Great Kitchen Drawings Are The Key To Your Dream Kitchen

By Author: Lester McGuiggan
Total Articles: 6
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A perfectly executed kitchen remodel requires carefully prepared plans. The basic elements of a good set of kitchen drawings will be discussed in this article.

Floor plans -

A large scale comprehensive kitchen remodel should really include two actual kitchen floor plans. One plans shows the kitchen in its present condition and is usually called an "as built" plan. In addition, a second kitchen floor plan drawing is needed to depict the kitchen in its final form and is commonly called the "proposed kitchen floor plan".

Other essential elements needing definition on the final kitchen floor plans would include all new cabinetry with names and labels. You will need to view the appliance selections you have made including their door swings and exact locations. Countertop lay-out and material as well as flooring selection should be in clear view on the new plans as well. Certainly, the exact position of these and all other elements along with specific notes for the kitchen plans should be shown here.

Many kitchen designers like to show various cabinet dimensions as part of the kitchen floor plans. This ...
... leads to a confusing mess of extension and dimension lines. With the exception of a few depth dimensions this should be avoided completely in favor of showing these cabinet dimensions on elevation drawings. Simply put, the idea behind kitchen floor plan is to indicate room specific dimensions only. The primary function of the kitchen floor plan drawings is to present dimensions such as wall length and placement, window location and size and walkway clearance along with elevation markers. Look for the new cabinetry and countertops here but only as they concern to the room lay-out. The only cabinet/appliance dimensions you should see would be those indicating cabinet/appliance depth.

Elevation Drawings -

The elevations drawings referenced on the floor plans will show all of the dimensions associated with the cabinetry and appliances on a particular wall of the new kitchen drawings. Individual cabinet sizes should be shown here along with all cabinetry specific dimensions. Mounting positions and heights (wall cabinets) will be designated.

The exact door design and drawer front style should be clearly reflected on the cabinets illustrated here. You should also notice all special accessories here such as molding combinations, corbels and cabinet on lay carvings. Look for any extra modification notes needed for cabinetry whether from the factory or special requirements from your installer in the elevation area of your kitchen drawings.

Most kitchen professionals currently use some form of CAD software to develop kitchen renderings while a smaller number still illustrate by hand. Whichever method is practiced you should look for larger sheet sizes for your kitchen plans. Too many designers provide plans on 8 ½ x 11 sheets. This means the individual kitchen drawings will have to be scaled down to fit the page size.

Depending on the size of the undertaking floor plans and/or elevations can become too small to clearly show all the necessary detail. It is ideal for your kitchen drawings to be formatted at ½ scale. Anything smaller can be too restrictive to clearly establish all the necessary details.

Kitchen drawings should always be highly detailed. All sub contractors need to have all necessary information for easy reference and know exactly what is and is not their responsibility the project. Remember, a great kitchen starts with great kitchen plans. If you utilize the principles suggested here the first look you get at your new kitchen will tell you everything you need to know.
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