Mom - I feel for you with twins AND triplets! My goodness you have your hands full! I thought 3 under seven was alot (going through a reno!). It must be loads of laughs in your house, though. Kids that age can be a riot (when they - or you - aren't pulling your hair out!). :)

I had never done a reno before, didn't have much help from my DH, and have 3 kids so I knew straight away that I was willing to pay a bit more to do a little less of the "work" myself. I went to 2 different KD/design build firms and I went to Dixieline lumber here in town (which has a kitchen design dept and carries the Omega Custom line which I knew was pretty good). The problem with Dixieline was that I'd have to hire my own GC, and I just did not want to do that in the end. The 2 KD's came up with very good designs (one I paid $500 for the design, the other I paid $600 - I could keep the designs). One carried DuraSupreme (which is what we were considering due to cost considerations), Hallmark, Heritage and Poggen Pohl. The other carried only one line - Hertco, which is a smaller company out of Washington State.

We decided to go with the company that carried Hertco because we got more for our money and the labor from that company was less (their studio is not located in the ritzy area like the other one - less overhead). They have done an amazing job and I am very happy with the results.

Alot of people here recommend going with a custom cabinet maker, but with the kids and an uninvolved DH, I just didn't think that was an option for me. I hear there are great savings, though, and if you find the right person you can really get the kitchen of your dreams, EXACTLY like you want it.

GOOD LUCK!

Tosha, Welcome and congratulations!! Boy, have you got your hands full! I've been around here for four months and have gone from having some design skills but no knowledge of what's available currently in kitchens to a well critiqued plan and a refined idea of what to get.

The consensus here seems to be that DIY centers like Home Depot and Lowes are great if you're doing it yourself (or are a contractor) and know what you're doing, but that they can be frustrating experiences for people who need professional assistance. Some people have great experiences, but most say they learn more here on Garden Web than they know in the stores, and they have to wait for long times to get the things they order, etc.

Even though they're still fixing the search engine here, you can find a lot about all the details by using the search box at the bottom of the list of threads. You should be able to find threads for drawing program recommendations too. I personally find a lot of the ones that are meant for interior design frustrating because it's hard to input precise measurements and alignments, but the trade-off is that there are lots of library finishes and they'll do automatic 3D views. Other drawing programs can give you an experience like computerized graph paper. Plain old graph paper works too :) And you can cut your appliances and furniture out of more graph paper and move them around.

Check the FAQ for lots of great information on where to start, and the appliance forum for reviews, recommendations and ideas.

Our house stays busy for sure! The twins are boys and they are 4 years old. The trio is g/g/b and they are 20 months. Life's great, but crazy for sure.

Thanks for the tips! We set up two contractors to come to the house this week. I figure that way we can haved a "store" quote and contractor quotes. I have all these thoughts running through my head to what I want my kitchen to look like. Now it's time to get those thoughts on paper.

Tosha

We went to HD and Lowes and got some quotes but they were hard to work with as well as a couple of kitchen places, but most wanted to do the install too. We ended up getting our Kraftmaid through Just Cabinets - they are a chain on the East Coast. Get several quotes and shop around as prices very much very.

God bless you! You are one blessed mommy! I don't have any advice on who to go to as far as contractors, but I would highly recommend posting your plan on the kitchen forum. There are a lot of very experienced and helpful people that will help fine-tune your layout to make it the best it can be. Best wishes on your reno!

I went to Lowes and worked with a great designer to come up with a design. Lowes will do it for free, just bring in your own measurements. Then I was able to shop the design around for quotes. We ended up going with a custom cabinet guy and we tweeked the final design because he wasn't limited to standard sizes. We are DIY'ing everything else except the granite.

My advice is that you can NEVER do too much research. I was getting ribbed by friends and family for the extensive legwork and comparison shopping I did before we started (we are doing most of a total house renovation DIY), and unfortunately, we have had nothing but problems with nearly ALL of our suppliers. So far, they have all remedied or are in the process of fixing all the mistakes, but the delays have certainly battered our enthusiasm.

Shop around, utilize places that offer free kitchen designs. Then bring that design here, and let the generous souls at GW have a go or two or three... at it. Unfortunately, we had ordered everything BEFORE I found the Kitchen forum, but it has been a great resource nonetheless. You, however, are in the enviable position of being able to benefit from the combined wisdom of everyone here before you head through the starting gate.

No matter who you end up going with, be sure that you have seen in person EVERYTHING you are ordering. If you want a pantry pullout, be sure you have seen the exact style you want, and feel how it pulls, will the sides support the items you will put it there (some are so short, things tip over and/or out). Look at the sides of drawers, feel how they close, etc. Don't ASSUME anything, and when you get to the contract stage (OK, I may be getting ahead of myself here), go over all measurements with a fine tooth comb, don't be afraid to ask questions,"what does a B24...blah blah blah mean". AND, best to get a quality assurance in writing- that has been a life saver for us.

Hi Mom2twinsandtriplets...welcome to the site!

Ahhh...where to start?!! I'm going to take you back to the beginning...yes, you will need to know about cabinets, etc., but before you commit to anything, you need at least a preliminary design/idea of what you want.

First step: Take the "Sweeby Test" It will help you define what it is you want out of your remodel (besides new "things").

Next, evaluate your current kitchen...what works, what doesn't AND what do you like, what don't you like (not always the same thing!) How many people will be working in the kitchen? Do you have children? These are just a few of the questions to ask yourself. See Beginning a Kitchen Plan

While doing the above... Think about and set your budget. Keep 10% to 15% in reserve for emergencies...those unexpected surpirses like insect damage, unsafe floors, etc. When walls are opened up or floors pulled up, you sometimes find unexpected situations...sometimes good, but probably not so good!

Design

Layout: Once you've figured out what it is you want from your new kitchen, it's time to start thinking about the layout itself.

* The best place to start is to draw up your kitchen (to scale, if possible) without cabinets & appliances. This means measuring everything...walls, ceiling height, widths of doors & windows, distances between windows, walls, doorways, etc.

* If you cannot move plumbing or gas, mark them on your drawing as well.

* Mark all doorways & windows (w/dimensions) and label them as to where they lead. If they're actual doors, mark how they swing.

* It also would be helpful to see the connecting rooms, even layouts so you see how they interact with the kitchen and/or extend the kitchen feel and flow.

* Make note of traffic flows in and out of the kitchen

Make a list of things like:

* What is your goal E.g., more counter space, more storage, seating in the kitchen (island? peninsula? table?), etc.

* Do you plan to merge two rooms/areas (e.g., Nook and Kitchen into a Kitchen only)

* Where are you flexible?
.....Can windows or doorways change size?
.....Can they be moved?
.....Can windows be raised/lowered?
.....Can any walls come down?
.....Does the sink have to be centered under a window?
.....Does it have to be under a window at all?

* Do you bake? Do you want a coffee/tea/beverage center?

* What appliances do you plan on having (helps to figure out work flow, work zones, and types of cabinets...upper/lower vs full height, etc.)
.....Range or Cooktop?
.....Single or Double or no Wall Oven?
.....Warming Drawer?
.....MW? (Advantium, drawer, OTR, countertop, built-in, shelf?)
.....DW? Standard or drawers? If drawers, 1 or 2?
.....Refrigerator CD or standard depth?
.....Vent Hood?
.....Other?
Sizes of desired appliances (e.g., 30" or 36" or 48" cooktop; 36" or 42" or 48" wide or other Refrigerator? etc.)

* Pantry: Walk-in or cabinets?

***** Very Important *****

Is there anything you:
* Can't live without?
* Definitely don't want?
* Would like if you can find a way?

This information will be valuable to not only you, but also any Kitchen Designers you may hire or talk to. Additionally, if you've been haunting the site, you'll notice that we also help with almost all aspects of the remodel, including layout help.

If you do ask for help, then all of the above information will help us help you. Sometimes we stray from what you think you want to give you some ideas that you might not have thought of, but it's your kitchen and you can veto anything...we may argue for something (we're good at that!), but in the end it's what you want. And remember, we are just giving you ideas and possible layouts, in the end when you finalize your design it's whatever you want and decide on! After all, this is your kitchen! [Keep this in mind if/when you use a Kitchen Designer--it's your kitchen, not his or hers...don't let them talk you into anything unless you're sure it's what you want!]

Good luck and welcome to the Kitchens Forum!

Links that might be helpful:

Sweeby Test

Kitchen Forum FAQ

Kitchen Forum Acronyms

Beginning a Kitchen Plan

Finished Kitchens Blog

Appliances Forum

Kitchen Forum threads that might be helpful:

Read Me If You're New To GW Kitchens! (Help keep on Page 1)

Best advice from this forum

Care to share your best kitchen storage ideas?

Now that I have [X], I think I could have lived without it

tray cabinets - top 1/2 wasted space

What do you wish you had done differently?

Wow, I'm feeling a little stress already and the remodel that hasn't even started yet! LOL Thanks for all the great advice so far! We went back to Lowes yesterday and they are coming up with another design idea I had. Today we had a contractor come to our home. Oh Boy, I felt that I knew more then he did. He's never put a corner sink in. He said our layout we drew looked better then what he could of done. He's only installed laminate and would only put the cabinets in and sub contract the rest out. He said he was Class A Contractor, but he sure didn't seem to know much. We kept correcting things he told us since we had already learned about it. He left and we didn't really get anything done. No prices and no layout from him. I could go on and on. Bottom line...next person please. :) We will see how the next person goes on Thursday. I'm keeping my chin up!