The kitchen is where life happens. It’s a hardworking space that serves multiple purposes daily, from preparation to homework headquarters and where we connect with family and friends.
You want this vital space to both support and be a reflection of your individual lifestyle, tastes, and preferences. That starts with careful planning and design.
How to Design a Custom Kitchen in Corvallis, OR
During the design phase of your new construction project or home remodel, take time to evaluate your current kitchen space and what you would change to make it more functional or aesthetically pleasing. Other factors to consider include your budget, timeline, and overall home style. Here is a look at several of the important steps involved in designing your ideal custom kitchen in Corvallis:
1. Evaluating and Prioritizing Needs
The benefit of designing your own kitchen is that you can personalize every aspect of it. The first step is to assess who primarily uses the kitchen and how it’s used. Do you have children who need access to various kitchen components, like the refrigerator or cupboards? Does your family love to cook or do you regularly rely on simple meals and takeout? Do you have special interests, such as wine or coffee, that could use specific gadgets? Do multiple people tend to utilize the kitchen at one time? Are you a big fan of hosting parties and events? Do you need appropriate space in the kitchen for doing homework or professional tasks?
The answers to these and other questions will help you identify your priorities and create a clearer vision for what you want, including the general layout and individual components. Another good practice is to list the things you like about your current kitchen and any features that regularly cause discomfort or inconvenience. Are there problems with foot traffic patterns or not getting enough natural light? Is the storage space adequate? Do you like having one central refrigerator or do you often wish you had multiple point-of-use refrigeration stations? As you prepare to remodel your kitchen in Corvallis, now is the chance to rectify those problems and create a more suitable space for your current and future needs.
2. Picking an Overall Design Style
The next step is identifying what atmosphere you’d like to capture in your new kitchen. There are numerous design styles to choose from, so it comes down to your personal taste. However, the design style will influence what type of materials and fixtures you choose. A few popular kitchen aesthetics include:
- Mid-Century Modern: Characterized by straight lines and minimalist components, a mid-century modern kitchen is polished and uncluttered. You may include some artistic elements, but the modern style is marked by its uniquely bold simplicity.
- Traditional: Clean, comforting, and inviting, a traditional kitchen embodies classic design elements without looking stale or outdated. There is nuance within a traditional kitchen, but also symmetry and style to make the space look elegant and put together.
- Transitional: This style blends both traditional and modern design concepts, capturing clean, simple minimalism, as well as warmth and classic beauty. Transitional supports versatility and lets you take a primary design style and apply a few personal touches.
- Coastal: A beachy or coastal style is airy and bright, utilizing an abundance of natural light along with cool shades of blue and crisp white. You also include other thematically appropriate accents, such as wicker, paintings of seascapes, and raw wood.
- Modern Farmhouse: A casual and inviting style that combines vintage and new finishes with a classic and rustic flair. Natural textures, wood, and neutral colors are often paired with bold hues.
These are just a few of the most popular kitchen design styles in 2020. However, there are numerous others to consider, including rustic, Boho, Mediterranean, French country, industrial, contemporary, shabby chic, and southwestern. Peruse remodeling magazines or websites to gather ideas and discover which resonates with you. Save your ideas on a platform like Pinterest or Houzz to make them easy to share. Your kitchen remodel designer can help you discover what style suits you and your home the best.
3. Developing a Budget
You can’t put together a detailed budget until after you’ve finished your schematic drawings and made selections, but you must go into the work with a ballpark range of what you plan to spend, as well as the absolute max. Based on that number, you can determine what size and scope of project is feasible, whether you can do a complete overhaul of the space or focus primarily on maintenance and updating finishes.
Having a rough budget in mind before you start planning enables you to set realistic expectations and apply measures to prevent scope creep.
Hiring a Design-Build Team in Corvallis
Once you’ve identified your project goals and priorities and developed a general vision for your new kitchen, the next step is finding a team to help bring the project to life. Simplify the process for yourself by selecting a trustworthy design-build team, such as Corvallis Custom Kitchens & Baths. We provide a single point of contact and accountability throughout your kitchen remodel or expansion, which provides confidence and peace of mind that what is captured on paper is also what will be built, on time and on budget.
