Kitchen Renovation Planning Guide

Description

Book Contents

Chapter 1: Your Kitchen Renovation Budget

• Understanding Your Investment
  • Get a rough idea of what to expect and what you’re comfortable spending
  • Define your materials selections and the cost of labour
  • Additional considerations
• Your Design Plan Is the Key
  • You need to define your design plan before you can get an accurate cost
• Sample Kitchen Renovation Budget
  • See a sample breakdown of approximate expenses to do a full renovation of a small-medium sized kitchen with mid-grade selections
  • Budgeting Spreadsheet Tool [DOWNLOAD] featuring a preset budget formula ready for you to input your own numbers + a materials list

Chapter 2: Kitchen Renovation Inspiration

• Define Your Goals
  • Get clear on why you’re renovating and what you want to achieve
  • Complete the Kitchen Assessment Questionnaire to gain clarity and stay focused
• Evaluate Existing Elements
  • Determine what is working and what needs a refresh
  • Specify the existing elements of your kitchen (and the rest of your house) that must be incorporated in your design plan for consistency/harmony
• Gather Inspiration and Set The Mood
  • Compile ideas, colours, and images from multiple sources
  • Establish the desired tone, emotion, and aesthetic direction for your project
• Define and Organize Your Images
  • Look for inspiration around all the key elements of your kitchen
  • Start grouping your images into categories for further refining
• Identify Patterns and Refine Your Selections
  • Look for patterns in your selections
  • Refine the overall style by removing or tweaking what doesn’t fit
• Finalize and Use Your Mood Boards
  • Use your mood boards to proceed with your layout and selections

Chapter 3: Kitchen Layout Planning

• Form Follows Function
  • Setting priorities: make sure the space addresses your needs BEFORE we make it look good
  • Guidelines around creating a functional and safe kitchen design
• Space Planning and Clearances
  • Know why following minimum clearances matters in your kitchen layout
  • Use the Kitchen Clearances page for quick reference
• Work Triangles and Kitchen Layouts
  • Learn about working triangles, which is how you set up your stove, sink, and fridge for easy use
  • Check out the Kitchen Layout Drawings for layout ideas for different kitchen shapes and sizes, along with appropriate work triangles
  • See how the shape and size of your kitchen affect your work triangle when planning your space
• Appliances and Cabinets
  • The basic building blocks for your kitchen layout
  • Use the Standard Sizes info sheet when working on your drawings
• Let’s Get Planning!
  • A list of everything you need to include in your floor plan (and wall plans) plus tips for how to approach this task
  • Get started with the included grid paper

Chapter 4: Kitchen Renovation Permits & Insurance

• When Are Permits Required?
  • Circumstances that trigger the need for permits in your home project
• Why Permits Are Important
  • The significance of permits and how they contribute to the legality and safety of your renovations
  • What happens if you don’t get a permit?
• How to Obtain a Permit
  • An overview of the specific requirements associated with obtaining permits for various types of home improvements
  • Learn how to procure drawings for your permitting process
  • Understand the difference between structural vs. non-structural walls with tips on identifying structural or load-bearing walls
• Insurance and Liability
  • Examine the relationship between permits, insurance, and liability in the context of your project
• Permits and Insurance Checklist
  • A checklist to help you manage your project’s permits and insurance requirements

Chapter 5: Kitchen Renovation Steps

• The Order of Things
  • A brief overview of the planning and construction phases of your kitchen renovation
  • General sequence of events—when each task is best undertaken
• Phase 1: Planning
  • A more detailed explanation of the planning phase and all the things you should expect to have ready before construction begins
• Selecting the “Right” Professionals
  • A brief overview of the process for hiring a professional contractor or trades to assist with your renovation
  • Tips for choosing a contractor/trades with interview questions and tips
• Phase 2: Construction
  • Gain insights into the duration each task should take to help you plan efficiently. Remember, we don’t live in a perfect world!
  • At a high level, learn what happens during each stage of the construction process and the logic behind the order of things
  • Learn about a Gantt chart as a visual road map for all the various tasks and dependencies, along with timelines
  • See a sample Gantt chart for a kitchen renovation construction schedule

Chapter 6: Kitchen Appliances

• Shopping Tips
  • Some things to keep in mind when determining your requirements
  • If just updating appliances, don’t assume that everything is “standardized”
  • General notes on appliance aesthetics
• Cooktops
  • Explore the variety available, understanding their types and styles
• Ovens
  • Dive into different oven options, considering styles, functionalities, and installation requirements
• Range Hoods/Ventilation
  • Learn about venting, ducting, hood styles, efficiency, noise, and sizing
• Refrigeration
  • Discuss various types of refrigeration options with insights into design considerations and special features/functions
• Dishwashers
  • Indispensable in modern kitchens, in my opinion—we all need one!
• Small Appliances
  • Explore options that will elevate your kitchen experience
• Integrated/Panel-Ready Appliances
  • Learn about panel-ready appliances and if these are right for you

Chapter 7: Kitchen Cabinetry & Hardware

• Custom vs. Stock Cabinets
  • Explore your options for a new kitchen installation and the pros and cons of custom vs. stock cabinets
• Kitchen Cabinet Components and Materials
  • A brief overview of the components that make up your kitchen cabinet installation as well as different material options
• Kitchen Cabinet Styles
  • Tips for choosing the right cabinet style
  • An overview of the most common cabinet styles
• Layout, Features, and Storage Options
  • Explore various choices for organizing and concealing items in your kitchen cabinets
• Refinishing/Refacing Kitchen Cabinets
  • If not changing your kitchen layout, you may want to consider updating your existing kitchen cabinets for a more budget- and eco-friendly option
• Decorative Hardware
  • Discover the significance of hardware, acknowledging its small size but key role in achieving the overall completed look

Chapter 8: Kitchen Lighting

• Lighting Design
  • Gain insights into kitchen lighting design, the diverse types of lighting, and their impact on the space
• Power, Brightness, and Temperature
  • Understanding watts, lumens, and Kelvins and why they matter
• Types of Lighting
  • Explore the different types of lighting for your kitchen—ambient, task, accent, and decorative
• Lighting Integration
  • Learn about integrating various lighting types and sources to influence the ambiance, perception, and overall experience in your kitchen

Chapter 9: Hard Finishes

• Flooring
  • Notes on flooring and its impact on the design of your space
  • Key considerations for flooring, including materials, cost, durability, maintenance, and more
• Cabinetry and Millwork
  • Briefly explore millwork and how it supports your home’s design
• Countertops
  • Learn about laminate, wood, natural stone, and engineered stone options
  • Review their aesthetic and practical applications, including wood species, types of stone, maintenance, installation, and more
• Backsplash
  • Explore finishes and types of backsplash
  • Key considerations for two common choices: tile backsplash and countersplash
• Sinks
  • Learn about your different options for sink types and finishes
• Faucets
  • Briefly review different faucet options in form and function

Chapter 10: Putting It All Together

• What is Good Design?
  • While not a simple thing to boil down in brief, review my seven core thoughts to guide you
• Aim for Timeless
  • Why timeless matters and how to distinguish timeless from trendy
• The Importance of Samples
  • Collecting physical samples is the pivotal part of the process
• Coordinating Your Selections
  • A step-by-step process on comparing and refining your design elements to end up with a cohesive, aesthetically pleasing design
• Choosing Your Kitchen Paint Colour and Finish
  • Paint is the final piece that ties your design together

Conclusion

• Pro tips for navigating your kitchen renovation
• Kitchen Planner Checklist