Of all the rooms and areas of my home, the kitchen is always the most important to me. Yes, I like a cozy bedroom and an inviting family room, but the balance of beauty and functionality in my kitchen is always the most interesting and vauabole to me.
I like to cook. Not all the time, but having tools and space to be creative in the kitchen is a gret pleasure to me. It is not much fun to try to make a loaf of bread or brew kombucha (easy, by the way) if there is inadequate counter space or no room to store the pans or glass jars needed.
This is why, when you are remodeling or building a kitchen, planning for your own uses and priorities is key. A "standard" kitchen that a builder assumes an average family will want, is rarely just right for you, for your uses and for your family's needs.
Working out the ideal layout, the ideal storage and the details of both is well worth a small investment of time and money when you start a remodel. It is a mistake to assume your contractor can design a great kitchen, even if he/she intends well.
The person who can help you create a beautiful and beautifully functional kitchen is a kitchen designer. It is a profession. It requires considerable knowledge and expertise. Avail yourself of such a person and you are likely to save time, save money, have many fewer hassles during construction, and, most important, the finished result will make you happy.
Finally, if you envision selling the home you are remodeling, a kitchen designer can show you how to create a kitchen other people will want. In terms of home sale prices, this is not a small factor.
Most savvy homeowners know that hiring a qualified kitchen designer is a must when they remodel or build a new kitchen. It is the FIRST step, in fact. Laying out the floorplan, the cabinet placement and then storage details, expert drawings showing these, will allow your project to proceed in an orderly way and result in the best kitchen.