Episode 1849
Unlocking Kitchen Design Secrets: Tips from a 30-Year Expert and Certified Kitchen Designer
Designing a kitchen is a multifaceted process that can significantly impact your home's functionality and aesthetics. Eric G., a seasoned kitchen designer with 30 years of experience, emphasizes the importance of hiring a qualified designer to navigate this complex task. He shares insights on cabinetry, highlighting the three primary styles prevalent in the U.S.: face frame, frameless, and inset cabinets. Each style offers distinct advantages and disadvantages, particularly regarding storage efficiency and construction quality. Eric argues that frameless cabinets, often seen as more modern, can provide more storage space compared to their face frame counterparts, making them a practical choice for many homeowners. He urges listeners to consider the evolving needs of kitchen storage from past to present, noting that modern kitchens require more sophisticated storage solutions than those of decades past, reflecting changes in our cooking and entertaining habits.
The conversation also delves into the significance of quality materials and finishes. Eric advises against cheaper imported cabinetry, which may use subpar materials and hardware, leading to long-term issues. Instead, he recommends investing in cabinetry that features durable finishes like conversion varnish or urethane, which can withstand the rigors of daily use. The podcast further discusses the importance of project management, particularly for DIY enthusiasts. Eric cautions homeowners about the challenges of managing subcontractors and stresses the necessity of having all materials on-site before beginning any demolition work to avoid costly delays. By preparing adequately and understanding the nuances of kitchen design, listeners can ensure their remodeling projects proceed smoothly and meet their needs for years to come.
Takeaways:
- Hiring a good kitchen designer is crucial for a successful kitchen remodeling project.
- Modern kitchens require efficient storage solutions that adapt to today's cooking tools.
- Frameless cabinetry offers more storage space compared to traditional face frame cabinets.
- Understanding the differences in cabinet construction can save time and money during remodeling.
- Always ensure that all materials are on-site before starting any demolition work.
- Expect delays during inspections, and plan accordingly to avoid project stalls.
To get your questions answered by Eric G give us a call in the studio at 833-239-4144 24/7 and Eric G will get back to you and answer your question and you might end up in a future episode of Around the House.
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Information given on the Around the House Show should not be considered construction or design advice for your specific project, nor is it intended to replace consulting at your home or jobsite by a building professional. The views and opinions expressed by those interviewed on the podcast are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Around the House Show.
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Transcript
It's around the house.
Eric G.:We've been talking today about designing a kitchen and finishing the project.
Eric G.:We're just talking about hiring a designer and getting this project off on the right foot.
Eric G.:Now, the next part here is super important, and we started to talk about this a little bit.
Eric G.:Cabinetry.
Eric G.:And let's give a little primer on cabinetry.
Eric G.:If you haven't seen cabinetry out there, really thought about it.
Eric G.:There's three different styles of cabinets that you see out there in the United States.
Eric G.:Typically you see an american face frame where you have this one by two face frame that goes around the cabinet face of the box.
Eric G.:And of course, the doors overlay that.
Eric G.:And those doors are gonna be called either a full overlay where there's like a 316 gap around the house.
Eric G.:Shows brought to you by pyramid heating and cooling serving in Oregon, the Portland metro area and Bend, Oregon.
Eric G.:They are your one stop shop for heating and cooling and indoor air quality.
Eric G.: pyramidheating.com oregon CCv: Eric G.:When it comes to remodeling and renovating your home, there is a lot to know.
Eric G.:We've got you covered.
Eric G.:This is around the house.
Eric G.:Welcome to the round the house show.
Eric G.:This episode is brought to you by our friends over at Monument Grills.
Eric G.:If you're looking for a killer grill for fall football season, maybe you're tailgating.
Eric G.:Maybe you're having a great time out back with friends.
Eric G.:That is a great place to start, and that is@monumentgrills.com dot if you want to find out more about us, head over to around the house online.com and you can find out more information there about us.
Eric G.: -: Eric G.:Now, a little bit about me, my background.
Eric G.:I am a certified kitchen designer.
Eric G.:I have been doing this for about 30 years, and so I have designed thousands of kitchens out there.
Eric G.:And this really can help you as a homeowner or even if you're thinking about doing this as a DIY project, I can sure help you out here with a lot of tips and tricks in this episode.
Eric G.:So really, no matter what you do here, the first thing that I want to say is the design is probably the most important step out of this process.
Eric G.:And not just because I'm a designer, but this is your blueprint for the entire project.
Eric G.:This is all the planning is based off of this one document.
Eric G.:And so my first advice is to hire a good kitchen designer for this project.
Eric G.:And if, I don't care if you're a homeowner, if you're a contractor, what else?
Eric G.:Here's the thing.
Eric G.:When it comes to kitchen design, specifically for tackling that kitchen project, when I've hired hundreds of designers over my years, and even the ones coming right out of design school, it takes them 18 to 24 months of tackling projects to be really good, where I start to feel like, hey, I can let them go on their own and really start doing it without having to micromanage the project, because there are thousands of things that can go wrong in the planning stages.
Eric G.:And you as a homeowner, or even as a contractor, unless you've been doing it for a decade, this is the thing.
Eric G.:It takes forever to learn all those things.
Eric G.:And there is a lot of trial and error within this.
Eric G.:And it's something, you can't just go take a class and go, I'm a kitchen designer, and this is where mistakes happen.
Eric G.:And when you're designing a kitchen, mistakes equal time and they equal money.
Eric G.:And this is where the mistakes really start costing on the project side.
Eric G.:So here's what happens so many times.
Eric G.:And I see this, and this is one of the biggest mistakes that I see of people going into the home centers.
Eric G.:They will set their, draw up their kitchen.
Eric G.:Okay, ive got an 18 inch base cabinet.
Eric G.:I got 24 inch base cabinet.
Eric G.:I got a 36 inch sink cabinet, 24 inch dishwasher.
Eric G.:And they go into the home improvement store and say, I want this.
Eric G.:They figure out the base cabinets.
Eric G.:They copy exactly what they had in there.
Eric G.:And, you know, you got to think back into the history of kitchens here a little bit.
Eric G.: models, those kitchens can be: Eric G.: , and it had the: Eric G.:It had not been remodeled yet.
Eric G.: realize, what was it like in: Eric G.:You had maybe a microwave, and you had a vent hood.
Eric G.:You had a range top or a range.
Eric G.:You had a vent hood, you had a dishwasher, and you had a refrigerator.
Eric G.:That was pretty much what you had in storage.
Eric G.:Wasn't really as a big a thing.
Eric G.:We didn't have stores back then that were the Williams Sonoma, the Amazons, the, any of those specialty cookware stores.
Eric G.:We had a handful of pots and pans, utensils and a few, you know, things to cook with.
Eric G.:And it wasn't that big a deal.
Eric G.:And today we have a brand new tool for everything.
Eric G.:So our storage needs, and this is one thing you have to think about.
Eric G.:This is a workspace.
Eric G.: ferent than they were in even: Eric G.:So you have to think about how am I going to store all these little tiny things?
Eric G.:Back then, you might have one bank of drawers, a four drawer cabinet, maybe 18 inches wide, and the rest of it was doors and drawers or even doors just to keep it cheap.
Eric G.:And that's where the mistakes happen of just copying that old plan.
Eric G.:And so doors are great.
Eric G.:Here's the problem, though.
Eric G.:Let's talk about the price of a cabinet.
Eric G.:So if I took a three foot wide cabinet and I had a three drawer cabinet there, and then I had a two door with doors all the way up, a full height door cabinet of the same size, on average, that drawer cabinets going to be twice the money as the one next to it.
Eric G.:So, so many people go into builder homes, theyve got a builder, great home, and theres nothing wrong with that.
Eric G.:Spec builder cranked it out.
Eric G.:But they only put so many drawers in because theyre trying to save on the budget.
Eric G.:Theyre not going to put in a ton of drawers in there, typically.
Eric G.:So they want to reduce the price of the cabinets down because theyre trying to keep that house at an affordable price.
Eric G.:And they've got to make their margins on it so they can do more houses and have a strong business model.
Eric G.:And so the builder, basic kitchens sometimes just have basic layouts in it.
Eric G.:And I worked on a big high rise in the Bellevue, Washington area, for instance, and I had corner cabinets throughout this high rise.
Eric G.:In the design and in the budget cutting phase, we took out every single one of the budget of the corner cabinets to save money and put in two filters, fillers there.
Eric G.:Sorry, we just had two fillers there.
Eric G.:So we could absolutely save on every one of those corner cabinets.
Eric G.:So homeowner moved in, didn't notice that they have zero access into that corner.
Eric G.:And that's how they did it.
Eric G.:That was the builder's choice to do that.
Eric G.:And that's way they did it.
Eric G.:And sometimes in a good design, sometimes not using that corner gives you other things you can.
Eric G.:So I'm not saying that's the wrong answer, but on the entire project, we had no corner cabinets because they just put in two little corner fillers and said we're voiding that space and not going to use it.
Eric G.:So really, this is the time, as you jump in, to update everything.
Eric G.:You want to have that designer that's going to say, hey, where are you putting this?
Eric G.:I want that designer to come over to your house, look through the cabinets, see what you have, see what you might want to add to it, and make sure that they create a better home for all your stuff.
Eric G.:And this is really where good design starts to come in.
Eric G.:This is not even talking about getting it pretty.
Eric G.:We're just trying to create an area that satisfies your storage needs before we go down the rabbit hole of all the design elements within that.
Eric G.:And so that's really where the key is here, is to take the time, not copy the old design.
Eric G.:You can go, hey, it worked perfectly.
Eric G.:There's no problem with it.
Eric G.:But you know something?
Eric G.:If it's been over 15 years, which most kitchen remodels are, it's time to update it and be more efficient.
Eric G.:And then afterwards you'll realize, oh, my gosh, I'm so happy I did this.
Eric G.:It's so much easier to access things in the corner.
Eric G.:I could actually get down into the bottom of that cabinet where I had to go drop to a knee and dig back there.
Eric G.:I have a rollout now.
Eric G.:There.
Eric G.:There are so many things you can do.
Eric G.:Maybe putting a rollout tray at the bottom of the kitchen sink so you can roll out all those cleaning supplies or anything else that's stored around there.
Eric G.:So there's really a lot of things that you can do to really use that space and use it efficiently.
Eric G.:And when we come back, I want to talk about cabinets because the style of cabinet you use, whether it's a face frame or a frameless or an inset, will tell you how much storage space you have and how easy it is to access it.
Eric G.:And that's a real important one right here that I want to talk about, because as part of the planning stuff, that's where if you could fit it all in there or if you're adding more space to store things in that.
Eric G.:All right, everybody.
Eric G.: -: Eric G.:We'll be right back.
Eric G.:We're talking kitchen design.
Eric G.:Don't go anywhere.
Eric G.:What's up?
Eric G.:This is sticks it in ya and satchel from steel Panther.
Eric G.:And you are listening to around the house.
Eric G.:With eric g.
Eric G.:Yeah, we love eric g.
Eric G.:And you should too.
Eric G.:1987.
Eric G.:I never wanna leave you.
Eric G.:Welcome back to the around the house show, the next generation of home improvement.
Eric G.:Thanks for joining me today.
Eric G.:I'm eric G.
Eric G.:We've been talking today about designing a kitchen in finishing the project.
Eric G.:And if you want to find out more about us, head over to aroundthehouse online.com dot.
Eric G.:We were just talking about hiring a designer and getting this project off on the right foot.
Eric G.:Now, the next part here is super important, and we started to talk about this a little bit.
Eric G.:Cabinetry.
Eric G.:And let's give a little primer on cabinetry.
Eric G.:If you haven't seen cabinetry out there, really thought about it.
Eric G.:There's three different styles of cabinets that you see out there in the United States.
Eric G.:Typically, you see an american face frame where you have this one by two face frame that goes around the cabinet face of the box.
Eric G.:And of course, the doors overlay that.
Eric G.:And those doors are going to be called either a full overlay, where there's like a 316 gap between them, or on lesser expensive cabinets, you'll have what they call a half overlay, where the doors are only overlaying that face frame by a half.
Eric G.:And that's how they can save money on doors and drawer fronts and stuff, by having those larger gaps.
Eric G.:And that's where you can find a lesser expensive cabinetry with that less of an overlay.
Eric G.:And it also gives them, you don't have to be as exact with the door sizes because you've got such a big space there.
Eric G.:If something's off by a 16th or an 8th of an inch, you don't really see it that much.
Eric G.:And so it hides a lot of sins in the cabinet making progress.
Eric G.:So here's the thing.
Eric G.:Now, when you're talking about the basically, that frameless cabinet is the next style that you have.
Eric G.:And so instead of having that one by two face frame around the outside, they actually build the sides of the box out of either five, eight, or three quarter inch plywood or particle board.
Eric G.:And here's the thing.
Eric G.:When it comes down to that, actually, to me, is a stronger cabinet, because you don't have that face frame, which is the strength of the cabinet out there.
Eric G.:It makes it to the sides of the strength.
Eric G.:So instead of being that front of the face frame being the strength, now the sides are, which I think makes for a more durable cabinet.
Eric G.:But the biggest thing is you get a ton of more cabinet storage space and an average kitchen if you make that out of a frameless style box.
Eric G.:Versus a face frame.
Eric G.:You can add as much as an 18 inch cabinet to your storage space down below.
Eric G.:And that makes a big difference, especially when you're trying to use a lot of drawers because it gives you so much more space to use.
Eric G.:And so that really makes it handy.
Eric G.:And then the other one, which is on higher end cabinets or more furniture looking pieces, and that's what they call a full inset or an inset cabinet.
Eric G.:And what that is, or a flush inset is another thing you see it called.
Eric G.:It is a face frame style, but they flushed out the drawer fronts and door fronts, so they're on the same plane as the face frame.
Eric G.:And that is a more expensive cabinet to build.
Eric G.:It gives you that inset furniture look something very old world and a really nice look.
Eric G.:But there's a lot of intricacies in building that type of cabinet.
Eric G.:So that's something you got to be really careful with.
Eric G.:And especially in areas where I high humidity on a coast or on an island, someplace like that is probably not the best for you because theres literally no adjustment when things are inset like that.
Eric G.:So as things expand and contract, that can cause problems down the road.
Eric G.:Now, I do like the frameless cabinets.
Eric G.:And it used to be, the frameless used to be a lot more money than the face frame.
Eric G.:But really, that has changed.
Eric G.:I mean, you think about it, Kia does frameless.
Eric G.:Now, a lot of these different cabinet companies out there, and a lot of the higher end cabinet companies, especially coming out of Europe and Canada, those end up using frameless as well.
Eric G.:Nothing wrong with a face frame cabinet, but you will get a little less storage space.
Eric G.:That's easier to access that way.
Eric G.:And that's really one of the things that you see when it comes to cabinetry is how much can you put in there and how much can you store?
Eric G.:Now, here's another thing.
Eric G.:This is a big debate, and this is one that I have my personal opinion on.
Eric G.:So love it or hate it, this is my opinion.
Eric G.:When it comes to frameless cabinetries, I really like more of a furniture board or a particle board construction.
Eric G.:Here's why.
Eric G.:What happens with plywood is not exactly the same size.
Eric G.:If you take a micrometer measure, three quarter inch plywood, rarely is it three quarters, because it is a bunch of different layers of veneer.
Eric G.:And that can add up in a large kitchen.
Eric G.: I have seen on a: Eric G.:I tell you what that changes things when you're trying to put custom cabinetry together, because most companies do not go through and mic out and adjust for that unit of plywood and what the difference is.
Eric G.:And so if you start adding a 16th or a 32nd or 230 seconds whatever or 16th, it just adds up.
Eric G.:And so you could actually get, if it's bigger, you end up having more cabinets than what you do.
Eric G.:So you need to really come in and design with fillers.
Eric G.:You can see there's a lot of things that come in to designing a kitchen and making sure that you don't have those mistakes.
Eric G.:Now the next one here is dealing with dovetail drawers versus a glued, endowed drawer.
Eric G.:And when we used to have side mount glides or the white epoxy ones, there were the bottom kind of bottom side mount glides, the cheap ones used to see in the eighties and nineties, the draw box construction carried all the load.
Eric G.:And then you had the hardware that was fastening that to the box.
Eric G.:Now with most of the just even low end decent cabinet companies up to the better ones, they have undermount glides, which sits under the drawer box.
Eric G.:And so the drawer box is just holding the things in the drawer.
Eric G.:It's not the structural element that it used to be.
Eric G.:So where 20 years ago I'd say, oh, you've got to have dovetail drawers.
Eric G.:Now I say, you really don't.
Eric G.:You can go with a doweled or even a stapled and glued drawer box made out of a hardwood or even a plywood, hardwood plywood that's going to hold up for you.
Eric G.:It's not going to be a problem.
Eric G.:If you've got sleechy or bloom glides in there, something decent, even some of the nice grass ones, guess what?
Eric G.:That's going to work great for you and it'll hold up for years to come.
Eric G.:And so that's super important.
Eric G.:So really, when it comes down to that hardware that you're using for the glides, whether its soft clothes or whatever, thats the king.
Eric G.:So make sure that youre asking those questions.
Eric G.:If youre out shopping for cabinetry, what hardware is going in there?
Eric G.:What brand is it?
Eric G.:And do your research and find out, because that brand really makes a difference.
Eric G.:And this is why I really discourage people from buying the import overseas cabinetry because heres what happens, and this can be a big problem.
Eric G.:If youre out there and you buy a brand new kitchen from one of the import places it came in, there's a couple issues that you can run into, one of them being that a lot of those plywoods and stuff coming in, you don't know what chemicals are in those.
Eric G.:Any of those offshore plywoods could have formaldehydes, things like that.
Eric G.:We saw some big issues with that years ago.
Eric G.:And as well as the hardware is all knockoff stuff generally.
Eric G.:So most of the brands that I've seen out there of the import stuff, you will never find a replacement hinge for that down the road because they were making them for that.
Eric G.:It's not a known brand.
Eric G.:And so really, you're going to have to rebuild some cabinets down the road when that hinge or drawer glide fails.
Eric G.:And that can be a big problem.
Eric G.:So I don't want to see that happen to you.
Eric G.:So really make sure that you've got that hardware dialed in because that's something that's going to be important.
Eric G.:Now, one of the next ones here is finish.
Eric G.:And I want to talk about this before we go out to break because finish is key right here.
Eric G.:I want to see a conversion varnish.
Eric G.:I want to see a urethane.
Eric G.:Unless you're doing some italian lacquered with 60 coats or something on it, I don't want to see a lacquer finish out there.
Eric G.:That's like putting it on a 55 Chevrolet.
Eric G.:It's great for a restoration something.
Eric G.:There's a reason why we've gone to better finishes.
Eric G.:So I do not buy cabinetry that has just a regular lacquer finish on it.
Eric G.:The water based stuff is great.
Eric G.:There's some great new finishes out there.
Eric G.:So I'm looking for a two part finish system that has a catalyst on it.
Eric G.:And if it's baked on, it's even better.
Eric G.:That's how you get that good finish.
Eric G.:We come back, we're going to talk more about custom cabinetry here and whether you're going to diy this or hire a contractor just as soon as around the house returns.
Eric G.:Hey, this is Ron Keel, the metal cowboy from Kiehl, the Ron Keel band and Steeler.
Eric G.:We are rocking around the house with Eric G.
Eric G.:Raise you.
Eric G.:Welcome back to the around the house show, the next generation of home improvement.
Eric G.:I'm Eric G.
Eric G.:We've been talking about designing a kitchen and getting that thing finished.
Eric G.:And with my 30 years of kitchen and bath design, I wanted to make sure and get some of this knowledge off to you.
Eric G.:You're thinking about tackling that kind of project.
Eric G.:And so many more people are out there because they may be planning on buying another house, getting that new house, and they're looking at the interest rates going, think we're going to do our kitchen?
Eric G.:Cause I tell you, what?
Eric G.:I'm not paying three times the interest rate to get this going this year, and it's not looking good out there so far this year as we get into May.
Eric G.:So let's talk about this.
Eric G.:So we've been talking about kind of quality materials and the right things here.
Eric G.:And the last one I want to talk about is custom.
Eric G.:And the word custom has no bearing on the word quality.
Eric G.:It just means somebody is building something custom for you.
Eric G.:And that's something important because so many people go, oh, yes, I'm having custom cabinetry made.
Eric G.:That doesn't mean anything.
Eric G.:That could be some hack putting cabinets together for the first time in their garage, trying to pretend to be a cabinet maker.
Eric G.:So think about what that actually does for you with custom.
Eric G.:I am very picky on my cabinetry, and to be honest, a lot of these major manufacturers out there do a pretty decent job of making cabinets.
Eric G.:And so when you look at how larger cabinet companies make cabinets, they quite frankly do a better job when it comes to finishing.
Eric G.:Until you get into that high end luxury stuff, that's where it starts to pay off.
Eric G.:But really, custom means absolutely nothing when it comes to quality.
Eric G.:Semi custom in most cases is higher quality cabinetry.
Eric G.:If you're looking at the hardware, the finish, the details, the durability, quite frankly, just is.
Eric G.:So don't get hung up on the word custom because it can mean a substandard project and nobody wants to pay good money and not get what they thought.
Eric G.:Now, there's a lot of great custom cabinet makers out there, but just understand that you're looking for the stuff we've talked about earlier, like the finish, a conversion varnish or urethane finish.
Eric G.:Stay away from the lacquers and all the other quality pieces that go in to making a cabinetry.
Eric G.:Now, when it comes to design, this is a big one.
Eric G.:Right now, I just want to make sure when it comes to the quality of the materials in the house, it depends on the quality of the house.
Eric G.:If you're going to put a nice kitchen in there, do you have a entry level house or do you have an entry level, high end house?
Eric G.:Or do you have a luxury mansion?
Eric G.:It doesnt matter.
Eric G.:But really making sure that youre putting in the quality that fits your grade of house, thats where the key is right there.
Eric G.:So if you have a $500,000 house, I want you to look around in your neighborhood or other $500,000 houses and at least think that youre putting in something like that is what you would see in a newer one.
Eric G.:Or something of that price point.
Eric G.:Because last thing I want you to do is spend the money on a kitchen and actually get less value out of it, because you underspent on that.
Eric G.:Because what happens is if you think about value, and maybe you're not thinking about selling right now, but maybe ten years from now, you are.
Eric G.:You want this to hold up and you don't want to have to be sitting there going, if I'd just spent another $3,000 on cabinets, this would last another decade.
Eric G.:This is where you can make those mistakes.
Eric G.:So just spend some time and really understand that whole process of where that money is going to be spent.
Eric G.:So you can get that in case you do need to sell down the road.
Eric G.:Or if you're planning on this holding up, maybe you spend a little bit more to get the most durable that you can find, and that way you've got a better lasting project.
Eric G.:So really, when it comes down to doing these projects, I always say hire out a designer.
Eric G.:Unless you've done 30 or 40 kitchens yourself, I would call you inexperienced.
Eric G.:And there's nothing wrong with that.
Eric G.:You just haven't had enough time to learn all those little gotcha mistakes.
Eric G.: the programs out there, like: Eric G.:Now, one other tip when it comes to design here, before you get into contracting or doing it yourself, is that designer.
Eric G.:One of the catches that you always have to work through as a designer is all the different appliances and making sure that corners work correctly, that you can open up a drawer in a corner, it doesn't hit the front of the dishwasher or the range.
Eric G.:And the smaller the kitchen, the more gotchas you have to worry about.
Eric G.:So the bigger ones tend to have a little bit less because you can do a lot more with it.
Eric G.:The smaller the kitchen, sometimes the more challenging when it comes to that.
Eric G.:All right, so we've been talking about if you're going to diy this or hire a contractor, if you're going to be hiring a contractor, making sure that your designer is working hand in hand with that contractor and they have a solid relationship is going to be key.
Eric G.:And quite frankly, I want to make sure that they're going to work seamlessly together because that can be a huge step in the process, right?
Eric G.:To make sure that you've got that perfectly dialed in.
Eric G.:They are a team and they are on your team, and you want to make sure that everybody's communicating.
Eric G.:If there is conflict between the designer in the contractor in the beginning, I can promise you it's going to get worse.
Eric G.:So if those two have worked together, there's extra bonus points here for a good, solid working relationship.
Eric G.:When I was a kitchen and bath designer doing this day in and day out, six days a week, basically what I was doing, and I was working for four or five different contractors, and I always had projects rolling through, and that's who generally I worked with.
Eric G.:So I had those relationships, those were going well, and then I could just work within their customer base, which made it a lot late, made a lot of sense for what I was trying to do.
Eric G.:So that's way I could really work with these contractors and make sure that the project went well and I could really represent them in their business as well, because I was part of their customer service solution, from getting from a unfinished remodel all the way to somebody moving stuff into their cabinets and enjoying this brand new kitchen.
Eric G.:So that's a really big one right there.
Eric G.:Now, if you're going to be doing this as a DIY project, I still think you should have that designer on retainer so you can walk through that process, you can get those questions answered.
Eric G.:And there are so many things that can go wrong in this.
Eric G.:And this is why I wanted to talk about this for a minute here.
Eric G.:Because when you think about all the updating that you have to do, if you do a kitchen model, in many cases you're doing an extra three or four, five electric circuits in there.
Eric G.:Maybe you've got different plumbing.
Eric G.:Maybe you're going from a range, which is the stove oven built into the same thing, to a cooktop with double ovens or anything else, you've got a lot of things going on.
Eric G.:And of course, you want to redesign that lighting, that lighting after about ten years ago, if you've got those big six inch can lights in there, time to tear them out, put in something that's much more visually appealing, and it'll give you a better workspace.
Eric G.:So going down to maybe a two inch light and putting a few more of them in there, as far as a recessed light, really changes how that look of the kitchen is.
Eric G.: And you can get that: Eric G.:And it's really clean that way.
Eric G.:When you can't see where that light is really coming from, versus having these big sunspots on the roof that you see in the ceiling in there?
Eric G.:It's a really big difference as far as how that looks and the light that you give there.
Eric G.:So it's less distracting.
Eric G.:I think it looks really beautiful, and it's something that goes a big way to having a completed project.
Eric G.:Now, the thing is, if you're doing this as a DIY project, my best advice to you is know your skills, know your work schedule and how you want to have it done.
Eric G.:Maybe you're going to be the general contractor and bring in a cabin installer, an electrician, a plumber.
Eric G.:Somebody did the countertop, somebody do the tile.
Eric G.:You're going to manage that.
Eric G.:Just keep in mind, when you're managing this, when you are taking care of this project during your workday, there's going to be a lot of questions because they're working at that same time.
Eric G.:So unless you're working from home, unless you're a small business person, this could be a big problem for you and your schedule, and that's where things can go sideways.
Eric G.:So just make sure that you're available during those times or generally available if you're gone an hour here, gone hour there.
Eric G.:But I.
Eric G.:You need to be available for those questions.
Eric G.:And when you work these details out, who's running to get parts?
Eric G.:If you bought a faucet and that plumber's putting it in and they gave you the wrong one or didn't give you enough parts, are you running or are you paying for that plumber to go do it, that makes a difference because that can cost you some additional money, especially if you're playing for that plumber to be basically running out, doing your errand running for you.
Eric G.:That can get expensive really quick.
Eric G.:Which is why many times I like to let the trees buy their own materials.
Eric G.:The electrician brings the outlets in, the plumber brings in the plumbing parts.
Eric G.:The contractor buys the stuff because it's all under them.
Eric G.:And guess what?
Eric G.:If something's defective or wrong, generally they have to cover that and they have to go do that on their time, not you, that you have to go run and get it and they're waiting for you and charging for you because they didn't buy it.
Eric G.:So that little bit more of them marking it up could save you a lot in the future.
Eric G.:All right, we come back.
Eric G.:I've got more here, and we're gonna talk about project management and my tricks to managing a kitchen remodeling project.
Eric G.:We'll do that just as soon as around the house returns.
Eric G.:All right, welcome back to the around the house show the next generation of home improvement.
Eric G.:Thanks for joining me today.
Eric G.:I'm Eric G.
Eric G.:We've been talking about my tips for designing a kitchen and getting that project finished.
Eric G.:It doesn't matter if you're hiring the best contractors in the world out there or this is your first big diy project.
Eric G.:I am here to help you walk through this process from start to finish.
Eric G.:And of course, I've been a kitchen and bath designer for over 30 years now.
Eric G.:So I've got a lot of experience in trying to make this project work and come together every single time and beautifully.
Eric G.:So here are some of my tips on the project management side.
Eric G.:We've already talked about materials and the importance of design earlier in the show.
Eric G.:And if you're catching us on the radio, don't worry, you can always go back and catch the podcast on your favorite podcast player.
Eric G.:If you're just joining us, just listen for around the house show.
Eric G.:All right, so we've been talking about project management here, and details matter for this.
Eric G.:And this is where your best management skills really have to come into place.
Eric G.:Now, if you're going to be managing this as a homeowner and you're going to be dealing with the subcontractors, this is where experience matters.
Eric G.:And this is one of those things that really let me see if I can help you walk through that process of wondering if you can project manage this or if you're better just hiring a general contractor that does this day in and day out.
Eric G.:So here's the thing, and this is what you run into when you try to general manage this or project manage this yourself.
Eric G.:And here's the problems that you're running to, and they can be tough.
Eric G.:First off, when you are a general contractor, usually, generally you have your favorite subs you work with.
Eric G.:These are the people that, it's your favorite electrician, it's your favorite plumber, and they know they're doing so many different jobs with you as a contractor.
Eric G.: they're going to be there at: Eric G.: ually they try to be there at: Eric G.:on a Monday because they don't want to lose the next five jobs.
Eric G.:The problem is that when you're the homeowner, and this is unfortunate, but it's just the way that it works out, they have to figure out, oh my gosh, I'm behind on this project.
Eric G.:Do I make the general contractor mad?
Eric G.:That's going to give me 20% of my business or do I make the homeowner mad?
Eric G.:Who probably maybe once, if not twice, ever do business with me again?
Eric G.:That's what the odds are.
Eric G.:So many times you end up unfortunately being second fiddle for this, where you end up being the second player in this.
Eric G.:So what happens is many more times you're going to have that electrician, plumber or somebody in the trades going to show up and they got stuck going to another job site because they need to keep their bread and butter going.
Eric G.:And it's just an unfortunate situation with the shortage of trades we have out there, you don't have all these people fighting for these jobs anymore because there's just not enough people out there.
Eric G.:So that shortage of trades means that one, you're going to pay more, and two, you're going to end up being second in command on this because somebody else is probably giving them more business and they're unfortunately going to give them the first shot at all this stuff.
Eric G.:So their schedule might matter more than yours.
Eric G.:And that's unfortunate.
Eric G.:But it's one thing that happens.
Eric G.:And don't shoot the messenger here.
Eric G.:I'm just trying to be realistic with the schedule.
Eric G.:Now here's the thing with the schedule.
Eric G.:As you're pulling building permits in doing this many times, depending on your area, it can take days for them to show up for that next inspection.
Eric G.:So if you're waiting for rough and inspection for plumbing or you've got electrical inspection for rough in or even final, it could take days for them to come out for that.
Eric G.:So make sure you understand what the wait times are in your area.
Eric G.:A lot of cities have cut back in the building code departments.
Eric G.:So even though there might be less construction going out there, there ends up being a lot more of a backlog because theres less building permits for big homes and that means less people in the building department many times.
Eric G.:Because many times those building fees are what keep that building department running.
Eric G.:And when the housing crisis that were in right now with high interest rates and it slows down building, it usually defunds those guys a little bit.
Eric G.:And that can be a problem.
Eric G.:And then the other thing is making sure that you can manage it with your current schedule.
Eric G.:And this is tough.
Eric G.:I struggle with this every single week.
Eric G.:And I'll be the first to say that staying on schedule with projects is tough.
Eric G.:And I put a lot of hours in between the radio show and the tv show, 60 or 70 a week at least putting stuff in.
Eric G.:And you know, something that just plan gets exhausting.
Eric G.:So give yourself some breaks in the schedule and give yourself some time.
Eric G.:If you think that you're going to need a inspection during this week, give yourself two or three days.
Eric G.:And if you have a chance to get ahead, and that'll be a lot easier on the schedule because then you've got some pad built in there for those things that happen.
Eric G.:And that's a key.
Eric G.:Now here's one of my golden rules for starting a kitchen remodel project.
Eric G.:That before you even start as a project manager, I want to make sure that you have all the materials on the job site, or at least in the warehouse with your name on it that's sold before you start demo day.
Eric G.:Those cabinets need to be in, they need to be sitting in a warehouse.
Eric G.:They need to be built.
Eric G.:They need to be ready to go.
Eric G.:You ready to ship those things out?
Eric G.:They are down the street kind of thing or in your garage.
Eric G.:So that's one thing right there.
Eric G.:Two, I want to make sure that your, your stone countertops, granite laminate, whatever it is, has that been picked out?
Eric G.:Is it sitting there?
Eric G.:Is it ready to go?
Eric G.:Are your plumbing fixtures, appliances, all of those things ready to rock?
Eric G.:Because here's what happens.
Eric G.:You think, oh, it's only going to take a couple of weeks.
Eric G.:Something gets on backorder.
Eric G.:Three times in my 30 year career have I had cabinet trucks get into accidents where they flip over on their side or the containers that they were in and they are lost and have to be built.
Eric G.:And that took another six to ten weeks for that to happen.
Eric G.:So I don't want to see you have a stall of your project for a couple months because the materials were not available even though you thought they were.
Eric G.:Making sure that those things are in and ready to rock is important.
Eric G.:And appliances that can be tough, too, they could be in stock down there and all of a sudden some builder comes in and buys a dozen of them.
Eric G.:And yours went out the door.
Eric G.:So I would much rather see you get that stuff loaded up in the garage or a container out front or whatever your storage method is, and be ready to go and then start the project, because thats going to stop so many different headaches from you.
Eric G.:And thats just going to be one of the things that really makes that difference from having those huge delays.
Eric G.:That can be a problem.
Eric G.:And then make sure if its an older house, are you going to find anything strange when you open up a wall?
Eric G.:Is there going to be bigger issues?
Eric G.:Just give yourself some pad in there to make sure you can get it all done.
Eric G.:Now the last thing here is I want to make sure.
Eric G.:That we talk about, and this is the longest part of it.
Eric G.:It's that last 20 yards of the field, that last little bit, trying to get to the end zone.
Eric G.:That stuff can take time, and it takes a lot of time getting that stuff where the tile is dialed in and the trim is on and the knobs and handles are in place.
Eric G.:All of those little details, including the warranty items, take a bit of time, and it just does.
Eric G.:And there'll be weeks that you're like, man, we're spinning our wheels.
Eric G.:We're not getting anywhere.
Eric G.:And don't let that frustration get to you, because it's just part of this process.
Eric G.:Now, one of the tricks that I like to do once this project is all said and done, and this is something I've been telling contractors for almost, nearly a decade now, put in the budget for a furniture repair person to come out and touch everything up.
Eric G.:Maybe there's a little scuff from a tool belt.
Eric G.:Maybe there's a little cut that maybe isn't as tight as you want it to be on the crown molding.
Eric G.:These guys can come in, and this is where the artisan comes into play.
Eric G.:I have had furniture repair people come in and touch up wood doors that were misdrilled.
Eric G.:And it was going to take a microscope to see that somebody touched this up.
Eric G.:They came in there, they airbrushed it, they added the grain.
Eric G.:It looked absolutely gorgeous.
Eric G.:And a lot of sins have been covered up by somebody coming in doing that furniture touch up at the end of a project.
Eric G.:I don't care if you're the homeowner, you're the builder, you're the remodeler.
Eric G.:This is one of those things that gets you from 95% to 100%, and it can make everything look gorgeous, especially if there's a little ding or a dent out there.
Eric G.:Sometimes it's better to do that, because here's what happens.
Eric G.:If you've ordered cabinets and they've been sitting out in the job site for six weeks, maybe it's cherry.
Eric G.:The new one shows up, and it's lighter cherry because it's not as old.
Eric G.:And now you've got to sit there and let that catch up.
Eric G.:Now, all these woods will catch up many times, but where you'll run into problems is if it's maple or something like that in a lighter tone.
Eric G.:That wood could be a different tone than everything else, and all of a sudden, that brand new door sticks out like a sore thumb.
Eric G.:And that can be a massive issue, and that can get really expensive.
Eric G.:When you're redoing doors and reordering doors.
Eric G.:And then the other thing is to make sure that your expectations are in line.
Eric G.:And I see this especially with factory painted cabinets, or even painted cabinets for that matter.
Eric G.:Do not expect unless you are paying for something to be imported in or you are paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for this cabinet package, do not expect that finish on those cabinets is going to look like it came off the line at Mercedes Benz.
Eric G.:Don't expect it.
Eric G.:Painted is good.
Eric G.:It is still mother nature and wood down below it, so wood will move.
Eric G.:If you have mitered corner doors, you will see cracks where every wood seam is on that face frame or on the style and rail on the doors.
Eric G.:All of those things really show up in time.
Eric G.:It's okay.
Eric G.:Every kitchen does it because those woods are expanding and contracting.
Eric G.:But just set your expectations.
Eric G.:If you're paying for a budget kitchen, it will look like a nice budget kitchen.
Eric G.:If you're paying for a top shelf, $10 million home kitchen, it should look like that.
Eric G.:Hey, if you have any comments, I'd love to hear them.
Eric G.:Head over to aroundthehouse online.com.
Eric G.:if you've got some tips, or if you want to argue with me, send me a message aroundthehouseonline.com.
Eric G.:i'm Eric Cheeb and you've been listening to around the house.
