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5. They Know Where to Spend and Where to Save
“Sometimes the simple details are expensive; at other times, a design change can save so much money,” Berry says. “Always be open and honest with your designer about money. We have the knowledge and tricks to create the wow without a wow price tag.”
“I always advise my clients to spend the majority of the kitchen budget on the cabinetry and doors, as these get the most use,” Davis says. “The kitchen cabinets especially, although not necessarily seen, take the weight of the [countertop] and need to stay rigid for many years, so the doors stay aligned. I use the analogy of a car: You don’t see the chassis, but it needs to be high-quality to ensure a great vehicle.
“Where I often suggest clients can save money is on the appliances. We only sell quality brands, which means their entry-level products are still excellent quality, using the same components as the more expensive models. The difference is often in the features available, so I have a good chat with my clients to work out what features they can live without to help them choose the best-value appliances for their budget.”
McCrostie offers another tip: “Where a kitchen is totally custom, wider drawer stacks can be designed into the plan to reduce the overall number of cabinets, as drawers are more expensive than cupboards.”
7 Essential Features of a Well-Designed Kitchen
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2. There’s One Room You Really Want to Feel Pulled-Together
It could be the living room, kitchen or your master bedroom — whatever the space, if there’s one room you’d love to have feeling finished, an interior designer can help make that a reality. Instead of waffling over the hundreds of tiny details that go into decorating a space, an interior designer can guide you with confidence, editing your options so the entire process feels more streamlined. And (perhaps most important) when you opt to work with an interior designer, you’re committing to actually finishing the project once and for all.
The owners of the home shown here hired designer Ashleigh Weatherill to decorate their family room. Using several of the clients’ existing pieces and bringing in a few custom-made items, Weatherill was able to create a polished space that the homeowners will be reveling in on holidays and other special occasions.
See more of this updated traditional family room
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4. You’re Renovating an Old House
From outdated building codes to unusual historic design elements, updating an older house is a challenge that requires a special touch. An experienced kitchen designer can help you navigate this tricky process smoothly.
When kitchen designer Sarah Robertson of Studio Dearborn remodeled this historic Scarsdale, New York, Colonial kitchen, she had to balance design elements from the earliest portion of the home — dating back to the early 19th century — with an addition completed in the 1920s. The finished space nods to the home’s rich history while incorporating fresh, modern touches.
The Hidden Problems in Old Houses
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Architectural designer Tim Tice had lived in Bethany Beach, Delaware, his whole life, but he and his wife had never quite found their dream home. Recently, they decided to search for a lot that overlooked the water and build from the ground up. They bought land along the Salt Pond, an inland, estuarine body of water located about three-quarters of a mile from the beach. The lot had challenges, including bringing water and sewer services to the site. Tice was also careful to place the home the proper distance from nearby wetlands and to make sure they were protected during the construction process.
As for the house, the couple wanted a home where their children would grow up, but they were also thinking about how it would function for them once the kids flew the nest. As someone born and raised in the area, Tice wanted the design to nod to his favorite “old-school” Bethany Beach cottages while also having a more modern and minimalist design.
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Specific kitchen designers’ services vary, but generally these professionals guide the homeowner through the kitchen design process, from initial consultation to installation. Not every upgrade necessarily calls for a kitchen designer. Paula Greer, senior designer at Bilotta Kitchen & Home in New York, says an interior designer or other design pro can help with minor changes such as replacing a countertop or backsplash. It’s when new cabinets and other big-picture elements come into play that a kitchen designer can really make life easier.
“A kitchen designer is going to have a background that other people — architects, interior designers — aren’t going to have because they specialize in kitchen cabinetry and the functionality of the kitchen cabinetry and how everything fits together,“ Greer says.
Kitchen designers also can help homeowners look at their kitchens with fresh eyes, suggesting new layouts, appliance configurations and room plans the homeowner may not have considered. Kitchen designers typically are familiar with the latest products and trends, can recommend (and potentially later manage) reputable subcontractors and suppliers and often can even help with details such as product warranties, Jennifer Gilmer of Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath and the author of kitchen design book The Kitchen Bible, says.
While investing in an independent kitchen designer’s services instead of going it alone or working with a customer rep at a big-box store can be pricier, a good kitchen designer also will be well versed in spending where it counts and making your dollars go further.
“Regardless of who designs the kitchen, it’s an expensive undertaking,” Gilmer says. “If a client is going to spend the money to remodel the kitchen, then using a kitchen designer will ensure that it’s done as well as possible, both in form and function.”
Find a kitchen designer near you