The planning is the most arduous part of any kitchen renovation but ultimately the most important part. not having a good plan is like traveling in a foreign country without a map. it could work out very well but it is equally likely you will end up robbed and in a fl ea bitten motel. Renos are a foreign land and your plans are your team’s map.
Step One
How much space do you have to work with? is it going to be sufficient for your needs or are you going to (a) need to move walls or (b) extend the house. If you move walls you will need to hire an architect, designer or engineer to ensure that the wall can be moved without affecting the structure of the house. If you are extending the house then an architect and designer will need to be present, along with permit and clearances from the city etc. For this timeline – we will assume you are going to work with an existing space.
– An hour to several weeks/months for permit drawings and permits.
Step Two
The appliances are really the center of the kitchen. everything else is essentially storage and has to work around the appliances. First, figure out how you cook! are you a chef, a food lover, a food warmer or an ‘eating out” person. the cost of an appliance will go up the more you need it to do. if you make tea and warm soup you likely don’t need much but if you are a little “madame Benoit’ you may want more.
– Approx 1 week to research and place orders.
Step Three
You are going to need water! Do you want a double sink or single? would you also like to have an island veg sink? what about a pot filler over the stove? Once you decide where you want to have water then you need to decide on the faucets. The placement of fixtures will affect the cabinets as you will need the plumbing to run inside them along with drains. they need to be planned out carefully before you start to drill holes in the floor.
Some people like chrome while others like to have brushed steel, copper or lacquered (black, white, red, blue, etc). Knowing that, you’ll want to consider style. is your space going to be classic, transitional or much more modern? i promise, the selection is vast! – 1 to 4 days
Step four
Now comes the time to make some decisions about the layout of the kitchen and how it will function. How many people use the kitchen to cook? will you entertain a couple or several family members at the island or will it be used only as a prep table? Where will you place the appliances you selected to create a kitchen that is right for your family chef? Make these decisions with your designer as there are some rules that if not followed will leave you disappointed later on. Now you can select cabinet styles, stain colors, paint finish or a combination of both. styles range from very traditional to super modern.
Perhaps look at your faucet selection to give you a sense of what you would really like. This is where everyone (including your mother-in-law) will have an opinion so things can really slow down! You may also find that you want to change the size of your appliances based on the space you have left . Be prepared for a little give and take.
When you settle on the design, then place the orders for the appliances, faucets and cabinets.
- 1 to 2 weeks design, 6 to 16 weeks for cabinets to be constructed.
Step Five
The hard surfaces in the kitchen: this includes the flooring, counter tops and back splash. there are flooring tiles in ceramic, porcelain and stone or you can select a hardwood, cork or bamboo flooring. that decision depends on the look you are striving for. Check for stock to be in at least a week and a half before cabinets are installed.
Counter top options include granite and marble, man-made stones like Caesar stone, cambria, flex stone, corian or laminates (marble isn’t recommended for a kitchen generally) and all of them (laminate aside) need to have a template made so they fi t perfectly in your home. A template happens after cabinets are installed. Finished product won’t arrive for a couple of weeks.
Back splash is selected based on the counter top and is installed after the counter top is installed so be sure you are looking at something that is available within the week after your counter top is installed. – 1 to 3 weeks.
Step Six
The finishing touches – like the paint, stools for the island, kitchen table, chairs and window coverings. Window coverings generally need to be custom made for your home – so add a few weeks for that.
Paint color can be a bit stronger as there is generally very little wall space to paint when everything is in place. the painting can be done in a day or so. – 1 to 6 weeks.
Final Note
Leave a suitable amount of time for the contractors to be able to do their work. naturally many of these things can overlap in terms of a time frame but you really can’t do much until the cabinets are available to you. Don’t get rid of the old kitchen until you are almost ready to install the new kitchen otherwise you will be eating out a great deal. Leave yourself a reasonable amount of time to get it done properly.
The kitchen is going to last you a lot longer than the irritation of the renovation.
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