Welcome!

If you are new to the Kitchens Forum, you may find the following
information and links helpful. The FAQs will help you navigate the world
of kitchen remodeling and, in the process, introduce you to ideas that
you may not have thought of or seriously considered. We will begin by
helping you come up with a "Mission Statement" or "Goal" for your future
kitchen and continue through the planning, implementation, and,
finally, the unveiling of your final kitchen and the enjoyment of
working in a kitchen that YOU helped come to pass!

The FAQ articles on Kitchens contain helpful information about how to
navigate this site as well as the world of kitchen renovations. The
FAQs include, but are not limited to, such topics as how to ask for help
with a layout, how to plan for storage, etc. Even more information can
be found by doing a search on the forum.

The Finished Kitchens Blog (FKB) has pictures and information about many GardenWeb (GW) members' finished kitchens.
Not only can you see them alphabetically, but there is also a category
list if you're looking for specific things like a kitchen with a
Beverage Center or a kitchen with a mix of dark and light cabinets.
Access the FKB Categories Page via a link in the navigation panel on the
right of any FKB page. Additionally, there is also a link to
"In-Progress Kitchens" for those members' kitchens that are not quite
ready for the FKB. There is also a link to "Coming Soon Kitchens" for
those kitchens that are ready for the FKB but have not yet been added.
To access the "In-Progress Kitchens", the "Coming Soon Kitchens", and
the "FKB Categories", see the links in the navigation panel that is on
the right side of each main FKB page.

The Appliances Forum is very useful when you have questions specific to appliances.

To start off the kitchen remodel process itself, take the Sweeby Test. Once you have an idea of what your "vision" is, start thinking about budget and layout. The Kitchens FAQs have topics that will be useful for understanding kitchen design as well as asking for help. Some of the topics:

• How do I ask for Layout Help and what information should I include?

• Aisle widths, walkways, seating overhangs, work and landing space, and others

• Kitchen work zones, what are they?

• How do I plan for storage? Types of Storage? What to Store Where?

When asking questions (e.g., asking for layout help), please keep in
mind that everyone here is trying to help, not criticize maliciously.
Some of us can be blunt, but no one is out to deliberately insult or
hurt anyone. When your kitchen is done, we want you to have a kitchen
that functions wonderfully well and looks nice overall - but the process
will take time and will entail comments that many times you probably won't want to
hear (e.g., when a layout is dysfunctional.) We strongly recommend you
"keep listening" to what others have to say but, in the end, you don't
have to take any advice given here. It is your kitchen and you are the
one who will make the final decisions!

Again, welcome and good luck! The journey is wild, sometimes bumpy, but fun and very rewarding in the end!