How to Plan Your Kitchen Space During a Remodel
Good design may be more critical in the kitchen than in any other room. These tips for working with a pro can help
Rebekah Zaveloff
March 7, 2022
The preliminary space-planning and schematic design phase is the most important part of any kitchen remodel. A kitchen can be filled with beautiful materials and finishes, but if the layout and space don’t work well, it’s not a successful design. In kitchens, more than in any other room, a good space plan and flow are critical. Anyone who has tried working in a poorly designed kitchen knows this.
Bigger isn’t always better. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve met with clients who told me they had abandoned a remodel years ago because they couldn’t afford the design as it was planned. It took them years to get over their initial design plan and be willing to talk to another designer to investigate alternative options. Read on for some ways to avoid this.
Bigger isn’t always better. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve met with clients who told me they had abandoned a remodel years ago because they couldn’t afford the design as it was planned. It took them years to get over their initial design plan and be willing to talk to another designer to investigate alternative options. Read on for some ways to avoid this.
When working on a project that’s going to include moving elements, opening up walls or doing an addition, I recommend that homeowners work with a kitchen designer or other professional to develop a schematic plan and get preliminary estimates on construction costs. This is a great way to keep your eye on the budget while you finalize the design.
The alternative is to design the space down to the last detail and then get estimates on the materials and construction or send it out for bidding. The problem with the latter option is that most people become emotionally tied to the original design at this point, and it can be frustrating to rework a design due to budget.
Find a kitchen designer for your remodel on Houzz
The alternative is to design the space down to the last detail and then get estimates on the materials and construction or send it out for bidding. The problem with the latter option is that most people become emotionally tied to the original design at this point, and it can be frustrating to rework a design due to budget.
Find a kitchen designer for your remodel on Houzz
1. Determine a Plan for Your Space
Most clients start out with a wish list and a collection of inspiration images. This is a great help in getting started, but try to focus on the space plans before getting too caught up in what the kitchen is going to look like.
Space plans can be rough — they’re all about the best layout. You or your designer should try some different options for where the appliances will go. What’s the best layout for your space? An L-shaped kitchen with an island? A U-shaped kitchen? Or do you have a galley kitchen?
Do you have the space for an eat-in kitchen? Are you moving doors or changing windows? These plans don’t have to detail where your pots, pans and silverware are going or what color the cabinets will be — not yet.
Organize your inspiration in a Houzz ideabook
Most clients start out with a wish list and a collection of inspiration images. This is a great help in getting started, but try to focus on the space plans before getting too caught up in what the kitchen is going to look like.
Space plans can be rough — they’re all about the best layout. You or your designer should try some different options for where the appliances will go. What’s the best layout for your space? An L-shaped kitchen with an island? A U-shaped kitchen? Or do you have a galley kitchen?
Do you have the space for an eat-in kitchen? Are you moving doors or changing windows? These plans don’t have to detail where your pots, pans and silverware are going or what color the cabinets will be — not yet.
Organize your inspiration in a Houzz ideabook
2. Get Preliminary Estimates
Once you have a proposed floor plan in hand (and a written scope of work), most contractors interested in the job will be willing to come over and give you a ballpark estimate.
The more info you have, the more accurate the ballpark number, so if you can get your designer to do a schematic electrical and lighting plan, that’s even better.
All of this is subject to change, but at least you have an idea of costs before you get too emotionally committed. At this point, you can also estimate material costs such as cabinetry, countertops, tile and flooring square footage and so on.
Once you have a proposed floor plan in hand (and a written scope of work), most contractors interested in the job will be willing to come over and give you a ballpark estimate.
The more info you have, the more accurate the ballpark number, so if you can get your designer to do a schematic electrical and lighting plan, that’s even better.
All of this is subject to change, but at least you have an idea of costs before you get too emotionally committed. At this point, you can also estimate material costs such as cabinetry, countertops, tile and flooring square footage and so on.
3. Develop Plans, Elevations and 3D Drawings
Now that you’ve got a plan you love, let your designer really detail it out. Drawings will help you visualize what the cabinetry will look like. Note on the plans and drawings where spices, pots and pans, silverware and utensils will go.
At this stage, it’s not just about the practical and functional. This is where you get to be more artistic. Cabinet design is a bit like modernist art because it’s all about the rectangles and squares of cabinet doors, and the way they relate and intersect.
The proportions of doors and the scale of three doors next to each other, rather than two, make all the difference in making a kitchen look dynamic and interesting.
Now that you’ve got a plan you love, let your designer really detail it out. Drawings will help you visualize what the cabinetry will look like. Note on the plans and drawings where spices, pots and pans, silverware and utensils will go.
At this stage, it’s not just about the practical and functional. This is where you get to be more artistic. Cabinet design is a bit like modernist art because it’s all about the rectangles and squares of cabinet doors, and the way they relate and intersect.
The proportions of doors and the scale of three doors next to each other, rather than two, make all the difference in making a kitchen look dynamic and interesting.
4. Plan Materials and Finishes
Now that you’re working with more developed drawings, you can visualize what materials are going to go where, as well as the proportions of those materials.
Most likely, there will still be a final design development period and construction documents, and then a final phase during which the drawings, specifications and scope of work are given to the contractor for final pricing.
Now that you’re working with more developed drawings, you can visualize what materials are going to go where, as well as the proportions of those materials.
Most likely, there will still be a final design development period and construction documents, and then a final phase during which the drawings, specifications and scope of work are given to the contractor for final pricing.
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Love these tips, including making sure to plan. Thanks for sharing!
No articles seem to plan for what to use as a kitchen while you remodel. My kitchen was totally out of service except for the refrigerator. There are only two of us,so I set up a temporary kitchen in my laundry room. It had a counter and sink where I could wash dishes. I used a coffee pot, microwave and toaster oven to cook or heat meals during our renovation. And we ate out more.
This is a great start for working out the aesthetics of the kitchen, but materials and designs for your kitchen are just one part of forming your renovation vision. For example, cabinetry. Cabinetry has standard sizes, and you should get familiar with them before jumping into the nitty gritty of your design. If the cabinets aren’t the right size, it doesn’t matter what materials you use - the cabinets are going to look weird.
Let’s start with wall cabinets. How big is your kitchen going to be? That’ll determine the depth proportions you want between your counters and your cabinetry. Do you have a high ceiling and want your cabinet to connect to it? The largest standard size for cabinets is 42 inches, so assess whether that’s high enough to reach your ceiling, or if you want to step down to a smaller size — like 18 inches — to have a “shelf” between the top of your cabinet and the ceiling.
What about tall cabinets? These ones stretch straight from floor to ceiling with no interruption. They’re perfect for pantries, where you’ll be storing food — and lots of it. While they come in various heights and widths, they only have one depth: 24 inches. This is deep enough for packing a lot of goods, yet shallow enough that it’s all still accessible. However, if you’re in a smaller kitchen without a separate pantry, it may end up looking bulky.
I just touched on a few examples here. You can check out the full range of standard sizes here and figure out what your kitchen will need.