KITCHEN RENOVATION + DESIGN PLANNING
STOP PLANNING
YOUR KITCHEN RENOVATION
BACKWARDS
Before you pick a single tile, order one cabinet, or move a wall on your kitchen renovation or remodel, STOP!
There's a step most homeowners completely skip. It's also the one that determines whether your kitchen works beautifully for the next 20 years, or quietly frustrates you every single day.
Our kitchen space planning checklist walks you through exactly what professionals do before a single thing gets ordered, demoed, or built. Phase by phase. Decision by decision. In the order they need to happen.
3
CHECKLIST SECTIONS
31
INDIVIDUAL DECISIONS
78+
PLANNING SECTIONS
20+
YEARS EXPERIENCE
DOES THIS SOUNDS FAMILIAR...
Planning a kitchen renovation?
You've got the vision.
But where do you start?
You've been pinning kitchens for years. You know the vibe you want. Maybe you've even talked to a contractor or two. And yet, somehow the moment it's actually time to move forward with your kitchen renovation or remodel, you hit a wall.
That's not indecision. That's your gut telling you something important: there's a right order to this, and most people get it backwards.
The kitchens that frustrate people years later weren't designed by people who didn't care. They were planned by people who started in the wrong place.
"I don't know where to start."
There's so much information out there and none of it tells you what order to do things in.
This checklist does exactly that.
"I don't know if I need a designer."
This checklist shows you exactly what professional-level planning looks like. You'll finish it knowing either how to move forward confidently or exactly why a designer is worth every penny.
"I'm scared of making expensive mistakes."
The most costly mistakes in a DIY kitchen renovation or remodel aren't picked finishes… they're skipped decisions. We cover them all, in order, before anything gets built.
"I don't know how to talk to my contractor."
Walking into a contractor conversation with this checklist in your hands? Game changer. You'll know the questions, the standards, and the things to confirm before walls close.
WHAT YOU’RE GETTING
THREE PHASES.
Every decision.
THE RIGHT ORDER.
This isn't a Pinterest-style tip list. It's a professional kitchen renovation space planning checklist built the way design projects are actually run. Sequenced, intentional, and built around how real people live in real kitchens. Whether you're tackling a DIY kitchen remodel or preparing to hire a designer, this is your starting point.
01
PHASE ONE
Space Planning + General Layout
Define your primary objectives — before you fall in love with a layout
Evaluate your actual footprint honestly
Map every traffic pattern and door swing
Confirm sink placement and window alignment
Lock in the work triangle basics
Identify what's structural before it becomes expensive
02
PHASE TWO
Work Zones
+ Cabinet Logic
Move beyond the work triangle to how people actually cook
Define and assign every functional zone
Plan cabinet storage by task — not by what fits
Know when to use drawers vs. cabinets (and why it matters)
Walk through every daily routine before anything is ordered
Eliminate clutter before it starts
03
PHASE THREE
Appliances
+ Utilities
Lock in appliance specs before cabinetry is designed… not after
Map every electrical, plumbing, and ventilation requirement
Catch conflicts while they're still lines on pape
Cover specialty appliances that get forgotten until it's too late
Know the landing space requirements on every side of every appliance
Have the right contractor conversation before framing begins
THE THING NOBODY TELLS YOU
Most kitchen renovations go wrong before construction even starts.
Here's what 20+ years on construction sites and 10 years of professional kitchen design has taught me: the kitchen renovations and remodels that disappoint aren't the ones with the wrong tile. They're the ones where nobody asked the hard questions early enough.
Layout decisions made too late. Appliances ordered before the plumbing was figured out. Cabinets designed before anyone confirmed the depth of the stove. These aren't beginner mistakes. They happen in kitchen remodels with big budgets and long timelines, all the time.
“Flow before footprint. Footprint before zones. Zones before cabinetry. Get the sequence right and the rest of the renovation follows.”
This kitchen space planning checklist walks you through exactly what kitchen designers do before a single material gets ordered, demoed, or built. Phase by phase. Decision by decision. In the order they need to happen.
"A layout that works effortlessly doesn't feel like good design. It just feels like home. That's the point."
-KNOX + ROWE
THIS CHECKLIST IS FOR YOU IF...
Whether you're
DIY-ing your kitchen renovation
or thinking about hiring a designer…
This checklist meets you where you are and moves you forward with confidence.
FOR THE DIY KITCHEN RENOVATOR
Whether you're DIY-ing your kitchen renovation
or thinking about hiring a designer
You've done the research. You're not afraid of a kitchen renovation. But you also know your budget is real, your timeline matters, and you only get one shot at this. You want a professional framework, not a YouTube rabbit hole.
You want to approach your contractor like you know what you're doing (because after this, you will)
You want to make decisions in the right order so nothing in your kitchen remodel has to be redone
You want to understand what a designer does — so you can do it yourself, or decide to hire one
You want a kitchen that functions beautifully, not just photographs beautifully
FOR THE FUTURE DESIGN CLIENT
You're on the fence about hiring a designer for your kitchen renovation.
You've seen the beautiful kitchen remodel reveals. You're curious about working with a designer but you're not sure if it's worth it, if you're "ready," or even how the process works. This checklist shows you.
You want to understand what professional-level planning actually looks like
You want to arrive at any design consultation prepared AND not starting from zero
You want to see the scope of decisions involved and know whether you want help navigating them
You want to make a smarter investment decision with eyes wide open
"I wish I had this before our last renovation. We made three expensive mistakes that could have been completely avoided if we'd gone through something like this first. Do not skip this step."
— ALYSON HYDE, HARDINSBURG, KENTUCKY
KNOX + ROWE | DESIGN HOUSE
A NOTE FROM YOUR DESIGNER
This kitchen renovation checklist was built from 20+ years on construction sites.
Christina here, the designer behind Knox + Rowe Design House.
You may be asking why I built this checklist and honestly, it was years in the making because I've spent more than two decades watching good kitchen renovations go wrong. Not because of bad taste. Not because of bad intentions. Because nobody laid out what to do first.
I've been brought into projects by savvy DIY’ers just like you, after the expensive surprise showed up. I've had the hard conversations with homeowners who made a gorgeous, but costly decision that had to be undone because of something nobody caught in the planning phase or their was NO planning phase… like at all! Just the homeowner and contractor winging it as they go.
I made this free because I believe you deserve access to the same foundation every professional kitchen renovation is built on (whether you hire me or not). Heck… you might even hire me after you skim each phase and realize it can be a lot to figure out.
Either way, know this kitchen space planning checklist comes from…
20+ years in construction + kitchen renovation
10 years of professional interior design practice
Hundreds of kitchens planned, built, and lived in
FREE DOWNLOAD | OVER 30+ PAGES
Your kitchen renovation deserves better than winging it.
Download the free Kitchen Renovation Space Planning Checklist and walk into every contractor conversation, every showroom visit, and every design decision with a professional framework behind you. Whether you're planning a DIY kitchen remodel or working toward hiring a designer… this is where every successful kitchen renovation starts.
YOUR PATH FORWARD
THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING
The Space Planning Checklist is the first step of a complete professional kitchen design process. Once you know your space works, you'll be ready to make every design decision with the same confidence and clarity.
1
Space Planning
Checklist
YOU ARE HERE
Layout, zones, appliances, utilities
all of it, in order. Free.
2
Complete Kitchen
Design Checklist
Every design decision from concept through construction. Coming soon.
3
Work With
Knox + Rowe
Ready to hand it off to a professional? We'd love to hear about your project.