Are you ready to start designing your dream kitchen?

Building a new home, ready to renovate, or in the mood to create your dream kitchen?  Exciting times maybe ahead, but stress is will be right behind it.  Are you ready to move forward?  Obviously designing a kitchen or remodeling an older space requires planning and if you don’t think so, good luck to ya!  Photo by Daniela Gisin-Krumsick on Unsplash

Use a Free Online Kitchen Planner

But seriously, you need a plan, get off to the right start and try out your design skills using a free kitchen design planner!  It’s fun, free, and lets you play with the space you have.  There are several online like this one kitchen planner

Preparing for a kitchen renovation

The first thing you need to do is lower your expectations.  We don’t mean settling for unideal materials and not choosing what you want, but rather manage your expectations regarding budget and timelines.  There will be a well thought out construction and design plan made for your space, but you can bet it will run off the rails at some point through the process.

It is often too easy to let our emotions take over and set high expectations when planning that dream kitchen, so in keeping expectations low, you can significantly reduce the amount of stress that often comes with important design projects. Expect the unexpected.

Why you must hire experienced contractors and interior designers

Don’t DIY or it will never get done, you will end up doing something wrong, need to fix it and eventually blow your budget ineffectively.  If you’re going to take this on, make sure to hire professionals.

Hire Professionals – This part takes time, do your homework, call references and many of them because it is worth it.  Experienced contractors will know what to avoid, ask the right questions, know the best products, and know what not to invest in.

They will be more accurate in budget and time estimations and they will have a well built network of supply and trade specialists that you will get access to.

Inexperienced contractors haven’t made all of their mistakes yet.  So many homeowners get burned by choosing price over experience and when designing a kitchen, experience truly matters because in the long run it will save you money.

Time in the industry reveals a lot about what not to do, how to fix certain issues that arise, and how to avoid costly mistakes, inexperienced contractors can be risky to your budget.

Preparing a kitchen renovation budget

Once you hire your professionals, be reasonable with your budget and expect to tackle some unexpected budget suckers.  It could be electrical or structural, there is always an issue lying beneath the surface of a renovation so be prepared to fix it.  Have a budget contingency plan of at least an extra 25% is a must.

You can expect that the timeline will not go as planned

With any major renovation, anything can happen from unexpected water damage, asbestos discovery to an injured tradesman or products out of stock.  A million things will affect your timeline which is why it is an estimate.  Just expect it will take forever and then you will be happily surprised with the quick result.

Kitchen Design Considerations

Now that your prepared for disappointment, get on with the fun stuff and start designing your kitchen!  There are so many kitchen products, materials, and appliances to consider for your space so it is important to take a lot of time to go over how you will use your space, why you use it and what your priorities are.  Make a wish list and then slowly go over what you can realistically afford.

Changing your kitchen layout

If you are doing a kitchen remodel you may find the current layout is unnecessary!  Often homes were not built with logic, strange, unnecessary bulk heads, or multiple entrances into a kitchen.  There could be potential to open a ceiling or close off an entrance to create more counterspace and cabinetry!  You don’t have to be locked into one kitchen layout, explore your options.

What is the kitchen Triangle?

We’ve all heard of the kitchen triangle on HGTV several times before; a design concept where the fridge, stove and sink are aligned in a triangle.  By following this concept or working in zones, the food prep area remains close to the wash area and cooking surfaces.  It exists to ensure that kitchen design will result in functionality, which is the end goal of great design.

While this kitchen triangle rule is helpful, it is only a guideline to keep in mind when designing a kitchen.  All  spaces are unique and all homeowners have different requirements from their kitchen which will affect the overall design.

Use the kitchen triangle concept to determine the best flow for appliance placement.  Another tip is to consider the distance of the dishwasher to the sink and cupboards for clean plates when choosing placement of the dishwasher.

Potential Kitchen Design Hiccups

One hiccup to watch for is appliance placement.  To avoid costly kitchen design mistakes, it is helpful to know what kitchen appliances the homeowner wants so you can measure accurately.  The appliances may end up being too big or too small, and the appliance doors may actually require an extended clearance! This is particularly important when designing a galley kitchen or planning for an island.

Often there are limited options and placement is determined by proximity to a window, venting or space large/tall enough for a fridge.  Typically sinks are placed in front of a window or on the wall that houses the window.  Stoves need to be placed on a solid wall where appropriate electrical or gas line and proper ventilation is available.  Usually with this type of layout, the placement is rather obvious.

So get started designing your dream kitchen!  We’ve done a lot of the kitchen design research already! From choosing countertop materials, kitchen flooring to appliances, thesexykitchen.com aims to help you through the exciting process kitchen design. Now dive deep into a kitchen planner and get the ball rolling!