You want a Chicago kitchen remodel you'll love. Unfortunately, it's easier than you think to end up with a kitchen remodel you hate without a conscientious approach to the process. Many times, our clients come in with their priorities atwitter over countertop and cabinet selections. While these are certainly important decisions, they are actually a smaller piece of the process.

4 Things That Can Ruin a Beautiful Chicago Kitchen Renovation

If you aren't in the business of remodeling, it's easy to go in with a nearsighted perspective - focusing on the smaller picture first and then considering the bigger picture - - after it's too late.

The best remodeling projects are done in reverse, using a macroscopic approach to start and then moving inward to the more micro-choices and details. Thus, the following four actions can ruin a perfectly good remodel faster than we can say Grabill Custom Cabinetry.

1. Not assessing the kitchen's role in your life. Each room is like a character in your life. What role does your kitchen play? Is it the food prep area for a family of three or a family of ten? Is a member of your house a gourmet chef or are 90% of your meals heated up in the microwave with the remaining 10% eaten at restaurants? Is homework done there? Do you set up your home office on the eat-in bar? By making a detailed assessment of how you use your kitchen, how you wish you could use your kitchen and who does what, where, we can design a kitchen unique to your household's needs and with an efficient layout to match.
   
   
2. Not understanding your options. In the classic movie, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, the movie's namesake poignantly states, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." The same is true for kitchen renovating and technology. Kitchen remodeling trends are constantly in flux. That appliance you've been pining for over the past five years has probably made way for a new and better option. Make an appointment with a reputable Chicago kitchen design and build team and visit their showroom to see what's trending now and to understand the wide scope of options available to you.
   
   
3. Neglecting the lighting plan. We've yet to have clients sit down and say, "We just can't WAIT to get started on the lighting plan for our new kitchen," and yet lighting plans are crucial to the way your kitchen looks and feels. You must strike a balance between natural and artificial, task and ambient lighting in order to have a kitchen that can put on its best face any time of day.
   
   
4. Not creating a budget and/or neglecting the contingency fund. Unless money is no object for you, a kitchen remodeling budget is a must. It sets clear boundaries for you and your designers. Make sure to allot at least 10% to 15% (ideal) as a contingency fund to account for inevitable obstacles and "emergencies."

There's only one way to guarantee you don't make these same four mistakes in renovating your Chicago kitchen; schedule a consultation with Kitchens & Baths Unlimited and design a kitchen remodel you'll love.