Survive a kitchen renovation during a supply chain disruption

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(516) 599-5946 www.StephenWangel.com

Smart Decisions for a Successful Kitchen Renovation During a Supply Chain Disruption
March, 2022

Welcome to my mid-winter newsletter. In this edition, I will bring you information that I think you will find useful when remodeling your kitchen. Thinking about updating your kitchen? I'll bring you the latest trends to incorporate in your design!
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Going through a kitchen renovation can be a daunting task, especially in the midst of a supply chain disruption. Getting your expectations under control is the first step to reducing the stress:

Extended Lead Times: Special order items like cabinets and counters will have longer than usual lead times. Be prepared to wait a little longer. Even in-stock items may have longer waiting time.
Contractors will be challenged by material shortages during your project. If they can't get materials on time, they can't work on your project continuously.
Price Increases have been happening more often and without notice.
Not everything will be available: Not everything in a manufacturer's catalog will be available while production capacity is limited. This is especially true for major appliances.

Plan for the unpredictable

Here are some suggestions that will help you reduce stress and stay on target through the process:

Get Professional Design Help

Putting all of the pieces of the puzzle together is not a do it yourself task. Qualified kitchen designers understand kitchen workflow and how to make it work in a variety of challenging spaces. They should at least understand the basics of construction and your local building codes. When shopping different showrooms, focus less on the cabinets and more on the designer. Most showrooms will sell a variety of different cabinets in several price-points. If you visit the showroom, it's best to have a rough plan including dimensions to get the conversation started. The better designers will ask you questions about your taste, lifestyle and cooking habits. You want to make sure that their listening skills are honed and that they can come up with creative and unique design solutions for your home. Most importantly, don't be pressured into closing the detail. This has to happen on your timeline, not because the designer has to make quota. Pressure to sign is a sure sign to walk away and take a breather.

You Don't Have to Accept That Living Without a Kitchen Will be Unpleasant

Living without your kitchen won't be easy. If you plan ahead and prepare a makeshift kitchen, it will be less disruptive to your daily life. It should have the four basics of any good kitchen; cleanup, cooking, refrigeration and work space. Have the contractor salvage the sink cabinet from the old kitchen and outfit it with a piece of plywood and an inexpensive sink and faucet. Outfit it with hookups that can be reconnected at the end of the day. Keep your old refrigerator in an adjacent room and setup a length of plywood on a couple of trestles or sawhorses. Add a microwave and an air-fryer and you'll have enough to be able to limp through the process. In a pinch, a camp stove will handle most stove-top tasks.

Choose your appliances and plumbing early

The type and size of these items have a large impact on the footprint of your kitchen. For example, a free-standing range will drive a different layout than if you chose a cook-top and wall oven. It is important to plan out ventilation and how the duct-work will exit the building.

Make one show-stopping design choice, but only one.
Give your kitchen personality, but be careful not to turn it into a circus with multiple focal points. Your main attraction can be a decorative range hood, an elaborate cabinet design or an over the top backsplash tile. Just be careful how the different components intermingle. This point is especially important in smaller spaces where too many outstanding features will look convoluted.

Carry a Kitchen in a Bag
Not literally, but you'll want to keep a sample of all decorative choices you've made with you whenever you shop for different materials for your kitchen. Keep a sample of the cabinet color (if possible a full door), counter, tiles, flooring, paint colors, etc. with you at all times. This way you will always be prepared to further the process.

Don't be afraid to postpone some decisions
Wouldn't it be great to have all your ducks lined up from the start? It works that way in a perfect world, but we don't live in a perfect world, do we? The cabinetry is the main feature of the room, so the design, style and color should be decided first. Secondary decisions should be made in the order that they will be installed; flooring, counters, backsplash, hardware and paint. It's OK to juggle the order of these decisions around, just keep in mind that they need to be delivered in time for your contractor to install.

MOST IMPORTANT! Have a Plan "B"
When doing any kind of home renovation, supply chain disruptions can get real. Like wake up in the middle of the night screaming real! Items that you order may not be available in the time-frame that you will need them. This is true for appliances, ceramic tile and quartz counter material. Have a second choice at the ready so that if things don't go as planned you are not scrambling at the last minute. Discuss these alternative choices with your contractor and kitchen designer to see how they will impact the rest of your project.

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