How to Make My Own Design Plans to Remodel a Kitchen

The kitchen is supposed to be the heart of the home, but what happens when the heart of the home is also the eyesore? You remodel it of course! However, if you have been to the idea center at your local hardware store or looked for idea books at the bookstore, the possibilities are endless and sometimes daunting. Things will go easier if you create your plans yourself, ahead of time and then bring in the professionals to do the dirty work.

Instructions

1

Measure you kitchen. Measure everything, including how tall the walls are, how big the kitchen is, where the windows and current entrances are and then draw out your current kitchen on some graph paper. Try to use a scale that makes sense.

2

Either use your graph paper or find a computer program, like the kitchen design program on Ikea.com to design your kitchen. Remember, things like windows are probably not going anywhere, so make sure you label those on your plans whether by hand or on the computer.

3

Start incorporating cabinetry and appliances. Take into account how large cabinets and appliances are. Draw them to scale on your plans or create them to scale on your electronic plans. Note how tall they are. How many drawers do you need to stack on one another to reach the top of your counter, etc...

4

Make a note of where your water lines and electric outlets are. These are where you will put the stove, refrigerator and sink. Of course, an electrician or contractor can rewire, but if you want to save money, you will keep your appliances at least close to their original spots.

5

Now that you have the "skeleton" of your kitchen created either on graph paper or online, start the fun part. What kind of cabinets do you want? Ones with glass that expose the contents of your cabinet, make a note of it and try to draw it in. What kind of counter tops do you want? Figure out how much you need, how much you can afford and design it.

6

Do your lighting, and back splashes next. Once you have you cabinets, appliances and counter tops in place, you will know how much wall space you have left for back splashes and where you need the good lighting.

7

Now you have a realistic design idea and a realistic budget. By creating your vision before you meet with a designer and contractor, you will be able to stick to your guns. They will not be able to talk you into the more expensive cabinets or other upgrades unless you know you have room for them in your budget.

8

You will also have a better idea of what the contractor is doing. Why does he think you need to order counter top that is ten feet longer than your counters? A little extra is good, but ten feet? By taking the time to measure you space and think about your design, you have become a much more educated consumer who is not easy to take advantage of.