Kitchen Designer Certification

[jTr]

Ok- I know most of us are thinking/feeling the same way: "my work speaks for itself " is our pedigree. So I wonder- is a diploma or certificate worth the time?

Anyone have experience in going after certification?

Based on the evolution of my business, I've been asked to do a lot more kitchen/remodeling type of projects. Most times, everyone involved is there by word of mouth. However, there are some distinct challenges in putting it all together. LOTS of time is required to put the puzzle of appliances and features together in a way that really sings.

So far, I feel I've lucked out and things have gone smoothly. However- is there an institution established that could really help me hone this skill as well as any other manufacturing skills, or are all the "certification" programs just window dressing for more legitimate sounding sales pitches?

Jeff

[Tim Lucas]

Sounds more like a big box store thing so the customer thinks they have some working knowledge of a kitchen and cabinets.

The real deal is when your customer wants something custom and your gifts are able to create it! They don't have certifications for that! ;)

[Tom Bachman]

Jeff, I too have thought seriously about this. Do a search for Kitchen and bath certified designer, there is a site out there listing what it takes.

My take is this; I work long and hard at working with possible clients to get exactly what they want/need. Most of the time, I get the job, but recently (the last year), I've done all the work then they take MY design to someone else (box stores) and buy cheap cabinets and got someone else to install them. My thought was, if I have that piece of paper, I have more credibility and can then charge for my design work. If they choose to have me do the job, I can/will apply the charge to the job. If they choose to take my plans to another place, well, I've collected my fees.

[dlcw]

Tom, I learned a long time ago that the customer gets NOTHING but an estimate from me until they sign the estimate and make a 50% deposit. The deposit is refundable until I purchase materials for the project. I will start detailed design when contract is signed. I've had similar situations like you describe, in the past. If the customer decides to go elsewhere after I get the design done, they are still charged for all the design time. This could amount to hundreds of dollars. This is withheld from the refund of their deposit. This is all written into the contract.

I did take a class on aging in place and that has been a really good offering for older customers. It's important that proper Aging In Place design be done for older folks who are remodeling or building new. It's a different approach then regular design work. On a few projects I have worked with a "certified" kitchen designer to get the design/functionality just right for the customer. What I've found is that many "certified" kitchen/bath designers have theoretical and current fad knowledge but little or no knowledge of the engineering that goes into the project. For example I get designers talking up solid wood countertops without explaining to the customer the engineering that goes into them to accommodate wood movement, because they don't understand it themselves.

[Mayo]

Designing the layout of kitchens and baths is a process involving many details, and it can be a lengthy learning process. Many expensive mistakes can be made when the designer doesn't know how to place cabinets to account for the various options available - which can vary from one manufacturer to another. If you're constructing the cabinets yourself, then you're not as restricted but you still have to adhere to what I would call "working standards".

I went through a kitchen designer course through one of the big box stores and even though it was several weeks of daily study and application, it took another year on the job before I could lay out a kitchen that I felt confident about. And this wasn't really "design" - it was just placing representations of the cabinets from one of four vendor databases of cabinet shapes onto a floor plan based on the measurements of the kitchen. This was in a somewhat stripped down version of a kitchen design program called 2020. It was a good program at the time but it wouldn't catch most mistakes novice designers make. I would hope by now they would have built in warnings about various layout problems.

I could have gone on with additional "legitimate" certification through the NKBA however it didn't seem worth it to me for the clientele that were customers at that store and I had no desire to become a kitchen designer for a high end company. At that time, the housing market was in the free fall stage and crashing fast.

Anyone interested in the NKBA certification programs, you can find them here:
http://www.nkba.org/Learn/Professionals/Certification.aspx