The kitchen is probably one of the most important and
complicated rooms (besides the bathroom) to design or remodel in
a home. Few rooms see so much activity and also challenge
designers with such an array of practical, technological, and
esthetic considerations. A new kitchen can be an excellent
investment in most homes, which is why it must be a well
designed kitchen or it can become a financial liability. Whether
it is a remodel or a completely new kitchen in a new home,
designing a kitchen that meets the requirements of being
functional, aesthetically pleasing and be within your budget is
on easy task.
Because kitchen design can be so highly specialized and complex
it is a good idea to hire an independent kitchen designer before
hiring a general contractor. Contractors tend to lack sufficient
design experience and creativity needed for good kitchen design.
Kitchen designers understand how a kitchen works. The kitchen
designer can analyze the family's lifestyle, interests in
cooking and entertainment. The designer can ask questions,
discuss needs and goals, appliance integration, and budget as
well as considering ideas that the contractor or family members
might not be able to come up with. By bringing in the kitchen
designer early in the project it is possible to keep cost down
considerably.
The kitchen designer while not having experience in engineering
details can nevertheless assist with layout, choice of
materials, and how the room will look and function. Because it
is so easy to become overwhelmed by the number of available
choices when it comes to design elements the kitchen designer is
needed to help the homeowner when looking at design options such
as, appliances, cabinetry, countertops, and flooring. The
certified kitchen designer is trained to take your concept and
turn it into a workable vision. They can coordinate materials
and color to the best effect and define the best space usage as
well as assist in other aspects of the kitchen design project
such as electrical, plumbing, structural, flooring, appliances
and tile.
In hiring a kitchen designer it is important to look for one who
is certified. To receive certification the kitchen designer must
have seven years of hands-on experience as well as course
instruction in room layout, storage planning, cabinet
installation and lighting design. The designer must pass a
series of test administered by the National Kitchen and Bath
Association (NKBA). As members of NKBA, kitchen designers keep
up with all of the latest design trends as well as the most
recent developments in materials and techniques. They can draw
up fully developed plans in compliance with the NKBA's kitchen
planning standards.
Most kitchen designers will have either be affiliated with a
showroom or have an extensive portfolio to show off their work.
They can manage an entire remodeling project, or just provide
design services only. They have the ability to be able to create
a warm, pleasant, interesting kitchen design and at the same
time solve problems having to do with storage capacity,
accessibility, functionality, ventilation, and lighting.
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