Your kitchen is one of the most important rooms in your home. It’s a place where meals are prepared, memories are created and where family comes to talk, share and laugh. So, it’s natural to be a little worried about whether or not this redesign is going to turn out like you had hoped.
That’s why your kitchen designer is key in your new kitchen project. They take the guesswork out of your entire kitchen project, dive deep into your needs and style preferences to create the ideal gathering place for you and your family.
Kitchen designers focus on the layout and functionality of your kitchen, while providing you with aesthetic designs, storage solutions and decorative enhancements, not to mention moral support, throughout the entire process. They take into consideration the work triangle and maximize every square inch of space in your kitchen. Finally, they ensure that everything fits perfectly together and is designed to function properly.
How Do I Find the Right Kitchen Designer?
• Contact a local KraftMaid authorized dealer and speak with the designers, discover who you feel most comfortable with.
• Ask friends, family or co-workers for referrals of kitchen designers they’ve worked with
• Surf the Internet. Check association Web sites for directories of kitchen designers
• Contact the local branch of professional organizations like:
o NKBA – National Kitchen & Bath Association. This association certifies kitchen and bath designers with the credentials, CKD or CBD.
o NARI – Nation Association of Remodeling Industry
Before Your First Meeting
The more ideas you can show on your first meeting, the better off you’ll be:
• Illustrate your design preferences by gathering images from magazines or searching online for kitchens that you love: those that reflect your personal style, show areas of function that would meet your family’s needs, etc.
• Get inspired with the KraftMaid Idea Book.
• For more ideas, visit your local KraftMaid retailer.
• Take pictures of your kitchen and highlight things that you currently like about it.
• Have your kitchen measured and note specific areas for plumbing, gas, and electric.
• Make a preliminary list of your storage needs; what you store today and create your wish list for tomorrow.
• Consider how you use the room. Do you entertain a lot? Do you need a message center for paying bills, telephone/PDAs, recipes? Do you need a place for homework or projects? Do you cook a lot? Are you a gourmet chef or is cooking just a need rather than a passion.
• Consider your family’s cooking style. Is there more than one cook at a time? Do you love to bake and need a lower space for baking needs, etc?
During Your First Meeting
• Be sure that your kitchen designer precisely measures your kitchen. This is important because in order for them to design appropriately, they will need exact measurements.
• Ask them about any local building codes that may affect your kitchen and home.
• Communicate all of your wants and needs for your future kitchen.
• Ask to see their portfolio and get at least three or four names of recent references. Give them a call.
• Set priorities early to determine how much you can invest in your kitchen project.
• Be sure to pick the kitchen designer that you feel most comfortable with – one who seems to best understand you.
Extra Tip
Make sure you schedule a meeting with all of your professional partners. Include everyone who is involved with your project, such as your kitchen designer, installer, interior designer, general contractor, etc. This is the time to set ground rules, encourage teamwork and agree on expectations and a plan of execution. Ideally, a kitchen designer and interior designer should work together on your kitchen project.