As a general rule, a person may remodel his or her kitchen (or other rooms in the house) only once in her lifetime. It's not hard to understand that the process of designing and remodeling a space may be a daunting task and the questions are many. Where do you begin? How do you know who to trust? How much will it cost? How long will it take? At Kitchen Design Concepts, we love walking a potential client through this process. We believe it is our duty to educate and build trust. So, in a series of blogs, I will address the answers to these questions and paint a clear picture of our process. As a former consultant and Partner with PriceWaterhouseCoopers, I am Big (with a capital B) on PROCESS. So, we start with a map that walks our clients through the entire remodeling process. (See the pdf at the end of this blog.)
Another tool we use in the early stages is our lifestyle assessment (also included below). This tool helps our clients think through all of the ways they use their space and all of the ways they wish they could use their space. Through this detailed questionnaire, we also come to understand the make-up of your family. Having children in the house will impact certain features of your kitchen, like where we install appliances. Knowing that a client plans to stay in their home through their golden years will also impact the functionality of that kitchen remodel. We often raise dishwashers or lower microwaves for aging clients, while those with small children would want just the opposite. Our lifestyle assessment tool acts as a guide throughout the initial "getting-to-know-you" stage so that we are crystal clear on expectations. And, we absolutely believe that clear communication on the front-side prevents disappointments later in the project. Please check out the tools below and check back here as we discuss many more points in the process. Cheers!

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I usually do not leave comments, but I thought this was a great post! Getting Ready to Remodel? (Part I) - Kitchen Design Concepts Blog was a wonderful read. WoW:)
One of my neighbors is starting a kitchen remodeling project, which is inspiring to do the same. She had some great ideas. First is write what you want from your project and from your kitchen contractors down on paper. This makes communicating with the contractors a lot easier, and ensures less confusing. Also make sure you get references from any potential kitchen contractor.