Purchasing a new kitchen or bath for your home is an important decision. It involves careful selection of products, surfaces and color treatments. Whether you're redoing your present kitchen or bath, or selecting the elements for a brand new home, the selection and design process will have a lasting impact on your life at home for years to come.
In selecting and planning for your new kitchen or bath, proper planning and interaction with a professional kitchen and bath designer can help make the process less stressful and produce more satisfying rewards. Plus you can more effectively maximize the dollars you decide to spend on the project.
That's where the design professionals at Kitchen & Bath Gallery come in. Their job is to assist you in creating a kitchen or bathroom that is functional, beautiful and within your means. To learn more about the design process, and how our designers will work with you.
Also helpful is to review what we most often hear from our customers, and what our designers will typically ask them. Presented here are some of those questions and answers.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Kitchens and Baths
What our customers ask us:
What is this new kitchen or bath going to cost me?
Obviously that's a really important question, and until we know what is it that you want, and begin to get definite about that, it's hard to say just what it will end up costing.
The size of the kitchen or bath area in question is an important issue, plus the products a customer selects the final price tag often hinges on those two considerations.
Kitchen jobs, for example, can cost a minimum of $6,000 but we have also designed kitchens costing more than $80,000, so every job is different. We can, however, work closely within the budget you have in mind.
In addition to the dimensions of your kitchen, plus the products you want to have in there, there are additional things that impact on the final look you achieve, and the price. For example, we will ask, 'How many roll-outs do you want; do you want an island center; what about doors?' Colors can involve an up-charge because there's usually a two or three-step process that goes into achieving a certain look. It might involve a contrasting glaze over a base color to achieve the look you really want.
Do you also install what we buy? Do you have your own installers?
People want to know if we do the installing or must they hire a third party. We install kitchen cabinetry, and we have installation crews to call on. The lead-time to schedule one of our crews for cabinetry installations is usually four to five weeks ahead. Our designers work closely with our independent kitchen installers to make sure your job goes smoothly. Our installers are very experienced and highly reputable. For plumbing fixtures, we can either recommend a plumber for the job or you can hire your own.
Are you competitive?
We're very competitive in our pricing. But as we have seen repeatedly over the years, when it comes to comparisons between one quote and another, it's critical that the quotes compare apples to apples.
Referrals are an important part of our business. We get people all the time who come to us because they've been referred by a friend or neighbor of theirs, or a builder or plumber they're working with. They like what we've done for them, and they may come in and ask for a specific designer as a direct result. Based on the referral, they already have a certain comfort level just coming in the door.
How long will the whole process take? What's the normal lead-time on ordering and receipt of materials?
These are two important planning considerations, especially if you're doing a remodel that will disrupt your household for weeks at a time. Generally speaking, the process takes about eight weeks, start to finish. That process starts with the customer making the decision on what they want. That involves meeting with the designer, doing the floor and wall specs, and ordering whatever the selected products are cabinetry and sink and faucet components in the kitchen, vanities, tubs and faucet components in the bathroom. There are often second thoughts about initial selections that come into play, and that can impact the process, involving more meetings with the designer.
Regarding ordering of products and materials, when it comes to kitchen cabinetry and bathroom vanities, the lead-time averages six weeks or longer.
What are today's most popular styles?
Folks often ask us that question of us: What are the styles and colors most often requested these days? Oftentimes customers don't have a style or color set in their minds when they first come in. So getting them to first choose a style and color is an important first step in the design process. In the market areas we serve, especially on the Cape and Islands, a traditional look and feel with natural light colors is very popular - natural maple, red birch and cherry. More recently, painted doors, especially green sage and garnet red, are often requested.
On the Cape off-whites are very popular, and that's a response to people wanting to keep the look very light and airy, so cream colors are quite popular. But it all depends on personal style and preference.
They also ask about countertop surfaces, and what's more expensive granite or the Corian product from DuPont, which are the two most popular countertop surfaces requested today. They may know something about Corian but want a more detailed explanation. Actually, Corian is an acrylic product it's 100% acrylic. There's no sealer on it. It's generally a lot warmer and has a matte finish. Granite has a glossy finish. Price-wise, they cost about the same, as long as the granite comes from a U.S. quarry. (Import granites are more expensive.)
New to the industry are "quartz" mix products which combine real stone and a binding material. Examples of this are zodiac, cambria, and silestone. The colors are fantastic.
What our designers will ask you:
Do you have a builder or plumber you're working with?
This is important for us to know because there's a lot of coordination between the designer and builder that has to take place in terms of build details, like when the rough framing is done, because the designer will need to visit and take the measurements, We will not order anything for your kitchen or bath project until we visit your home and do the necessary measuring. And this need to visit and gain measurements has to take place even if you have an architect's drawing and floor plans.
If you're working with a plumber who does business with us, what we generally do is ask the customer to select their product choices and then we transfer that information to the plumber's account with us. We need to know who you're plumber is so we can confirm that he has an account with us.
What is your budget?
Price eventually governs the kitchen and bath outcome, so asking what is your budget is an important first question for us to ask you. Depending on the figure you provide us, we can select and design a kitchen or bath that will meet your both your budget and your expectations. We can stay within your budget and you can decide whether or not you wish to spend a bit more.
Where do you live?
We need to know where you live because we have six conveniently located locations in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It's best that you do business with the Kitchen & Bath Gallery closest to you.
Again, for your kitchen project, do you want an island?
When it comes to kitchen islands, this is one area where the designer's expertise really comes into play, because the desire to have an island in the kitchen involves both practical and aesthetic choices. Will it look right in the space you have, and can you easily and functionally maneuver around it?
The number one question regarding kitchen islands is do you have the room for one? You should be able to move freely around the island and approach it easily from any side. Fully extended cabinet drawers or doors of ovens or dishwashers, for example, should not become obstacles to the island.
Actually, every space in one's kitchen should be designed with function first and form second. With regard to form, our designers can achieve surprising results based on the configuration and limitations of the space in question. We will work with the space you have, and within your budget, to accommodate your desires completely, from one end of the kitchen (or bath) to the other.
For a kitchen project, what about your appliances?
The matter of appliances in the kitchen whether they are there already because this is a remodeling job or whether you are selecting them for a new home is another question our designers will ask. For a new home we will ask if the appliances have already been picked, and if so then we have to know their overall dimensions.
What's the decor and color scheme of the adjoining rooms to your kitchen or bath?
Good design considerations prompt this question because there should be harmony in colors and decor selections from one room to another in a house. Our designers will ask you if the project at hand is a remodel or a new home. If your kitchen is next to the dining room, then what's in the dining room? What is the prevailing style throughout your house? If it's traditional or Early American, for example, a kitchen or upstairs bath with contemporary touches doesn't flow very well. Most people, of course, would not select a radically different style for their kitchen then what's in the adjoining dining room, but good design gets more subtle than that, and so the selection of colors and finish in kitchen cabinetry, as well as in the faucet styling, the wallpaper selection or wall paint, all become important to the success of the overall design.
Do you want to show your best china and other serving dishes?
When it comes to kitchen cabinets and hutches, do you want to show your dinner service? If so, we can select glass doors or hutches to accomplish that. It then becomes part of our design.
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