We all go into the new year with a list of improvements on our mind, whether it be to lose weight, work smarter not harder, or clean up the clutter. One of the most popular times for people to think about home improvements also happens to be in January. You’ve just hosted family and friends in your home over the holidays and you’ve realized the issues with your space. In this three part series about getting started on a kitchen remodel, we’ll take a look at how you might approach your project to make the end result as great as it can be. First, you will want to assess your space; next, you will begin thinking about your budget and researching available resources; and finally, you will meet with potential kitchen remodeling companies or contractors who can educate you on the materials available, timing and costs associated with a project of your size.

So, step one is to ASSESS YOUR SPACE: determine how you use your kitchen and how you would LIKE to use your kitchen and begin to understand the scope of what you want to do – do you just need to freshen up the materials in the kitchen (new countertops, backsplash and flooring) or do you need to improve functionality by moving walls or changing the space?

Will you want new appliances? Do you need to re-purpose some spaces within the kitchen – do you have a desk that you haven’t seen in years because it is completely covered with papers and clutter or do you need to have a place for your kids to do crafts?

This is the time to make your dream list – in step three, you will meet with potential resources and start right-sizing your project, but this is the time to put it all in! At Kitchen Design Concepts, we start with this Lifestyle Assessment so that we learn as much as we can about our clients and what they need and want out of their kitchen at the beginning. This tool will help you clearly define how you want to use your space, the activities that you do or would like to do in the kitchen, what kind of entertaining you do or would like to do in your remodeled kitchen and what kind of style you are most attracted to.

You might be surprised of all the ways you use your kitchen that you never even thought about. So get started on the questionnaire and we’ll see you for Part II: Making a Preliminary Plan with Resources and Budgets in Mind.