Kitchen Renovation – Design Question

For the folks here that recently redid/are about to redo their kitchen, did you use a designer or did you design the layout and materials yourself?

I think I want to make a big change to my kitchen, for example close in a door way, remove half a wall, remove island…
I’m not sure I have the vision to figure out exactly the best use of the space

For those that used a designer, how was that process? How did you select who you would work with? Did it cost an arm and a leg?

Re: Kitchen Renovation – Design Question

i had a friend draw me up a layout of the old kitch with the measurements. I brought this to the cabinet stores I went to and they all drew their own designs for me.

Re: Kitchen Renovation – Design Question

The place you buy cabinets should be able to help you with the layout of the cabinets but do you already have a contractor? When we did remodeling, the contractor was great with suggestions and ideas. I would tell him my ideas and he would tell me what was possible or having the expertise, he would sometimes give better ideas.

Re: Kitchen Renovation – Design Question

if you want to change the existing footprint of your kitchen, start w/ a contractor first since, for example, the wall you want to make 1/2 might be a weight bearing wall, etc.

then you can go w/ a kitchen place (although I find that the customers who go through designer do have a more cohesive look in terms of accent colors, backsplashes, granites, etc... but it is $$$)

Re: Kitchen Renovation – Design Question

We went with custom cabinets. They came over and took the measurements, and made a list of what we wanted and then presented us with the design a week later. It was love at first sight when we saw the final design with only minor tweaks.

GL

Re: Kitchen Renovation – Design Question

We did a major reno, so we had an architect draw up plans first, configuring where things would go, cause the kitchen was a totally new part of the house, we used a kitchen designer from Florence in huntington, and had custom cabinets. We also had our interior designer helping and sitting in with the kitchen designer at florence helping in the design and layout, colors, granite etc.

Re: Kitchen Renovation – Design Question

Our footprint for the kitchen basically stayed the same, so we didn't have to worry about walls being taken down. But we did take measurements and had gone to Home Depot for a free design layout of the cabinets. But we also pretty much knew what we wanted. We also stopped at a kitchen place on Rt. 110 with the measurements and also got a free cabinet layout. Plus they went over options of cabinets, granite and backsplash. But in the end, our contractor installed them for us and it was a lot cheaper to buy the cabinets and have the contractor install because he was already doing work in our house. But if I had to do it all over again, I would have just let the kitchen cabinet place install for us. Another but.....But if you have a good contractor you trust, than you can go with them and just buy cabients from someplace. GL!

Re: Kitchen Renovation – Design Question

we had Home Depot design the layout in the store after getting all our measurements.. they did a great job!! i was very happy!

Re: Kitchen Renovation – Design Question

we used consumers to help us with the layout. we took down an non load bearing wall between the kitchen and dining room to make the kitchen bigger and opened up a load bearing wall more than what it was. DH is very handy so we didn't use an architect for that part. we did it on our own.

Re: Kitchen Renovation – Design Question