The kitchen should reflect your lifestyle. It should accommodate your cooking needs, provide the type of space you need for dining and offer plenty of storage. Its décor should complement your home’s architecture and set the tone for gatherings that happen there. A lot of factors play into kitchen design, but the first step before choosing appliances or visiting a cabinet showroom is to set some goals for your space.

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Start by reflecting on why you’re remodeling and what you really need to get out of it. A kitchen remodel is not an easy task, so why are you doing it? Use are free checklist to help give you ideas.

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When Michael Meredith, AutoCad Designer, Re-Masters, Sf Bay Area works with clients, he works through an organic process that involves addressing each of these key variables:

 

• Size of the space

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• Orientation of sunlight

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• Connection of kitchen to adjacent rooms

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• Homeowner’s lifestyle

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• Budget

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• Condition of the building

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Kitchen Remodeling Considerations

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As you start planning your remodel, consider these factors:

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Size (Square Footage). “Every inch of space is important, especially in a small kitchen,” Michael emphasizes. The size of your kitchen will dictate the layout: Is there room for an island? Does space allow for a prep sink? Where can you squeeze in extra storage?

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Will you knock out a wall or extend the kitchen by adding on to your home? How much space can you conceivably add to your kitchen layout? These are questions to consider with your designer.

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Existing Layout. Don’t feel married to your kitchen’s existing footprint. “Windows and doors are seldom in the place you want them,” Michael says. “They might be on the wrong wall, or in the wrong place entirely.” If you must maintain the windows/doors of your kitchen, you may be locked in to your layout—but there are always ways to modify. For instance, you can add a peninsula to an L-shaped kitchen and create a horseshoe layout that offers more counter space and efficiency. Learn about different kitchen layouts.

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As you consider kitchen layout, take time to think about what you like about your current kitchen:

 

• How do you move in the space?

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• Does the workflow accommodate your cooking routine?

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• Can you easily move from the range to the sink?

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• How effective is your kitchen when more than one person is cooking?

 

These are just some of the questions you should be asking yourself as you begin to plan your kitchen remodel.

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Infrastructure. Depending on the age of your kitchen, you might confront electrical or plumbing concerns as you remodel. Working with Re-Masters Elimates these concerns as our team ensures that the “guts” of your kitchen can accommodate the technology (appliances, lighting, etc.) you will install.

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“In an older house, you may find yourself with sagging floors that need to be addressed or crooked walls that need to be straightened out,” Michael says, pointing to a couple of budget busters that many homeowners do not plan for. “Keep an open mind at the start of the process,” He continues. “Understand your needs, but recognize the variables that your designer might need to deal with during the process.”

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Lifestyle. How will you use the kitchen? What type of cook are you? How do you entertain? as you prioritize features for your new kitchen.

Michael likes to keep the conversation general when first identifying kitchen likes/dislikes, “identifying problems rather than solutions, and wishes rather than details,” He says. “This is because the design will evolve as all variables are considered, and locking on to a specific feature at the start may solve one problem but preclude a better design that solves five other problems.”

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For example, choosing professional appliances that take up 80 percent of the space may not allow enough room for cabinetry storage or area to expand a window to let more light into the kitchen.

Budget. “The fastest way to go over your budget is to change your mind on materials and finishes.”

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Will help you decide where you might want to save and where to splurge. Set a realistic budget, figuring between 6 and 10 percent of your home value for a complete kitchen remodel. HGTV, says clients that spend about 10 percent of their overall home value realize a return on their investment at resale.