As many homeowners have learned the hard way, a kitchen remodel is very difficult if you don’t have a professional kitchen designer on your side. Kitchen designers offer a great deal of value to the kitchen remodeling process via their expertise, their know-how, and their visions as designers and artists.
If you’re considering a kitchen remodel, it’s in your best interest to make sure you have a qualified kitchen designer working on the project. As you begin your search for the perfect kitchen designer, consider these tips.
Resources
If you are just beginning the search for a high-end kitchen designer, you may want to visit NKBA.org, which is the official website of the National Kitchen & Bath Association. The NKBA can help you find a qualified kitchen designer in your area. You may also want to check in with friends, family members, and neighbors who have recently had work done on their homes. Personal references are a great way to discover a trustworthy designer whose work you can see with your own eyes before working together.
Do Your Homework
Getting a list of names is great, but you can’t really tell much from a name. Once you have a list of designers you’d like to consider working with, do your homework. Check references and make sure that you understand the information that you’re reading about each kitchen designer. For example, there are several professional certifications that a kitchen designer might have. NKBA certifications, for example, are given based on experience. In order to be considered a Certified Kitchen Designer by the National Kitchen & Bath Association, a designer needs to have seven years of experience under his or her belt.
Meet Candidates
You will want to interview each kitchen designer that you’re considering working with so that you can get an idea of his or her professionalism, expertise, artistic vision, and personality. Though the first three qualities might seem to be the most important, personality is a big one, too. You want to make sure that you’re working with someone who you feel comfortable enough with that you’re able to express what you want clearly. When you do express yourself, you want to be sure you’ll be heard.
Designers should be able to show you several examples of their work, and they should also be willing to discuss your individual design with you. Professional kitchen designers have a lot to offer by way of their experience, and in your initial meeting, it’s likely that they’ll bring up a few things that you hadn’t yet thought of or that you don’t know much about. Let yourself learn from your kitchen designer and be open to asking questions when they come up for you.
Determine Terms
Once you’ve decided that a particular kitchen designer is a good fit for you and for your project, work out the terms of the work with the designer and his or her company. Be very clear about what is being provided to you and at what cost. It’s important to have a solid agreement worked out before any work begins on the project.