What I learned from my kitchen renovation

Embarking on a kitchen renovation is no small adventure. I should know; I just completed a gut renovation of my own kitchen over the last eight months. If you did a double-take on the amount of time it took, please don’t panic! I ended up with a three month hiatus due to my inability to make a decision about cabinets. Lesson learned. That got me thinking…what other lessons did I learn, and what could I pass along to others considering a renovation?

There is no lack of guidance on how to hire a contractor. A simple web search generates a comprehensive set of questions to ask, advice to follow, and red flags to watch out for:

Questions to ask and advice to follow:

Interview multiple contractors

Review the contractor’s portfolio—work in progress as well as completed projects

Confirm that the business is licensed and insured

Check references

Bids should be detailed and include separate costs for materials, labor, and permits

Read the contract, and ask for clarification if you’re unsure what something means

Ensure the contract includes scope of work, project timeline, payment schedule, material specifications and allowances, and warranty information

Understand the payment schedule and conditions

Choose a contractor who listens, communicates clearly, and is responsive

Red flags to watch out for:

Avoid cash-only arrangements

Never pay in full up front

Question extremely low bids

Never work without a signed contract

Agree on a realistic timeline

These guidelines are very helpful, and provide an overview of the process. But what about once you get into the weeds? How do you know what you don’t know?

Here are a few things I learned that I didn’t come across online:

You contractor must be fluent in your home’s architecture and style

Make sure the contractor you work with understands the style of your home and is comfortable with the materials that will best keep the character and historic detail intact. One of our clients came home to find her contractor on the verge of ripping out exquisite antique balusters with the intention of replacing them with a cheap (Home Depot or similar) product, which would have been heartbreaking. This same client needed to specify trim and molding to match what was already in the house, and had to convince the contractor to get it custom made. In my case, I found a vinyl window awaiting installation in the new half bathroom, even though all the other windows in the house are wood.

Take-away: Contractors specialize in different styles; make sure your home and their expertise are a match.

Contractors will often default to the materials at hand

Once they’re on the job, most contractors want to keep things moving. Often this means using what they have on hand rather than getting the most appropriate item. For example, I asked my contractor to put up some plexiglass panels to preserve my kids’ growth charts pencilled on the wall over the course of many years. He used silver screws that are glaringly visible, rather than white ones that would have disappeared against the paint.

Some other examples:

The switchplates the electrician used were cheap. They also did not all match throughout the project. 

I could have upgraded the material used for molding to get a better quality of wood, but I didn’t realize that was an option.

I was not consulted regarding the choice of doorknobs and hinges, and had to purchase a replacement which the contractor then installed.

Take-away: Most contractors will go with the least expensive option, or what they happen to have on hand, without consulting you. Make sure they know you want to approve EVERY material (if in fact you do).

Contractors generally aren’t designers…

If you are working with an interior designer, you may avoid some pitfalls, but if you’re making most of the decisions on your own, there are many things that may not occur to you. For example, if you’re renovating a kitchen, take the time to imagine yourself in the space, reaching for the cutting board, compost bin, or dishtowel. I chose gorgeous drawer pulls for my cabinets, but since they are flush rather than extending out from the surface, I can’t use them to hang my towels. Currently they are in a basket on the countertop, awaiting a creative solution.

Take-away: There are dozens of micro-decisions to be made during a renovation, and you will be in a much better position to make them if you’ve taken the time to think things through ahead of time.

…but they’ve seen it all and can offer an opinion

Assuming you are working with someone who has plenty of experience, they have usually encountered what you’re facing and may be able to steer you in the right direction. If you are imagining the dishwasher a bit further away from the sink because you want a pull-out compost bin in between (yes, that’s specific enough to be a real example), talk it through with your contractor to see if, in their experience, there may be problems with what you envision. I’m not thrilled with having to reach an additional 10” to load the dishwasher, even though I love having my compost bin at my fingertips. A quick consult could have prompted me to think it through a little more carefully.

Take-away: Great contractors have a lot of real-world experience to draw from, and can alert you to potential problems. Talk it through!

I love my kitchen and am very happy with the result. At the same time, I’m hoping the lessons I learned will help future renovations turn out even better. If you are embarking on a renovation of your own, let’s have coffee—there’s plenty more to share!