Kitchen Designers

The kitchen is often the most used room in any house and considered by many to be the hub of the home. It is a space for cooking, relaxing, eating, chatting and generally entertaining. As a homeowner, you want to have a kitchen that you can be proud of and an expertly designed one will look great for years. A qualified kitchen designer can create a truly bespoke, unique kitchen that fits in with the style of your home. Of all the rooms to renovate in a house, having a kitchen designed by a pro can add the most value to your home.

When you are ready to hire a kitchen designer, you should already have ideas of what you want from a new kitchen.Think about how you are planning on using the space, what features you might want and the style or materials you would like to use in your design. Having some ideas before meeting with kitchen designers will help them to understand your taste and taylor their designs better to you. Prep space or worktop space and plenty of storage are key things to consider when designing a new kitchen. The layout of the design is also crucial. Having a dedicated kitchen designer will help you plan and consider the best layout for your working triangle, which is essential to any efficient and free flowing kitchen. A kitchen designer will likely begin by asking questions about how you use your kitchen space and then apply their architectural and technological expertise to your vision of a dream kitchen to turn it into a space that serves your needs. This may involve contracting other professionals, including experienced kitchen installation specialists, plumbers and electricians to carry out specialist work, so rely on your designers’ industry contacts and know-how. Many kitchen design companies will carry out all the work including kitchen fitting in-house, so you would only need to hire and deal with one firm.

What does my kitchen designer need to know?

It is quite common for a kitchen designer to want to meet you for the first time at your home. They will want to discuss any ideas you may have and styles you like as well as take measurements in order to put together an initial quote. It helps if you have any inspirational photos of what you are looking for and also, if you know, some idea of what your budget is. Being upfront with your budget will allow your designer to advise on tailoring your project to your specifications as realistically as possible. You can use Houzz to assist your design process by creating ideabooks that reflect your dream kitchen ideas and style, finding inspiration for colour palettes and materials for kitchen cabinets, islands and even appliances all of which will be hugely helpful in guiding your kitchen designer’s process. Understanding your vision and any limitations will allow your designer to come up with creative ideas and solutions, and will ensure everyone is happy with the design before the kitchen fitters come in for installation.

Questions to ask kitchen designers and fitters:

• May I see your portfolio of previous work?
  
• What type of education and experience do you have in kitchen design?
  
• Are you and your employees licensed and insured? What license(s) do you have?
  
• What other training and affiliations do you have?
  
• How long will the design take to complete?
  
• Will you provide any cost-saving ideas?
  
• Do you design eco-friendly kitchens? Can I add in green kitchen features?
  
• How many projects like mine have you completed?
  
• Do you employ kitchen fitters within your company or do you work with third party kitchen installers?
  
• May I see a current project?
  
• How do you charge, and what does that include?
  
• Can you give me a written estimate?
  
• How will I be charged for parts and materials?
  
• When are you available to begin work?
  
• What is your policy for change orders?
  
• What happens when cost exceeds the budget? What about changes to materials or labour pricing?
  
• Are there any important considerations or concerns you foresee with this project?
  

Find a kitchen designer on Houzz. Narrow your search in the Professionals section of the website to kitchen designers. You can also look through photos to find a kitchen you like, then contact the kitchen designers or kitchen fitters who worked on it.

Find kitchen designers near me on Houzz

Before you hire a kitchen designer, browse through our network of 402 kitchen designers. Read through customer reviews, check their past projects and then request a quote from the best kitchen designers near you.