Kitchen and Bathroom Remodeling Tips

Assess Your Current Space

Take a look at your current space to consider your reasons for kitchen and bath remodeling. Do you want to improve the overall look, make the layout more functional, create storage space for better organization, or increase the value of your home? Knowing your objectives will help you make informed cabinetry decisions.

Remember to take "before" images of your current room, too. The before images you take are great to take on your initial visit to the dealer, plus they are fun to reference after the project is completed to truly see the before and after difference.

Create a Remodel Checklist

Creating a remodel checklist is a great way to make sure you've thought through all of the priorities for your kitchen and bath remodel before visiting a showroom. Knowing what kind of design style you're drawn to or what kind of storage solutions you will need will facilitate the planning process with your designer.

Make an Idea File

Put together an idea file to use for inspiration in planning your new space, and take it with you to the showroom. This can be anything from a Pinterest board of your favorite inspirational images or a binder of your favorite design elements torn from magazines. Make of note of what you like about the kitchens or baths in your file to use as a reference point when describing your ideas to a designer.

Build Your Budget

Just as important as defining your vision is setting a budget and how much you will spend for various elements of the remodel. In a typical kitchen and bath remodeling project, cabinets account for about 40 percent of a budget, followed by labor (25 percent) and countertops (12 percent). Other key budget items to factor in could include appliances, lighting and electrical work, and wall coverings.

Visit a Showroom

Once you've explored the many cabinetry options available within our portfolio of cabinet brands, it's time to visit a kitchen showroom to look at cabinetry displays and speak with a kitchen designer. Use our dealer locator to find a showroom in your area.

If you have already chosen wall colors, fabrics, flooring or other items take in images or actual samples with you when you meet with your designer.