Source: SweisKloss; Chang Kyun Kim Photography

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Doing a Full Kitchen Renovation

by SweisKloss
April 8, 2021

The kitchen. AKA the heart of the home…the space, no matter how big or small, where family and friends gather together the most. A highly utilized area, the kitchen has to work from a design perspective with the right aesthetics and functionality, but it also has to be a thoughtful reflection of you. Does it fit your lifestyle? Does it feel special?

Obviously, kitchens are at the top of the list of home projects. It’s definitely one of our favorite spaces to design. Remodeling a kitchen is daunting, however, but exciting and well worth the time and expense. Before considering a kitchen renovation, here are some questions to ask yourself:

What is the overall look? Light and bright? Warm and cozy? Sophisticated? There are many styles in between as well, from updated traditional to modern contemporary. How will the look fit within the style of your entire home?

Layout is very important. Who’s doing the cooking and how many cooks are in the kitchen, so to speak, and how much space do they want and/or need?

Will your kitchen connect to an outdoor space? We recently installed a servery window for a client who wanted an easy flow from the kitchen to the outdoor dining area.

Are you moving or taking down walls? Will the footprint change and how will that affect the fluidity from other areas into and out of the kitchen?

Is this an entertaining kitchen? If you like to entertain, you might want the island facing out to the living/family area and have extra counter space for placing food and drinks for guests.

While in the kitchen, how do you want to interact with people—spouse, kids, guests? Are they in the kitchen with you or hanging out at the island or in a living/family area?

How much counter and island space will you need? Will you eat at the island or incorporate a sit-down dining area?

What appliances will you want and in what size? Do you want a range or a cooktop and ovens, single or a double? Warming drawer? Built-in microwave? Beverage refrigerator?

Do you have special requirements that your designer should know about? For example, do you need two sinks and two dishwashers for a kosher kitchen?

Storage space is imperative to any kitchen. Do you want a separate pantry area? Do you want special storage such as grain bins or a large mixer?

What is your budget? Determine your must-haves and prioritize your nice-to-haves.

Hire your designer + contractor as early as possible; you want your design team to start on the measure up, schematics, and drawings right away. The design process typically takes two to three months and a couple more months for appropriate permits. Construction generally takes about three to four months.

Your design team should request samples of your materials (tile, flooring, stone surfaces, etc.) from the current lot so that nothing is out of date from the manufacturer come time for construction. Think about your hardware for the cabinets; the right hardware is a must. Your design team should require and review shop drawings of the cabinetry from the cabinetmaker so that everyone fully understands the design intent. Once you decide on cabinetry, your designer should show you a sample of your cabinet door in the selected finish on the actual material.

While this is just the tip of the iceberg as far as renovation tips go, a great design + construct team will guide you through the process and do all the heavy lifting. It should be a fun, creative process. Before you know it, you will have the kitchen you always wanted.