Deciding what’s not working for you in your current kitchen is the way to begin. Maybe you need to increase storage space…a tall pantry cabinet should take care of most of your food stuffs. If you enjoy cooking ad have purchased new cookware, changing your base cabinets with doors to base cabinets with wide, deep drawers really gives you a lot of extra room. Does the flow create chaos when two of you want to cook at the same time or when the kids have to run past you to get to the fridge? Changing the placement of appliances should eliminate that. Since you don’t want to remodel again in eight or nine years, why not think about Universal Design. Widening the entry from the hall into the kitchen a few inches will create wheelchair access as will allocating a few inches to the space between an island and the wall/base cabinets. When buying your cabinet/drawer hardware look for handles instead of knobs. Handles are easier to get your fingers around them.
Now the fun part. Create what I call a “fantasy file” from magazine clippings, photos, or fabric samples that catch your eye. Remember, The Kitchen and Bath People is a remodeling company that wants the changes to reflect “Your Lifestyle, Your Way.”