Southampton - You've done your initial due diligence by identifying the pluses and minuses of your kitchen set-up and have given some thought to your style preferences. Next you have to:

This means you can't guess about dimensions to get the right quantity and/or size of any new materials or products. Measure your kitchen and everything in it, and then map it out to scale on graph paper. You want to accurately show the location of each door and which way it swings, and the size and placement of windows and skylights if any. Mark off the location of electrical outlets, appliances, plumbing fixtures and cabinets. Now, plan in hand, you can start to sketch your ideas to move things around to make the best possible use of the space you have.

Be smart with your countertops and investigate not only traditional but the new 'green' ones as well.

Get Real
Detail-obsessive though it may seem, it's very smart to measure appliances, cookware, plate ware, etc. to make sure that not only do you have a place for everything, but also that everything fits perfectly in its place.

While thinking about the improvements you'd like to make, the notion that bigger is always better is questionable here. What you want is maximum efficiency flow. Think through your typical food prep steps. For example, you would take designated items from refrigerator, to the counter/cutting board, to stove/oven, to sink, to trash, to recyclables. You want fluid movement with no backtracking.

Attend to any details that will make time spent in the kitchen easier. Case in point: Julia Child was wonderful to watch on TV in her day, not only because of her brilliant cooking lessons, but because her clumsy awkwardness (and subsequent graceful recoveries) were so human and understandable. In her own kitchen she was swan-like, due to the customization of the countertops, cabinets, etc. to accommodate her six-foot, two-inch height.

Here are some other ideas to throw into your "Think Tank":

 • Generous counters allow you to spread out when you cook instead of wasting time hunting for places to put all the ingredients you will need for a particular recipe. You will have room should you want to roll out dough and a great place to set up a drinks station at party time.

Be sure to measure an allocate for whatever appliances you want in your kitchen, including where outlets will be placed.

 • How about roll-out under-counter containers for sorting the recyclables? Or, if the cupboards are deep, fit them with pullout shelves so it's easier to reach the stuff in the back of the cabinet.

 • Deep, wide drawers with special heavyweight gliders on the bottom can hold a lot of items you might otherwise have to leave on the countertop. Expanses of clean cleared space are a wonderful thing.

 • Lights installed under the upper cabinets and operated with a separate switch are a great idea. This provides not only useful task lighting but is a lovely option at night rather than turning on the overhead light upon entering the kitchen.

 • Make sure you have electrical outlets where you need them, mounted low in the backsplash so you don't see dangling cords.

 • If you like to cook for large numbers of people, you'll be using big pots and roasting pans. Big deep sinks are a must to accommodate the pots and pans at clean up time.

It's Time To Leave Home
Start collecting samples - tile, counter material ideas, ads for appliances of interest etc., and haunt kitchen resource stores. Talk to the staff designers. See what's out there in person. Now that you are armed with measurements, you'll be able to estimate approximately how much tile or countertop material you might need, or how much "play" you have with the size of the refrigerator. This will help you get a good sense of the cost of appliances, and materials so you'll more easily be able edit and prioritize your selections intelligently.

Flooring choices are numerous, so give some thought to exactly how much time you spend standing on your feet in your kitchen, which can influence your decision.

While the need for a pot-filler is negotiable, if you are buying new appliances, look for the Energy Star label. ENERGY STAR is a government-backed program that lets consumers know that certain products have met EPA and Department of Energy standards for superior energy efficiency. Certain brands such as Bosch, LG, Asko and Kenmore have consistently high rankings.

Floored - By Choice
You have vinyl, linoleum, cork, tile, stone, wood with finished stains or painted wood to choose from. There is also a lot to be said from a design standpoint for having the same flooring material (for the sake of visual continuity, as you would have with good wood floors) carried through the kitchen too. If you love to cook, wood floors have a little give to them and are much better to stand on than stone or tile.

Counter Intelligence
Stone and granite counters need sealers that should be re-applied yearly. Even then, wine or oil spills should be wiped up immediately. Would you be happier with Silestone or Ceasar Stone? These materials have the look and feel of stone, but are man-made from crushed quartz. They are less expensive than other synthetics like Corian, are very dense and uniform in pattern and color, and are the most stain resistant of potential counter surfaces.

It would be remiss not to mention the new "green" countertops. Here are a few of the new ones.

Think about the size of your cabinets and also what look you want to achieve.

 • Richlite - This is composed of layers of paper (derived for renewable of recycled resources) mixed with resin to form a highly stain-resistant material.

 • Durat - This is a polyester based product that uses 30 percent recycled material and is itself 100 percent recyclable. It has a smooth silky look and feel, is extremely durable and can be renewed with slight sanding.

 • Icestone - Strong and heat-resistant, the composition is 100 percent recycled glass in a cement matrix that can comes with a high polish but can also be honed or sand blasted.

The Kitchen Cabinet, Or Not
It's unlikely you have too much storage space, but if you really want to open up the wall space, another thing to consider is whether you need the upper cabinets at all. Can everything be stored in the cabinets underneath, or in a nearby kitchen armoire? Will simple shelves serve your needs?

Speaking of cabinets, you have options here too. One of the easiest upgrades is to simply replace the doors with newer ones that are more stylish and/or higher quality than the originals. If you are not shy about the general state of order in your cupboards, glass inserts in the front panels are a great look and give the illusion of a bigger cabinet area because of the new found visual depth.

If you are in the market for new cabinetry altogether, you have three basic options:

Clear or frosted glass can add more light to your kitchen area and double as a display cabinet as well.

 • Stock - The equivalent of "off the rack." A limited range of styles and sizes keeps the prices down and delivery times short. Typical construction uses high-density particleboard with a hardwood veneer rather than solid wood to eliminate warping. Standard sizing comes in three-inch increments so filler panels are usually needed to close the gaps between cabinet and walls.

 • Semi-custom - Same as above, but better, sturdier construction with the additional advantage of a larger selection of door styles, colors and storage options. Semi-custom cabinets are still made in three-inch increments, so you may still need filler panels to close the gaps between the cabinet and the wall. Expect a significant increase in price over stock cabinets.

 • Custom - You can have whatever you want - materials, styles, flourishes, colors, or finishes. Whereas most manufacturers have a network of dealers and installers, going custom means finding a designer and a cabinetmaker (check portfolios and references), plus a carpenter or general contractor.

 • Whatever cabinet arrangement meets your needs, poor quality cabinetry will not. You are opening and closing the drawers and doors all the time. Your best bet is cabinetry made with strong hardwoods, good finishes and sturdy hinges. Most cabinet doors open out into the room but there are also the kinds that fold up.

The Bottom Line
Be realistic about the budget for your new and improved kitchen. While a new kitchen can improve the marketability of your home, you can't bank on recouping every dollar you invest on improvements, especially if you have plans to sell in less than a year.

Speaking of budget, what is it - really. Add 20 percent, and probably another 20percent in addition. By the way, it ALWAYS takes longer than estimated.

A Word To The Wise
There is an advantage to consulting with a professional kitchen designer. The designer will be able to point out potential pit falls, as well as supply good ideas that would never have occurred to you. And when it comes to remodels, the designer has access to more resources and frequently reps entire kitchen supply lines. You could be offered much better pricing than you would get on your own, if you even had access to these companies to begin with.