The idea of “stealing” design ideas from the pages of your favorite magazines is a great one. It’s a simple but effective way to take the best bits of what’s traditional or trendy and shape them into your own style.

We started by purchasing 1/4″ quadrille pads and drew the room to scale. We did this in ink and made many copies.

First, decide if you are going to add or change any windows or doors. After all, you need to know what you are designing around. Many times long windows above the counter top are nice and let in exceptionally good lighting for your work surface — plus they make quite a statement.

Then you need to decide what type of theme are you trying to pull off. Get some magazines and decide what “look” is exciting to you.

Next, we took out the mechanical pencil and started playing with different configurations. Keep in mind that cabinets only come in certain widths [12", 13", 15", 18", etc.] Different brands may have different sizes so ask before you start sketching.

Be sure to remember that you will need a place to eat. Many times you can do a built in eating area and save space as well as get a better look.

One of the things we find that most people overlook are the corners. Don’t let that huge corner go to waste. There are also some really cool pantry cabinets that are worth consideration.

Another often overlooked area is lighting. This is one of the most important things in your new kitchen. We put lights above the cabinets, in the display cabinets, above the counter tops, under the baseboards, recessed, and often times a really nice chandelier.

Take your time, don’t be afraid to sketch many different layouts. You will be surprised at how many different looks you can achieve in your kitchen.

Most of all… have fun!

What goes into a good kitchen makeover? [link to post]

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