One of the most common things people forget during the kitchen remodel process is to have their interior design specialist out to see the site before construction begins. Although most interior designers will draw up a plan of what the pros kitchen will look like, many don't ever venture to the site before work begins.
While this may seem efficient, it can wind up delivering incredibly disappointing results for the homeowner. As you look for an interior designer to manage your kitchen remodel, be sure that you find one who is willing to make the journey to your home and evaluate your kitchen in person.
Although this may seem like a small step, it can make all of the difference in your kitchen remodel’s trajectory, and can easily spell the difference between a space you love, and one that makes you uncomfortable every day.
Why an In-Person Evaluation Matters
If you've ever tried to purchase clothing online, you know that sometimes mere measurements are not enough to ensure quality. Sure, you can send in your inseam and waist measurements, but that doesn't mean the incredibly expensive pair of pants you just splurged on will fit or perform as well as you had hoped. For some things, and in-person evaluation is critical. This goes for kitchen design as much as it does for clothing.
Without seeing your space in person, even the most talented interior design specialist won't be able to get a realistic feel for how it functions and where it could be improved. By visiting your space in person, the interior design specialist can see things that are lacking, feel inefficiencies in the area, and develop a real and tangible plan to make your kitchen remodel the best it can possibly be.
While it's true that talented interior designers can do a great deal with computer programs and precise measurements, there is just no replacement for standing in the kitchen and developing a plan for its remodel from there.
What's more, standing in the kitchen may just spark a brilliant idea within your interior designer, which they may not have had otherwise. All things considered, anyone who wants to ensure a high-quality and highly satisfying kitchen remodel needs to find an interior designer who is willing to visit the site in person at least once before the construction begins. For some things, there's just no shortcut.
Scheduling Your Kitchen Walk-Through
Depending on the scope and intensity of your kitchen remodel, you may want to schedule more than one walk-through with your interior designer. In some cases, it's helpful to have the designer look at the space alone, and then again with other relevant professionals, such as an electrician or a plumber.
This is particularly true if you intend to do a major kitchen remodel, which includes things like moving cabinets or relocating major appliances like dishwashers and refrigerators.
Although some homeowners believe the designer only needs to see the space once, every time your interior design specialist walks into your kitchen is one more opportunity for them to improve upon, enhance, streamline, and optimize your design.
With this in mind, make an effort to schedule your designer’s kitchen walk-through early in the project, before any demolition or construction has begun. This allows the designer to get a realistic feel for the space, and make an efficient plan of how best to attack and improve the area.
Depending on your designer’s level of demand and involvement, you may find that you want to schedule additional walk-throughs as the project progresses through its later stages, as well.
How to Manage a Busy Team
Because designers and subcontractors are busy people, you may need to get creative with how all of these professionals collaborate on your kitchen design projects. For example, maybe the entire team can only walk through the kitchen once or twice, but from there on out they can communicate via a collaboration platform like a Google docs or something similar.
Regardless of how you choose to do it, insisting on in-person evaluations and maintaining a sense of collaboration and close cooperation between your designers and other relevant subcontractors is the best way to ensure that your kitchen remodel is satisfying and beautiful.
While there are dozens of critical things to look for in an interior designer, a willingness to put in the legwork needed to visit the sites they intend to remodel is one thing on which you can’t afford to compromise.
Have a kitchen you want remodeled? Contact us today to learn more about our skilled, hands-on designers, and how we can help you.
