Kitchens and baths are intangible, they are unlike cars that come completely assembled where you can choose and test drive the one you want. Any scale of remodeling is composed of hundreds of pieces, according to a set of precise plans, and where the right advice will determine whether you will be happy with the end result. Remodeling is a little like open heart surgery, in spite of spending a lot of money, if it is done wrong you may not have a second chance.
It is easy to be overwhelmed by mountains of design ideas, layouts, code requirements, planning guidelines, not to mention the product selections that need to be made during the course of a project. Even for a straightforward remodel, you’re talking about selecting dozens of products from cabinetry to flooring to fixtures to appliances to tile. Select just one category – countertops, for instance – and you’ve got another dozen product types to sift through: granite, quartz, glass, wood, tile, metal, concrete…the list goes on.
With a wide array of quality in both products and services, and that in design and installation services, a professional will make a night-and-day difference in your satisfaction with the finished project. There is no substitute for good design, quality products, and superior “fit and flush”.
Our firm is uniquely defined to help you receive the most for your investment dollar.
Our firm offers you an all-in-one experience:
• Consultation
• Budget Analysis
• Design
• Product Research & Industry Knowledge
• Project Management
Our Process Involves Six Very Important Steps...(click on each step to learn more)
The first step is to visit our design studio. We welcome walk-in customers to experience the kitchen and bath studio, but we can’t always give unannounced visitors all the attention we would wish. We prefer to work on an appointment basis so that we can provide you with the dedicated one-on-one time your project deserves. You can set up and appointment while in the studio, or you can call to setup an appointment prior to your visit.
During your visit, we invite you to walk through our design displays and experience our products first-hand. Your designer will want to spend time discussing your project and sharing with you our services, specialties and distinguishing characteristics.
The purchase of a new kitchen or bath represents a sizable investment. When purchasing a new car, you’re pricing a product that you can see what it looks like and you can test drive it to see how it feels. When you purchase a new kitchen or bath, you are buying much more than a product; you are buying remodeling services that entail design, expertise, product, processes, project management and installation services.
This initial visit is important to you and your designer to ensure the value and benefits that our firm provides are a good fit!
Following a your visit with us in the design studio, you may set up a visit in your home with our designer. Prior to the home visit you will be given a direction on preparing a few things to review during your visit with you and your designer:
• Collect Ideas: Using magazines and the internet, collect ideas and information of kitchens and/or baths that appeal to you. Pay attention to: styles, layouts, functional features like interior cabinet accessories, architectural features, and the mix of materials and finishes. Make sure you share these with other family members to understand their preferences.
• Develop two lists; (1) a needs list and (2) a wish list. Prioritize each list.
• Create a Budget: This is the starting point for any project! This may be the most difficult step, but it’s an important one that deserves your attention upfront for two reasons: (1) it will determine the project feasibility and prevent you from over-spending and (2) it will enable your remodeling professional to engineer the greatest value into your project.
During the home visit, we will review your planning details and discuss your own unique needs to explore the possibilities available. Upon reviewing the initial project scope we will provide you with a project investment range to gauge fesability of your project relative to your designated budget.
To illustrate the look of your remodeled space, we may make some sketches and take pictures to assist in the proposal presentation.
Much like a diagnosis from a doctor for a medical condition; if the examination is thorough, the diagnosis will be insightful and credible, and the manner is caring and positive – you are confident this is the right person to help you.
After the home visit, your designer will have a thorough understanding of your project and the design possibilities to pair an approach that is feasible for the investment you have decided. Your designer will combine all of the analysis based on your visits and translate the ideas and information into a specific project proposal and investment.
Your designer will then schedule a meeting to present you with an initial proposal. This meeting is held in the design studio and is meant to translate these ideas into a project scope of work, rough concepts and written proposal.
After reviewing the initial proposal, you will be ready to explore additional cost alternatives or variations to your plan, and ultimately see these concepts and design ideas come to life. Creative Kitchen & Bath is happy to continue the design process with you, but at this juncture we ask our clients for a design retainer. This commitment allows us to spend valuable time further developing your project, and will be applied to the final cost of the project.
From this point on, you and your designer will set a series of design meetings that will include a comprehensive set of plans, elevations, detailed material list, cabinet style(s), wood species, finishes, fixtures, design themes, colors, etc. Here you will have the opportunity to see your proposal detailing every aspect of your project.
Consistent and open communication between you and your designer will enhance your understanding of the process, provide an opportunity to exchange ideas and ultimately empower you to make intelligent decisions.
Our most beautiful and successful projects are a result of many consultations with our clients in order to provide you with a wide array of choices and ideas to make your dreams a reality.
Once the plans, specifications, and budget are finalized, it is time to execute the contract. Because every remodeling project is different, we will prepare a contract agreement that will clearly define the requirements of your project. This agreement has several purposes:
* It will define your project beyond legal ramifications. The contract formally expresses terms mutually agreed upon concerning scope of work, responsibilities, price and materials, as well as other items.
* It addresses how payments and draws will be scheduled, invoiced, and paid.
* It addresses how change orders are to be handled.
* It assigns responsibility for providing particular items and specifying which items are not included in the scope of work.
The time has come to Bring Your Dreams to Life! Your project will then be scheduled, products procured, and processes set forth to execute on the weeks of planning spent together.
The installation will not start until your cabinetry and additional products have arrived. During the time of procurement, your designer will prepare the required documentation and hold pre-construction meetings with the installers to properly prepare for the transformation.
Installing your project properly involves coordinating and controlling an amazing number of details, many of them are "behind-the-scenes" procedures and labor-intensive efforts to ensure the success of your project. These intangibles that deliver you the full performance potential is why our firm is different than another source.
Your designer becomes the project manager and will facilitate the entire production, staying in close communication with you and the installers. Our professional craftsmen work under the direction of your designer to ensure proper "fit and flush" of the overall outcome.
When you may be living with an investment used everyday by each family member for twenty years or more, it is a very small premium to pay. For peace of mind and sheer value, doing business with a professional kitchen design firm may be the best insurance policy you have ever purchased.
So, regardless if your investment is large or small, it pays to select a design firm with the best skills and services. These intangibles may cost a little more at the contract stage, but they will save you much more money in mistakes and oversights than they cost. It is these intangibles that will assure you of receiving the quality, performance, value, and satisfaction that you should expect from such a pivotal undertaking.
If there is a difference in price between a professional design firm and other sources, it will be largely due to the quality of staff employed, the way they are organized, the breadth of services performed, and the management systems utilized to control the incredible number of details that go into even the smallest kitchen project.
