearing that and love the praise, I know that what they really love is my processes. I give them the step-by-step approach to design, decorating and remodeling that they could not possibly have on their own. After all, I do this every single day.
“Hiring a professional designer to help you with your renovation means the difference between a mediocre kitchen and one that wows”
7 - Design the perfect Layout
Alright, now it’s time for the nuts and bolts. If you’re not detail-oriented, it’s time to call in for some help honey, because this part will drive you bonkers! Consider yourself warned…
If you’re working with me, I’ll spend a huge amount of time charting out how you live your life and how you work in your kitchen in great detail. This allows us to figure out the best flow, which informs the best floor plan.
The Flow Informs the Floor (Plan)!
Cheesy, I know. But SO easy to remember. And I do love me some cheese - all kinds of cheese too. And wine. Don’t forget that rose, my love - we’ll have ourselves a fabulous party! If you get the flow right, you’ll have a fabulous kitchen to throw that party in!
Because my sweet, if you get that layout right, that kitchen will be magic!
But get the layout wrong, and even the most beautiful kitchen will grate on your last nerve.
So how do you master kitchen layout? It’s not easy, and I sure as hell can’t cover all of it in one blog post paragraph! If you do want to learn how to design the kitchen of your dreams, then lucky for you, I have a kitchen design course launching soon. Click here to sign up!
But in the meantime, let’s get the cliff notes on kitchen layout, shall we? Have you heard of the kitchen work triangle? Yes? Well, I want you to forget it! Yup, I said forget it!
In the modern, open plan kitchens, where we love to entertain, the work triangle might help, but it’s a little bit of an outdated concept. You’re better off, in my opinion, thinking in terms of work zones.
What’s a zone? Put simply, it’s an area dedicated to a certain activity. So for example, you might have a Cooking Zone, a Baking Zone, a Prep Zone and a Cleaning Zone, Below are some examples of the items that might be in each zone. This is not an exhaustive list.
a Cleaning zone - sink, both dishwashers, garbage disposal, dishwashing liquid, dishwasher pods, hand soap, cleaning supplies under the sink, paper towels, cleaning towels, extra, sponges, white vinegar, garbage bags.
a Prep zone (right next to the Cooking zone) - chopping boards, knives, food processor, blender, mortar & pestle, tupperware, kids lunchboxes, reusable water bottles, reusable snack bags, reusable lunch bags, reusable drinking straws
a Cooking zone - range or cooktop, microwave, pots and pans, cooking utensils, spices, unrefrigerated sauces & oils, everyday serveware, everyday crockery, everyday cutlery, everyday placemats, everyday trivets
a Baking zone (this may or may not be combined with your cooking zone, depending on how much baking you do) - oven(s), baking trays, baking dishes, stand mixer, pot holders, oven mitts, cookie cutters, turntable, cake decorating tools, rolling pins, muffin trays and any other baking equipment you have.
If you are designing a kitchen for a house you plan to live in until you’re dying day, then go to town and design this baby all for yourself. BUT if you plan on selling your house at some point in the future, it’s worth considering how a normal family might want to use your kitchen, even as you consider your own needs. While every kitchen - and every family - are different, there are some standard principles that are good to follow here that are really common sense.
The easiest way to figure out your work zones is to walk through your current kitchen and look at your existing work zones. Consider what areas you want to place next to each other. Then start to loosely layout your kitchen. Don’t worry about cabinet sizes for now - just general areas will do. Decide if you’re happy with the work zones and where they are. If not, rearrange them on your loose layout.
Next get out a tape measure and measure your kitchen. You want every single measurement - walls, windows, floor to ceiling. You don’t need to get fancy - paper and pen will do - although kitchen planning software can be super helpful here and save you a lot of time.
Depending on where you get your cabinetry from, you may have access to a kitchen planner. If you’re working with a kitchen designer, then you - lucky duck - will have a fabulous kitchen layout done for you, elevations and renderings included, and they will likely suggest some inserts for cabinets and drawers that would serve your needs. If you’d like our help designing your kitchen, get in touch.
As you’re planning the placement of cabinets, make sure you keep functionality top of mind. Consider how you use your kitchen and how you can improve its functionality for your family. Think about factors such as counter space, storage, and appliance placement. Include as many items from your ‘Dream’ list as possible. And try to fix as many of the ‘Choke Points’ as you can. The goal here is to give you the dream and take away as much of the bad stuff as you can. You’re starting with a clean slate here - make it count! You won’t be able to do all of it, but the more you can achieve, the better.
Unless you’re planning on having custom cabinets put in, remember that your measurements have to be spot on, or your cabinets won’t fit. Give yourself some wiggle room and use ‘fillers’ from the cabinet company - that way your cabinets will fit. No house is built perfectly straight or with perfect right angles, believe it or not.
Have your layout done? Excellent! Check your measurements and then go back and triple check them! DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!
If you want to learn all about cabinetry, sizes, including how to plan your layout like a pro and the difference between custom, RTA, assembled, frameless, inset and all the other confusing terms they hurl at you, click here to be notified when my Design Your Own Kitchen course goes live. I’ll teach you everything you need to know to design and renovate your kitchen just the way I do it for my clients.
8 - What’s Your Style?
We’ve talked about all the functional things you want in your kitchen. But so far we haven’t talk about the style of your kitchen.
You may think it strange for an interior designer to put aesthetics this far down the list. But darling, I’m a firm believer that if your kitchen doesn’t work for you, it just doesn’t work. That’s so important, I’m going to say it again!
“If your kitchen doesn’t work for you, it just doesn’t work!”
So that’s why we’re tackling aesthetics here. AFTER we’ve thought what you need to make your kitchen function well.
My clients always say I tackle the boring stuff first before I let them have fun! That always makes me laugh. But it’s true. And I’ve structured my process that way on purpose. Getting the ‘hard’ thinking done first leaves us free to play with the “fun” stuff - the design. But now we can design within the parameters of the layout that we KNOW works for how your family uniquely functions.
The result? A kitchen that you LOVE - because it looks and feels perfect, AND is customized to how you live.
So how do you work out your style? If you’re lucky, you already know if you skew traditional or modern or bohemian. I actually think these labels are too vague to describe your style leanings, so I have my own process for discovering your unique style.
Want a taste of my process? Check out my ‘Find Your Design Style’ guide at the end of this page.
Just pop in your email to receive it!
Luckily, for kitchen design, you don’t need to do a deep dive into style specifics. Just knowing if you like traditional, mid-century, contemporary, or classic is enough. Pair that info with your house’s architectural style, and voila, you have some good search terms to figure out a design direction for your kitchen!
Now get onto Pinterest and start typing in those search terms one-by-one, along with the words you came up with in the ‘Dream Kitchen’ section above. Save those inspiration images to a Pinterest ‘Dream Kitchen’ board. Don’t edit yourself, just pin away to glory. Don’t be afraid to go off on tangents, and pin everything from cabinet colors to countertops to overall kitchen looks you like. Even if you like something, but you’re not sure WHY, go ahead and pin it.
Once you’re done pinning, give your Pinterest board a second, more critical look. Delete any images that you don’t ABSOLUTELY love. Like I always say: If it isn’t a ‘Hell, yeah!’, it’s a ‘No!’ When you’ve edited your board down as much as possible, you’ll likely start to notice similarities in the kitchens that are left.
Use those images as a jumping off point - a ‘mood’ if you will - for your new kitchen’s look when you go shopping for your materials. This will be your overall kitchen aesthetic that you can draw inspiration from in designing your new, and fabulous kitchen. The more you edit now, the clearer your vision will be.
You can use software - keynote, powerpoint, photoshop, canva, etc - to create a mood board for yourself. But while this is helpful, it isn’t strictly necessary. If you edit your Pinterest board down well, you can show your board to the vendors you visit (tile showroom, countertop vendors, etc) and they can help point you in the right direction. In a showroom, once 90% of the choices that don’t work with your vision are taken away, it is easier to choose what works perfectly with your overall vision.
9 - Handle Paperwork & Hire Subs
This is probably the most annoying, but very necessary step.
If you are working with a designer, then hurray! Once again, you’re saved! They have access to a bunch of tried-and-true subs on speed dial that they work with regularly to handle every part of your renovation. And they will also handle all the paperwork needed to start your renovation. They will have done this before, so they know exactly what this entails and will likely even have contacts at your local government offices, or even have a ‘plan runner’ who runs permits for them.
If you’re going at it alone, you’ll have to find out what permits you’ll need from your city or local government to carry out your remodel. Once you go down that rabbit hole, fill out and file that paperwork and pay any necessary fees. It’s a fun process - not - and can take several weeks, and involve a few inspections. While you’re waiting, make the time count by meeting with, and getting quotes from contractors and the various trade people you will need for your renovation.
If you’ve never done a remodel before, I recommend finding a reputable contractor and having him or her manage your entire renovation for you.
YES, it will be more expensive.
And NO this is not a place to DIY to skimp and save.
Because if you hire someone who knows exactly what they are doing then in the end, you will save a ton of time, a great deal of moolah and energy wasted. Pick a contractor who is worth his salt and you’ll come out winning every time.
If you’re an old hat at renos and are confident in your abilities to be your own contractor, then call your guys - millworker, electrician, plumber, flooring installer, tile installer, fabricator - whomever you need for the level of renovation you’re doing, and collect your quotes.
Make sure you check that your contractor (and any subs necessary) is licensed and insured, check your references, then hire your team. Once you obtain all the necessary permits, and hire all the subs you need, you’re good to go!
10 - Choose Your Materials
A renovation cannot start if you don’t have your materials ready. And while you THINK you may know what your perfect kitchen looks like when you’re dreaming about it, the actual act of choosing materials can cause a whole bunch of indecision!
If you aren’t already working with an interior designer, you may want to consider hiring one for their ‘Designer for a Day’ services. Many designers offer a 6-8 hour daily rate, where they spend time shopping with you and helping you choose items for your remodel (or your new construction home).
Their presence in a showroom will keep you on track with your vision and help you choose high quality materials that are both in line with your aesthetic and investment amount. And you’ll have the benefit of a professional’s experience of dealing with those different materials, so you have your every question answered. For example, many of my clients like to know the difference between the various kitchen countertop materials and whether marble countertops are a good or bad idea. Indecision, be gone!
When choosing materials, I recommend visiting the various showrooms/stores twice. Once to just look, to see all the options available to you, and the second time to actually purchase. Keep in mind that each showroom will have a different look and feel, so don’t limit yourself to just one or two showrooms. Really explore until you find one that feels in line with your vision and which has a sales professional that is willing to spend some real time with you. Look for the highest quality materials that fit your design and investment parameters. Research your options before you go, so that you know the differences between each material, and ask questions of the sales professionals (and/or your interior designer).
Before you go, make a checklist of items you will need for your kitchen renovation, quantities you’ll need of each item, finishes, the amount you’d like to spend on each and if you’ve found a store for the item (e.g. a backsplash tile you like), put in the item/store as well. That will help you keep track of both the items and the amount you’ve spent.
The items you might need for your kitchen renovation could include the following items or more, depending on the extent of your renovation:
cabinets
cabinet inserts for more functionality
countertops
appliances
flooring
tile
faucets
smaller appliances (e.g. garbage disposal unit, hot water dispenser)
cabinet hardware
range hood & range hood cover
sink(s)
lighting (recessed lights, island lights, under cabinet lighting)
accessories (like countertop accessories, recipe book holder, island centerpiece, etc)
Once you’ve decided every item you’d like to purchase - but before you’ve bought a single thing - make sure it all works cohesively, it is all available in the quantities you require and it all fits the investment amount you decided on. Then start to make your purchases.
Once you’ve worked through these 10 steps, you’re ready to
Start Your Reno!!!
But before you do, here’s a bonus for you…
PRO TIP: Plan for the Unexpected! In any renovation, there are going to be hiccups. Be prepared for unexpected costs or issues that may arise during the renovation process. If you can make sure you keep your contingency budget ONLY for these unexpected costs and keep your sense of humor throughout the renovation, you’ll be in good shape
Follow these steps and you’ll be on a magic carpet ride to kitchen heaven, my lovely!
Need Some Help?If you’re struggling right out the gate and would rather have someone to work through all this with, get in touch here. Kitchen design is one of my favorite things to do and I’m happy to help.
But honey, if you sit down and try, you got this even without me - it just takes a little time. And know that if you need some help along the way, just give us a shout. We’d love to help you with any stage of your kitchen remodel that you need – from the overall design to cabinet elevations, from renderings to picking out fixtures,
At Taashki Studio, we offer a full service kitchen design plan to take you from
‘Dream’ to ‘Done’.
But whether you are working with me, another interior designer, or doing it on your own, remember to ALWAYS Tell A Story with your Home.
Love you, mean it!
xxx Tash Loved reading this and want to turn your home into a space you absolutely adore? Follow @taashkistudios on Instagram and join the Taashki Tribe newsletter below! Write and tell me what you struggle with in your home design and I’ll help you through your design woes!
WANT SOME HELP WITH DESIGNING YOUR DREAM HOME?Coming home to a space you love is simply magic. The sanctuary that you crave, that feeling of a warm hug enveloping you, that effortless comfort - it’s all there. But creating that magic can be overwhelming and time-consuming. It takes vision, and is equal parts planning and art. There are SO many decisions to make, and sometimes, you just don’t want to go at it alone. If you want a partner in this process who can steer you towards options that work best for your life and style; a knowledgeable guide to take you from ‘dream’ to ‘done’ and who can hold your hand every step of the way, our Interior Design Services might be just what you need. Find out more about Tash or Schedule a Discovery Call to learn more about our process. We can’t wait to come on your journey with you!