When it comes to taking on a kitchen renovation, people tend to run head first. Kitchens were found to be the #1 most popular room of the home to remodel because it’s such an integral part of the home. The kitchen is a place for family and friends, school lunches and midnight snacks.

The amount of elements that play into what makes your kitchen, a kitchen, are plenty.

Doing a kitchen renovation means having to make a lot of decisions.

Important and expensive decisions.

Once the kitchen has been designed and the floor plans are ready, you then move away from the desk to the showroom. This is where your brain can go a little haywire.

Here you are faced with all of the aesthetics as you move through the showroom in wonder.

Throughout my time in the design industry, I’ve found that the kitchen renovation process can easily go from thrilling to agonizing. There are a few reasons why this can happen. Listed below are 3 common things people often overlook when it comes to their kitchen remodel.

Kitchen Cabinet Hardware:
Cabinet Knobs and Cabinet Pulls

The pulls and knobs seems to drive everyone absolutely crazy. The options, in this case, can be debilitating and they often are. There can be hundreds of cabinet knobs and cabinet pulls to chose from in one showroom alone. They come in different styles, finishes and vary in cost. This small but essential feature is worth meditating on. It’s tough going back on a decision once the contractor has started drilling holes into the cabinets for them.

Countertop and Sink

I’ve decided to group these items together and you’ll understand precisely why. Countertops really help dress up a kitchen. Some of the most common choices range from: marble, granite, quartz, laminate, concrete, recycled glass, butcher block, tile, stainless steel and other materials.

Choosing a countertop can be perplexing. 

Most people, like we discuss in our ebook Designate, don’t have an unlimited budget so some struggle with this decision a lot. Many people often see a small 4X4 sample of their countertop when they’re choosing it. Not everyone is wise enough to go to the manufacturer (or some simply don’t have the time) to look at huge slabs of stone but doing so is a good idea. If you’re going with natural stone, each portion is cut out of a unique piece of rock so it’s best to see what a countertop size slab of stone looks like. If it’s something you’re spending a couple thousand of dollars on, invest the time. Equal in importance to the countertop is the sink that goes into it, because eventually that countertop is being cut to fit it.

Appliances

What is it about appliances and why are they so important anyway? Aren’t they the things that are the least exciting about a kitchen renovation? The thing that can wait until the end? No one wants to think about appliances now, can we change the topic?

The truth is appliances matter. Just like your cabinets, each appliance comes with their own dimensions, dimensions you aren’t able to change.

I can’t tell you how many times customers have called me and said, “Wait, we purchased another range,” or “That oven just didn’t sit right with me”. Once everything is calculated and being installed, it’s a bad idea to start making last minute decisions.

What if the new oven doesn’t fit?

We know kitchen remodels drive you crazy and they can also be so exciting that it’s difficult even starting one. In times like these, you must absolutely and completely know what you want. Try not to get lost in the details for too long. Every detail is going to matter when it’s time to put your whole kitchen together.

A vital rule to keep in mind is: If it’s not in your budget, sleep on it before buying, and don’t just buy something because it’s in your budget either.

Most people don’t have the money to do two kitchen renovations so do your best with your first one and think everything through.