What should I decide first in a kitchen remodel?

A kitchen remodel is really three decisions stacked on each other: where the sink, range and fridge sit, what the cabinets look like, and what the surfaces are made of. Move the first and the project doubles.

What goes wrong most often?

New cabinets in the same bad layout, so the kitchen looks fixed and still works badly. A backsplash chosen against a countertop sample rather than the actual slab.

Will it work in a small kitchen?

In a galley under 8ft wide, run cabinets to the ceiling on one side only and keep the opposite run open. Two facing walls of upper cabinets is what makes a narrow kitchen feel like a corridor.

Can I see it on my own kitchen before starting?

Yes — photograph the space and run it through the Studio. It is generated imagery, so compare the render against your photo rather than treating it as a plan.

How to Light a Kitchen

The layer people skip, and the one that makes the rest of the work visible. The room where a remodel changes the most and forgives the least.

BeforeAfter

1
The plan
Under-cabinet strips first — they do the actual work and no ceiling fixture replaces them. Then a general layer on dimmers, and pendants over an island sized so they clear sightlines at 30–36in above the counter.
2
What it has to light
The elements the work touches — cabinet doors and boxes, countertops, backsplash, sink and tap — are what the lighting has to make legible. Finishes chosen under a showroom's light and lit badly at home look like different materials.
3
Where lighting goes wrong here
One ceiling light casting the cook's own shadow onto the worktop.

Questions

What should I decide first in a kitchen remodel?: A kitchen remodel is really three decisions stacked on each other: where the sink, range and fridge sit, what the cabinets look like, and what the surfaces are made of. Move the first and the project doubles.
What goes wrong most often?: New cabinets in the same bad layout, so the kitchen looks fixed and still works badly. A backsplash chosen against a countertop sample rather than the actual slab.
Will it work in a small kitchen?: In a galley under 8ft wide, run cabinets to the ceiling on one side only and keep the opposite run open. Two facing walls of upper cabinets is what makes a narrow kitchen feel like a corridor.
Can I see it on my own kitchen before starting?: Yes — photograph the space and run it through the Studio. It is generated imagery, so compare the render against your photo rather than treating it as a plan.

How to Light a Kitchen

The plan

What it has to light

Where lighting goes wrong here

Questions