Designer Driven: Top Tips for a Successful Collaboration

A kitchen redesign is a big undertaking, one that often leaves homeowners overwhelmed right from the start. On the other hand, it can be difficult to let a third party take the lead on something as intimate and important as your kitchen design. In order for you to get the kitchen of your dreams, it’s important to foster a good working relationship between designer and client: a designer should bring expertise and enthusiasm to the mix, while the client/homeowner’s insights into their daily routines are invaluable for the designer. Good communication and honest feedback are crucial to the success of the collaboration.

Here are a few of our top tips for homeowners to help make choosing and working with a designer a smashing success.

Know Your Expectations, and Articulate Them

When it’s time to meet with designers, be prepared with both your budget and your expectations for the project. Make a list of goals—they can be general (“more counter space”) or specific (appliance brands/models, materials preferences)—and discuss them within the context of your budget. A major upside of working with a designer is allowing them to direct you toward the materials, brands, and features that fall within your budget—saving headaches, and heartaches.

Ask Questions—Lots of Questions!

Ask as many questions as you can think of when it’s time to choose a designer. You want a sense of their work history and work ethic, as well as a sense of them as a person. Examples of questions to ask include:

• Can I see samples of your work?
• How long have you been designing, and what are your credentials?
• What kind of ongoing training/education/certifications have you pursued?
• How long will this take?
• What are the cost procedures and payment schedules?

Dictate Lines of Communication

Establish boundaries while also encouraging open lines of communication by creating a communications plan at the outset of your working relationship. Determine a schedule for contact and updates, and once construction begins have a phone tree in place so that all parties—designers, contractors, clients, sub-contractors—know who to call, and when.

When you work with the Cabinets & Designs staff you work with the best! Don’t forget to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Houzz, and Pinterest for all of the latest news in kitchen, bath, and home renovation!