Residential Kitchens, Baths and Custom Cabinetry

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    “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

    — Aristotle

335 High Street, Unit C
Chestertown, MD 21620

Do I Need a Kitchen Designer and Won’t They Be Expensive?

| Amy Meade

When potential clients first come to my showroom, I often see “the look.” The look means I think I need a kitchen designer but I am not sure AND this is going to be so much more expensive.

I can tell you that a good kitchen designer will actually help you save money and time–a lot of time. You are probably thinking right now…yeah right, she has to say that since she is a kitchen designer. However, let me tell you how, and you can decide if what I write makes sense.

Do You Need a Kitchen Designer?

Not always and there are instances you should not use a kitchen designer. The average cost of a midrange kitchen including materials and installation in Chestertown is $67,565. If your budget is significantly less than this, you do not want to use a kitchen designer. Kitchen designers usually handle cabinet lines that are custom or semi-custom which automatically makes their cost higher than stock cabinets. If you do not use a Chestertown kitchen designer, you will need to be prepared to do a lot of research to learn the bare basics of kitchen design. If you google NKBA (National Kitchen and Bath Association) Kitchen Standards you should find the 31 basic rules for kitchen design; these apply in Chestertown and anywhere in the world.

I would also recommend using a stock cabinet since learning how to order semi-custom cabinets will be tough without a designer to guide you through the thousands of options and assumptions. Google will help with questions you come up with on items such as appliances, lighting, countertops materials and hardware options. To know the quality and the best place to go for appliances, lighting, countertops and hardware I would ask friends and relatives. In my experience, online reviews are misleading and often false. I know many of my favorite brands of appliances are not rated very highly by consumer reports or other online review sites. From personal experience and the experience of over 20 years of supplying them to my clients, these lines have been wonderful. So be careful not to get lost in the online review vortex.

Benefits of a Kitchen Designer and How You Will Save $$$

  1. The key benefit to using a kitchen designer is that you will never know what you don’t know and a kitchen designer has spent years (or don’t use them) learning what they did not know. This will save you money because mistakes will be avoided.
  2. Another benefit is that a kitchen designer will work with contractors and suppliers that they use regularly. This means these contractors and suppliers are more likely to do their best work since they often depend on designers for much of their income.
  3. Kitchen designers who do a lot of work in Chestertown will be able to demonstrate great options so that you will have optimal storage in your small space.
  4. Every cabinet line is different and thorough knowledge makes designing more cost-effective whether you have a small Chestertown kitchen or large kitchen.
  5. Finally, we all know time is money. A kitchen designer will save you time because they already know the basics and more of how to design, where to get the materials you want, and how to avoid issues. They will also save you time during construction. If your designer orders your materials, it is their responsibility to get them to the kitchen when the contractor needs them so nothing is delayed. It is often when materials arrive, or really when they don’t arrive, that causes all the delay horrors we have heard about for kitchen renovations in Chestertown.

Contact Teknika Kitchens and Baths with Your Questions about Kitchen and Bathroom Design

If you have any questions about these comments or want to talk to a kitchen designer in Chestertown, please contact us at 410-778-2036 or look us up on the web at Teknikakitchensandbaths.com.