This guide will help you
through the very first stage of creating your perfect kitchen. Now you may ask
why use the word “your” and not simply “the” perfect kitchen? The answer to this
is simple: There is no such thing as one single perfect kitchen. Each kitchen is
uniquely created to match the needs of those who use it. The one that matches
those needs the best is the one that is perfect for those users. The purpose of
this page is to guide you through the complete process of creating your
dream kitchen from start to
finish.
New Home
So you have decided to
purchase/build the single largest investment a family usually makes, now what?
The kitchen is traditionally a
focal point for any home. Indeed the kitchen represents probably the single most
expensive room in the house, followed only by the bathrooms.
In the nineties we witnessed
the re-emergence of the kitchen as family room, with integrated PC workstations,
and an open concept to allow for both family coordination as well as
interaction.
Virtually all new construction
kitchens have altered the conventional concept of a room as a cube with doors
and windows. The open concept kitchen has created new living area effectively
joining kitchen, living room, and dining room.
The following steps will help
you plan out your kitchen providing you proper time
lines and budgets.
Step 1.
Establish a goal and time frame
for your construction/installation. Keep in mind from the time that you finalize
your order (depending on door style), your cabinets will take between 3 and 5
weeks to arrive.
Step 2.
Establish a realistic budget
for your kitchen. Cabinets cost alone usually represent approximately 25% of any
complete kitchen. Modular Kitchen Cabinets range for an average size kitchen
from $1,000 to $2,000 depending on door style. Allow for flexibility, seeing
as accessories can add to the cost but can also dramatically increase the
convenience and functionality of your kitchen.
Step 3.
Adhere to some common design principles. The
first and most primary principle is the “work triangle”. This is a triangle
where each point ends in either the sink, stove, or fridge. The closer this
triangle is to being an equilateral triangle (all sides being of equal length),
the better the work triangle. Although it may seem minor, this is in fact a
crucial point of good kitchen design.
Renovation
In a home renovation scenario, you are
presented with the ability to evaluate the functionality of your current kitchen
and use the information you get to create a better one. Unfortunately depending
on the level renovation you are doing you may be faced with certain overall
construction limitations. Proper planning is still the key element in making
your renovation a success.
Measure It!
The very first step in any kitchen design is
generation of proper kitchen measurements. Depending on your level of confidence
this can be done by almost anyone. When you are measuring your kitchen area the
old carpenters' rule of “measure twice cut once” applies. The wrong measurements
will result in delays and most often costly mistakes.
Step 1:
All kitchen measurements are gathered from the walls. Use the following
diagrams to do your kitchen measurements:
| Straight |
L - Shaped |
U - Shaped |
 |
 |
 |
Step 2:
Gather all measurements on appliances as well
as those for window and door openings. Remember to include the distance from the
floor to the base of the window and from the top of the window to the ceiling as
well as any bulkheads or drops above the cabinets.
Design It!
Once you have your measurements you can
proceed to the design phase. Here you will be able to work in all of the key
elements that will make your kitchen work the best for you. Don’t leave out any
of those special features that will add convenience, or showcase your kitchen.
Cabinet Upgrades Accessories
Mullion Doors Lazy Susan’s
Drawer Banks Sink Tip Out Trays
Pantries Cutlery Trays
Clip-On Hinge Plates Moldings
Pull Out Drawers Spice Trays
Wine Racks and Stem Ware Holders
Laying out your kitchen is simple and easy to
modify for any variations you may have. Our state of the art cabinet design
programs allow you to see a 3D rendered drawing of your kitchen the way it will
look once it is all done.
Choose It!
Once you have designed your ideal functional
kitchen you can now focus on the style. The door style you choose will determine
the final price that you will pay. Modular Kitchen Cabinets has a wide range of
door styles that allow you to find the perfect look that fits your budget,
ranging from nature's finest wood to man's precision engineered laminates.
With European frameless cabinets the door
covers the full cabinet front allowing
for a bold uniform look.
Buy It!
Once you finalized all of your choices comes
the point to purchase your kitchen. Depending on how you have budgeted along the
way this should be a fairly painless procedure. With Modular Kitchen Cabinets
you can also feel confident in the fact that you will pay much less than most
other kitchen/bathroom cabinets available on the market.