Finding the right kitchen designer is very important. A simple renovation may not just be what you think it is as there are factors to consider more then just the aesthetics. An expert kitchen designer can do a fantastic job both in style and functionality.

Both new and old kitchens involves electrical and plumbing requirements, the importance of hiring a designer and licensed contractor can very well inform you and install the correct voltage and wattage requirements for you and your kitchens safety. They are the best to know the load requirements based in lightings and appliances to be used and ensure a balanced power distribution and consumption.

In modern homes, the kitchen has become the central and most thought of area especially for those who love to cook and invite friends over. A well planned kitchen area can only be done by your designer after a series of meetings and exchange of ideas giving importance to your specifications. Your kitchen should have a good floor plan designed for mobility and space saving.

Kitchen Designer

There are also kitchen floor plans and designs that you can use as well as draw the plan yourself by purchasing a good designer kitchen software program. If you feel this is much more cost effective than hiring a designer, this tool is helpful in creating a plan for your kitchen.

Useful Tips When Hiring a Kitchen Designer

• Plan ahead before you look for a kitchen designer. Make a note of what you want to be done, know your budget. Have a clear instruction of how you want the kitchen to be functional according to your needs.
• Make sure to go over your budget and list, point it out with the designer and observe strict compliance without sacrificing quality. Your budget would also be the basis as to the extent of work and materials to be used.
• Make sure you hire a designer that you can work with smoothly and be ready to listen as they know more than you do when it comes to kitchen designs. Also, they may present a better idea that is similar to what you wanted.  Be open to new ideas.
• Talk with their past clients and if possible look at examples of past work.  Know their level of expertise.
• Demand written estimates and check if everything is covered and noted as to how you want the kitchen done.
• Demand for a job contract as well as start and completion dates.
• Ask for a written guarantee for the job to be done

A kitchen designer help saves you time and money. They usually do all the price canvassing and shopping and work with a team of skilled carpenters, electricians and plumbers. That is why it is also important to stick to agreed design and plans as changing one aspect can alter the costs significantly after work has commenced. This kind of arrangement also gives you the total cost of the project from start to completion so you can set aside the money for the whole project. Get the most of your budget with a well planned kitchen from an expert kitchen designer.

Designer kitchens should be beautiful, practical and functional, but how many of you actually give any thought to the safety of your children when having your new kitchen designed? When planning a new kitchen as adults we tend to go for how the finished article will look, as opposed to how safe it is for our children. If given some time and thought at the planning stage this can save a lot of do it yourself jobs at a later date, possibly damaging your cabinets in the process.

Another aspect of safety in the kitchen is that of a wheel-chair bound person. Access in and around the kitchen can be very difficult for someone in a wheel-chair. Things that we take for granted such as: work-top height, access to the sink, positioning of taps on the sink, even the width of the door to the kitchen. Work-top height is a difficult decision to make, as this will have a big impact on selling your home at a later date. Access to the sink is fairly simple, remember a wheel-chair user needs to get close, solution, do not have under-sink cabinets, as for the taps make them the lever type and have them positioned closer the front of the sink. Getting into the kitchen, as able bodied people we tend to overlook the fact that a wheel-chair needs a minimum of thirty two inches in width.

Modern Kitchen Design

A little thought at the planning stage can and will make your kitchen a thing of beauty as well as being safe and functional.

Here are a few ideas to make your little ones that much safer in your designer kitchen:

• Safety latches on the lower cabinets.
• Be sure that where you keep kitchen cleaning materials is only accessible by an adult.
• Deeper work-tops so little fingers cant reach hot surfaces.
• Make sure the handles of hot pans are turned inwards.
• Do not let gadget cords hang from work surfaces.
• Do not pour hot water when your child is close by.
• Lock away your alcohol.
• Be clean in your kitchen; wash your hands and work-tops regularly when handling meat and poultry.
• If your kitchen is also your dining area, watch the table cloth, kids love to pull these.

You spend a lot of your time in the kitchen, and it can be great fun to have your children along side you. Make sure they are safe; if they want to “join in” give them plastic bowls and utensils to use. A simple thing like letting them put dough into baking trays makes them feel that they are a part of the whole family. Keep a child safety gate close to hand if you have to step out of the kitchen, even if its only for a minute, it takes no time at all for a very serious accident to occur especially in the kitchen. Do not sacrifice safety for a kitchens looks and functionality for a wheel chair user.  A good kitchens designer can help you with these aspects.

A designer kitchen to some people may be considered an expensive luxury, to you; it may be the culmination of years of hard work and saving to put the icing on the cake in your home. With careful planning and good design, the only limitation is your imagination.

Choosing a good designer is your first step to success, the time spent giving careful consideration to your new kitchen will be time well spent. Begin with taking into consideration the existing style of your home. A high tech, ultra modern kitchen may look good in the right home, but in a country style cottage? That does not mean you cant have modern gadgets, but a little thought into the cabinet style will really show off your good taste. So, whether it’s a renovation or a complete new build, take your time.

Get the designer to visit your home, its so much easier if they can actually see the existing kitchen, than for you to try and describe it to them in an office, even with exact measurements. By visiting your home they will be able to get “the feel” of the place, and will be able to make a good judgment on what will or will not look good.

A few things to think about when planning your kitchen:

The Style: As has already been said, be aware of age of your home. Pick a design that compliments your home, if you have areas to be painted, choose a color that blends with your cabinet finish or, makes them stand out, after all they are the main feature.

Designer Kitchen

Layout and Storage space: A well planned kitchen will make it a joy to work in. Having your appliances where you may want them might not be practical, your designer will be able to show you the best way to get the most from your storage space and also where best to put the oven, or refrigerator, be flexible, but, also stay as close as you can to your own ideas. You are the one that will be spending your time in the kitchen, not the designer. Your work-tops should be exactly that, having to put gadgets on them will only detract from the space you have to prepare and cook things, with innovative storage ideas a lot of these can now be hidden, leaving you with plenty of room. A cluttered kitchen is not pleasing on the eye.

Dining area: You may want to incorporate your dining room in your kitchen; again, careful planning will make this not only a desirable place to eat and entertain your friends, but also a safe place to eat. The kitchen table too close to where you will cook, scary! If you have young children make sure they cannot use dining chairs to reach up to work-tops, where there could be hot pots and pans.

Features: As the kitchen has now become more than just a place to eat, give some thought to other things you may want such as, a television, this needs to be out of the way but also can be seen. Maybe a lap-top computer or a music system. With a good designer, and careful planning, let your imagination go wild and create that designer kitchen of your dreams.

Planning a new kitchen can be a tricky business! But with Kitchens Brisbane, we can make this task a lot easier. Here are 10 top tips to get you started:

1. Make a decision about your available budget and stick to it. It’s very easy to get carried away and end up over-spending only to regret it later. If you’re using a kitchen designer from Kitchens Brisbane, it’s a good idea to underestimate your budget as kitchen designers can also get carried away! That way, you’ll have a bit more room to manoeuvre.
2. Try to identify the things you dislike about your current kitchen as this in turn will help you to decide what you really want. (For example, are you happy with the amount of storage you have? Do you have a big enough food preparation area?)
3. If your budget is limited, consider just replacing cabinet doors and countertops. Kitchens Brisbane specialize in this and it can give you a whole new look for a fraction of the cost.
4. Start a collection of ideas and pictures of styles that appeal to you. Search the internet, magazines and brochures for inspiration; cut out and keep the designs you like so that you can refer to them later.
5. Remember the kitchen triangle! Think about the 3 main areas in your kitchen; cooking, food preparation and cleaning (i.e.-sink area). The locations of these areas should be carefully planned to ensure that your kitchen is user-friendly. Wherever possible, avoid moving plumbing and power supplies as this can be an unnecessary additional expense.
6. Maximize your space; this is particularly important if your kitchen is on the small side. Think carefully about the dimensions and positioning of your cabinets (tall, thin cabinets can be a great space saver). Slightly raised cabinets can give the illusion of more space, as can a lighter colour on the walls.
7. Think about how you will use your kitchen. Will it be used solely for cooking or will it be a place for the family to hang out? Your lifestyle will be important in determining your kitchen layout and choice of fixtures and furnishings.
8. Your kitchen is a considered purchase so it’s important to choose something that you’ll love for years to come. It’s also worth thinking in terms of adding value to your house. If you’re considering opting for bright orange high-gloss cabinets, be prepared for the fallout when it comes to selling your property!
9. Be practical. There’s no point in buying sleek, shiny white cabinets if you have three children and a dog. Ideally, your kitchen should be low maintenance. Choose something that’s going to be hard-wearing and easy to clean.
10. Consider hiring a kitchen designer from Kitchens Brisbane. Although this will add a little to your costs, it will undoubtedly save you a lot of time and stress. A good kitchen designer will take care of the whole project for you including co-ordinating plumbers, electricians etc, which can make things a whole lot easier for you. The Kitchen designers at Kitchens Brisbane will also be able to offer you a range of ideas regarding major appliances meaning that you can organise absolutely everything you need to at once.

If you’re planning a new kitchen, it’s likely that you’re drowning in a sea of brochures, leaflets and lots of price lists detailing all manner of possibilities. It’s also likely that you’ve walked for miles, going from showroom to showroom, trying to find the perfect design at the perfect price. You may have made a list of all the different things you need to organize and people you need to phone. You may even have exchanged a few heated words with your partner about the best style, the right appliances, the colour scheme or the price. Planning a new kitchen is not an easy task. However, the good news is that there is a solution, and that solution is called a kitchen designer.

Budget

Being clear about your budget

There’s nothing more frustrating then finally finding your dream kitchen only to discover that it’s outside your price range. It can be very tempting to stretch your finances further than is wise and live to regret it later. A kitchen designer will work within the budget you have available to you. Your designer will discuss your budget with you at the outset to establish your price range and will then work with you to achieve a design that you love at a price that’s right for you. It’s worth asking your kitchen designer about available discounts as very often their contacts with suppliers can enable you to get a better deal.

Virtual kitchens!

It can be hard to visualize how a specific design is going to look in your kitchen without actually seeing it. Your kitchen designer will be able to show you a mock-up of what your kitchen will look like in the room by using their laptop. Not only is this useful in helping you to visualize styles and colours but it’s also great for trying out different layouts for cabinets and appliances.

Dynamic Space

Optimizing space

One of the trickiest aspects involved in planning a kitchen is the layout. First and foremost, your kitchen needs to make practical sense (e.g: having your refrigerator close to a countertop and your oven close to the sink). Your layout should also optimize the space available to you and take account of plumbing and electrical points for major appliances. Your kitchen designer will be experienced in dealing with all shapes and sizes of kitchens and will quickly be able to determine which layout will work best in your space.

Convenience

One of the best things about hiring a kitchen designer is convenience. There’s no need to trek round dozens of different shops trying to choose taps that will match your sink and splash backs that will work with your countertops; your kitchen designer can show you everything you need in the comfort of your own home.

Project management

Hiring a kitchen designer means there’s no need for you to give yourself high blood pressure trying to co-ordinate electricians, plumbers and joiners, not to mention ensuring that the relevant parts have been delivered for each job. Your kitchen designer will manage everything for you, leaving you to put your feet up and dream about your beautiful new kitchen.