The Process

GETTING STARTED

To set yourself up for success, take time to lay the groundwork. These simple prep steps will help you stay organized, confident, and ready to move forward with clarity. A kitchen renovation is one of the most rewarding—and most complex—projects you can take on as a homeowner. It’s where design, function, investment, and emotion all meet. Your kitchen is the hub of daily life, and remodeling it means more than just picking pretty finishes. It means rethinking how you live, what matters most, and how to make a space that works hard and feels good every day.

PHASE 1: CONCEPT & PLANNING

Before making any decisions, take time to understand what is and isn’t working in your current kitchen. This step is about observation and clarity. You are not choosing finishes or final layouts yet. You are gathering insight to guide the project.

By slowing down now, you save time, money, and frustration later.

These steps don’t always happen in order — they overlap and evolve as your needs and ideas come into focus. Think of this phase as assembling a puzzle: each piece you clarify brings the full picture closer together.

  1. Decide on your Project Scope

  2. Create your budget

  3. Set your Timeline

  4. Design

  5. Building your Team

  6. Preliminary Research

2: DESIGN DEVELOPMENT & SELECTION

You have assessed your needs, refined your wishlist into a realistic scope, narrowed your budget and put together your dream construction team. Now the fun really begin— it’s time for you to make your actual selections. As you work through sourcing everything you will need for your kitchen, use our Kitchen Checklist Worksheet to keep you organized. We have added tips to guide you into the right direction so you can make informed decisions.

  1. Refine your Design Concept

  2. Cabinet Design & Layout

  3. Selecting Appliances

  4. Selecting Materials

  5. Update Project Scope

  6. Update Budget

  7. Update Timeline

  8. Meet with your Team

3: PROCUREMENT (ORDERING, TRACKING AND RECEIVING)

  1. Ordering

  • After you have created your full Kitchen Project Worksheet, plan what needs to be ordered and when.

  • Check our Ordering Process.

  • When financially possible, designers love it when all items can be shipped to and stored by their receivers (your plumbers, electricians, tile contractor). That way, they can inspect items upon arrival for damage and store them safely.

  • When ordering, PLEASE make sure that all furnishings can actually be brought into your home. You must consider the sizes of:

    • Front door openings

    • Hallways, bends in hallways

    • Stairways

    • Room doorways

2. Tracking

  • Save your invoices and update your budget with the final costs. Make sure that it is in line with what you had planned for.

  • Update your Open Items list as you track your items and their estimated shipping dates.

  • Never feel guilty about calling your vendors every three weeks or so to track an item. As you get closer to the ship date, call more often if you feel you need to apply some pressure. Always confirm the shipping address. Review the order acknowledgement—you will be surprised how often articles can be mixed up. Always try to be one step ahead and plan for the worst (you will not regret it). We always say the design industry is just as much about creativity as it is about problem solving and managing people. If your shipping date changes, notify your team, as delays may hold up the project and you will have to decide if you need to select another item or make schedule adjustments.

  • When a piece ships and is not going directly to you, notify the recipient and confirm he has received it. Keep notes; it is best not to leave any room for chance or error.

3. Receiving

  • Open and inspect all items.

    • Most vendors provide short periods for accepting returns of damaged goods—often within 24 hours or even upon delivery.

    • Take pictures of damaged items and send them immediately to the supplier by email with order numbers. Order replacement products and have them shipped ASAP.

    • Refuse delivery, if possible.

  • Log onto your Open Items list when items have been received; note where they are located.

4: CONSTRUCTION

All of your research, hard work and hard-earned money is ready to shine There are typically 11 phases to a construction project. We have outlined them below. Here are a couple of things to do Before the Project Starts, to help prepare yourself and your home.

  1. Demo

  2. Framing

  3. Rough ins ( includes Inspections)

  4. Drywall & Plaster

  5. Flooring Install

  6. Cabinet and Counter Install

  7. Appliance Install

  8. Backsplash Install

  9. Fixture Install

  10. Final Inspection

  11. Punhlists & Cleaning

5: DECORATIVE INSTALL

  1. Window Treatments

  2. Furniture

  3. Floor Coverings

  4. Art & Accessories