Imagine this scenario: Your permits have been approved and you’re ready to begin demolition and construction. You could be six months out before any of your finishes will be going in so you focus on all the structural and mechanical details of the home with the intention of visiting the finishes down the line.

The time comes to finalize your cabinets and have a professional walk your job. It is only then that you realize without an early comprehensive design, exact appliances and their locations haven’t been considered. Some elements have very specific requirements and you’re faced with relocating rough electric plumbing along with drywall. But the island sink drain isn’t in the right area, and that requires the foundation to be opened, so you settle on sacrificing the very much wanted side cabinet drawers to run the plumbing. Now we’ve realized that under cabinet lighting was overlooked, and that the island lights aren’t perfectly centered.

In the Master Closet, you’ve realized that the room required 4” more in width to adequately fit an island with jewelry drawers, hampers, and a bench for sitting while putting your socks on.

The point is that design will influence the space, and thus the framing of the home. It will direct lighting, electrical, and plumbing. You’ll realize clearance spaces, points of symmetry, and the energetic feedback that an environment’s potential can achieve.

It will also assist with the prevention of common delays of construction. By catching all the snags in the design phase, everything can be ready for installation. All the tradesman can be informed and the project manager will have a handle on the whole picture.

Changing your mind in the middle of a kitchen remodel can be quite costly and will slow down the entire process. Take extra time in the design stage to make sure that you’re getting exactly what you want.

People often forget how important lighting is. It’s easy to get distracted by the cabinets and countertops and overlook other aspects of the design. It’s prudent to make sure the lighting is even, is a color the compliments your design, and that the fixtures match your aesthetic concept.

It’s paramount to hire a certified general contractor and/or an interior designer who specializes in kitchens. The average kitchen remodel costs around 25k. If you’re going to make an investment this large it’s very important that major decisions are made by, or at least approved by experienced professionals.

Everyone wants to save money. But sometimes the company that gives out higher bids do so because they’re experienced, honest, or simply better at what they do. They might go out of their way to hire better employees that in turn require higher pay. Whereas some general contractors will give low bids at first just to get the job and then tack on more fees later, or because they hire lower quality help, or they’re less experienced and don’t consider some costs that more experienced contractors can foresee. Don’t choose the contractor or designer by their bid. Choose based on the quality of their work. If their bid is too high let them know what your budget is and see if there are compromises you two can make to decrease the price.

When it comes to storage space too much is just enough. Make sure you and the designer make use of every possible square inch to give yourself as much space as possible.

Walkways in a kitchen must be at least 36 inches in width. Walkways within the cooking zone should be at least 42 inches wide. When designing, adjust kitchen islands and peninsulas accordingly. If adding an island prevents your kitchen from meeting these requirements then you should not have an island. Homeowners can sometimes get stuck on an idea and force it into the design even though it’s not practical. Don’t let that happen to you.