Tips for planning your kitchen renovation – the big picture
Planning a kitchen renovation in seven steps:
Set your overall vision for style, colour and how the kitchen should function.
Collect images of kitchens you like.
Study how you actually use your kitchen day to day.
Decide what is essential and what you could drop.
Check whether any walls you want removed are load-bearing.
Get quotes from cabinetmakers in the same quality range.
Work with your designer to turn it into a plan and a schedule.
Each step is explained below.
This blog post is the first in a series which will cover the groundwork of planning a kitchen renovation. Topics include:
• The big picture
• How do I use a mood board to plan my kitchen renovation?
• The finer details
Renovating a kitchen can be a daunting task, but it can also be extremely rewarding. A kitchen renovation can add value to your home, increase efficiency, and make cooking and entertaining more enjoyable.
Here are some steps to follow when embarking on a kitchen renovation project:
Work out what your overall vision is for your kitchen. Vision covers style, colours and functionality in a general sense. For many these are the very reasons they want to update their kitchen – they feel their old kitchen is outdated, has a dowdy colour scheme, and many of the cupboards are hard to access. Having a fresh new look and better functionality ensures cooking is a dream rather than a drag.
1. Style hunting
What style will your kitchen be? A timeless classic, contemporary, or avant-garde? Have a look through our gallery to see what sort of style suits you. You don't need to know the name of the style to know what you like.
Find pictures of kitchens that you love – collect images that show what you like in terms of:
Appliance placement
Appliance style
Try to nail down a style and colour scheme that you would like to aim for. Don't despair if this is difficult, your designer will look over your inspiration images and help you. Mood boards can greatly assist in this process and our next blog post will explain how to use mood boards to direct your vision and keep you within the boundaries of that vision.
2. Become a kitchen analyst
The way you use your kitchen may be very different to the way another person uses their kitchen. Work out what you want from your kitchen by looking at kitchens in use and discussing with friends how they use theirs.
Consider the layout of your current kitchen and home. What aspects work well, and what aspects are lacking? Does the orientation/placement of your kitchen work in your home? Does it need to be altered?
What things do you love about friends’ kitchens or kitchens you have seen elsewhere?
Would you like to have seating within your kitchen – perhaps at the island bench?
Lighting – consider your present lighting scheme and whether this works well for the room.
3. Financial considerations
Budget can be one of the hardest things to settle on when planning a kitchen renovation. It is very different to buying a car where apples can be compared with apples. Kitchens vary widely in design, quality and style each of which in turn affects the price.
Consider budget – are you going for a basic, mid-range or high-end kitchen renovation?
Must haves, would like to have and first to be dropped if need be.
If you want to have walls removed, ensure you know whether they are load-bearing or not. There will be a huge difference in the price.
4. Find a reputable cabinet maker
Do your research online to get a sense of what others have appreciated about their cabinet maker. How many years of experience does the company have? Is it likely they can honour their warranties?
We highly recommend getting three quotes from cabinet makers that offer kitchen renovations in the same quality range. For instance, if you are comparing a quote from a modular kitchen company with a quote from a custom kitchen manufacturer then there will be a big difference in price and design.
What order does a kitchen renovation happen in?
Once your design and quote are agreed, a kitchen renovation generally follows the same sequence: final measure, manufacture, removal of the old kitchen, any structural or plumbing and electrical work, flooring, installation of cabinetry, then benchtops, splashbacks and appliances. Your designer will talk you through this process and roughly how long each stage takes. A firm schedule comes a little closer to the start, once our installations coordinator can factor in the availability of the various trades, since timing depends on that as much as on the work itself. You can read more about how the process runs on our renovation process page.
Renovating a kitchen can be a time-consuming and costly process, but the end result can be well worth it. With careful planning, research, and attention to detail, you can create a kitchen that meets your needs, makes cooking a pleasure, and enhances your home.
Common questions
How do I start planning a kitchen renovation?
Start with your overall vision, the style, colours and how you want the kitchen to work, then collect images of kitchens you like. From there, look honestly at how you use your current kitchen and what is not working. Those three things give your designer everything they need to begin.
What are the steps in a kitchen renovation?
Set your vision, gather inspiration, analyse how you use the space, decide your priorities, check for load-bearing walls, get quotes from cabinetmakers in the same quality range, then work with your designer on the final plan. Once building begins, the work runs from final measure through manufacture, removal, structural work, flooring, cabinetry, and finally benchtops and appliances.
How long does a kitchen renovation take?
It depends on the size of the kitchen and how much structural work is involved, so it varies from one project to the next. Your designer will set out a schedule for your specific kitchen alongside your quote.
How many quotes should I get for a kitchen renovation?
We suggest three, from cabinetmakers working in the same quality range, so you are comparing like with like. A quote from a modular supplier and one from a custom cabinetmaker are not directly comparable, as the design, materials and finish differ.
When you are ready to talk it through, our designers can help you shape your ideas into a plan. See how we approach the design process, or come and talk it over at our Rowville or Doncaster showroom.
