Lowe's Introduces Kitchen Planner For The Ultimate Kitchen
Oct 13, 2003		  Print this page
Appliance retailer Lowe's says it can help make a dream kitchen a reality for holiday and family entertaining for years to come with the new Lowe's Kitchen Renovation Planner, a step-by-step guide designed to simplify the entire remodeling process, whether it's a few minor kitchen upgrades or a total kitchen transformation. The planner has sections on layout planning, itemizing a budget, and selecting design elements from paint to cabinetry to appliances. The illustrated 24-page workbook can help one to visualize a new kitchen and make sure one doesn’t overlook any of the small details for a kitchen facelift.

"Ultimately, the secret to any kitchen remodeling project lies in careful planning," said Theresa Anderson, senior vice president of interiors for Lowe's. "Using a D-I-Y planner tool breaks down what seems like an overwhelming task and makes it into a manageable undertaking."

With more people valuing their homes as their single greatest investment, kitchen remodeling has one of the greatest rates of return. According to Remodeling magazine homeowners recoup more than 80 percent of their expenses during resale on a kitchen remodel. Proper planning helps homeowners protect their investment, avoid common mistakes and create the kitchen they've always wanted.

"The latest design trends have the kitchen as the epicenter of the home, from cooking, entertaining and eating, to lounging, working and playing," said Mr. Anderson. "The design possibilities are endless for a kitchen remodel and people should think about their own household lifestyle before the demolition begins. They may see dinner-time and free time simplified with a kitchen island with a prep sink, or perhaps a desk to write out their monthly bills, or maybe even a second oven. Our mother's kitchens didn't have these things, but these are common elements that are making up the kitchens of today."

Lowe's kitchen specialists report the most common mistakes homeowners make when renovating their kitchen include: mismeasurement of existing kitchen space, not preparing a realistic budget, and not envisioning the kitchen as a whole when beginning smaller renovations. Many small mistakes can spiral into larger problems in the long run.

Lowe's free kitchen planner workbook and CD is available at all Lowe's stores throughout the U.S. and at Lowes.com/kitchen.

For a glimpse at what Americans are considering when renovating today's kitchen, the latest Lowe's Trendex—a quarterly survey of 500 homeowners conducted by Harris Interactive—reveals U.S. homeowners crave a kitchen with a spacious, inviting atmosphere and natural, sleek design elements. Other favorite dream kitchen preferences include:

  • Wide, open spaces (83 percent)
  • An island (76 percent)
  • A walk-in pantry (72 percent)
  • Natural or laminate wood cabinets (88 percent)
  • Natural stone countertops, such as granite (47 percent)
  • Stainless steel (46 percent), residential- or traditional-scale (74 percent) appliances
  • Chrome fixtures (29 percent)
  • Tile (43 percent) or hardwood (37 percent) flooring
  • A professional quality audio/visual system (58 percent)
  • Plenty of natural lighting, such as skylights (55 percent)

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