Should you Hire a Kitchen Designer?
House
3
min read
27 Aug 2020
House2Home: The Complete Guide to Renovating or Redecorating
This blog is part of our House2Home series, where we're sharing expert advice, resources and style ideas on renovating or redecorating your home. For more great kitchen design inspiration, check out the House2Home kitchen content on our landing page.
You could always go down the DIY route and design the style and layout of your new kitchen yourself – (we’ve got a blog on that) – but if you decide to hire a designer for the job, there’s a few options available to you.
A lot of kitchen companies will offer you the whole package (design, supply and fit) - there’s some great small kitchen specialists in Ireland - some of which are listed on Houzz.ie - that will design, manufacture, and fit a bespoke kitchen to your taste. Or larger kitchen retailers like Ikea or Cash and Carry Kitchens also offer limited design and fit services; on a larger, less bespoke scale.
The downside of enlisting a company’s design service is that you are restricted to using their products. If you’re not going DIY or with a company package, you can also hire an independent kitchen designer, interior designer, or architect to help you with the design. We’ve listed below different types of kitchen specialists you can hire, as well as things to consider before you do.
What are the Benefits of Using a Kitchen Designer?
Obviously if you went it alone, you are saving a (sometimes hefty) design fee, but the benefits of hiring an expert such as a kitchen designer, interior designer or architect to design your kitchen is the fact they’ll help you avoid costly mistakes.
What’s the Difference between a Kitchen Designer, an Interior Designer and an Architect?
You can of course hire an architect or interior designer to work on the design of your kitchen, but kitchen designers are specialised in their field – meaning they have product knowledge and design innovations, and understand the concept behind a functional kitchen layout.
Most are also qualified in interior design and choosing a kitchen designer with interior design experience gives homeowners the complete package.
Choosing an architect for your kitchen redesign means focusing on the bigger picture. Architects can visualise how the kitchen space might integrate with the rest of your house. If you have large, structural changes you wish to make, like extension or developing an open plan kitchen, a consultation with an architect who also has design experience, may be the way to go.
As mentioned, some kitchen designers are employed by, and available to renovators, through affiliations with kitchen manufacturing companies. Kitchen manufacturing companies usually stock the latest materials, finishes, layout ideas and colour palettes, but you are limited to what’s offered by that company.
How Much Does a Kitchen Designer cost?
It does vary, but you could look at about 10%-12% of your total project cost on design fees.
Questions to Ask your Kitchen Designer or Architect
In our blog on how to design your own kitchen, we list the first two steps as setting your objective sand budget; and you should have this in mind before approaching a kitchen designer. Do you want to make the most of a small space? Perhaps have more room for preparing food or entertaining? Do you just want a beautiful sleek design with more light?
Reputable design companies will probably have portfolios and showrooms where you can see the quality of their work, but with an individual, independent designer, do always ask for credentials: previous work examples, references to other jobs, images of their design work and qualifications and certificates – when it comes to the design itself, always have a list of questions at hand.
Design Question Examples
- How can I tell if I’m making the most of my space when it comes to storage?
- Does a “kitchen triangle” between the fridge, stove, and sink really make a kitchen more efficient?
- How can I create a kitchen with children in mind?
- Are there big, structural changes that will need to be made (plumbing/wiring)?
Planning a home renovation? Keep up to date with all the latest articles from Roisin Murphy on our landing page and keep an eye out for #House2Home across out Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram for more great advice on planning, budgeting, as well as design and style ideas and inspiring stories – so you can turn that house into the perfect home.
If you need any help with budgeting or financial support with your project, (big or small) don’t hesitate to contact your local credit union - we’re here to help.
The content of this blog is aimed to provide general advice and information to the public only. Readers should seek professional advice when it comes to renovations.