If you’re about to embark on the exciting adventure of redoing your kitchen, congratulations! The kitchen is the center of every home. It’s the room we spend the most time in, and it gets entered and exited thousands of times each year. If your kitchen is looking worn down or doesn’t reflect your family’s personality, it’s time for an upgrade.
To bring your vision to life and make the most of your budget, hiring a good kitchen interior designer is essential. Designers can help you stay on budget, bring your vision to life, handle all the details of your project, and mitigate the stress of remodeling projects. Vital to the success of your remodeling project is finding the kitchen interior designer in Austin, TX, that is right for you. How do you choose the right kitchen interior designer? Here are seven steps to guide you in the process.
What Style is Their Specialty?
When deciding on an interior designer, find out what styles they specialize in. Most designers will be familiar with the latest trends and most major kitchen design concepts. It’s a good idea, however, to ensure that they have experience in the style you desire. If you have a specific design style that only a few people have heard of, it’s best to find a designer who is familiar with it.
Check Their Design Portfolio
All interior designers will have an extensive portfolio of projects they’ve completed for clients. Their portfolios will display the range of projects and design styles they have experience with. Portfolios are a great place to gather ideas for your project and check on the overall feel and trends a designer prefers. If your chosen design is farmhouse or shabby chic and the designer you’re interested in has only worked with mid-century modern, you might need to look elsewhere.
Share Your Budget
Interior designers are geniuses at taking a budget, staying within it, and pulling off an interior overhaul that will leave you amazed. When setting up an initial consultation with a kitchen interior designer, communicating your budget is crucial. If you have an especially large budget, be sure your designer has experience working with projects your size. If you have a smaller budget, make sure your designer has experience with maximizing every design concept to get the most out of what you can put into your project.
Set Up an Initial Meeting
After you’ve found a designer familiar with your desired style and budget, set up a meeting. Meeting with a designer is important for several reasons. First, you will be working with this person through the completion of your project. It’s important to make sure you get along well. If personalities clash or you can’t seem to share the same vision, move on to another candidate. Second, it gives them a chance to ask more in-depth questions, show you some initial concepts, and communicate their methods for project completion. Finally, it allows everyone to get on the same page about the process and timeline of your project.
Make a Plan
Creating a detailed plan for your project might occur during your initial meeting or could occur during subsequent times together. Talk in length about the entire process, discuss how progress will be tracked, and be sure everyone is on the same page. Discuss how many times you’ll meet in person vs. on the phone. Find out how available they are when choosing the various parts and pieces of your new kitchen. Discuss what their rates are, how they expect to be paid, and how the final project is considered finished. Get all your questions answered from A to Z. No concern or question is too small for a project of this size.
Detailed Contract
Once you have a designer you love who fits your budget and can bring your vision to life, you’ll want to get a detailed contract. Designers will list all services covered by their fees and how they charge for services. They’ll also include details such as how much time per week they’ll dedicate to your project, what vendors they use, their method for acquiring your approval, and other relevant details. Read over the contract before signing and ask for any clarification necessary. Once you’re happy, sign the contract, shake your designer’s hand, and get ready for an exciting ride!
