One of the most important roles of a kitchen designer is understanding the needs of the customer. In my kitchen design business, those needs can be hard to define because each of my customers are so unique. No one has ever had the exact same objectives. There is no ʻone size fits allʼ solution. Every customer I meet brings their own list of requirements, their own way of living and their own priorities around design and functionality. My role as a bespoke kitchen designer is to build a true and honest relationship with the people I meet so that they can feel comfortable enough to express their needs honestly. Only once the barriers come down can I deliver on a kitchen that fits their lifestyle perfectly.
My aim is to help as many people as possible live in harmony with their homes. For me itʼs not about filling a room with cupboards before taking the money and walking away. There are plenty of companies out there who offer that type of service and itʼs a part of the industry I have no interest in. I understand how important your home is to you. The layout and decor will affect you in ways that are hard to understand at first. Wall colours, materials, textures all need to have an affinity with your individual tastes, as does the layout of a room. The furniture should be designed to suit you, not the profits of a salesman. Your home should make you feel positive and inspire you to love your surroundings. Letʼs not forget that your home will likely be the most expensive purchase youʼll ever make, the concept of continually paying a mortgage on a home you tolerate rather than love is both soul destroying and totally unnecessary.
From start to finish designing a bespoke kitchen is a complicated process. You need an experienced team around you to bring your dreams to life. With Your Space Living, you get access to a furniture designer who studied her craft at University not head office. On top of that furniture design degree, you get fifteen years of professional experience. I have designed literally thousands of interior furniture layouts and have a long list of satisfied customers. Throughout that time I have looked to develop and grow my skills, to the point where I now consider myself a ʻspacial designerʼ. By that I mean that I look at the room as a whole and study how you interact with that space. If a room already has a kitchen in it, I can see past the existing units and uncover layout possibilities that you didnʼt realise were there. If Iʼm working from an architects plan, I can see how the two dimensional drawings will work in glorious 3D. I can translate them for a customer and discuss ways to improve the plans. My clients appreciate this because, in the early stages of a building project, they are overwhelmed by the process and need help visualising something that only exists on paper.
With me you have someone with a very ʻhands onʼ approach to your kitchen project. I spend a huge amount of time on site whilst the kitchen is installed. Every detail has to be just right and I constantly check that my client is happy with the progress. This consistency is vital to a successful kitchen installation. It lets my clients know that I have taken ownership of their project and that it will keep moving forward. This brings with it a tangible feeling of confidence that transforms what could have been a stressful experience into something far more pleasurable. My clients express a feeling of excitement as they watch their rooms transform day by day and this is all the motivation I need. Iʼve worked for several well known kitchen companies in the past and things were very different there. Once the client had paid their deposit, I was instructed to pass their file onto a project manager who had no relationship with the client and no real knowledge of their needs. My role was then to move on and bring in another kitchen sale. My true job description was to sell kitchens not design them. It was all about the sale and the quicker the sale the happier my bosses would be. Thatʼs why I needed to get out and set up my own business. You as a client deserve
someone who will focus on your needs. You deserve to have someone on your team who has a passion to take a project from the spark of an idea to a glorious finished room.
My aim is always to deliver a kitchen of fantastic value for my clients. From the initial consultation, to the design process and throughout the installation I am looking to bring all my creative and organisational skills to the table. When a kitchen project is complete, itʼs important that I know Iʼve done everything in my power to make my clients kitchen dreams come true. Thereʼs nothing better than seeing their faces light up when the kitchen they imagined comes to life.
This approach to my business is in direct contrast to the ʻbig boxʼ retailers that are so popular. They operate a volume sales approach. This strategy is focussed on shifting as many kitchens as possible each quarter. I have written about this in detail before. If you value your home and the environment you live in, you need to avoid that type of experience at all costs. It reminds me of the ʻloss leaderʼ techniques that supermarkets use to get you into the store. They entice you with a 5p tin of beans in the hope you buy a large sirloin to accompany it. Design should never be a ʻloss leaderʼ. Itʼs a crucial part of the process. Itʼs where vital decisions are made that will affect how your new kitchen will turn out. It should never be rushed, you need the time to make sure the design is right for you.
Great value isnʼt “free design”, great value isnʼt cheap furniture, it isnʼt a “low price that wonʼt be beaten”. Great value is working with someone who cares, delivers on their promises and creates a kitchen that transforms your home into a space you love. Because living in a happy home is a priceless experience that will deliver value to your life every day for many years to come.
Categories: kitchen design
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