Kitchen Design & 3D Renderings in Sarasota, FL

Kitchen layout planning: what we measure first

A workable layout starts with the room you actually have. On the first visit we measure every wall at more than one height, because older Sarasota block homes rarely have walls that are plumb or corners that are square. We record window sill heights, door swings, the soffit or ceiling line, the drain and supply positions under the sink, any gas stub, and every outlet and switch.

Then we test layouts against how you cook. A galley in a 1950s ranch, an L-shape opening to a family room in a newer Lakewood Ranch build, a U-shape in a downtown condo: each has a different answer for where the sink, range and refrigerator belong and how much landing space each one needs.

• Work aisles wide enough for two people to pass while the dishwasher door is down
• Landing space beside the refrigerator, cooktop and sink for setting things down
• Storage placed by use: plates near the dishwasher, pots near the range, food near prep
• Windows kept clear of wall cabinets, with under-cabinet lighting marked for the electrician

Which kitchen style fits your house?

Most clients arrive with photos saved on a phone. We translate those into style directions that suit the architecture and the Gulf Coast light. Over the years our shop gave names to the looks people asked for most, and those names still make a handy shared vocabulary for coastal kitchen design, modern kitchen design and everything between.

Treat these as directions, not catalog packages. A Blonde Beachy kitchen in a Siesta Key condo and one in a Venice ranch end up quite different once the room, the budget and your cooking habits are drawn in.

Kitchen design in Sarasota, step by step

1. 1

   Conversation and photos

   We talk through who cooks, who gathers in the room and what frustrates you about it now. Bring saved photos or magazine pages.

2. 2

   Site measure

   We measure the room and note plumbing, gas, electrical and structural details that shape the layout.

3. 3

   First drawings and 3D model

   You receive a floor plan, elevations and a rendering of the proposed layout and style.

4. 4

   Revisions

   We move cabinets, change door styles, swap finishes and re-render until the kitchen looks right to you.

5. 5

   Selections and sign-off

   Species, finish, hardware and appliance models are locked in, and the drawings become build documents.

6. 6

   Drawings to the bench

   Approved drawings turn into cut lists for cabinets with dovetail drawers and mortise-and-tenon face frames.

The design stage usually takes a few weeks, and the pace depends mostly on how quickly appliance and finish decisions get made. The build schedule starts the day the drawings are signed.

Can a new design keep your plumbing and windows in place?

Yes, and it often should. Leaving the sink under the existing window and the range on its current wall avoids the cost and disruption of moving drains, vents, gas and circuits. Within that frame there is still plenty to change: new cabinet sizes, a ceiling-height pantry wall, an island where a breakfast table used to sit, or a peninsula turned into seating.

Florida licenses those trades under Chapter 489 of the Florida Statutes through the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), whose website lists active licenses. Permits come from Sarasota County for unincorporated addresses such as Siesta Key, or from the Sarasota, Venice, North Port or Longboat Key building department.

What affects the cost of designing a kitchen?

Design is built into every cabinetry project we take on, so its cost follows the scope of the kitchen. The factors that move it:

• Size and complexity of the room, including angled walls, soffits and open-plan connections
• How many layout options you want drawn and rendered before choosing one
• The number of revision rounds after the first model
• Whether plumbing, gas, electrical or walls move, which adds coordination with licensed trades
• Custom details such as appliance panels, mullion glass doors, carved trim or integrated lighting

Local conditions add drawing time too. Block walls that wander out of plumb need scribe allowances on every elevation, condo units need extra sheets for the association's approval package, and in a mapped flood zone we may draw a lighter-touch version for comparison when the substantial-improvement review could limit the scope of the remodel.

For the bigger budget picture, our post on kitchen remodel cost in Sarasota walks through what drives the total.

Designing for a humid Gulf Coast kitchen

Design choices are maintenance choices too. Solid hardwood boxes instead of particleboard, finishes that seal end grain, sealed sink-base floors and ventilation space behind the refrigerator all help a kitchen cope with August humidity and with houses closed up while owners are away.

Signs your kitchen needs a new plan, not just new doors

• A closed galley in a 1950s or 1960s block ranch where two people cannot pass at the sink
• Upper cabinets that stop under a 1970s or 1980s soffit, leaving a dust shelf and wasted wall
• A sink base swollen by a slow leak or by storm water after Ian, Helene or Milton, which needs rebuilding anyway

If your house is a Sarasota School modern or a 1950s ranch, our guide to updating mid-century Sarasota kitchens explains how to modernize without fighting the architecture.