Designing a new kitchen: Can you hire kitchen design consultants?

sconry

Do you know if it's possible to get kitchen design consultants to come out and look at your house and recommend the best kitchen layout for the space?

The problem when I go to kitchen showrooms or look at kitchens online is that I don't know which layout and fittings would work best given the space and dimensions of the room. Our current kitchen layout is not great - very little counter space. I know there is scope to improve it, but the space is relatively tight so I'd benefit from an expert actually looking at the space and recommending something that works.

However our dilemma is that we are also on a very tight budget!

All thoughts and suggestions welcome!!

December2012

I used these guys and they came out to advise me

http://www.kitchenandhome.ie/

It may depend on where you are though - they're in Dublin 5.

sconry

Thanks so much. What did you think of them? Were they expensive? Good design advice? Good quality? Oh, and did they charge for the consultation or was it part of their marketing?

December2012

At the time it was free - this was a few years ago.

The guy had good ideas of what would suit our kitchen and budget.

We went with them in the end.

wandererz

Shop around. Pick up the phone and get calling.

1) Draw out your floor plan on a sheet of paper.
2) Measure the length of each wall and write this on your diagram.
3) Measure the height of the wall from floor to ceiling and note it.
4) Measure anything else you feel is necessary or is different to your kitchen.
5) Measure in centimeters
6) Take pictures and video of your kitchen (phones or tablets are great for this)

Armed with the above, start visiting some kitchen suppliers.
If its a quiet day/time of the week, they will be able to sit down with you, and sometimes be able to immediately draw up a rough design. Or it may require a day or two or three of a wait for the design.
The important bit is that you have the relevant info to hand when you visit them.

If you have the dimensions and are handy with a computer then Google Sketchup is a great free tool to draw plans as well.

This is what i did, imported the plan of my home as an image. Used that to replicate it in Sketchup, then raised all the walls with one motion and ended up with a 3D view of everything and was then able to draw in cabinets etc.

It was nothing as professional as a kitchen design person would provide but it allows you to play with different ideas before going in to see them. If you're not handy with a computer then introduce your kids to Sketchup - who knows, they could end up being designers and architects themselves. YouTube videos will show you how to build a plan in Sketchup.

The design consultation is normally free.
To get them to come in and do specific measurements is normally chargeable.

Also, if you see design concepts you like, for example on Houzz.com or in larger Kitchen suppliers then take pictures or save them so that you remember and can show to others.

Junglewoman

Try Kube Kitchens in Dublin. I bought a kitchen there 4 years ago and the design service and product quality is excellent. They were able to talk me through all options and importantly profiled how I used my previous kitchen and what was on my wish list. For example, I was unsure about an island as I thought it would create a barrier. Their solution was to put it on heavy duty castors, include 2 large drawers for storage and it has worked very well. Their kitchens are made in Germany and the solidly made units are supplied ready assembled. I was surprised at their value and the units look as good as the day they went in even though they have taken a lot of hard usage. Kube will advise you on the best way to utilise all your space and importantly how mix and match colours to best effect. Crucially, they won't rush you into making a decision and will happily rework computerised plans. I felt they tailored the kitchen to my exact needs and I still love the result. They also delivered bang on time in the middle of heavy snow even though my road was iced over.Kubekitchens.ie

Ectoplasm

wandererz wrote: »

Shop around. Pick up the phone and get calling.

1) Draw out your floor plan on a sheet of paper.
2) Measure the length of each wall and write this on your diagram.
3) Measure the height of the wall from floor to ceiling and note it.
4) Measure anything else you feel is necessary or is different to your kitchen.
5) Measure in centimeters
6) Take pictures and video of your kitchen (phones or tablets are great for this)

Armed with the above, start visiting some kitchen suppliers.
If its a quiet day/time of the week, they will be able to sit down with you, and sometimes be able to immediately draw up a rough design. Or it may require a day or two or three of a wait for the design.
The important bit is that you have the relevant info to hand when you visit them.

I'd absolutely second the point about taking detailed measurements. To be honest when it comes to kitchen design the most important part is for you, the user of the kitchen, to take some time to decide on your priorities. For example if you don't cook much you may be able to get by with a smaller hob than someone who is a devoted cook. Some people bake and so they may need more storage for specialised equipment.

There are lots of sneaky ways to gain space, using deeper drawers or even taking advantage of odd spaces in the kitchen. Most kitchen manufacturers will work with you to meet your needs but before you even speak to them it is worth taking time to think about your needs.

To that end, there is a good website, www.dynamicspace.com which is all about kitchen design all nd organisation which might help you.

leanbh

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