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What does a kitchen designer do?
Working with a CKD is similar to working with an architect. He or she can simply draw up a plan based on your dreams, desires, and dollars and leave it at that, or continue working with all the tradespeople involved until the job is completed. In the initial meetings, your CKD will interview you at length to determine how you cook and live in the kitchen space. Now is the time to share all your ideas, notes, and pictures. Based on information from those meetings, the CKD sorts out priorities for the present and future. After that, the CKD will bring preliminary designs to review with you. Finally, the CKD submits a complete proposal setting out all of the work that is planned. The specifications should describe in detail all construction work, cabinetry, countertops, appliances, wiring, plumbing, and lighting, as well as the division of responsibilities for the work, a timeline, and an estimated budget detailing all charges.
Get ideas and advice that can improve your home. Check out more from AOL How-To Coach Barbara K, plus get additional tips and information on improving your quality of life from all of our AOL Coaches.
How long does it take?
Depending on the size of your kitchen and the extent of the renovation, count on a minimum of 4 weeks to redo a galley-style kitchen in a condo and up to 12 weeks or longer for a big redo of a sprawling space.
How much will it cost?
While you can refresh surfaces and add new features for as little as $5,000, expect to pay anywhere from a minimum of $20,000 up to $100,000 and much more for a complete kitchen makeover (depending on finishes, appliances, stone, etc.). You can save money by getting some of the appliances and fixtures, such as sinks, faucets, lights, pot racks, and cabinet hardware, yourself.
What happens?
A lot! But before you do anything, you have to determine what your budget is. I don’t think it’s a bad idea to use the equity in your house to improve your kitchen. It is such a valuable, vital area of your home, why not do the best job you can?
Once you have determined a budget, the kitchen designer will help you design a layout. Bring some of your own ideas to the first meeting so he or she will know what you like. (Use the floor plan at the end of this chapter, on page 123, to get started.) Think about how you currently use your kitchen and what changes would make the arrangement of appliances and counters and the traffic flow work better. Make a list of all the things you love about your kitchen too, so that those highlights can be incorporated into the new design.
