By: Bill & Kevin Burnett
Q: My husband and I purchased our first home last year. We have gutted the first floor and have redone the electrical, drywall, trim work and baseboard pretty much by ourselves.
The few times we have hired others we usually ended up disappointed and in disbelief over the cost. We have slowly invested in our own tools.
Our last project is the kitchen. The current design is about 20 years old, and we need new cabinets, appliances, flooring - everything. My biggest concern is the design. Are there professionals who will come out to the house and do a kitchen design?
A cabinet person come to look at the layout, and his suggestions seemed bizarre; I am looking for suggestions to make the space most efficient.
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A: Congratulations. It sounds as if you've added a lot of value and livability to your home in just a year. The money saved and satisfaction gained must make you feel good.
Also, buying tools is one of the best investments you can make. When tool shopping, spend a little extra and go for the best quality. Well-made tools that are well cared for last a lifetime.
Kitchens are our favorite room to remodel because there are so many choices - cabinets, appliances, flooring, lighting, countertops. And since it sounds as if you'll be going right down to the studs, you'll have a blank canvas to work with.
That can be a little scary, but it's also exciting, knowing that you're not stuck with the same configuration and that the sink doesn't have to be under the window.
Sure, you could hire a designer to come up with a plan. There are lots of good ones in the San Francisco Bay Area. You could bring one in for a single consultation or even sign a long-term contract.
But if you're going to build it yourself, why not design it yourself? Think about how you use your kitchen - both as a cooking and gathering place - and then make a plan.
We would start with "The Kitchen Idea Book" by Joanne Kellar Bouknight (Taunton, 1999, $24.95). It's a great resource, filled with pictures, drawings and layouts.
Also check out the kitchens in your friends' homes. Ask them how their kitchens work for them and what they would change if they could. Visit a few higher-end model homes to see what the pros are doing.
Once you've settled on a few general principles, such as whether to have an island, peninsula or galley layout, take your room dimensions down to a home improvement store and ask the kitchen people there to do a couple of cabinet plans on their computer. It's free, and although they would like you to buy the cabinets from them, you don't have to.
We have three rules for kitchen remodels:
- Don't even think about starting demolition of the old kitchen until you have a solid plan for the new one.
- If two people are going to be working in the kitchen, make sure there are separate work areas and enough space so they won't be bumping into each other. Two sinks are more than just a luxury.
- You can never have too much counter space.
One last bit of advice: Make sure you have the phone numbers of your favorite pizza parlor and Chinese takeout restaurant on speed dial.
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