How to Choose a Custom Kitchen Designer: What to Look For (Part 1)
Your kitchen is the biggest investment in your home, so you want it to earn A+’s across the board and be as functional as it is beautiful. Choosing which professional to work with can feel daunting, so here’s my honest advice- the same I share with friends and family.
1. Check the Cabinet Lines They Carry
Buy the best quality you can afford. Inexpensive cabinets cost that price for a reason and rarely last more than a couple of years, with the finishes going first. Think of a car that rusts versus one that keeps its paint for over a decade. That difference is your investment.
That said, the best quality doesn't mean the most expensive. Good designers carry reputable cabinet lines at different price points and can usually work within your budget, as long as it’s realistic. At Fresh Design Group, our custom lines vary widely in price.
2. Hire for Custom Experience
Custom doesn't have to cost more. It gives an experienced designer the freedom to assess your space, envision the finished room, and adjust the cabinets to fit in the most functional and beautiful way. Novices do the exact opposite. Inexperienced designers force stock cabinets into a room without considering the proper dimensions, leaving you with something lopsided and ill-functioning. While semi-custom can sometimes be modified, it still doesn't give full design flexibility.
3. Don't Let Your Contractor Design Your Kitchen
I don't want a podiatrist doing my nose job. Contractors should frame your walls and rough in your electric, not design your kitchen. Without a team of high-end custom design specialists, you'll likely get a C+ in function and a B- in looks. Every professional has a lane: the architect shapes the structure, the kitchen designer perfects the interior, and the contractor builds it.
For example, a client I'll call Amy was renovating a hundred-year-old home with one large room for the kitchen and dining area. Her architect and builder put the kitchen on the smaller side with no view, and the big dining table on the side overlooking the water.
I asked how often she'd really sit at that table looking out the window. Her answer was almost never. She ate at the island, and holiday dinners happen after dark. So we flipped the layout before construction began. She now has a larger, more functional kitchen with an idyllic water view from her sink and island.
4. Study Their Portfolio
If you see a lot of nice kitchens, that's what you'll get. Look for a kitchen that blows you away. Check the details: Is the window centered over the sink? Are there three 15-inch cabinets on one side but three 21-inch on the other? If it doesn’t knock you out visually, there are real reasons, symmetry being one of many. Ask to talk through the portfolio with the designer to confirm the work is really theirs.
5. Ask About Their Software
This may be controversial, but a designer using SketchUp is generally not as well trained as one using CAD or Chief Architect. The latter deliver the level of detail custom work demands, and they take real training to learn.
6. Dealer and Designer Is a Plus
A designer who is also a dealer knows the nuances of each line. We carry three, and each is built and customized differently. You have to know a line inside and out to do it justice.
Stay tuned for part 2, where we dive into fees, timelines, and where to spend and save.
