Everything we learned about planning a kitchen

Research, real numbers and honest comparisons. Written for people spending their own money on a kitchen they have to live with.

12 September 20265 min read

How to Tell if an AI Kitchen Tool Actually Kept Your Kitchen

Most AI design tools redraw the room instead of changing it. Here is a five-minute test that tells you if a result is your kitchen or just a kitchen.

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A phone propped on a kitchen counter showing a photograph of a kitchen, with a real kitchen out of focus behind it

A kitchen showroom counter with a blank price card, a tape measure and a notebook on it

5 September 20265 min read

The Showroom Will Not Give You a Price. Here Is What to Do.

Why kitchen showrooms want you back in person before they quote, what that costs you, and how to arrive with enough information that the number cannot move.

A small round kitchen table with two coffee cups, a fan of paint samples and a notebook between two empty chairs

30 August 20266 min read

You Cannot Agree on the Kitchen. Here Is How to Break the Deadlock.

Two people, one kitchen, no decision. Why kitchen arguments stall for months, why talking about it makes them worse, and the one move that ends most of them.

Paint color cards in greens, grays and off whites laid out on a countertop

7 August 20265 min read

The Best Kitchen Cabinet Colors, and Who Each One Is Actually For

There is no single best cabinet color. There is a best one for your light, your room size and the things you are keeping. Here is how to tell which is yours.

A desk with a laptop, a phone and a printed photograph of a kitchen

7 August 20266 min read

Can ChatGPT Design Your Kitchen? What It Does Well, and Where It Breaks

ChatGPT is genuinely useful for planning a kitchen and unreliable for picturing yours. Here is the difference, why it happens, and what to use for each job.

A wall calendar next to a printed kitchen plan and a pencil

7 August 20265 min read

How Long Does a Kitchen Remodel Take? The Honest Answer

Kitchen remodels often take months, not weeks. See the full timeline from first idea through planning, ordering, building, and a finished kitchen.

A printed checklist on a clipboard beside a kitchen plan and a tape measure

7 August 20265 min read

Kitchen Remodel Checklist: Every Decision, in the Order It Blocks the Next One

A practical checklist for a kitchen remodel, ordered by what has to be decided before what. Most delays come from doing these in the wrong sequence.

A kitchen quote on paper next to a calculator and a pen

7 August 20265 min read

How Much Does a Kitchen Remodel Cost? What the Research Actually Shows

The median major kitchen remodel costs $55,000. See where that number comes from, what changes it, and why budgets often run higher.

An open kitchen cabinet showing the carcass and hinges

7 August 20265 min read

Painting Kitchen Cabinets vs Replacing: How to Tell Which You Need

The answer is usually decided by the carcasses, not by taste. Here is how to check yours, what painting can and cannot fix, and the option most people forget.

A printed kitchen floor plan on a table with a tape measure, a pencil and paint color cards

6 August 20266 min read

IKEA Kitchen Planner Alternatives: What to Use Instead, and When

The IKEA planner handles layouts and orders. Compare alternatives for visualizing your real kitchen, testing styles, and planning a renovation.