How to Remodel a Kitchen
The order the work happens in, and what to settle before anything is ordered. The room where a remodel changes the most and forgives the least.
BeforeAfter
- 1
Work out what the room has to do
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. Change only the last two and most kitchens still look completely different.
- 2
Decide what is actually changing
On this project the work touches cabinet doors and boxes, countertops, backsplash, sink and tap — and often appliance fronts and flooring and lighting over the work zones. Settling that list first is what stops a remodel growing sideways once it has started.
- 3
Hold the dimensions
Whatever the finishes, these do not move. Keep the sink, range and fridge within a triangle whose sides total 13–26ft — tighter feels cramped, wider means walking. Leave 42in of clear floor in a one-cook kitchen and 48in where two people work. Allow at least 15in of landing space beside the fridge on the handle side.
- 4
Plan the light before the finishes
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.
- 5
Check it against the room you have
Photograph the space and render it before anything is ordered. A Standard run costs 4 credits and a new account starts with 4, so the whole thing can be seen before a single decision is paid for.
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.