Interior Design Factory, Ltd.

INSPIRATION

Questions to ask when planning for a new kitchen or master bath:

For a master bathroom remodel:

• Shower and/or tub for one or two?
• Do you like to take a bath? Do you soak, read, listen to music? Need a view?
• Do you use a lot of product? What and what sizes? Certain chemicals guarantee unhappy results if used on certain surfaces.
• Do you shave in the shower or at the sink?
• Do you need privacy for your toilet?
• One sink or two? Do you both use the bathroom at the same time?
• How and where does a woman put on her make up?
• How much storage do you need and for what?
• Appliances: hairdryer, curling iron, hot rollers, etc.?
• What size towels do you use and how many?
• Do you wear a robe?
• Do you change your clothes in the bathroom or elsewhere?

Kitchen:

• Do you cook?
• How do you cook and what?
• How much time do you spend in your kitchen?
• Are you a messy or clean cook?
• What type of utensils and pots/pans do you use? How often?
• What and how much do you handwash items?
• Do you need a separate sink for food preparation?
• Do you need a garbage disposal or do you compost?
• How many trash and recycle bins do you need in the kitchen?
• How many sets of dishes to you use?
• Do you entertain? For how many?
• Do you like to eat in your kitchen?  Full meals or just quick snacks?
• Where do your kids do homework?
• How often do you shop for groceries?
• What kind of storage do you need: dry goods, canned, fresh fruits & veggies, bottled drinks, etc.?
• What do you hate or love about your current kitchen?
• Do you need a TV or computer in your kitchen?
• Do you have lots of kitchen appliances: mixer, toaster overn, coffee maker, etc?
• Microwave – who uses it and for what? (If is young children you don't want to put it in upper wall cabinets.)
• How many people cook at the same time?
• How many cookbooks do you use?  How do you store recipies?
• Do you bake and need a lower countertop for rolling out dough or pastry?

There are many more questions one could ask but this will get you started in the right direction.  Kitchen and bathrooms require a large amount of planning and research before you ever get to the design part of it.  Answering these questions first will put you well on your way to a successful design.

Green Kitchen Design Products

• Cork or bamboo floors
• Recycled glass tile backsplash
• Recycled concrete and glass countertops
• Low VOC paints, adhesives and finishes
• Daylighting
• Energy efficient appliances 

Why a general contractor?

 Creating a kitchen or bathroom involves many elements: plumbing, electrical, carpentry, flooring, painting, etc. A general contractor has people on his staff or sub-contractors he can call on for the various elements and provides the project management skills to coordinate all the different trades.

CAUTION: Kitchens and baths involve major money – this is not the place to skimp and decide you can be your own project manager. I have never seen it work well and it ALWAYS ends up costing the homeowner more.

As a designer and having done many of these projects, I get help from other professionals.  There are too many things to go wrong and get missed if you are too close to a project or don't have ample knowledge.