Where do I start?

Simple tips and step-by-step explanations about how we work

If you are an average homeowner, you probably renovated your kitchen 10-15 years ago, and many things have changed since then. Or this is your first project, and you are a bit stressed by now? Since you are already reading this, it is time to take a deep breath and relax; you are in good hands :-) Here is a step-by-step guide from start to finish for your kitchen renovation project. We will be honored to be a part of it.

What do I need?

Here is where you start. We strongly recommend making a list of what you need as early as possible in your project. Whether you are a pen and paper person, or “my favorite apps will help me” person, or even “I have a strong memory” person and keep your checklists in your head, here is what we suggest. Walk into your project area (let’s say “your kitchen” from now on) and start analyzing the room.

Make two lists: Must have / Nice to have

Cabinets, floors, appliances, countertops, backsplash, handles/knobs, sink and faucet, wall paint, new windows, moving walls, moving water and gas line, new electrical, lights … Your list may be long or short, what is important here is you will start to see your budget items as well as design items you need to decide sooner or later.

Here are a few questions to take into consideration while making this list

• Do I like the layout, or do I need a change?

  • Is this layout answer all my needs?

  • Will I be more comfortable if I move the dishwasher to the other side of the sink?

  • Do I prefer the microwave over the stove?

• Can I add items here? Maybe an island or pantry.

• Do I need a new fridge? Will that be the same size or bigger / taller?

• Will I have a range or a stovetop in my new kitchen?

We strongly believe that there is a critical question you need to ask yourself at this step. How long will I be in this house? Is this going to be your forever kitchen, or are you planning to move in the future? It may help you decide on many things.

What do I like?

Probably a kitchen about the size of your actual house in a multi-million-dollar beach house. Yeah, we like that too. When we say “start dreaming” we did not say that :-) Let’s stay in your kitchen and talk about colors, materials, and styles.

What we strongly recommend is to take your time, and look at magazines, online channels, your friend’s house, etc. Whatever inspires you is valuable at this step. You don’t need to choose every detail, but it will make your decision-making process way faster if you know how those particular color cabinets look, or if you prefer wood look tiles to marble look for your kitchen floor. For example, what color fixtures would you choose, chrome, stainless steel, champagne gold, or oil-rubbed bronze? If you have seen these color fixtures on a finished project, it will be easier for you. Also, color finishes will affect your budget.

There are so many details about the materials you need to choose. We are happy to help you decide when you visit our showroom. You may already have some materials in your mind, but you may want to learn more about others. For example, countertops. Do you like granite? How about quartz? What are the pros and cons? We will be happy to explain, but this is another article's subject.

What do you need to measure before coming to our showroom?

We measure everything before we start the job, so don’t be stressed. But if you have a tape measure, please bring us some measurements to help you more at your first visit. For projects like cabinets or countertops, your existing design and sizes will be conducive.

Here are a few tips that will help you get to the finish line faster: We need to know the room size if you are planning to change the floors. Measurements and basic layout information( like an L-shaped or U-shaped kitchen) are essential information for pricing countertops. Please let us know if you have an island or space for an island in your kitchen at the beginning of the planning process. Your current sink size may be helpful if you are not planning to change the layout.

Please don’t be stressed with this measurement process. We can always do it later.

What you should expect from the showroom visit

The showroom is one of your best options to see and feel the actual materials you will use. We always recommend seeing the materials in person (if possible) to avoid surprises after the order. For example, the color of a tile you chose may look different in person than on the screen because colors will be slightly different on different screen resolutions. Do you remember the first time you watched a game in HD? The same old field was brighter like never been before. That was the same feeling for me when I changed my cell phone after four years. So imagine that you are looking at that sample on my old cell phone. Would you be happy with the results if you have a brand new one?

Printed samples may seem a bit of color too. The Paper and ink combination will be slightly different than the material’s colors. Besides you will be looking at that color on a bright white page, which will affect your perception of that particular product color. So when you plan a visit to our showroom, you should expect to spend most of your time looking at the samples. Also, the showroom will be a great place to bring different materials together. We like to put samples of cabinet doors, tile, and countertops together to see how colors blend.

At this point, we would like to suggest you bring a sample of the material you already have. For example, if you are planning to keep your cabinets, bring a drawer with you. It will undoubtedly help you imagine that counter sample in your home.

Once you decide what the materials are and if you have the measurements with you. You definitely can expect to leave with an estimate. In some cases, we need to visit your place before finalizing your quote. If that is the case, you should expect a visit scheduled as soon as possible.

What is the next step?

We explain all future steps, including the time frame when we give you a quote. You may have further questions. You can always call, email, or stop by the showroom. Maybe you need to make plans for your family during this renovation. When you are ready to place the order, we will start the process. We always try to work with our customers and try our best to help them reach their dream kitchen but unfortunately, we have equal responsibilities to our other customers. So any material you see and love (especially natural stone materials) will be available to other customers until you place the order. Let's say that you have six weeks until your countertop installation. Finding the dream countertop early is never a bad thing. On the contrary, we recommend you to place the order immediately for two reasons; first, we can keep your unique piece for as long as you need once you place the order, second, now you will have one less item to worry about.

Please keep in mind that materials like cabinets and quartz countertop slabs will be delivered to our warehouse according to that company’s schedule and availability. We maintain close contact with our customers and give several updates throughout the process to avoid surprises.

The million-dollar question: How long will it take?

Answering this isn't easy without knowing your project. It will be like gambling to give numbers in this post since we don’t know your project yet. But also we would like to add that we know precisely how long each-and-every detail of your project will take. All we need is to put them together and discuss them with you before you place the order.

Although we said that it depends on your project we still want to give you some examples. Installing a small to medium size (less than 45 sf) kitchen countertop will take 5 to 10 business days. If we are talking about using material from our yard, the installation will be earlier if we need to bring in the stone slab you are asking for first, we need to get a delivery date, which may change the installation date. Depending on our fabrication department’s schedule, an order like a small vanity with one sink may be ready as soon as the next day.

There are also some situations where a big renovation project is going on in your house, and we need to wait until a particular time. We can be very flexible to synchronize to your project as long as you keep us in the conversation. For the past 20 years, we’ve been working together with architects, contractors, and designers. It will be our pleasure to work with the team you chose.

Do you still have questions? Give us a call now or come to our showroom today.