Advice Needed for Upcoming Kitchen Renovation – Where to Start?

[juddmurphy]

Hi everyone,

I’m planning a full kitchen renovation and could use some advice from those who’ve been through it. I’m overwhelmed with all the decisions – cabinets, countertops, appliances, layout, and budget. Where should I start?

Should I hire a designer or go straight to a contractor? I’m aiming for a modern, functional space but don’t want to overspend. Any tips on what to prioritize or avoid would be super helpful. Also, how long does a typical renovation take?

Appreciate any insights, suggestions, or lessons learned from your own experiences

 

[juddmurphy]

Hi everyone,

I’m planning a full kitchen renovation and could use some advice from those who’ve been through it. I’m overwhelmed with all the decisions – cabinets, countertops, appliances, layout, and budget. Where should I start?

Should I hire a designer or go straight to a contractor? I’m aiming for a modern, functional space but don’t want to overspend. Any tips on what to prioritize or avoid would be super helpful in Design Build. Also, how long does a typical renovation take?

Appreciate any insights, suggestions, or lessons learned from your own experiences

Thanks in advance for any help

 

[irvinehomeowner]

There are many ways you can go and it's very difficult to suggest one path.

1. Are you planning to change the layout or just the cabs, countertops and applicances?
2. Do you already have an idea of the style you want?
3. What is your budget?

We repainted our cabs and it looked great then our next step was to replace appliances and then countertop. We ended up replacing cabs too, keeping the same configuration but doing things like adding more countertop space where an oven was and adding a counter/coffee bar where a cabinet was so there are some layout changes you can do without having to move where your cabinets were.