Kitchens

If you’re planning a kitchen renovation, you might think the first step to kick your renovation into gear renovation is to head straight to the kitchen displays. While we agree this is a good approach, there are a couple of things you can do beforehand to help you get more out of your visit.

Taking some time to do a little research and preparation before you hit the showrooms will make a world of difference when you start to work through the design process. You’ll find that decision-making will be far easier, and even more, your design consultant will love you for it!

Calculate how much you want to spend

When it comes to kitchen design, the opportunities really are endless—however, every renovation does come with some budgetary limitations.

Having a clear idea of how much money you want to spend on your kitchen renovation from the get-go will make it far easier to narrow down your options in the showroom, while ensuring your plans remain realistic. Your design consultant will be able to use your budget as a guide when suggesting ideas, and you’ll be able to relax and enjoy the design process without worrying about whether what’s being suggested is financially feasible.

Get a general idea of layout

Confirming the layout for your new kitchen is a major step in the design process, however, it isn’t always easy. Once you start playing around with the various layout options, you’ll quickly find yourself questioning what the best arrangement is.

Before heading into a kitchen display centre, sit down in the space where your new kitchen will be with a piece of paper and put together a rough drawing of how you imagine your new kitchen to be laid out.

Start off by determining the general kitchen layout (i.e. L-shaped, U-shaped, Island Kitchen, Galley Kitchen etc.), then consider where you’ll place various fittings and appliances such as the sink, stove, oven, refrigerator, dishwasher and pantry. Try to keep the proximate location between each zone in mind and ensure the space will be easy to work in.

Don’t worry if you can’t figure it all out yourself—you can always finesse your ideas with the guidance of a design consultant later, but it will streamline the process.

Take some measurements

Kitchen displays are great places where you can really solidify your ideas, however, even the best kitchen design consultant can only help so much if they don’t know the dimensions of the space they have to work with.

Taking some simple measurements of the space before you head into a kitchen display centre will allow the consultant to play around with the layout and nail down the optimal configuration.

Even better, if you have a copy of your home plans, you could even bring them with you. You might find after speaking with a design consultant that a little reworking of your homes’ floor plan could be the key to creating a far more impressive kitchen design!

Settle on a design direction

Kitchen displays can fast become a very overwhelming environment if you don’t arrive pre-armed with an idea of your preferred design direction. With so many colours, finishes and fixtures to choose from, you can quickly find yourself questioning what you really want.

By working out what your overall design direction is early in the piece, you’ll not only make the design process easier for yourself, but you’ll also be able to more confidently choose the right kitchen renovation company to suit your style.

While some kitchen renovation companies specialise in more traditional kitchen designs, others are more contemporary. No matter what design style is your cup of tea, it’s important to choose a kitchen renovation company that is familiar and comfortable working within your chosen design direction if you want the best result.

Ready to head to the kitchen displays?

Look no further than Mint Kitchens. With more than 30 years of experience renovating kitchens across Melbourne, our kitchen renovation design experts can’t wait to help you bring the vision for your new kitchen to life.

With display centres located in Burnley, Burwood, Richmond and Moonee Ponds, book a showroom tour at a kitchen display near you to find out more about what we can do.