Are you trying to cook in a beast of a kitchen? Are you obsessed with turning that beast into a beauty of a dream kitchen? These four things can be the difference between the kitchen of your dreams and your kitchen nightmare.
What are those four things?
- Communication
- Accurate design plan
- Flexibility
- Functionality
Although you need all four, communication—or the lack of it—underlies the others. Paying attention to these four things can make all the difference between a kitchen of your dreams and your worst kitchen nightmare.
Communication with Your Kitchen Designer
Talk to us! We can’t see inside your head. Communicate with words and pictures. We’ll listen!
Talk to us about style. Pictures help here. Are you drawn to transitional? Industrial? Mid-Century Modern? A scrapbook of your favorite kitchens will clue us in to the color palette and style of cabinetry you want.
But more importantly, you need to tell us what is and isn’t working for you in your current kitchen:
- Lacking a pantry?
- Too crowded at the breakfast bar?
- No place for paying bills?
- Awkward layout?
How do you want to use your dream kitchen?
- Entertaining the extended family on the weekend?
- Preparing gourmet meals?
- Popping something in the microwave and calling it good?
You need to be honest with yourself and your designer! If you hate baking, you probably don’t need a double oven no matter how great it looks.
Once we have a design, we still need to communicate. The best plans can run up against unexpected construction issues. You change your mind about something—either adding a new feature or deleting something.
All changes need to be tracked. It relies on timely, open communication. And the more we communicate before starting the remodeling project the better we can keep changes to a minimum. Every time you change your mind you are adding more time and expense to the cost. That’s a surefire way to turn a dream kitchen into a nightmare!
Having an Accurate Design Plan
Of course measurements must be accurate. If they aren’t, then the sink opening in the granite ends up in the wrong place. That’s more than an “oops!” That’s an expensive disaster!
You might want an island more than anything, but your designer knows there isn’t enough space. You won’t be able to maneuver around it. Your dream island will end up being an elephant in the room. Trust your designer to know that shaving an inch or two of recommended clearances will result in a kitchen you’ll learn to loathe.
Good designers also pay attention to detail. Make sure you voice your opinions on every element of your dream kitchen. Which countertop edge do you prefer? What’s your choice for hardware? Ending up with bronze when your heart was set on a satin nickel finish is a nightmare in the making.
Putting Some “Budge” in the Budget
As the homeowner, you know what you have to spend on your dream kitchen. As designers, we need to know what we have to work with, too. However, we come at the issue of budgeting from a different perspective.
When you came up with your dollar figure for your dream kitchen, did you include these costs?
- Compensating for the loss of a load-bearing wall?
- Cost of relocating plumbing and electrical outlets?
- Creating seamless flooring with your new open-concept space?
Dream kitchens turn into nightmares when you don’t have an all-encompassing budget. Ending up with an unfinished kitchen is a horror we can help you avoid. We have the flexibility and knowledge to help you achieve your vision with different levels of cabinet quality and countertops to help achieve what you can afford.
“Form Follows Function”
Noted architect Louis Sullivan said it first in 1896, and it’s still true. Your kitchen is first and foremost a workspace. Of course you envision a beautiful kitchen. But when you only focus on beauty, your dream kitchen could end up being a nightmare to work in.
Marble is beautiful. It’s also durable. But are you willing to put in the time and effort to maintain it? If not, your countertops will either end up looking horrible or all that countertop space will never be used in order to keep it looking pretty. Either way, you won’t have a beautiful and functional kitchen.
From Dream to Reality
At LJ’s Kitchens and Interiors, we understand that the kitchen is the heart of your home. Come share your dream with us. We’ll show you how to turn that dream into reality, minus the nightmare. Contact us today to begin a conversation about your dream kitchen.
Links:
https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/1548947/list/how-to-work-with-a-kitchen-designer