Once people have made the decision to invest in a new fitted kitchen, they’re usually very keen to get the project underway. What may seem odd is that we often have to rein potential clients back in so that we can listen and understand their wishes in order to create a design that will both bring their new kitchen alive and be entirely practical to use once the project’s complete.
Design isn’t just about creating pretty images on a laptop! Creativity comes from placing ourselves in the room, visualising how the kitchen will work and placing appliance and cabinetry in accessible places. We look to make sure any pinch points/bottlenecks are minimised (around islands and peninsulas, for example) and obvious issues (to us anyway!) such as not siting dishwashers in corners (it makes it hard to navigate and use nearby cupboards when loading/unloading if you’re wondering!) We even notice whether the kitchen has a radio or stereo in it (some clients have started asking for built in music players), the type of mobile phone they’re using (USB ports for chargers are now a ‘must have’ for many clients) or whether there’s a pet bed (we can design an area for your four legged friend if required!)
As a result we actively look to add as much attention to detail on the visual images and plans we provide so that the client has as much information as they need to make informed decisions. This is very different from many of our competitors who provide little detail on their visuals and parts list as they don’t want potential client’s taking their plans elsewhere to try for a like for like but cheaper quote. It is entirely intentional on our part that our images contain the correct moulding types, the preferred door type on the units, accurate heights for wall units, tall housings and appliances within the tall housings as well as best-matching the colour type as the software will allow. All these details are designed to provide the best representation of what a potential client’s kitchen will look like and give them confidence in our abilities to meet their needs.
And all this takes time! It’s the reason we don’t offer a plan while you wait service and is designed to reassure clients that if we’re passionate about our attention to detail at the design stage we will be at the installation stage too. Our attention to detail may mean it takes us a little longer to create your new kitchen’s design but the planning is worth it in the long run