What do you expect of a Kitchen Designer?

4 years ago

I took the plunge and hired a KD. I had went with one based on some recommendations on these forums and based on what I could afford. My prev designer I was going to go with bailed on me, so didnt leave me much choice.

So what do you expect of your KD? I expected a KD to take the photos and information I presented and in return present me with their idea of how my kitchen should be designed. So the draft is exactly that. Its a design that was different from past designs, but one I definitely dont like. Of course not everyone is going to love their first draft, right?

What is my next step? They sent me the draft and stated that they expect I'd have changes to be made. They sent a form to fill out regarding any revisions that I want made. After I submit this form, I only have one more revision left. So do I just 1) tell them what I want taken out completely, what I want moved elsewhere and let them decide on placement (move microwave to another location) or 2) Tell them exactly what cabinets I want, where I want them and where I want appliances to be located (move microwave and put it on the East end of the Island/What if we put a range on the North wall instead of the East wall)? Ive never done this before and after this I only have one more chance to get it right to where I can place an order. Plus I need pricing before I can proceed and may need something pulled/changed due to price. I feel like I shouldn't be holding their hand, but not sure if this is what you are supposed to do because you want get to a final draft.

I do have a prev post if you want to take a look at some of my own and Ikea's design ideas. The draft design is similar, but the L shape is all boxed in and has no character at all. They put in a tall pantry cabinet where my fridge used to be (I have a large walk in pantry already), put in small upper cabinets near sink (looks weird to me) and moved my fridge to the East wall (not sure how I feel about it there). The huge island for six goes from North to South in front of the East walls. The stovetop/oven/vent hood is on the island. Because my ceiling is vaulted, I can't put in a vent over the island (its about 20 ft or so to the ceiling). Plus after pricing appliances, this way would be more expensive than a range, but a downdraft range could work on the island. It just needs to be turned around.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5757086/kitchen-remodel-design-help#24409040

Thank you!

I had to post this question again btw as Houzz wouldnt let me edit the other saying it could not be found.

Featured Answer

PRO

User

4 years ago

I may work differently than other designers. I start Phase 1 Design Exploration, with a questionaire to get to know the client and how they cook, and what functions they expect a kitchen to perform, and their budget for changes. But I wouldn't even present a "semi-final" design without doing quick sketches of a couple of options during that Design Exploration phase. That's where a couple of options are quickly sketched in, with just enough detail to get an idea of the pros and cons. Some kitchens have architectural constraints that allow only 1 or 2 options. Some have 3-5 different options. (In your kitchen, I would strive to get the cooking zone off of the island, and that might mean moving doors or changing the traffic flow to do that. I don't know what the other space looks like enough to make intelligent suggestions here.)

The Design Development phase takes one of those Exploration layouts and now we start with where the tray base goes, and maybe the MW would be better close to the fridge than the range. Nothing major changes in this phase. It just gets refined. We don't go back to another design from the Exploration phase unless we have challenges from contractor exploration or other considerations that change the initial possibilities.

Once everything is locked in place, then the Design Documentation occurs. That's when site notes, material considerations, and construction details are written out and drawn out.

Materials Finalization and Ordering is next, and then Receiving and Confirming. Then the project can begin with the Project Management phase happening.

I took a look at your other thread. I think the problem that your space has is the limited sizes of cabinetry that you are trying to work within, and the architecture itself. That limits the possibilities that can happen. I saw several suggestions to move things around, that could help, but again, that's not free, and has impacts to the budget. Trying to work with a line that has those limitations also impacts the professionals that will be available to work with you. You may not get the most creative talent. I've worked with customers who want Ikea before, but their planner is wonky, and I prefer 2020 to be able to design and render better both. Ikea doesn't have a 2020 catalog, because they prefer to keep it in house and proprietary. That again limits what can be done by any professional.

What I'm trying to say is that I don't know if you can blame your disappointment on the designer, or the line, or both. Or something else. I'm uncertain of the results that you expected? Something that no one else has suggested that can wow you? I don't think that can happen without doing a more extensive renovation than you may want to spend the money to do. It wasn't clear what your expectations were from the prior post. I wouldn't know the answer to this unless we were working together and you articulated your hopes and dreams to me, starting with that questionnaire. Walls coming down, and additions happening are always wow results, if that is what you are wanting. But again, moving things around in the existing space adds cost, and doing structural changes or additions has a cost too.

What were your expectations? And what exactly fell short for you?

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Comments (10)

just_terrilynn
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
So what do you expect of your KD?

I would want the KD to be detail oriented and balancing off the left side of the moon.

I almost used one once and recommend most do. I like to put my own spin on things and am handy so it’s contrary to any set in stone ways. I think if I was starting from scratch and had a very large budget I would like to give it a try though. It would be nice not to wake dream of every little edge, clearances, measurement and the rest. It would be nice to do a kitchen and remain outside of a spectrum.

The folks here will fix you up going forward with confidence.
Tina S thanked just_terrilynn
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So, dear husband was there this morning and when the GC arrived, said to him "Gee, this wasn't how we expected it would be." Long story short, they took out the tape measure and measured everything on that wall. When they measured the wall itself from the right hand corner to the left side where that wall ends, they found that the crew had framed it an inch longer than the dimension in the plans. (Thus making for the 1 inch that they had to add the left-hand spacer for. :-) (Big sigh. This is what is killing me in this whole process. The whole kitchen had been gutted, so these are brand, spanking new walls. Not a case of trying to fit the cabinets into existing walls and blaming the walls. And the KD came out and remeasured after the gutting before finalizing the cabinet order. So there is no logical reason why the crew shouldn't have framed to the dimensions in her drawings. At every milestone - before the blueboard, before the plastering - we asked the GC "are you sure this fridge space is right?" Ok, I'm venting, and I suppose this is a rhetorical question: do I have to pull out a tape measure every day and confirm that they are building to the drawings? Yes! How tedious!) Soooo, once they saw that they had not built the wall to the plans, they took down that area and re-adjusted it so that it matches the drawings. :-) Which means that while there are going to be the 3/4 inch wide places on either side of the above-fridge cabinet for those two panels on either side, at least they are matching 3/4 inch wide places. And it matches the drawings (which is somehow comforting to my left-side-oriented brain). Bless you all GWers, because I would have been much more panicked today without having you to 'talk' with. If I ever have the stamina for another kitchen reno (way way into the future from now), I'm going to make it a GW-designed kitchen. You are the best! --Lee
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just_terrilynn
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
I mentioned this on your other link but removing the pantry would open up lots of possibilities .
Tina S thanked just_terrilynn
Momofthree Ma
4 years ago
I pay my designer on an hourly basis, so we work on revisions as much as like :) With this kitchen, I think it might have been 10-12 design tweaks. But we are about 30 hours in at demo week.
Tina S thanked Momofthree Ma
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
4 years ago
I do many kitchen designs they require a lot of info before I even start beginning with a to scale drawing, the appliances needed but most of all long conversations about my clients needs and wants. Walk in pantries BTW are IMO a huge waste of space and hardly ever placed where they are in the actual work zone. I will not go back to your other post but that should have been discussed with your designer if you like that layout except for a few tweaks that is where you should have started. Designers are not mind readers and if you are using Ikea cabinets you need a designer that has used them often. I have done a ton of IKEA kitchens they can be made to look custom but require great skill to make that happen since you are working with set sizes.
Tina S thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
Tina S
Original Author
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
I do think the KD met my expectations. I expected them to come up with a kitchen layout that was not my current layout and do something different, and that's exactly what they did. I guess it fell short due to adding the cooktop/stove to the island when I stated that was an idea at one time (explaining what the in island plumbing was for), but we decided against it as doing a cooktop/stove was more expensive than a range. Maybe also because they didn't move the stove to where I possibly wanted it. Plus, they were aware I had vaulted ceilings, so a 9' + vent hood would not be an ideal way to go. They did say they designed it keeping the fridge, stovetop/oven and sink in the work zone. I just didn't know what others do if they didn't like their lay out.

I did email them about the cabinets and they advised me they were generic cabinets since I was considering going with Semihandmade so that's why they don't look like shaker cabinets (that's throwing me off actually, aesthetically anyways).

They didn't ask my expectations, budget or the way I cook. Just sent me a form to fill out asking if they can or cant do certain things and other things. We have no walls, doors or sink to move, but appliances can move. However, we would have to move outlets if some appliances get moved and we expected that. I got my first draft after that.

This is my first real kitchen. What I have now is just a temporary set up, so I have no clue on organization, what kind of cabinets we should have or the best way to layout the kitchen. I hired a KD as we needed guidance on proper layout and someone who was familiar with Ikea cabinetry. Yesterday I did some research to find out what I might need and where it should go, which was very helpful. This should help my KD know what I want in some cabinetry and where to possibly have it.

I am having them remove the storage/panty cabinets, remove some upper cabinets, move the DW, move the trashcan pull out and reposition the island and make it smaller. I just didn't know if I should instruct them where to put the items I want moved or let them decide to see what they come up with next. But I guess if I like the layout that was suggested on my other post, I could hold their hand and lead them in that direction. I guess initially I thought that was the direction it would lead as I adv them I doing a range and we were capping of the plumbing and stuff in the island.

BTW, I did post a photo of the draft because I wasn't sure I am allowed to. On the drawings it just states its a drawing of the appearance of the design. On the kitchen dimensions it states Its an original design and its not to be released or copied unless the applicable fee has been paid or job order placed.

~Tina

This is my design with Ikea tweaking it and adding the middle cabinetry/appliance and island. The L shape is how my kitchen is set up now w/the exception of the DW being moved closer to the sink.

This is one of my layouts after the Ikea tweaking. I moved appliances around based on Houzz suggestions.

This layout was under construction when I got the KD. The KD layout has a big pantry where the range is here and the fridge on the wall left of the door.
Tina S
Original Author
4 years ago
Patricia, I deleted that other post.
just_terrilynn
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
MsTina, forgive me if I saw this wrong on your other thread but ...is the orange mark a pantry? When you showed a rough drawing of the floor plan I thought you had pantry marked.
Tina S
Original Author
4 years ago
Justerrilynn, That is a 5 1/2ft hall out to the garage. The pantry door is in that hall on the left and behind that short cabinet wall.
PRO
Sativa McGee Designs
4 years ago
Of the layouts you posted the only functionable one is shown in grey cabinets.
Tina S thanked Sativa McGee Designs

What do you expect of a Kitchen Designer?

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What do you expect of a Kitchen Designer?

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