Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 22

SKILL SET

Kitchen Design 101

The top mistakes trade professionals make
IT'S NO SECRET THAT COVID is causing a boom
in spending and innovation within the home.The
National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA)
expects 2021 to be a strong year for the kitchen
and bath industry - forecasting spending to grow
17% overall - with 22% going to new construction
and 10% to remodeling.
Kitchen design is both art and science.With the
rigor of a scientist and the flair of an artist, great
kitchen designers deliver designs that will work
hard, look good and stand the test of time.There is
no easier way to impress a client than by leveraging
a specialist and their know-how. This applies to
your trusted plumber, electrician, AV designer and
yes - kitchen designer, too. Living and breathing
kitchens, a kitchen designer knows all the tricks of
the trade. From the aesthetic to the practical, they
bring solutions that help enhance your client's
space, saving them money in the process.
In this article, I list some of the top mistakes
trade professionals make in approaching kitchen design, as well as some tips on how to best
work with a kitchen design specialist to address
these issues.

22
22_KBB_0521_SkillSet.indd 22

ABOVE There are practical

and visually striking ways to
combine front styles in a
single kitchen.

BELOW There is no substitute

for a kitchen designer's experience and in-depth knowledge
when it comes to creating
kitchens that work seamlessly,
look good and don't break
the bank.
Photo credit: FORM Kitchens
2021

ANDREINA TINOCO is
head of design at FORM
Kitchens.

1. Generic vs. Specific Unit Options. In our experience, it is best for architects
and interior designers to give a kitchen designer a set of problems with
constraints, rather than a fully resolved design. Although more straightforward as a basis for back-of-the-envelope calculations and early sketches,
standard unit width or height should not always be the starting point for
a kitchen design.
A kitchen designer is more interested in the 'what' rather than the 'how'
from their trade partner. Tell them what you are trying to achieve for your
client, and they will fill in the 'how.' Every space is different, and every
kitchen range is different. There is no substitute for a kitchen designer's
experience and in-depth knowledge when it comes to creating kitchens
that work seamlessly, look good and don't break the bank.
2. The Devil Is in the Detail. It is no exaggeration to say that design detail can
make or break a kitchen, especially in smaller spaces. One example would
be a tight corner, where we often specify handleless wall cabinet doors,
even if the rest of the kitchen has chunky handles and/or Shaker doors.
There are practical and visually striking ways to combine front styles in a
single kitchen.
Another common example involves the optimal drawer width and
height combinations. Again, a kitchen designer's product level knowledge
and understanding of how people use kitchens is invaluable here. Every
designer knows that the real skill is not in picking out details but in combining these to create a coherent whole.
3. Appliances Are Not an Afterthought. I often work with clients - both homeowners and trade professionals - who think appliances can be confirmed
down the line, while design development continues in the background. In
our opinion, deciding on appliances, the sink, faucet and other non-cabinet
parts of the kitchen early on is a must.
Nowadays, there is a wide variety of different shapes and sizes available
in every category. Integrated or freestanding, range or induction cooker,
double or single sink - these are some of the decisions we encourage our
clients to make early on. Individual kitchen design elements impact one
another: Seemingly minor changes can have knock-on effects.
4. Set Priorities from the Start. Sometimes when a kitchen is part of a larger
project, the very specific client needs for this space may get buried under all
of the other information and parts of the brief.Trade professionals should
explore kitchen use patterns, cooking style and more - or better still, let
the kitchen designer take care of this part. In any case, priorities should be
set from the start.
For some homeowners, this may be optimizing storage; for others, ample
space to entertain. If your client is asking for a large island, is it because they
need lots of food preparation space or a flexible work-from-home station
to spread out their paperwork? Also, designing a kitchen often involves
making compromises (e.g. because of budget or space constraints). We
want all those involved to be clear on what is a must and what is a 'nice to
have' for your client.
5. What Might Change Over Time? If there is one thing we all learned in 2020, it
is that change happens.Yes, kitchens are expensive, and no homeowner will
want to change theirs in a hurry. But what if the circumstances change? A
kitchen designer knows how to futureproof a kitchen, in effect saving the
client money in the long run.
Some elements of a kitchen are easier to change over time than others; say,
details such as handles (easy) compared to changing the layout (difficult). It
may be a case of new requirements of existing owners (e.g.having children) or
thinking about the appeal of the property to potential buyers.There is a delicate
balance between personalization and market appeal that kitchen designers
know how to strike. In optimizing the design with various eventualities in
mind, a kitchen designer is effectively helping optimize the budget as well. 

/ MAY-JUNE 2021 / KBBONLINE.COM / The official publication of NKBA (NKBA.org) and KBIS (KBIS.com)

5/11/21 7:16 PM

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Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021