WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN USING A KITCHEN DESIGNER

The kitchen is one of the most important and highly utilised areas of the home. As a society we have moved on from seeing the kitchen as solely a place to cook and prepare food, and we have shifted to conduct much of our home lives from this central space. Walls have opened up, expansive benches with dedicated seating areas have been added – and the kitchen has become the main place to gather, entertain and connect with our families.

Taking this into account, it stands to reason that the importance of getting the design of your kitchen right (and the consequences of not quite getting it right!) has a huge impact on the way you enjoy your home. This is where kitchen designers come in to help guide you through this process. Different from an interior designer (although many also have extensive experience in interior design), a Kitchen Designer is a specialist who understands design, material, finish, and technology specific to a kitchen.

More than just moving appliances around and replacing countertops, a kitchen designer can help you coordinate the overall appearance of the space by bringing many different elements together. They can offer valuable advice, from floor plans to cabinets and walls, to ensure your kitchen design meets your ergonomic requirements – after all, a great kitchen is more than just looks, it is also about functionality, efficiency and a fun place to work in.

As the end user of the space, there are some important factors a kitchen designer will need from YOU before they can start the process. Just as you wouldn’t go shopping for a new car without first doing some research on make, model, functionality and price; it’s important to put some thought into your budget, ideal layout, required appliances and any other ‘must-haves’ for your new kitchen – this will help the designer suggest the right options in materials and create a base to get to work on developing the kitchen of your dreams.

We also understand that the average person may know the first thing about how much a custom kitchen will cost, so come armed with an idea of what you are looking for will further help the designer to provide you with more accurate ballpark numbers during these initial stages – x for cabinetry, y for appliances and z for accessories.

Next is for you both to take a look at the space you will be working with. If you are building a new home, it may be more clear-cut with a blank canvas to start from. However, if you are renovating, it can become a little more complex and you may have to think through the possibilities.

For instance, will you be altering the size of your kitchen or do you want to remove existing walls? Are you relocating the kitchen entirely?

This stage of the journey will typically involve an in-home visit from the designer for them to get a clear understanding of your space and how the kitchen ties into other areas of the home.

The home visit is invaluable and is where the designer can really get down into the nitty-gritty and formulate a vision of how the kitchen will be used – given the size of the area, the list of appliances, and the purpose of the kitchen (family hub, entertaining space etc.).

Once armed with the base information of what you want from your kitchen and the beginnings of a layout in mind, the designer will be able to get to work on developing and refining a plan that will best work for you. This stage is most important, and there is intensive collaborative interaction between the customer and designer as they set about putting the customer’s needs into an efficient and compliant design. So the more detailed and forthcoming with communication you are, the better the outcome! A major element of the designer’s role is to guide the client’s visual choices and match function to form.

These days a kitchen is a family hub, making it a high involvement zone. Creating a multipurpose area is best left to the pros, and by training their expert eye over the process the designer will be able to point out if the cabinetry color is too dark for the space, or if the benchtop won’t flow with the other elements in the kitchen – things you may never have realised yourself until it is too late, and the money has been spent.

The best thing about working with a designer is the transformation that happens from the start of expressing your ideas, and the end result of the finished space that is created especially for you.

You provide the outline and the designer will fill it in. For instance, if you’ve decided on a Hampton-style kitchen, the designer can recommend matching hardware – handles and knobs, sink and taps, color options, and finishes.

You don’t buy a new kitchen every day, and when you are creating your forever home, the kitchen forms a significant part of the investment. It’s important to get it right, and a great designer should be easy to communicate with, listen to you, and be able to provide advice and guidance to achieve your goal. Make sure you are comfortable having open conversations with your designer and that you aren’t feeling pressure when it comes to decision-making.

The Maker’s team of award-winning designers is renowned for its design expertise, professionalism, and customer service. We would love to assist with your kitchen design in Perth and our showroom is a great place to have an initial discussion with one of our friendly designers. Visit us today at 12 Dyer Road in Bassendean or give us a call on 1300 270 000.