The weekend is here and you’re ready to tackle that long awaited kitchen remodel project. But before you embrace your inner designer and run to the store to invest in new kitchen cabinets and paint, you might want to slow down a bit and pull together a true plan of action before making a huge commitment and investment in a new kitchen.

We’ve compiled a list of 6 ingredients for designing the perfect kitchen to help make your kitchen remodel a fun, easy, and rewarding experience.

1. Make a Plan

The best thing you can do before starting any major remodeling project is to make a plan. Figure out what it is you want in your kitchen and make a list. Ask yourself a few questions:

• What style of kitchen do I like?

  • Contemporary

  • Modern

  • Traditional…etc. 

• Do I want a backsplash? If so, will it be:

  • Natural stone

  • Ceramic tile

  • Glass…etc.

• What type of counter top would I like?

  • Solid Surface

  • Stainless Steel

  • Recycled Glass…etc.

• How do I use my kitchen?

• Will I need a lot of storage options?

• What types of appliances would I like to have in my new kitchen?

• What’s my budget?

The list of questions you can ask yourself can go on and on, but you want to make sure you consider all of these things before you rush out and make a huge investment.

2. Budget

Budget, ugh—why did you have to bring that up?! Yes, we know it’s a pesky six letter word and something you don’t want to think about, but the reality is you may or may not be able to afford all of the things you want.

A budget will help you to stay focused, so you don’t make huge purchases that in the end will put your kitchen remodel over budget and not leave you with the necessary funds to purchase the other items you may still need to complete the job.

Taking the time to sit down prior to making any kind of large investment in your new kitchen, and figuring out how much you have or want to spend will save you a lot of grief and disappointment later on.

3. Work with a Professional

After you’ve made your plan and figured out what you need and want in your dream kitchen, the next step is to work with a professional.

A professional kitchen designer, like our designers at TheRTAStore, can help you plan your new kitchen layout, and incorporate things you may or may not be thinking about like ample storage space and countertop space. In addition, they will also be able to assist you with the proper measurements and making sure you’re ordering the correct size upper and lower cabinets.

4. Kitchen Cabinets

When deciding on kitchen cabinets there are a variety of options to consider like, style, finish, and storage options.

Certain style cabinets like our Glacier White Euro and Black Forrest kitchen cabinet lines offer glass front doors for a more contemporary, modern type of feel.

If you’re looking for cabinets that offer a more traditional type of feel, our Roosevelt Mocha with Black Accents kitchen cabinets are just the right cabinets to give you the more time-honored look.

5. Details, Details, Details

Now that we’ve got the bigger more important stuff out of the way, it’s time to think about some of the other details.

By this point in the design you should have already selected a countertop. But if you haven’t that’s not a problem. There are many beautiful types of countertops to choose from like granite, recycled glass, solid surface, and concrete.

Select a paint color that coordinates well with your new kitchen cabinets, countertop, backsplash, and flooring. If you get stuck and can’t decide what paint color works well with the other items, check out our two blogs on color for a little help, Color Wheel Basics and How Color Affects you in the Built Environment.

6. K.I.S.S (Keep it simple sweetie)

It can happen to the best of us—you get so wrapped up in making sure everything is “perfect” that things start getting complicated and running behind schedule. Your kitchen remodel can be a fun project and one of the few things you’ll have the pleasure of enjoying for years to come, so your best bet when starting this type of project is to simply remember to “K.I.S.S.—keep it simple sweetie”.

Did we miss a few items? Leave us a comment and share a few tips with us!