New to Kitchens? Read Me First! (2020 Interim)

last year

last modified: last year

Welcome!

If you are new to Houzz's Kitchens Forum (formerly, GardenWeb's Kitchens Forum), you may find the following information and links to various topics helpful as you begin your Kitchen journey. These topics will help you navigate the world of kitchen remodeling and, in the process, introduce you to ideas that you may not have thought of or seriously considered.

We begin by helping you come up with a "Mission Statement" or "Goal" for your future kitchen and continue through the planning, implementation, and, finally, the unveiling of your final kitchen and the enjoyment of working in a kitchen that YOU helped come to pass!

In addition, there are a set of threads that form the Kitchen Design FAQs that will be useful for understanding kitchen design as well as asking for help. Read these threads to get not only an idea of the best practice design principles/guidelines, but also to understand the comments you will receive when you post your layout for comments.

When you have a preliminary layout, post it here for critiquing. If you have no layout and don't know where to start, that's OK! We can help you start. Simply post a blank slate of the space. Whether a new build or a remodel, read the "Layout Help" FAQ thread (see below) - it discusses what information we need to help you get the best layout for you, your family, and your space.

One very important note before we begin…

When asking questions (e.g., asking for layout help), please keep in mind that everyone here is trying to help, not criticize maliciously. Some of us can be blunt, but no one is out to deliberately insult or hurt anyone. When your kitchen is done, we want you to have a kitchen that functions wonderfully well and looks nice overall -- but the process will take time and may entail comments that many times you won't want to hear (e.g., when a layout is dysfunctional). We strongly recommend you "keep listening" to what others have to say but, in the end, you don't have to take any advice given here. It's your kitchen and you are the one who will make the final decisions!

Again, welcome and good luck! The journey is wild, sometimes bumpy, but fun and very rewarding in the end!

FAQ TOPICS (select the topic URL to navigate to the FAQ)

1. Defining Your Goal for Your Remodel: http://finishedkitchens.blogspot.com/p/the-sweeby-test.html

2. Asking for Layout Help…Please read this thread before posting your layout for help. This thread describes what we need to effectively help you with your layout. Without this information, people will only be able to give you general information and/or guesses as to what might work for you. Read the Layout Help thread and provide the requested information when asking for help (e.g., fully measured layout of the space, sketch of the entire floor, constraints, etc.): https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5500789/faq-how-do-i-ask-for-layout-help-what-information-should-i-include

3. Humorous discussion of workflow and other layout topics (a.k.a., the "Ice.Water.Stone.Fire" thread): https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2699918/looking-for-layout-help-memorize-this-first

4. Kitchen Design Guidelines/Best Practices…These threads discuss recommended guidelines and best practices for a functional Kitchen design:

FAQ: Kitchen Work Zones, What Are They?: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5500762/faq-kitchen-work-zones-what-are-they
FAQ: Aisle Widths, Walkways, Seating Overhangs, Work/Landing Space etc.: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5500771/faq-aisle-widths-walkways-seating-overhangs-work-landing-space-etc
FAQ: How Do I Plan For Storage?: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5500787/faq-how-do-i-plan-for-storage

5. Design Considerations…This thread discusses and illustrates several considerations needed when designing Kitchen components. E.g., why refrigerators need space between them and deep walls, why two seats cannot share the same leg/overhang space on an island with corner seating, etc.: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/4306236/kitchen-design-layout-considerations

6. IKEA Hacks: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/4306128/ikea-hacks-compilation-of-ikea-hacks

7. Stone Information…This thread discusses selecting a stone material, installing it, and maintaining it: https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/2558824/stone-information-and-advice-and-checklists

8. Preparing for and Surviving Your Remodel, including a Temporary Kitchen:

9. MiscellaneousOther Items: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5500839/faq-other-items-of-interest

10. Acronyms: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/faq-thread-acronyms-abbreviations-and-definitions-dsvw-vd~5364389

As you review the above threads, please check to see if there are more than 50 comments/posts on the thread. If there are, you will need to repeatedly select the "See xxx more comments" link to see the entire thread. [To see the number of comments, look at the "Comments (xxx)" text below the sharing links. The "See xx more comments" link is below the comment #s and just above the responding comments.]

One final note: Please do not post questions on this or any of the FAQ threads listed in this thread. If you have questions, search the Forum. If you cannot find an answer to your question or you think the answers are outdated, then start a NEW thread of your own - do not hijack someone else's thread or post to an FAQ.

Featured Answer

Buehl
Original Author

last year

last modified: last year

Probably the most often request to posters from folks attempting to help is the request for basic information for layouts. Yes, I link to the Layout Help FAQ above, but most posters either don't see this thread, or they don't go to the Layout Help FAQ and just assume they know what we need. So, to make it easier to see the help, I'm posting what's needed here (as well as in the Layout Help FAQ, which has more information).

+++++ NEED LAYOUT HELP? READ BELOW BEFORE POSTING +++++

Please post a fully-measured layout of the space under consideration and a sketch of the entire floor. Both can be either hand-drawn, computer generated, or drawn up with computer/app tools.

By "fully-measured", we mean a layout with the widths of each wall/window/door/doorway and the distances between each wall/window/door/doorway labeled. See a sample below. If something cannot be moved or changed, label it precisely on your layout (see post in sample) and tell us why it cannot be moved/changed -- we may have some ideas for you.

The sketch of the entire floor lets us see how the Kitchen relates to the rest of the home. It doesn't have to be to-scale, but it should accurately show how the rooms relate to each other and should include all interior & exterior doors. In addition, it will help us see how traffic flows in, around, and through the Kitchen. Label the front entry and family entry. The family entry is usually a garage or side entry, but it might not be. It's helpful to know which door you use to bring in groceries.

Regardless of how you draw it up (by hand, computer, etc.), please be sure all measurements are labeled. (Note: Computer generated layouts often lack key measurements and, sometimes, measure to/from things like the middle of a wall or the middle of a window. Neither are useful. Measure each item and the distances between each item.)

Other questions...

Tell us about you and your family and how you plan to use your Kitchen. All-adults? Empty Nesters? Children (now or in the future)?
What appliances (& their sizes) do you plan to have?
Where are you flexible? Can walls/windows/doors/doorways change (move, change size, add, delete)?
Do you have a basement under the Kitchen or are you on a slab?

The above and more are discussed in the Layout Help FAQ.

Layout Help FAQ: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5500789/faq-how-do-i-ask-for-layout-help-what-information-should-i-include
Ice.Water.Stone.Fire, a humorous discussion of Kitchen design: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2699918/looking-for-layout-help-memorize-this-first

Also see...

Work Zones, What Are They?: https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5500762/faq-kitchen-work-zones-what-are-they
Aisles Widths, Seating Overhangs, etc.: https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5500771/faq-aisle-widths-walkways-seating-overhangs-work-landing-space-etc
Storage Planning: https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5500787/faq-how-do-i-plan-for-storage

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Comments (7)

Buehl
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
To keep this thread a manageable length, if you bump, please come back and delete the bump post once someone has bumped after you. Thank you!
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just_janni
last year
GREAT information here - especially on the layout help. - MEASURED DRAWINGS - overhead view - not renderings from the kitchen designer. NOT photos without scale. And please - not a huge run on paragraph without any pictures at all. YOU may know your space inside and out - but we're all guessing at the layout, the light, the limitations and dimensions.

Even bought sketches on graph paper is helpful - they do not need to be perfect.

Thanks for this as always, Buehl
Buehl
Original Author
6 months ago
🌺To keep this thread a manageable length, if you bump, please come back and delete the bump post once someone has bumped after you. Thank you!
Buehl
Original Author
4 months ago
~bump~
Buehl
Original Author
3 months ago
~bump~
Buehl
Original Author
2 days ago
~bump~

New to Kitchens? Read Me First! (2020 Interim)

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