kitchen design

[kmac30]

i want to remodel my kitchen, i just need someone with experience to help me with the design aspects. we're taking out a wall, moving some counters and adding an island. what's the easiest way to come up with a working design?

thanks in advance.

 

[I Am Texas]

We finished remodeling our kitchen about a year ago. We worked with a friend that does interior design and the first thing she had us do was buy a few design mags at home depot to get some basic ideas on what we liked. We found a couple of pics we really liked and off we went. Good luck!

 

[ousuxndallas]

We did that 1.5 years ago. Hired all of the subs on our own and saved a ton of $$.

1. Know what you want (backsplash, counters, flooring, appliances, etc.)
2. Make sure they "go" together. We hired a consultant that charged about $300 or so to put together some color coordination sketches for the backsplash and counters. Well worth it.
3. Good thing to buy: design software. Better Homes & Gardens sells a good, easy one for about $40-50. You can create just one room, or an entire house. Then see it in 3D. Pretty cool. Makes it easier to visualize than just drawing it out or imagining it.
4. Consider a portable island on wheels. They make cheap ones and really nice, expensive ones. But it's nice to have it portable so you can move it if you need extra room in the kitchen (holidays). Of course, you can't put a sink in it or an electrical outlet though.

Good luck!

 

[hollisdude]

We had basic ideas when we remodeled ours. Radically, we completed gutted the kitchen, an enclosed wet bar area and the breakfast area. Nothing - we had a huge blank area to work with. Then we started visualizing where things would go. We essentially started with no drawings or plans, just ideas. Then after a week of walking around in this empty space, it all fell into place and we knew exactly where everything would go. We would draw on the concrete floor the outlines of cabinets,appliances, islands, bar, etc. It worked for us, but we got tired of having an empty kitchen for a week before starting.

 

[kmac30]

hollisdude, this is what we're doing with our master bathroom. it's an old house with an addition that was used as an apartment. it's got a bathroom and a kitchenette. i'm tired of it and just having some guys come demo it to the studs. see what we have and go from there.

as for the kitchen, i think i'm going to start with the better homes and gardens software. i need to see designs.