This is Part 2 of our series on Kitchen Renovations. Scroll or click click the link for Kitchen Remodels Part 1 - General Layout.
When an architect is designing a kitchen in a new home or in a kitchen remodel project they try to make clients aware that this space is best approached by prioritizing what you want both functionally and aesthetically and then working in roughly this order:
- GENERAL LAYOUT (Part 1, below)
- APPLIANCES
- (fridge, cooktop, range, oven)
- CABINETS
- (make sure you have enough wall cabinets)
- SINKS (coming soon)
- COUNTERTOPS (coming soon)
- BACKSPLASHES (coming soon)
- LIGHTING (coming soon)
APPLIANCES:
When the general layout is set I would recommend nailing down the large appliances first. The reason for this is that they are fixed in size and limited in color so it is easier to make the other components of the kitchen remodel adapt to them. Primarily the refrigerator, but the cooktop/range issue and the hood locations and sizes are critical. Finally the sink, which I expand on below but is often purchased from the appliance dealer.
CABINETS:
Often times an architect will work with a cabinet designer who sells the specific brand of cabinet you want. The two primary areas of concern with cabinets are Quality and Appearance. Most manufacturers will provide several door styles that can work with both traditional and contemporary designs. The quality is basically a functions of cabinet material and joinery, cabinet hardware and door face finish. Cabinets are a great way to set the tone of the color scheme in your kitchen since they are not going to change.