Kitchen Remodel Details To Think About

January 29, 2025 |

If you have no idea what the kitchen remodel process is, I have provided a diagram below. I found this somewhere, took a screenshot, and I was grateful to refer to it, a lot. 🙃 Along the way, I will share some kitchen remodel details to consider.

The diagram starts with the Demo, but you must begin with a vision.
Start your Kitchen Remodel with Inspiration Images. The first set of photos has the same layout as our kitchen.

Once I had a handle on the dimensions and space available for my dream kitchen, I searched for beautiful kitchens. I began to see a pattern of similar images, and my kitchen remodel came into focus.

After you have your Inspiration Board and the funds to start your kitchen remodel, the research begins. Read my Blog Post on ways to find your cabinet contractor because it is a BEAST.

The Remodel Plan

Understand who your cabinet contractor is going to be if updating your cabinetry. You must get this right for all else to fall into place. If you are using a General Contractor for the entire project, familiarize yourself with the work of all the subcontractors. The subs include the Cabinet Maker, Plumber, Electrician, Material Fabricator, Tile Installer, and more.

Priorities include good reviews, seeing their work, and being recommended. Regardless of the job, do your research. My review and many more details about our cabinet contractor are here.

Design & Remodel

Start with what is most important to you. For our remodel, the island size was non-negotiable because it is always where we gather. Make sure to consider all options.

One example might be a pot filler in your backsplash. I did not want one because of the slide-in electric glass-top range. There is not much space above the stove & I think it would have looked goofy. It was never on my wish list, but I considered it during the decision-making process. Images are shown below.

Another example is the Vent Hood. GET THIS RIGHT! How did I do it? Pictures, pictures, and more pictures.

These decisions are endless, and you can get caught up in trends and the latest & greatest styles without considering how you live. Ensure the design is front and center for your lifestyle. The fun stuff will come later.

For example: I knew the Quartz I wanted for the entire countertop project. I wanted Quartz because we are a harsh family and the number of wine drinkers who enter our home is endless. I could not risk marble or Quartzite at this point in our lives.

I wanted flow in the Quartz. The all-white Quartz is gorgeous and I thought about it a lot, but went with my gut. I felt the kitchen had a lot of all-white and I needed to break it up. Also, the streaks in the Quartz have a brown tint, not a gray tint which is important given the color of the island base.

Kitchen Remodel Non-negotiables

Big a** island with mitered edge. Island size 95″ X 60″
No seams in any of the quartz countertops. 128″ under window
Strategic Vent Hood Design
Move the refrigerator to a new location
Microwave Drawer

After several renderings, we decided on the blueprint, which is shown below.

The Demolition. The Plumbing. The Drywall.

Referring to the diagram at the top of this Blog Post, we begin with my husband’s favorite part: The Demolition!

The plumbing went in to accommodate the new Kitchen Island and the water and ice maker for the refrigerator in its new space.

The Electrical & Lighting

Anything and Everything can go wrong when it comes to electrical and lighting.

Let’s start with my husband who thinks he can do anything now with YOUTUBE. Boy did he irritate our Electrician and irritate is a kind word. Story for another day and another Blog Post.

Yes, I made mistakes that haunt me. Those stories are here.

However, our Electrician rescued me from some huge mistakes.

The Overhead Lights in our kitchen are fabulous. They are low profile and do not get in the way of my TV watching while I am unloading the Dishwasher 😜.

Drywall.

Let’s just say there is an entire post about Drywall. The long and short of it is that my husband hates doing it, but he does do it. God Bless him.

All the Drywall gory details are here, THE DRYWALL NIGHTMARE. So Close, but So Far.

I did not help the matter when he had to rip out the drywall under the kitchen windows to accommodate the electrical for the under cabinet lighting by the refrigerator, which I FORGOT!

Painting & Flooring

I typically struggle with picking paint colors, but there was not much kitchen space, so it was easy to select Pure White by Sherwin Williams.

We backed into the hardwood floor color by matching the built-in cabinets and the mantle.

Cabinet & Countertop Install

Let the beauty begin! All of the turmoil and uprooting for the remodel is worth it. When the cabinetry and countertops arrive to be installed, it all starts to come together.