What will my kitchen need to do for me? It is of the utmost importance to give adequate thought to this question.This is where many people make costly mistakes and don't even realize it.By giving this question some real serious thought, it will help you budget your project, gives direction to layout considerations, and really serves as a guide when selecting all of the various elements that will make up your kitchen.
Some important questions to ask yourself are:
How many people will use this kitchen on a daily basis?
Do you entertain a lot, or is the kitchen primarily used just for your family?
What is the overall look and feel that you wish for your kitchen?
How might my needs change over time?
Do you like to cook and/or bake?
Is there more than one cook in the family?
How will the kitchen relate to the rest of the house?
Do you want your kitchen to impress others?(Be honest - if you do, that's quite alright, and it's important to realize that at the start!)
Those are some really easy questions right?Well, they actually are easy questions, but you would be surprised at how many people make decisions regarding there kitchen design that would seem to directly contradict the answers to many of the questions. We've had couples bring in plans drawn by an architect that say they want to get their kitchen remodel implemented by us.The plans are for a huge kitchen, professional appliances are specified, and the kitchen island is as big as an SUV.After several questions, we find out that the couple has only one child that lives out of state, they don't like to cook, and seldom ever entertain.Why then are they planning this kitchen?(This kitchen of course would be great for a large family that likes to cook and entertain!)
We are all at different stages of our life, and all have vastly different needs.By answering these questions openly and honestly, it will not only help you in making decisions, but will help other professionals that may be helping you with your kitchen project.
Your next step on this site should be to read our section on : Budgeting