The Complete Guide to Understanding Kitchen Remodels In Massachusetts
- Leanne Hersey
- Apr 3
- 5 min read
Thinking about renovating your kitchen? Whether you're dreaming of a total transformation or just want better function, the key to a successful remodel is in the planning. In this post, we walk you through the critical first steps—from defining your scope and gathering inspiration to understanding layout changes, budgeting smartly, and hiring the right contractor.
Understanding Scope
As you are starting to think about a kitchen renovation, it is critical to understand your wants and needs. Are you looking to do a full renovation of your kitchen? New cabinets, countertops and potentially making larger changes like flooring and windows? Maybe your kitchen doesn’t function the way you want it to now - does it need a layout change? Taking a wall down? Consider your lifestyle as a central factor in kitchen design. The perfect kitchen should align with your unique needs and habits. For instance, a family-centric kitchen will differ from one suited to a single city dweller. Start by understanding your needs to ensure a successful design. Be sure to challenge assumptions. Just because others have certain kitchen features doesn't mean you need them. Microwaves, for example, are often underused. Carefully assess what you truly require to avoid unnecessary, space-consuming elements. At Petarson, we start the kitchen design process with our Kitchen Questionnaire. We ask clients questions about their morning and evening routines, how much cookware or smaller kitchen appliances they have and even specific examples of what annoys them about their kitchen. After this reflection you can make a list of must-haves for your kitchen. Use it as your roadmap throughout the design process. If you are a Petarson client, we will use your questionnaire as a basis for our re-design of your kitchen. Clients love that we reimagine what their space could offer and that we also allow unlimited design changes during this phase!
Create a Mood Board
Creating a mood board is something that we ask our clients to do along with the kitchen questionnaire. Even if it’s just a few photos. Gather design inspiration for your kitchen by exploring reference images from sources like Pinterest, Instagram, magazines, and books. Visual cues will guide choices in everything from cabinet colors to technical elements. You can even use PowerPoint! Identify the types of colors you are envisioning for your cabinets, your floor and your walls. Look at your favorite designers and see if there are any patterns of the colors you find yourself “liking” on Instagram or Pinterest. It’s also important to make note at this point of some of the things you are seeing in these kitchens that you DON’T have. For example - a lot newer homes have towering windows and very high ceiling heights. A certain design element may work in those spaces but will not work in your home. Make sure you are noticing the details before getting your heart set on something that may not be possible. We also recommend getting actual samples of materials and see how they look in your space with both natural and artificial lighting sources. Not to worry - you don’t have to make all the design choices right away. The most important thing in starting the project is making sure the new layout and cabinet design is solid. Now let’s talk about layout…
Making Changes to the Layout is Worth it
It may seem drastic, but some of the best kitchen renovation projects we’ve done have involved changes to the layout. Let’s face it - most homes were not made for how we live and entertain today. Don’t be confined to the existing footprint. Think through what you’d want in your kitchen. Enlist the advice of a professional to understand if these types of changes are possible. It might seem like a lot of extra hassle and headache to move a wall or add a window but trust us, it can be worth it.
The kitchen is the most expensive room in the home. It’s also the most difficult to change. If you are embarking on a kitchen renovation, be prepared for it to be costly. Now, that’s not to say that you cannot do a beautiful budget renovation. You certainly can! However, our philosophy is to spend on quality materials and if you are doing a renovation, you might as well go for it. If you plan to stay in your home for the long haul it absolutely makes sense to spend on making your kitchen (the heart of your home) a wonderful place to be in. Depending on the current state of your kitchen it may also be worth it to embark on the renovation even if you plan to sell your home in the near future. When done correctly it can add an extreme amount of value to your home.
Use Quality, Timeless Materials
High quality materials are expensive. It’s very tempting to cut corners when you see how expensive each component of the kitchen is. However, don’t forget that you and your family will interact with this kitchen constantly each day and for years to come. The $1,400 faucet might seem pricey but it will feel solid and high quality each time you use it. The $250 faucet might look nice at first but it might not make it the long haul. In general, we recommend spending on quality if you plan to interact with it a lot. For example:
Spend:
Cabinets
Countertop
Faucet
Cabinet Hardware
Appliances
Flooring
Lighting
Save:
Sink
Tiles
Window Treatments
Find a Trustworthy and Experienced Contractor
Having a good contractor can seriously make or break a project. Our recommendation when looking and evaluating contractors is to first start by asking friends, family and coworkers if they have any good references. You can also do a google search and look for companies that have plenty of good reviews. Make sure that the companies or individuals you are connected to are well versed in kitchen renovations, specifically the type you’d like yours to be. Your friend might have a great, responsible handy man that always helps them when they are in a bind - but that does not mean the handy man is going to be knowledgeable about full scale kitchen renovations. Also make sure the kitchens they have done look something like what you’d like to have.
Kitchen Costs in Massachusetts
In our experience, here are the costs you should expect for a premium kitchen renovation in Massachusetts. For a full renovation including flooring, cabinets, appliances, lighting, painting, kitchen demo, cabinet install a solid budget is around $150,000 - $175,000. Now, this depends entirely on the choices you make as outlined above in this blog as well as the size of the kitchen.
Conclusion
A successful kitchen renovation starts with clarity about what you want, how you live, and what your space can realistically become. This post outlines the first steps every homeowner should take: defining the scope of the renovation, reflecting on lifestyle needs, and identifying must-haves. Petarson Renovations begins each project with a detailed Kitchen Questionnaire and a client mood board to align vision and function. Thoughtful planning, especially when considering layout changes is encouraged, as reworking a kitchen’s footprint can significantly improve livability.
If you are considering a kitchen renovation in Massachusetts and like what you see on our portfolio, please do reach out to us for an initial consultation. We can do a phone call, zoom meeting or site visit and answer any questions you may have. If you’d like to get in touch you can do so buy signing up for the consultation here: