What Do We Do Next?

Now that you know the ways to buy, how do you go about the process? While most people want to start picking out the cabinets and all other materials at the start, it is better to start at the beginning, the design process.

Any well-executed project starts with a blueprint for success. In the case of a kitchen remodeling job, that blueprint is a detailed drawing set, consisting of floor plans and elevations (possibly perspectives), and written specifications for exactly what will and will not happen in your home. Many kitchen specialists offer design-planning services. Usually, this is in the form of a rebatable fee charged to you up front for the design/planning stage. The designer will visit your home to acquire the technical knowledge required to plan your job. The designer checks all the mechanical requirements, the room size limitations, the structural details, and of course, your budget constraints. You will discuss your wish list, and your need list. Armed with all this information, the designer heads to the drawing board, be it electronic or not, to meld your needs and desires with the limitations identified, into a functional and aesthetic plan for your project. Typical retainer fees are $ 500.00 to $ 1000.00, or more, depending on the scope of the project.

At this point, a second meeting is arranged to present the plan to you, and to begin the product selection process. This second meeting takes place in the designer’s showroom, and the fun is really beginning! Selecting materials, colors, textures and realizing how the project will improve the daily lives of you and your family, is very exciting. After the products are selected, the final pricing can be given. Adjustments are made, and the project is ready for contracts.

But wait a minute!! Did we say a design fee of $ 500.00-1,000.00?? Not at Kenwood Kitchens!! We offer the initial job site visit and design/pricing process as a service to our clients. In extreme cases where design work above and beyond the normal is necessary, retainers may be necessary. Ask your Kenwood Kitchens salesperson for more information.

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