Questions to ask when planning your new kitchen
We’re in the full swing renovation for our new home. The floors are gone, the kitchen is gone, jackhammers demolished tile in our foyer this week, we’re living in the basement. We’re moving along.
Sara and I have spent a lot of time thinking, dreaming and planning our kitchen and if I’m being REALLY honest this whole process is teaching me a heck of a lot about what it’s like from a client perspective. How the financial pressure & stress can affect you. How delays and unexpected issues affect your morale. What living in a disaster zone does to your patience level. The overwhelm of ALL the options to chose from and the 1st world anxiety of choosing the wrong thing(s).
Without a doubt this process is aiming to make me a more empathetic and more engaged designer, but I’ve also been reflecting a lot on the logic that I use when I approach projects and start to document all the things swirling in my head.
Asking the right questions
When tackling any project I think it’s important to ask the right questions so you can target specific goals. Often I will ask my clients these questions directly (as to avoid confusion) but just as often, I’ll intuit some of the answers along the way.
The following includes a list of evolving questions I find myself asking my clients when we tackle a new kitchen. We won’t tackle the actual logistics of a kitchen project; right now we’re just talking about conceptualizing and planning. So, if you’re considering a new build or a kitchen renovation, these are questions you can start asking.
WHY question
It’s important to ask this question first because, from the beginning of the project, it helps identify the motivators behind the change.
Why are you renovating or building?
WHAT questions
These questions are important because you don’t want to get to the end of you project - having spent all the time, investment and energy - only to have never confronted some of things that are most important to you.
What works for you well in your current kitchen? What doesn’t?
What problems are you trying to solve?
What purpose(s) has your kitchen historically served in your home? What purpose(s) would you like it to serve?
What needs to have a place in your new kitchen or it won’t feel like it’s yours? (i.e. KitchenAid mixer, air fryer, cookbooks,
What do you find yourself doing the most in the kitchen?
What hobbies does your kitchen need to accommodate?
What needs does your kitchen have to serve?
What happens in your current kitchen that should really take space somewhere else in the home?
What has found it’s way into the kitchen but should really be in another room?
WHERE questions
These help you track your inspiration for your kitchen.
Where have you seen glimpses (or maybe the entirety) of kitchens you love? (i.e. Were you staying at an AirBNB? Scrolling through Instagram/TikTok/Pinterest? Watching something on YouTube/HGTV/Magnolia?)
Where does your kitchen face? (does it face the backyard? the sunset?
Where (in your current home) do you find things living in other rooms that should really be in the kitchen?
Where in your travels have you felt most creative, alive, peaceful or inspired?
If you’re building or doing a major renovation: where would you like your kitchen to face?
If you’re building or doing a major renovation: where should your kitchen be located in the house? Should it be central? At the back of the house? Do you need to have a smaller kitchen-style space in another part of the house to accommodate other needs?
HOW questions
Let’s be honest… I needed a catch all category
How do you want to feel in your kitchen? (i.e. efficient, organized, peaceful, connected to people you love, inspired, creative)
How often are you in your kitchen?
How many people can fit in your current kitchen? Are you comfortable with that number?
How long are you willing to wait for the most important things in your kitchen? (i.e. if you’re not willing to wait for the full kitchen renovation, what steps can you take to get closer to that now?
How much are you willing to spend? Especially for the most important things in your kitchen.
How many butts does your kitchen need to accommodate?
Obviously this isn’t a comprehensive list of questions but hopefully it’s a place to start when you begin thinking about tackling your kitchen project.
