Have you always dreamed of getting the same luxurious designer kitchen and bath you see on lifestyle magazines and Pinterest boards? If yes, then working with professional interior designers is a wise choice.
You might be hesitant to hire a bath and kitchen designer who can help you turn your dream kitchen into reality. After all, the designer kitchens and baths might be easy to do as a do-it-yourself, right? On the bath front, look to the Bath Association or National Kitchen Association for early primer reading.
Or grab a copy of the Essential Bathroom Design Guide, published by the National Kitchen and Bath Association. They published it in 1997. It is available as a used book through various sellers on Amazon. The guide gets into mechanical systems like ventilation, electrical, lighting, cooling, plumbing, and heating. As well, it covers space planning, cost estimating, fixture specification, and more details on kitchen countertops, floor, and wall coverings, and other materials.
Companies that have an extensive history with any home improvement project are likely to hire qualified people and have job ads online for bath designer positions. That’s a significant sign in the bath industry because a company that is hiring often is busy working to set up a home consultation for a kitchen cabinet installation or has significant commercial spaces on their portfolio of projects.
But, the bath and kitchen design process isn’t as simple and easy as it seems. You cannot finish a new kitchen overnight, so you will probably need project managers for an expensive re-build.
The following list of reasons should help you decide and work with a professional kitchen designer for your next remodeling project.
Table of Contents
- Set a Realistic Budget
- Combine Aesthetics and Function
- Project Management Made Easy
- Find Your Way around Different Product Selections
- Save Your Precious Money and Time
- Get Insider Access to the Latest Design Solutions
- Work with Subject Matter Experts
- It’s All in the Details
- They Know Kitchens and Baths Like the Back of Their Hands
Set a Realistic Budget
An experienced and skilled design professional is someone who can help you come up with a transparent and realistic budget. They can serve as your guide so you can understand all the involved expenses for your project right from the get-go. They will make sure that you will pay a reasonable price. Many of my friends have struggled to find affordable price options and yet get the latest trends they want. The last thing you want to do is get a personal loan, as kitchen design projects can be expensive and lead to complications. Your salary range may not support it!
Their expert project management allows you to manage your budget from the first day of the project until its completion. Project managers also use tools that enable you to make comparisons between different bath and kitchen designs. A project manager will also show you variations of your space using other product choices. They make walk home owners through floor plans, the design area for the project, discuss their design expertise with a dedicated designer to instill peace of mind, and walk through the entire process.
This design consultation also gives you the knowledge to make the best decision according to your budget and specific needs or requirements. If you’re spending a lot of money, you should have high expectations for presentation standards, and a well-regarded company will have strong business practices, arrange the subsequent appointment to discuss design ideas, a new layout, your wish list, the basics of kitchen design and what your new life could like both in the kitchen and your master bath.
Combine Aesthetics and Function
Any experienced designer knows all too well that most homeowners dream of waking up to a gorgeous kitchen. Since you spend long hours in your kitchen, the last thing you want is to look at your boring, and old cabinets from morning till night.
It wouldn’t make sense to have a beautifully remodeled kitchen if your kitchen layout makes you trip over yourself all the time. But, ask certified kitchen designers, and they will surely tell you that functionality still comes first before aesthetics. A reliable kitchen designer will consider your specific needs and wants while designing a user-friendly and fully functional space.
Project Management Made Easy
You will sleep better when you know that your kitchen remodeling project is in the hands of a professional team.
I would consider working with kitchen and bathroom designers because they have years of knowledge in remodeling and design. Certified designers who specialize in home improvement projects can guide you every step of the way and assist you in the different phases of the process to sleep easily.
Find Your Way around Different Product Selections
A kitchen design team with years of experience will also lead the way as you navigate the exciting but sometimes confusing process of choosing the best materials and finishes. They will guide you as you pick the right paint colors, door styles, finishes, and other final touches such as hardware, appliances, and countertops.
Homeowners can also take advantage of the extensive network of vendors and suppliers of professional kitchen designers. You may even get some discounts! Your kitchen designer also helps you envision different styles to implement that will go well with your renovation.
Save Your Precious Money and Time
One of the biggest reasons many people don’t hire professional kitchen designers is because they have this misconception that doing so can be a very costly experience. They don’t realize that working with these experts can help you save money in the long run.
When you let the pros work on your kitchen design, you wouldn’t be dealing with expensive, unnecessary fixes. Avoid hiring a designer that claims they can do everything for you, as this is not possible. Choosing designers specializing in kitchen design is best, saving you money, headaches, and disappointment.
Get Insider Access to the Latest Design Solutions
The last thing you want is to undergo a complete kitchen renovation project with custom cabinets you thought were trendy and current, only to discover that these were hot two years ago.
Professional kitchen designers always stay on top of the newest trends, and they know what’s hot and what’s not in the world of kitchen renovations.
They have insider insights into the kitchen remodeling industry and usually share their knowledge and wisdom.
Work with Subject Matter Experts
Maybe you are confident enough with how your kitchen looks and feels, and you embrace it as your ultimate dream space. However, kitchen designers can bring more to the table. They can share with you innovative and out-of-the-box ideas you probably didn’t know.
Established firms also use economic modeling. I know you’re asking “Huh?” Companies use location quotient (common to economic modeling) to determine how concentrated an industry, cluster, job, the demographic group is to the rest of the United States. A smart firm can also determine what makes something “unique” in the region compared to the national average; for example, there might be a concentration of qualified kitchen and bath designers, making base salary rangers far more competitive, which means consumers pay are more cost-effective price. Where you live can translate into thousands of dollars because of home renovation trends, a shortage of talent, and other skills.
Location quotient (LQ) is basically a way of quantifying how concentrated a particular industry, cluster, occupation, or demographic group is in a region as compared to the nation. It can reveal what makes a particular region “unique” compared to the national average.
Do you know how to make your smaller kitchen seem more spacious? Have you considered adding a Japanese soaking tub to your bath? Design experts will help you ensure you will get long-lasting value from your newly remodeled bath and kitchen that perfectly combines aesthetics, style, and function.
Beyond family rooms as a related field, kitchen and bath design are one of the most expensive considerations for your next renovation. To start this journey, have a look at Drury Design. Based in Chicago and founded in 1987, this company has over 2500 completed projects and 70-plus design awards. That is an outstanding portfolio!
You might be wondering. They’re in Chicago, and I am in Scottsdale, Arizona. Yep, seems like a problem. Successful companies innovate and the pandemic certainly forced new ways of work and doing business. Drury Designs thinks outside the box. Their initial brainstorming and the final walk-through on your live site are now available through their E-Design Remote Design Services. Nothing is really out of reach.
It’s All in the Details
Although you know how you want your bath and kitchen to look, the experts can add details you probably didn’t notice. For example, additional storage space and under cabinet lighting can work wonders to improve the ambiance but get ignored during the planning stages. A reliable designer can show you items you may have missed and how you can implement them in your available space.
They Know Kitchens and Baths Like the Back of Their Hands
Designing kitchens and baths are what professionals do day in and day out. Kitchen remodeling can be tricky to navigate, but a skilled designer can have everything planned and done to make the process smooth as butter.
- About the Author
- Latest Articles
John Thompson, Writer and Commentator, EvolutDesign.com
Soldier, writer, researcher, consultant, and bon vivant, John Thompson is the author of numerous columns, op-eds, reports, briefs, short stories and books as the “Felicity Files” and “Spirit Over Steel: A Chronology of the Second World War” (version III). Often found hunched over his computer, or in his garden, and now often found doing both. His diverse talent has led him to work in industries and projects such as energy, security and home construction and renovation.
