Why should you not hire a high-end kitchen designer? Unless you already know about material choices, contractual agreements, schematics, electrical and plumbing configuration, appliance layout, and functionality, your decision to renovate your kitchen without the assistance of a professional could turn out to be an unmitigated disaster.
Experienced kitchen designers do what they do because they excel at creating beautiful luxury kitchens and love doing it. In addition, a good kitchen designer will give you sound advice about budgeting wisely, avoiding design errors that may reduce the practical functionality of your new kitchen and how to expand the use of existing space.
Certified kitchen and bath designer Denise Dick asserts that kitchen renovations demand the knowledge of specialists who understand how to fit everything together the first time. She even compares a professional kitchen designer to a doctor who specializes in certain areas of the body. As with doctors, you also need to remain cognizant of scam artists pretending to be kitchen remodeling experts. When searching for a kitchen designer, stick with people who are certified by the National Kitchen and Bathroom Association, can provide references and have several years experience working in the industry.
An excellent and reputable kitchen designer will also ask you specific questions prior to presenting the first layout of your new kitchen, such as:
- How many people live in the home?
- Do you have a certain way that you prepare meals?
- Do your children do their homework in the kitchen?
- Do you have pets and if so, how many and what kind?
- Is the primary cook in the household left-handed or right-handed?
- Is anyone in the household handicapped or have special needs?
Just like any other service provider, kitchen designers have a lot at stake with each new luxury kitchen project they accept. People who have even one bad experience with a particular designer are more inclined to tell others about this mishap, even if it is minor. Maintaining an exceptional reputation is vital to the success of a kitchen designer, which is why you might be surprised at a number of details involved in a remodeling contract.
Further reasons for hiring a high-end kitchen designer include:
- Having someone in your home who you know will adhere to industry codes concerning professional conduct
- Recognizes and is familiar with consumer safety, welfare and health standards in kitchen design
- Possesses skill with adeptly assessing customer wants and needs and incorporating them into the design plans
Additionally, your kitchen designer will relieve you of searching for information about local building codes as well as environmental and safety regulations relevant to your city and county.