Do I need a kitchen remodeling plan before I begin to remodel? You really should have a plan detailed before you even get bids. Ellen Mercer, who has been a kitchen designer for eighteen years and is currently...
Ellen Mercer, who has been a kitchen designer for eighteen years and is currently a designer at Cabinet Solutions, says, "Absolutely. Being in the industry, I would say it is a must. You really should have a plan detailed before you even get bids. The reason I say that is because you will not have any idea what you are getting yourself into before you begin. If you don't have a plan and it is not drawn out, you don't know what to tell the contractor. The contractor can give you a bid, but you don't have any indication or clarification on what they are actually biding on. Everything needs to be specified and noted. Without a plan, it is very hard to make comparisons. If you are talking to more than one contractor, it is going to be hard to get an accurate price from any of them."
If the idea of creating a remodeling plan for your kitchen seems overwhelming, Ellen says, "I would recommend a kitchen designer. A kitchen designer has been trained for space planning in (a) kitchen. This means they have to keep up on some education yearly. I am required to take certain amount of education courses in order to maintain my certification. Usually, you can find kitchen designers in the yellow pages or online. Generally, the costs of kitchen remodeling plans are very low. We don't charge any extra fee, but we do take an initial deposit. The initial deposit is generally about fifteen hundred dollars for an average kitchen. This would give a complete detailed dimensioned plan. The plans have three fold purposes. First and foremost, it is a way to communicate back and forth to the client. You learn what you are doing, and what you are planning. Second, it is for the product. These are the cabinets and the countertops. Then, the third purpose is for installation. Whoever is doing the installation will have to follow the plans. So, in addition to being able to get accurate pricing, it also is relevant for the overall formation of your kitchen."
If you do decide to try and create a design for your kitchen by yourself, there are many how-to books based on the subject. You can do some research and if you end up not being able to complete the plan, or do not feel confident in the one that you have completed; you can always hire an interior designer down the road. This way you will at least have a basic idea of what you want to bring to him and/or her. You will be surprised at how far a professional can take a basic idea and turn it into your "dream kitchen", adding the smallest touches here and there that you never even thought of, but somehow have always wanted.
The book "Your Home: Kitchens", published in 1985 as part of a series by Time-Life Books, puts it in this way: "Designing a kitchen is much like tailoring a wardrobe. A clothes designer probes every nuance of an individual's practice needs and personal style, and from a pattern book selects the appropriate elements. Then, by a judicious choice of measurements, colors and fabrics, the designer melds the parts together. The result is a custom-made wardrobe adaptable to any occasion." An interior designer does the same, creating a kitchen for you that you can enjoy in everyday life as well as holidays, celebrations and other special events.
