Not your models, but I had an early architect for which KA refunded me the purchase price and I currently have a ge profile. I'm critical by nature, so take that into account when reading the following. GE's grate design isn't the best or even second best. Where the tines open up between burners, small pots can drop through (the continous grates thing is lost on them). You can see the same sort of mistake on the Cafe. Their burner head design is awful. It actually takes LONGER to boil water on the 17k burner than the 12k because the diameter of the burner is so big it can't be used efficently for most pots. Conversely, the simmer burner runs too hot! KA's burners and grates are a better design and deliver more practical heat. However, the refund was because the burners kept melting the porcelain coating off the grates! Both the profile and ka have fairly low power, low efficency broilers. More expensive KA's have better broiling systems. The self-clean works well on both. My profile is two years old. The oven enamel has chipped off in places (naked and rusting are spots the size of quarters) where the racks go. I do not move the racks often. The bottom of the oven has other wierd defects including a 10" circle you can feel. After using both mfgr burners, I think you'd be best off with models that offered dual or triple ring burners. The cafe has at least one and a more powerful broiler. I would hesitate on the cafe because the ones I have seen in person look... well, they have fit and finish issues. Have you checked out the electrolux? It has much the same feature set as the cafe and just under $2k. Here is a link that might be useful: Electrolux

As a building designer in Oregon (not an Architect). Most states have laws that requires projects to be designed by a registered architect/engineer except for when it falls into the exemption status. These buildings are called "Exempt Buildings" and those that don't are called "Non-Exempt Buildings". As a general rule, exempt projects do not require an architect or engineer to stamp but can. To answer the person who asked how come someone who is not licensed can't be called an architect. Sure they can be called it but they can not refer to themselves or portray themselves under current law where the title use refers to a licensed person. Historically, the term architect means ANYONE who designs buildings and the practice of designing buildings is called architecture. When these Architect Acts were enacted, (in Oregon - in 1919), the act required that people are registered in order to use the title. In the beginning, those who have been practicing for an X number of years (usually 10 years) prior to the enactment were grandfathered in and can be licensed without examination but just by applying with proof of practice prior to then. Of course, for most places, no one can now be grandfathered in. The laws were enacted with a limited scope of exemption. This created a parallel universe of unlicensed designers who uses alternative titles to Architects and those who are licensed. This is a responsibility of unlicensed designers to ensure the public that they are not licensed designers. However, our practices on these exempt buildings are often the same as those who are licensed. If you were to call a spade a spade then building designers are simply unlicensed architects (IF YOU USE the older pre-Architect Act enactment meaning) but we just can't use the title in practice or advertisement. It's politics. Period. I rather not fight with Oregon Board of Architect Examiners while gaining myself several $5,000 fines. It only makes sense not to fight and argue when I can use title that technically is a synonym. It makes common sense that if you are licensed as an Architect in a particular State to use the title Architect. Now to the message regarding $1/sq.ft. design fee. If you think about the work, if it takes you 100 solid hours to work on one single project then you are slow. Especially, if your work is prescriptive. In the old days of early 1900s, we had this test where you have to be able to design a building (example: a city hall) in 24 hours to get licensed. Then again, most designers are basically charging $20 an hour and only working on the design about 4 hours and get the design completed in 5-8 weeks. Working on two projects at once. I usually work on the order of $1-4 per sq.ft. on a tabulated fee table based on various sq.ft. ranges. Then again, if I am involving different level of work and project sophistication. I work anywhere from 8 to 12 hours in a day and work anywhere from 5 to 7 days. So who really cares about the hourly rate since I don't work off that. It depends on project load. If you know the code and have basic door schedules, window schedules already templated, it won't take long to modify the template and insert it. Especially if you are using CAD. Most doors will have the same number of components for the door type. After awhile, it's pretty much already setup with minor adjustments. Rick Balkins, Building Designer

General contractor is a given..the rest-it largely depends on you-your funds, confidence what you can/cannot do, resilience, time and energy you can devote, etc. (And experience and passion of your contractor. He won't pick your finishes of course; but he might have an idea to put a window instead of a door for example or some other thing you didn't think of by yourself. Brainstorming is part of the process) we pulled off gut remodel plus addition plus reconfiguring stuff with the help of GC only but I'd say I longed to have a designer not once..would be easier. it's a very trying experience, long as well, you want more professional people by your side. It doesn't get done by itself-and it's a full time job, if nobody undertakes it, you do. So by all means either contact a designer, or maybe look at design-build firms. Just make sure you have a good chemistry with that person. Important with everybody of course, builder as well. You'll spend hours with these people..days..months..hopefully not years but can happen:) Minimize stuff that can go wrong by choosing right people. Some things will go wrong but the better your relationship is the more chance in overcoming obstacles. Architect, I'm not sure you need..your builder may advise with structural engineer if needed for that to be removed wall "Understand that if you are tearing out walls, finalization of the plan occurs AFTER the walls are out and you can see what is behind them"-agreed (we didn't tear down walls though, if anything we added some lol..but as we fully gutted the space-I know some stuff can't be predicted until you touch the wall and know what's there) So yes..the combo of general contractor and interior designer would be best. Whom to contact first? I'd start with a GC to get a feel of a general scope of the work, but I think both can be contacted simultaneously, or one can start with a designer too Whether people do double duty? Rarely. They might want to, but will not be best equipped for it even if passionate or simply won't have time. But you don't neccessarily need them to do double duty, in your particular case. Interior designers, for example, are trained to understand how the house works, so they are not architects but can have great vision and realize the mechanics that are required to achieve it.

I started looking through our client database, and it appears that we have hundreds of clients in the Los Angeles area, and so it might be a good idea as suggested that you start a thread asking for experience and recommendations from people who have used designers here. I'm kind of at the other end of the experience, since the designers are our clients instead of vice versa. Also, since I am in product development and design, I really do not get involved with clients, although years ago I used to. My experience now is rather dated, and many of the designers that I've known have retired. The only one that comes to my mind at the moment is Lisa Merkle, and I did some drawings for her back when I lived in Venice more than ten years ago. I've done freelance drawings for some other designers as well, but I can't remember their names at the moment, as it's been over ten years. Another one of my clients (who produced tiles) worked with Michael Smith, and I think his work is very good also, but he usually works on fairly large projects, I think. Another person I could recommend is Suzanne MacPhail, who used to work with me here. She also used to work for my boss Sally Lewis in her interior Design business SSID as SSL's in house architect, I believe. She also used to work on the floor plans for our showrooms, but she is now out on her own, as my boss no longer does interior design work, due to her health. If you do not want to work with Suzanne, she could recommend someone for you. Jack Lowrance is one of our clients that I can remember, but I've been out of touch for several years. At least he is still alive.