The first and most important step is to find out what style of kitchen suits your lifestyle. Give preference to how you will use your kitchen and what features will be ideal for you, rather than the most stylish space. Next, refer to a number of guides and photos to re-iterate your priorities and how you should go about replicating them. How do I use my kitchen? How many people will be cooking and gathering? How much space you need for storage, appliances, moving around etc? Answers to these questions will give you kitchen which best suits your style. This will also help you land on a preliminary budget.