Look Around for Ideas and Inspiration. To create the perfect kitchen, you need to know what you want. Look in magazines, stores, on internet, at friends' houses, to get some creative ideas. Imagine the kind a place you want to create, the color schemes you like and the sort of cabinet, countertop design you would prefer.

Choose largest items and appliances first. The idea here is, to adjust smaller things to blend in with dominating items and appliances in the room. Things like cabinets take up a lot of space and need cartful positioning within the kitchen. You also need to keep in mind wiring and pluming while remodeling. Following this tip will help you to sort out where things will go in advance of starting any actual work.

Countertop Cost, Durability, and Ease of Maintenance. Many home owners choose ceramic or porcelain tile for quick and fairly inexpensive, kitchen counter surface, since tile is versatile in looks, maintenance, and installation. The down side is, tile easy chips and damages, and it can look horrible if you don't know how to install it correctly.

Wood countertops are fairly easy to maintain, but scratch easily and can suffer extensive water damage.

Marble and granite (natural stone) countertops can look fabulous in most kitchens, but they're expensive and will need trained people to install them. The good news is stone can increase the value of your home significantly.

Kitchen design tips, suggestions:
 
If existing appliances are fairly new, reuse them if possible, and build your new cabinets around them. This could save you from $1500-5500. However, if appliances are five years or older purchase new appliances, choose energy conscious models for a reduction in your utility bills.

Maintain current location of major fixtures, appliances and utilities relative to the plumbing, gas and electrical outlets. This could even apply to the location of the telephone. Moving plumbing, wiring and jacks can be extremely expensive.

Faucet can be a costly item. The least expensive choice is chrome. Even a high-end chrome faucet is considerably less than a mid-range brass or porcelain version. A standard two handle faucet generally cost less than single handle. Faucets and handles are sold separately, so you may want to choose a chrome faucet with brass or porcelain handles for a different look. Faucet Caution: The price variances in faucets reflect the various internal and external features. Always choose a faucet with replacement internal parts. You won't want to have to replace the entire faucet if it breaks—it's simply not cost-effective.
Choose neutral colors in fixtures, appliances and laminates. They are less expensive initially and wont look old-fashioned when the color trends change. White and almond sinks are much cheaper than color varieties.

Consider your cabinet and countertop options carefully. Cabinet and countertop choices will drive the general price. You can add some things, at a later date. Things that are easy to add include tilt front doors, spice racks and slide out wire baskets. However, if you decide to wait, make certain that the option you want will be available and can be added after installation.
Use standard cabinetry instead of custom cabinets, or use a combination of the two if they are compatible.
Connect fluorescent light fixtures to the existing ceiling fixture box, instead of installing new recessed lighting, which may require a new ceiling because of the recessed features