How to Choose a Kitchen Designer

Unless you're a designer yourself, you'll need to hire one. Kitchens are far and away the most complicated room in any house; a good guide is worth more than money.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Take some time to educate yourself and refine your tastes.

2. Learn what goes into a kitchen. Research magazines, books, television shows and Web sites.

3. Learn as much as you can first. The more you know, the easier the process will be.

4. Ask for referrals from friends, contractors and craftspeople.

5. Look for designers among the following groups (listed in no special order): kitchen cabinet showrooms, architects, interior designers, kitchen design companies, design/build general contractors and local cabinetmakers.

6. Ask for qualifications - how much experience they have and what references they can provide.

7. Ask to see photographs. You can gather a lot of information just by looking.

8. Hire someone you feel comfortable with. You'll be spending time together for the next several months (at least), and not all of it will be fun. Like any relationship, it requires mutual respect.

9. Be prepared to pay well for a design, from several hundred dollars (for minimal plans and no follow-through) to several thousand dollars, depending on the scope of the project. As with anything else, you often get what you pay for.

10. Pay separately for the design. Many designers work in showrooms; if you want to commit to buying the cabinets from them, fine, but if you have a separate contract for design, you can go somewhere else later if you want to.

Tips & Warnings

• Many local schools offer classes on kitchen building and remodeling. These can be a great introduction to the process.
• When interviewing designers, ask the following: What are the payment arrangements? How many drafts of a plan will they provide? Do they require you to use their own contractors? Do they require you to buy cabinets from them? Will they help pick out appliances, floors, countertops, plumbing fixtures, wallpaper? Will they supply electrical, plumbing and lighting plans?
• If a designer - or anyone, for that matter - tells you the process is easy, stress-free and will be complete in two weeks, they're either lying or stupid. Or both. Don't hire that person.