How to Make Your Own Kitchen Floor Plan

By making your own kitchen floor plan, you can have the kitchen you've always dreamed of. This is one project you don't want to rush through, so take your time and you might even want to look around at some kitchen designs in stores and magazines a few times before you get your final draft. Make sure to check out all the various sinks, stoves, cabinets and counter tops before making any final decisions. Start out with a budget in mind and stick to it because kitchens can become very expensive quickly. When you're finished with your kitchen, it should be everything you want it to be.

Instructions

1

Draw your kitchen area on the graph paper. Use one box per foot or 6 inches depending on the size of your paper and the area. The larger you can make it, the better.

2

Using a cabinet guide, place the bottom cabinets. Start with the sink base. Commonly, the sink base cabinet goes under a window, but this is your kitchen so place it where you like, just remember there must be plumbing to this area. You will need to decide first what type of sink you will be using. Draw in the dishwasher next to the sink. Then place where you want your stove or oven, keeping in mind there will need to be electric, possible gas and some sort of venting. A down draft vent is very hard to install if you are on a slab, so take this into consideration if you are planning a drop in top with a grill. Then place where your refrigerator will go and work in the different sized cabinets, pantry cabinet and drawer units between them. The cabinet guide will give you all the various dimensions of the cabinets.

3

Draw into the floor plan where the plumbing, gas and electric will come from and how it is getting to the appliances. This will help you decide if the placement of a certain appliance is unreasonable or any extra parts that may be needed to get there. Draw in the vent for your stove top and how it is getting outside the house. There are many types of venting systems, and the stove top does not need to be on an outside wall anymore. When you are happy with the bottom row of cabinets and placement of your appliances, you can start on the top cabinets.

4

Lower on your page or on a separate paper draw in your top cabinets. If you have put in a pantry closet, range hood or anything from the bottom that carries over onto the top, mark that space first. Draw in windows. Now fill in the rest of the area with top cabinets. They come in different heights so make sure of what you write down. It is not uncommon anymore for people to use more than one height top cabinets in their kitchens, just be sure that's what you want. Decide if you want them to have a soffit to the ceiling or open so you can decorate above them. Pick matching molding for the tops if you are going to leave them open. Place matching bridge trim from one cabinet to the other over a sink. Place any garages or accessories that you want to match your cabinets.

5

Draw in a center island if you are planning one. Place the cabinets that will go there, and how you will finish the back. You can have cabinets on both sides or a matching sheet put on the back.

6

Draw in counter tops. You may want to overextend your counter tops past your cabinets and then you will need a shelf or posts to hold up the extended end. Mention on the floor plan what material you plan to use for the counter top. Mention also what material you will be using for flooring. This will help you or your contractor estimate a price for your kitchen.