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.
James Mahoney is the author of many kitchen design articles and has a site about kitchen design ideas at Kitchen Designers Ideas.com. He also publishes a newletter on kitchen design.