A new kitchen is a complex undertaking, requiring thoughtful planning and expert execution involving many suppliers and trades.  Allow ample time for decision-making, product fabrication and delivery, and installation.  DO NOT try to rush the process before a big event, such as a family gathering or holiday.

WHO will be using the kitchen?  Is yours a one-cook or multi-cook household?  Are there any physical limitations?  Do children use the microwave?  Would you like seating in the kitchen?  For how many?  Table height, counter height, or bar height?  What about a desk area, computer space or television space?  Do you see your kitchen as a social space where guests visit with you, a family space, or as a separate work space out of sight from the rest of the home?

The more you can tell us about the role of the kitchen in your home, the better we can customize the space to fit your needs and wants.

WILL you be using existing appliances or purchasing new ones?  If you have already selected your appliances, please note the types, sizes, and manufacturers’ model numbers, if you have them.  Will you cook on a slide-in or free-standing range?  Or a separate cook top and oven(s).  Will you have a standard range hood, a microwave hood, or downdraft ventilation?  Or would you like to consider a decorative range hood to match the cabinetry?  Will your refrigerator be a side-by-side, top freezer, bottom freezer, or something else?  Do you plan on any specialty appliances such as a warming drawer, ice maker, wine cooler, trash compactor, etc.?  Would you like appliance front panels to match your cabinetry?

GKC works closely with local appliance suppliers to ensure that we have the correct information to incorporate your choice of products into the kitchen design.

HOW much and what kind of storage space do you need?  Your cooking habits will help determine the answer.  For baking, you may want storage for cookie sheets, pie tins, cake pans, and mixing bowls.  Drawer dividers will help organize measuring cups and spoons, rolling pins, cookie cutters, mixer attachments, etc.  Spices, herbs and flavorings may be stored in door racks, pullout shelves, or drawer inserts.  If you have oversized items, such as a canner, a wok, a crab pot or a coffee urn, they may be stored on deep shelves in a base or tall cabinet.  Frequently-used small appliances, such as a toaster, can opener or coffeemaker, may be hidden in an appliance garage on the countertop, while less-used appliances, such as a food processor, juicer or crock pot, may be stored in deep drawers or on rollout trays.  Base or tall cabinets may also be used for dish storage.  Take a quick inventory of items you now store, and those you may now keep in the garage but would like to bring into the kitchen. 

GKC offers hundreds of specialized storage solutions to make your life easier.

WHAT styles, colors and countertop surfaces appeal to you?  Are you striving to maintain the design integrity of an older home, wanting a more eclectic look, or aiming for a cutting-edge contemporary space?  If you have magazine clippings of kitchens you like, or photos of your grandmother’s sideboard that may be the inspiration for your new kitchen, bring them with you.

GKC’s kitchen design specialists are active members of the National Kitchen and Bath Association, and frequently attend classes and seminars to stay informed of the latest industry innovations and trends.