How do I start with a kitchen remodel?

Get a poster board and make it your wish list. Apply pictures of ideas and color choices. You can get idea books for free at many home stores. Then you can see what you like and put it together.

Hello Kathleen! Start looking at kitchen ideas on places like Hometalk and Pinterest. Your biggest and most expensive kitchen items will be your cabinets and appliances. Take a few trips to big box home improvement stores to see their cabinet displays and appliances to see what you may like and start to develop your design plan. Don't forget to consider what kind of sink you might like. Take measurements of what you have now. You can measure each individual cabinet or measure linear wall space to see what you may have to purchase to fit or to make changes for cabinets and appliances. Come up with a budget as well while you shop around for things you'd like in your kitchen. Kitchen renovations can be very expensive. Consider any structural changes you might have to make and the costs of hiring any contractors you might need. Take your time to make your choices so you are happy with your kitchen when it is finished!

After finding a few looks you like, your first decisions should be about how you use the space and the best floor plan to maximize its use.

Plain and Fancy, Pogggenpohl, Wood Mode,Schrock's of Walnut Creek, Ohio etc. are great places to start a search. Although they may be too expensive, their kitchen presentations give you better ideas for a wish list.

Once you find the style that appeals to you, select a color. Think about your dish colors, as they can "disappear" or be on display, given interior cabinet colors.

Cabinets more than 42" tall can warp.

All wood is always preferable to laminated/particle board.

Dove tailed joinery generally wears longer.

Pull out shelves, soft close drawers, glass fronted cabinets, deep drawers for cook pots and lids under a cooktop save your back and steps. Wider drawers capable of supporting heavier interior weights last longer.

European hinges allow more interior space and avoid having to reach around stiles.

Purchase pulls and knobs to fit your hand and cleaning style, unless you opt for cabinets that open by pressing on the lower corner.

Appliance color may be dependent upon style of cabinetry...Shaker, Mission, contemporary, etc. Cabinets that swing up rather than out work better for taller people.

Lazy susans are great if designed with a lip to preclude items falling into the "black hole".

Painted or stained cabinets? All one color, or will you consider an island in a different color?

Flooring should complement the cabinetry, att all times of day and night.

Install more lighting than you think you may need, because it's costly to add more once the project is complete.

Faucets, sinks, etc, should be viewed at plumbing supply showrooms to see more options. Height, styles, and finishes should all be considered.

Given the cost of this project, research well, ahead of time, because not all kitchen planners are as great as they'dvhave you believe.

There are plenty of great books at Home Depot to get you started.

Your contractor should warranty their work for at least 5 years.

Cabinets should be able to last much longer.

The first place to start is to determine how much you feel you can spend on the kitchen remodel. Subtract from this aprox ⅓ for 'unexpected expenses along the way', as you will have them, then set ⅔ as your 'working budget'.

The sky is the limit on what may be possible from looking at pictures of kitchens, but realistically, it may not be the limit of what you can afford.

Also, definitions of what a 'full remodel' is vary from one person to the next. Replacing cabinets can be $10G's alone. If you are updating electrical, plumbing, footprint, and appliances, also allow about $5 - $10 G each.