A kitchen renovation is no simple affair. For one thing, there’s the cost. If you’ve ever gotten a quote for custom cabinets, you know that the investment can rival the purchase of a German sedan. There’s also the fact that kitchens can harbor a deeper significance. “The kitchen is truly the heart of the house,” says Wayne Adams, a principal at BarnesVanze Architects in DC. “Stories emerge when you’re looking at something so intimate.”

Perhaps it’s memories of your grandmother’s kitchen and the recipes she made, or Sunday family dinners when everyone gathered together. You might be motivated by nostalgia—or the promise of future memories—when designing your own kitchen. Inspiration may come from Instagram, but everything hinges on a well-considered floor plan accounting for how you’ll u

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