When do I contact a designer?
You should contact a designer in the inception stage of the project. If you are building a new home, you should consult with a kitchen and bath designer once you have chosen your house plans. If you are remodeling, consult with a designer before your begin your planning. By contacting a professional early in the process, you will gain a wealth of product knowledge, and a firm understanding of the actual costs of installing a kitchen, bath, bar, or other entertaining space. When you receive an estimate from a contractor, it is based on average pricing and the square footage of your project. When you acquire an estimate from a designer, your pricing reflects the actual cost of the items you wish to include in the project. This will help avoid "sticker shock" when the contractor tells you that you must "upgrade" to get what you wanted from the start.
The basic steps of the design process are as follows:
- Preliminary Consultation to discuss project outline
- Delivery of Initial Concept with estimate
- Payment of Design Retainer
- Second meeting to discuss project in detail
- Refinement of Concept into Initial Design utilizing CAD system
- Delivery of Refined Design CAD renderings and updated estimate
- Approval of Final Design(s)
- Payment in full for Final Design(s)
- Delivery of Final Design(s) and Cabinet Order(s)
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The creative development of the room or rooms being designed begins with a lengthy meet and greet. It is important that the client and designer get to know one another and have a rapport that is conducive to the sharing of ideas. The designer acts as interpreter to get the client’s thoughts transposed into a tangible plan. A level of trust is absolutely necessary, and both parties must be comfortable in each other’s presence. Like everything else worthwhile in life, the design process takes time and patience, so choose a designer with whom you sense a high level of compatability.
What to bring to the Preliminary Consultation –
The most important items to bring to your initial meeting are your floor plans and a collection of magazine and brochure clippings showing your taste in decor for the project at hand. From these items the designer can assess the scope of the project, and begin to formulate an idea of how the room should be appointed to fit your lifestyle. With this knowledge a preliminary sketch is developed, and the items needed to complete the project are priced. This is the basis of the preliminary budget for the project which will be presented to you as an estimate.
Reviewing your Initial Concept Paying the Design Retainer Because in the second meeting we will be rounding out the Initial Concept with more emphasis on detail, you may want to bring some additional materials to this session. Fabric, tile, flooring, paint chips, or any other products that you plan to use or that already exist in the space will be good to have on hand as decisions on cabinet door styles, wood species and finish; decorative pull, plumbing and appliance finishes; counter top and backsplash finishes; wall and trim finishes are discussed. Different finish techniques can dramatically change cabinet’s appearance while the door style and wood species remain the same. It is important to be aware of how the cabinetry will impact the accessories sharing the same space. To help obtain accurate pricing, having chosen the cabinetry product or products you will use for the project before coming to this session will be a big plus. Prices for the same space can be greatly impacted by the construction, finish process, and warranty of the products you choose. The pricing you receive after this session will be based the product(s) you specify. During this meeting we will also decide on the final placement of appliances and internal and external cabinetry accessories. Having a purchase order for your appliances is a good idea at this time to prevent ordering cabinetry that will not fit your appliances. If you have any specific storage needs, or know of particular embellishments you desire, make sure to note those during this session. Reviewing your Initial Design Before you take a look at the perspective renderings, use blue masking tape to lay out the floor plan on the floor (use a garage or other large space if the construction space is inaccessible). Walk around in the space and imagine yourself using the suggested layout. If you like the way it feels, then you can review the perspective renderings. Check for notations of interior accessories and make sure what you asked for is included. Be sure to review the updated estimate. Should you find that the updated budget of the project is more than expected, efforts can be made during the design process to reign in the cost. Prioritize the components of the plan, and explore alternative products that may save money. Keep in mind that it is often preferable to leave out items than to substitute products of inferior quality. Should you notice areas of the design that could be improved, mark your suggested revisions on the plan. Send a copy of the design and estimates back to us along with your observations. Reviewing your Revised Design Use the process above to evaluate the revisions. The design may have to be refined two or three times, don’t be afraid to ask again. Approving the Final Design Because cabinetry is such a large expense, and because there are so many details specified for even the smallest project, the design approval process is very exact. You will review and initial each floor plan and elevation showing the details of the cabinetry. The itemized cabinet order will be reviewed in tandem with the design. You will also be asked to confirm and approve the estimates for the other products being used in the project, such as appliances, plumbing fixtures, decorative pulls, counter top materials, backsplash materials, etc. This review process is vital to the delivery of the products you expect. Payment of the Design Fee Once you have approved the Final Design, you will be billed the balance of the Design Fee. Ordering your products Once you have paid all applicable design fees in full, you will be provided complete floor plans and elevations and completed order forms that can be turned in directly to you product suppliers so orders can be placed for your products. The designer will be available to communicate directly with the suppliers to ensure there is no misunderstanding of the orders. Project supervision Sean Gallagher Design offers installation and project management to compliment our design services. We will be available to install all or part of the products specified in our designs. Ask about our reasonable rates. We have the skill set to work with all the trades present on a job site, and have the connections to help you obtain reliable services that you may be in need of.
The Initial Concept is a series of hand drawn sketches showing a suggested plan for the layout of the project. The sketches are accompanied by a list of products that have been estimated by local suppliers, an estimate of the Design Fee, and an estimate of installation costs. The sketches remain in the possession of the designer as intellectual property and are shared with the homeowner to illustrate the items listed in the estimate provided to the homeowner.
Once you have reviewed the Initial Concept and considered the estimates, you are ready to move into the design phase of your project. To begin the design process, a Design Retainer of 50% of the estimated Design Fee presented with the Initial Concept is required.
What to bring to the second meeting – 
