Kitchens are the heart of the home. In days past, the kitchen was a workhorse room not one to socialize or “live” in. We didn’t have all the gadgets and appliances that are now available and if you were well off enough you had staff to cook, serve and clean up after daily meals.

Jumping forward to modern times the kitchen has become central to the hubbub of our daily lives. Everything from homework, to office work and socializing is done in this multifunctional space – and don’t most parties end up in the kitchen? Oh, and cooking, serving and washing up are still done in it too!

It’s one of the best areas to see any improvements that impact daily life in a meaningful way, which is why I LOVE to help people with their kitchen projects. There’s also a potential increase in resale value. As any realtor would agree, kitchens and bathrooms still help sell a house, even in our local Vancouver market.

Just as a kitchen is a complex room hosting many of our daily activities, renovating it is also a complex beast to sort out as there are so many scope items to consider at the macro level and then each one has a shwack of the smallest of details to refine and decide on. But before you get into all that, you need to create your vision so you can share it with your design + build contractor.

Dreaming, visualizing, finding inspiration. We need to having a jumping off point to transform your frustrating, non-functional -- let’s just order take-out forever kitchen into a visually pleasing, functioning and emotionally welcome space that you actually want to cook and entertain in not just dust once in a blue moon.

1) Start with where you’re at now.

What do you love about your space? Is it the window over the sink so you can watch the birds come to the feeder you have set out?
What do you hate about it? Is there a lack of counterspace? Lighting?
What do you wish you had? Do you bake bread like crazy and covet double ovens? Do you need a kitchen office? Large Pantry?
What’s your number one pain point? Traffic flow, no island to be social around?
What work style do you use in the kitchen? All prep, then cook – prep and cook at the same time – are there multiple cooks?
How does your family use the space? Are kids constantly getting snacks and drinks? Perhaps a bar fridge and snack centre away from the working area of the kitchen might do the trick
Are you happy with the space overall? Are you wanting to add-on or keep in your footprint?

2) Create mood or vision boards.

Cut, paste, pin – think big picture, pull what grabs you, what you love and don’t get too wound up in limiting or censoring yourself right now. Let your instincts loose. You’ll edit and hone things down later on. Don’t be too literal either. You might just like a feeling an image gives you, people laughing, travel or landscapes are all things that can be brought into the theme of you project. A textile from a gourmet food photo, a color story from a book cover design could influence and help to create your unique kitchen vibe.

Pro-tip: Try to note why the image grabbed you – trust me you may not remember why later. Was it a color, the window location, lighting, particular piece of hardware, overall vibe?

3) Define your vision.

These questions may help to identify your design drivers once you’ve pulled or pinned 40-50 images.

What colors are you drawn to? Neutrals, Blues/greens, Yellows/Reds

Is there high contrast – cabinetry/countertops, or color palette
Cabinetry – style, painted, stained, door and drawer details, uniform or does the one area have a different personality (the island for example)
Any floating shelves or glass doors
Backsplash and countertop details
Appliances – free standing, integrated, finish (stainless, black, white, paneled)
Hood fan – visible, hidden?
Sinks – apron/farmhouse style, stainless or made from countertop material, square or round bowls
Plumbing fixtures – finish, single functioning, or wide spread, sprayer, soap dispenser, direct hot water or filtered water
Electrical fixtures and quality of lighting – recessed, under cabinetry, pendant, flush mounted
Layout – Islands, U or L shapes, lowers only

Once you’ve started to identify your vision, the real work begins! You can start getting into specific’s and the behind the scenes work with your design + build team.

We’re ready when you are and happy to arrange a complimentary consult to discuss your dream kitchen make-over.