kitchen designer

The majority of homeowners will only purchase one new kitchen during their lifetime.  Because the kitchen is the heart of a house, it is extremely important that this room fulfills the specialized needs of the individuals who use it.  Since most parents work, the kitchen is the one place where families can actually get together—it has become not only a space for nourishment but the center where family life takes place. 

A well-designed kitchen is considered to be the best return on your investment. Kitchen specialists will custom design your space whereas the home improvement center wants to fill up your space.  Home improvement center personnel are basically salespeople, trained to get you to buy more than you’ll need. Home improvement centers are too diversified and don’t usually carry high-end products which, in the long run, will last longer than cheaper goods—remember the adage, “You get what you pay for!”  Kitchen designers will save time by narrowing selections to fit your personal style and will save you money through professional discounts.  A kitchen specialist will design a plan to fit your budget—the better the plan, the easier to keep costs low.  The designer is always up on the latest trends, especially energy-efficient products.

 Kitchen specialists have their own work crews or employ only those that deliver customer satisfaction. Numerous home improvement centers will subcontract a job which means they have no control over the work being done in your home.  Because of heavy workloads, subcontractors often sell these jobs to unknowns.  Thus you’ll have to deal with strangers who are basically concerned with getting paid as opposed to giving you quality work, which could cost you more down the line.

 We’ve all heard homeowner horror stories.  A woman, with toddler and infant, decided to redo her kitchen.  Since her husband was the sole breadwinner, they had a strict budget and went to a home improvement center.  She was told that they could remodel her kitchen in three weeks.  Everything was going well until the appliances arrived—none of which fit into their respective spaces.  Four months and two contractors later, the job was finally completed but, due to faulty wiring, the kitchen caught fire.  The home improvement salesperson never thought to include a fire extinguisher.  The couple ran out of money and their kitchen is still not finished.

 Problems can arise in any renovation but a kitchen specialist is prepared to deal with practical solutions.  Home improvement centers are corporations and their employees are not trained to think outside the box.  Because specialists are focused only on your kitchen, you can be assured that they will get the job done right the first time—giving you value that lasts for years.

 Whether you are fixing a snack or creating a five-course dinner, your kitchen should be a delectable place, fragrant with savory memories, not one which leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

Try googling kitchen designers and you’ll get over 7 million listings—so many names, so little time.
To find a specialist who is right for you, you’ve got to do your homework.  Ask friends, relatives— there’s nothing like word-of-mouth from satisfied customers.  If you’ve moved to a new state and don’t know anyone, then study websites/yellow pages for local kitchen designers and visit their showrooms. How do you tell a professional from a salesman ?  Look at their portfolios and ask for customer referrals from photographs that you find appealing.  Clients happy with their results will be thrilled to showoff their kitchens and a professional designer will have phone numbers.  Scam artists may have wonderful pictures of dream kitchens but they will NOT have actual customers to go with these photographs.  Do you feel comfortable with the designer?  If the rapport between you isn’t good, don’t expect your new kitchen to be either—go with gut instinct.  Get three-to-four references and check them out.
Get information about a kitchen specialist’s reputation.  Ask to see professional certification and state licenses.Though Internet prices may seem lower, do you really know from whom you’re buying?  Will they be there if a part is missing or if you have a problem?  Websites can be extremely attractive but did they actually design those gorgeous kitchens or download pictures from other sources.  Also, reputable manufacturers sell to authorized dealers with actual showrooms.Get bids from several kitchen designers. If their price ranges are in the same ball park, you can be assured that they are honest…if one of the bids is too low, do NOT do business with him/her—in the long run you will wind up paying way too much for a substandard job.If you cannot understand your designer/contractor do NOT hire that person.  Residential construction can easily be explained to the lay person.  Clear communication and interaction with the design professional is crucial.  A kitchen specialist understands all the intricacies and hidden booby traps that can undermine any project.  Once your kitchen is under way, the designer will effectively communicate with vendors, installers, contractors and, most importantly, you.

Unless you’re a designer yourself, you’ll need to hire one.
Kitchens are far and away the most complicated room in any house;
a good guide is worth more than money.
Steps: 
1.   Take some time to educate yourself and refine your tastes. 
2.   Learn what goes into a kitchen. Research magazines, books, television shows and Web sites.  
3.   Learn as much as you can first. The more you know, the easier the process will be. 
4.   Ask for referrals from friends, contractors and craftspeople.  
5.   Look for designers among the following groups (listed in no special order): kitchen cabinet showrooms, architects, interior designers, kitchen design companies, design/build general contractors and local cabinetmakers.  
6.   Ask for qualifications - how much experience they have and what references they can provide.
7.   Ask to see photographs. You can gather a lot of information just by looking.  
8.   Hire someone you feel comfortable with. You’ll be spending time together for the next several months (at least), and not all of it will be fun. Like any relationship, it requires mutual respect.   
9.   Be prepared to pay well for a design, from several hundred dollars (for minimal plans and no follow-through) to several thousand dollars, depending on the scope of the project. As with anything else, you often get what you pay for. 
10.   Pay separately for the design. Many designers work in showrooms; if you want to commit to buying the cabinets from them, fine, but if you have a separate contract for design, you can go somewhere else later if you want to.  
  
Tips: 
 
Many local schools offer classes on kitchen building and remodeling. These can be a great introduction to the process. 
  When interviewing designers, ask the following: how long you are in the kitchen and bathroom business?  What are the payment arrangements? How many drafts of a plan will they provide? ( ask to see) Do they use sub contractor or the own employees ?  Will they help pick out appliances, floors, countertops, plumbing fixtures, wallpaper? Will they supply electrical, plumbing and lighting plans?
  
Warnings: 
 
If a designer - or anyone, for that matter - tells you the process is easy, stress-free and will be complete in two weeks, they’re either lying or stupid. Or both. Don’t hire that person.