Playing poker with your cabinet estimate: "How much is it gonna cost ?"

I am not a betting person but sometimes I wonder if I should take up poker since some client's like to play it with me. Poker it seems is a game of not revealing your cards and is a game of chance, skill and never revealing your moves.

The problem with playing poker in remodeling is that it just doesn't work this way if you want me to plan an estimate for you. "How much is it gonna cost me?" "How much do you want to spend?" I could bluff but that just wastes both your time and mine, doesn't it? You can't build your budget on a game of Texas Hold-em and I can't plan a design for you unless I know your budget, pardner. Case in point: You want to buy cabinets from me and you want to know how much it's gonna cost. You look at my corner 10 x 10 display and you ask how much would something like this cost in my kitchen? Well that's like asking how much is a bag of groceries!

Estimating is time intensive and if you really want to know the truth, if you think you are getting a deal with getting someone to come out and give you a "free estimate" you just lost the game. Anytime someone says it's a "free estimate" is playing poker with you. Chances are he is factoring his time into the cost of the project without revealing to you that the time to estimate, the drive time, the payroll expense to pay someone to layout the plans for your "free design" just upped the ante for him. He has to factor his time and labor into your cost. But not just your estimate, you are also paying for everyone else who asked for a free estimate with over all higher prices. Time is money, my friend, and no one is driving around town, spending time with each customer that calls for a free estimate and not building his costs into your estimate. If he isn't, he won't be in business  for long.

Do I want to play poker with clients? Nope, I am a straight shooter. I don't like gambling with my customer's time or money. I can provide you the option of a free estimate if you bring me your measurements and I can do a take off with preliminary numbers to get you in the ball park of price ranges. A free estimate won't be accurate to the penny because I have not verified the dimensions my self. It will remain a ballpark range within 10-15% until the dimensions can be verified and the details of your "wish list" versus "must have" list" clarified by you.

If you are not comfortable with measuring your own kitchen, I can do that for you but I charge a measure fee for my time to come out to your house and take accurate measurements of the space and you will get accurate pricing. This is rebated back to you when you purchase my cabinets, which is a fair deal. If you don't want to buy from me, you get a few rendered concept views and those are for you to keep.

All this makes sense until the customer who wants to have a Mexican Stand Off enters the picture. She wants a price, but won't bring in dimensions of the kitchen and she won't pay a measure fee for preliminary plans. She won't pay the fee because she doesn't know if she will like what she gets. It does not pay to play poker with a client because I cannot guess how much your kitchen is going to cost until we discuss what it is exactly you want in your kitchen and until I price it out. I cannot presume to know your taste and style without at least having a conversation with you. I have to see it or at the very least be provided pictures of kitchens you like and dimensions to estimate from.

Come on folks, this is like going to see your Cosmetic Surgeon and telling her you want your face to look younger but you are not willing to reveal what part of the face you want worked on and how much you want to spend. A brow lift, a facial peel, a face lift, remove the bags under your eyes, remove the jowels, it all adds up. What do you want to do?

Likewise you can't go to a Realtor and say "I want to buy a house" and escorted to several homes for sale without knowing what your price range is.  Kitchens, like houses, like cars, like anything you want to buy are available in several different prices ranges. If you cannot reveal honestly what your investment can be, your service provider will not be able to provide you the best service or the best value for the money without these basic facts to work from. Mostly, I want to provide my clients a project and a product they are satisfied with. To do this well, communication is essential and this is no place for a game of poker with your wants and needs.

Also, if a client tells me she doesn't need a design, she just needs to order cabinets, you can't place an order for cabinets without a plan. A plan involves a design, a design involves exact dimensions, dimensions require accuracy and if I am responsible for your order, I need to be the one measuring for those cabinets. I suppose you can simply go to your local big box store and place your order with the order takers, but then you are responsible for your dimensions. I prefer not to be an order taker.  

Getting an accurate design and paying a Professional Kitchen Designer will save you money in the long run. You can retain a Kitchen Designer to provide you a space plan so that you can get competitive bids from contractors or you may get a great price from that Kitchen Designer and buy from her. Whichever the case may be for you, working with a Kitchen Designer will add value to your project. Contractors will thank you for having detailed plans to bid from, as this saves them time knowing what the details are for your project in advance. There are too many details in cabinet design for a contractor to keep up with or even care about. Most contractors will advise clients to get their cabinets planned out and provide them a copy of the plans. A kitchen designer will be able to best advise on cabinetry, counter tops, lighting, flooring, best use of space layout, seating arrangements, appliances, storage solutions and so much more. Furthermore, an experienced designer that specializes in Kitchen Design will save you from the headaches of not pre-planning the details and not having the materials on the job when the contractor needs them. You can find a Professional Kitchen Designer by searching the National Kitchen and Bath Association website, NKBA.org.

How much is it going to cost? Moreover, how much will you save by retaining expert advice? 

photo credit1: http://flickr.com/photos/latitudes/66492870/in/set-1442169/
photo credit2:   Clint Eastwood, The Man With No Name

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A Renovation Check List

Getting ready to remodel? I will point my readers in the direction of a "MUST READ" article posted by my friend Paul Anater of Kitchen and Residential Design about renovation expectations. I too have received the phone calls from clients who are in a state of panic over the tile going up, the color of the cabinets, the floor, the paint and so forth. Paul has made sane points, so with no further ado, I point you to Ready To Renovate? Take A Moment And Breathe First.

I highly recommend you print out these "10 Points of Reason " when you feel like you are going to loose your mind. Print it, post it where you can see it, your bathroom mirror, outside the plastic wall of your remodel zone, your check book.

Remind yourself that long after the remodel is over with, the dust and muss is gone, what remains is a beautiful space. And above all else, remind yourself to breathe! Thanks Paul!

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A new design app for your phone.

Who knew that phones would be able to do so much? Now you can have a personal design assistant right at your fingertips. Created by interior designer Mark Lewison, Mark On Call™ for the Apple® iPhone and iPod Touch, lets the interior design professional, their clients—and do-it-yourselfers alike—plan, preview and carry out their design visions while staying organized and within budget.

So many convenient apps, I may have to say goodbye to my crackberry.

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Asking for a discount:: How not to do it.

Kelly at KitchenSync posted this first, and she found it at another site. Spreading fast through the internet; I had to revisit this You Tube Video again for grins. Haven't we all been there with clients? There are better ways to negotiate price. This video is a prime example of what not to do.

There are ways to save money so be up front about it. Your service provider will appreciate your honesty if you are up front about your budget and be able to look for ways to save you money. Looking for angles to get a discount after the fact is just bad behavior.

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Lead times: How soon do you need it?

There are times when I scratch my head in disbelief when do-it yourself remodeling types do not plan out the project details. Here is my "fly-on-the-wall" experience with a moral at the end of the story.

This weekend I was in a plumbing store with a client, helping with her plumbing selections for an upcoming project. What happened next placed me in a suspended state of disbelief.

A lovely woman walked into the store and explained she needed a lavatory sink and faucet and another faucet for the kitchen. Nothing too unusual about that.
The sales person proceeded to ask the customer the usual questions:
S: Are you looking for a self-rimming sink or under-mount?
C: Self-rimming.

S: Ok. Do you have a preference for wide-spread faucet or single faucet mounted on the deck of the sink or on the counter?" Do you know what your new counter surface will be yet?

C: New granite top. White self-rimming sink. Single hole faucet style mounted on the sink

S: Ok, great we have several options we can look at."

S: Next, is this for new cabinetry or are you replacing an existing sink and counter and keeping the cabinets?

C: Existing.

S: Alright, do you know what are the existing sink dimensions?

S: "'What's that? your existing cabinet is 15 1/2" front to back?" What's that? Oh, It's for your boat?
Oh, I see. Hmm, would you mind if I made a suggestion for an undermount with the single faucet mounted on the rear left or right and not centered. Or we could look at some stainless steel bar sinks that could work. Self rimming sinks with a faucet mounted on the porcelain are just not made that small. We can check the catalogs, but I am pretty sure it is a tall order to fill, I can think of two or three small sinks that may work.

C: No, no, we have that style now, and I really don't like it at all. I really want to change the style.

S: "How soon do you need it?"

C: "I am running out of time, I have the granite fabricator coming this Monday and need to get this done today."

When the customer said she needed it by Monday, the salesperson could have been a deer struck in headlights. That was Saturday with a customer looking for a specialty item she could take with her or have by Monday.


There was a line of people needing help and this customer insisted on going through all the catalogs to prove to herself that the salesperson indeed did not have a sink in stock that met her requirements.

Ideally, when planning a remodel, the cardinal rule is to plan in advance to have all the components on site or in stock ready to ship to you.

Lead times: Not all plumbing stores stock inventory. The specialty plumbing stores carry thousands of models from the plumbing manufacturers they buy from and most will have a lead time from as short as two weeks and as long as 6 weeks for special order items. Chances are, unless you walk into a big box store with product on the shelf ready to buy, there is little chance you will be able to walk away with it the same day.

Check ahead: Not all competing stores carry the same stock. One store may stock Kohler and another down the street may stock Grohe. Call in advance, save yourself the aggravation and wasting gas and time driving all over town. Ask the store manager or head of the dept. what brands they stock or that you can get within the week. Sales people should be able to help you over the phone with these basic questions. Check with your plumber where he buys from. Industry insiders are the best people to ask.

Getting the best service: Don't abuse a salesperson's time on the phone. Yes, that's right. To get the best service and best price keep your questions over the phone, simple and direct. Most will not be able to quote prices, but will be able to take care of your general questions. Ask your salesperson what's the best time to come in. They want your business, but if you need more handholding in product selection and need to look at every catalog and get a price on multiple styles, showing up during prime time hours means they have to hustle to take care of several customers and cannot focus on you alone. Most salespeople are knowledgeable and want to help. If you find yourself in a busy showroom, write down model #'s. Tell the salesperson you are working on a large project and have several things you need to order. Ask if they can fax or email a quote back to you. If you are willing to be flexible, you can get a lot more in the way of service and probably a better price.

Unfortunately, waiting till the final hour before the plumber arrives, can lead to some very unhappy compromises in your selections.

Better idea yet, if your request is for the unusual and your taste is very selective, your best value is hiring a designer to begin with. A designer has the capability of sourcing out custom features and will be able to recommend the best showrooms to find product. In addition, a designer may be able to recommend a much more efficient floor plan, so that you are not at the mercy of unusual dimensions.

There was more delays in her selection process. Most all the faucets had a red and blue dot indicating hot and cold and she needed one that did not have that. A few more customers came and went, not able to stick it out waiting for service. While the salesperson, (poor chap- he did the best he could in the limited amount of time he had), went off to assist another customer, I felt a little sorry for this lady's predicament. I whispered quietly to the lady looking for the unusual sink, "that is a very uncommon sink, have you tried a specialty plumbing supplier that carries sinks for marine and rv equipment?"

Answer: "Oh, I didn't think of that! I had no idea it would be so difficult."

Moral of the story: When you fail to plan, plan to fail.

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Sunset Magazine Launches Dream Kitchen Campaign

SUNSET MAGAZINE ANNOUNCES DREAM KITCHEN OF THE WEST, DESIGNED BY AWARD-WINNING DESIGNER CASS CALDER SMITH AND YOU

Hoping for a cure for the recession remodel blues?

Sunset Magazine begins a new campaign on Monday, March 23rd, giving design lovers the opportunity to experience the fun and excitement of designing a high-end kitchen -without the risk or expense.

On March 23, Sunset will begin building its Dream Kitchen of the West and we need your votes!
Each week for 10 weeks, you can vote on a stunning selection of:
• Appliances • Cabinets • Floors • Countertops • Sinks • Paint colors and more!

Then watch online as Sunset builds a gorgeous kitchen using the winning selections.





Plus, register daily for the chance to win $10,000 and a day with a Sunset design editor!

Bookmark sunset.com/dreamkitchen and come back March 23 for the first vote: the Floorplan!

Menlo Park, CA –Sunset Magazine (http://www.sunset.com/), the premier guide to life in the West, today announced the launch of the first Dream Kitchen of the West digital design program (www.sunset.com/dreamkitchen), which gives everyone the opportunity to help design the ultimate kitchen by voting online. Each week for ten weeks, new sponsor products, kitchen finishes, features and colors will be presented on the website for an online vote. The completed kitchen, which will incorporate the winners of each vote, will be revealed the week of June 1 on Sunset.com and will be featured in the October issue of Sunset Magazine.

Award-winning New York and San Francisco-based home and restaurant architect and designer, Cass Calder Smith, is spearheading the direction of the Dream Kitchen, providing a selection of floorplans, kitchen features, and design inspiration. The kitchen, which is located in a single-family home in the Rose Garden section of San Jose, CA, will be built by DeMattei Construction.

The Dream Kitchen of the West sponsors include GE Monogram (appliances), Teragren (counters), Kohler (plumbing), Armstrong (flooring), and Benjamin-Moore (paint).

“We wanted to come up with a 21st century take on our original Idea House concept,” said Katie Tamony, Sunset’s editor-in-chief. “The Dream Kitchen of the West is our Idea House 2.0.”

In addition to casting their votes on the Dream Kitchen of the West website, users can visit the site to watch the Dream Kitchen come to life via photos, video, articles and blog posts.

“Whether remodeling this year, or farther down the road, Sunset’s Dream Kitchen gives visitors the opportunity to practice making smart design decisions as they consider all that goes into designing the most important room in the house,” continued Tamony.
Visitors to the Dream Kitchen of the West website can register daily to win $10,000 and one day of on-site consultation from a Sunset style editor. The sweepstakes winner will be announced June 10, 2009.

Sunset magazine is the premier guide to life in the West, covering the newest and best ideas in Western home design and landscaping, food and entertaining, and regional travel in 13 Western states. Sunset and sunset.com are part of the Lifestyle group of magazines and websites published by Time Inc., the largest magazine publisher in the U.S., and a leading publisher in the U.K. and Mexico

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Voting schedule:
3/23 Floorplan

3/30 Cabinetry finish

4/06 Appliances
4/13 Countertops
4/20 Sinks + Faucets
4/27 Flooring
5/04 Tile backsplash
5/11 Paint
5/18 Lighting
5/25 Furniture
Week of 6/01, project complete
6/10 Sweepstakes winner announced

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Free Online Kitchen Visualizations

My Edited Image created online at http://showroom.labs.autodesk.com/
Matrix EuroElectroluxKitchen

Matrix EuroElectroluxKitchen

Builders Homesite, Inc. American Kitchen with Island
My edited image of same kitchen

Rendered images courtesy of http://showroom.labs.autodesk.com.

Kitchen Design Notes was contacted by Noah Kennedy, a product manager for a new technology under development by Autodesk that would allow DIY’s and interior designers to experiment with home remodeling ideas in an entirely new way.

Autodesk, an industry leader in several key design and visualization industries wants to here from you. Autodesk has a vision that decorators want to (1) see their designs quickly, easily and photorealistically before they are real, (2) privately browse real products (furnishings, appliances, paint/wallcoverings, tiles, fabrics, etc.) from real manufacturers, and (3) be able to mix and match products together.

Noah states, "What we need now is feedback: do you and your readers like this vision and do you want to see more? What are we doing right, and what are we missing?"

"Our technology preview shows how this might work- it is free and works on all browsers, and there is no software to install. What we need now is feedback: do you and your readers like this vision and do you want to see more? What are we doing right, and what are we missing?"

Send Noah your feedback. This is a chance for designers and homeowners to give your opinion on what you want in design software.
http://showroom.labs.autodesk.com

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At a moment's notice entertaining: dinner for twenty or thirty people...

I find some people absolutely fascinating for their ability to be so well organized. I revel at the idea of a well organized, well stocked kitchen and pantry. Oh, that's right, I am a kitchen designer, it goes with the territory, call me crazy but I happen to love this stuff. The ability to pull off your holiday entertaining and make it look "effortless" is not by accident.

As the holiday's approach, I do not want to be running around "last minute" and neither should you. Large or small kitchens, everyone can benefit from knowing how to organize their kitchen space. For some inspiration, who else to turn to but legendary entertaining expert Colin Cowie. I pulled my copy off the shelf, "Colin Cowie Chic: The Guide to Life As It Should Be".

His video is just as inspiring. See the side bar at the left to play. In the video, "The Efficient Kitchen", Colin explains with grace and confidence, "literally at a moments notice I can have dinner for twenty or thirty people. That's the way I like it."

Talk to me baby, talk to me. How cool is that! Did you see his video? Imagine your freezer flush with several particular types of ice cubes ready to pair with the drinks being served. If you are as organized as Colin, then you know about Couture Cubes. Scotch on the rocks? Reach for the wonderful big round ice ball to keep your drink from watering down. A dark and stormy? Freeze your ice in tall Popsicle shaped ice cubes. Tequila? Nothing else will do but the tall shards of ice served in a champagne flute. Are you looking at last summer's stale ice cubes and wondering where you went wrong? Don't despair, there is hope yet for my ice cubed challenged friends. See page 145 of his book. A tip from the book: make your own "couture" ice cubes this holiday season. Look for star shapes, jewels, and flowers for mixed drinks. This is not just for alcoholic beverages, more ideas abound for the designated driver refreshments. Use ziploc bags to keep your ice cube shapes from shattering and picking up freezer odors.

Whether planning for a holiday party or planning to remodel your kitchen, make a true assessment of your space. Think about your lifestyle and design your kitchen around you and your family. An entertainers kitchen, a family kitchen, whatever it is, build in features that make your space special to you and your family. Clear out items that make no sense to hold onto.

My top ten favorite features in Colin's contemporary kitchen and beyond:

1. The under cabinet lighting is concealed without a light rail for a contemporary elegant detail. The bottom of the wall cabinet is recessed to achieve this attractive detail. No clunky light rail.
   
2. The return of the oak cabinet but in a very modern way. The cabinets are gray. Colin's reason for this is that he wants the food to be the center stage in his kitchen. Color pops with the accent of all white dinnerware and color from the stemware.
   
3. The everyday dinnerware is located directly above the dishwasher for ease of access.
   
4. The silverware drawer is built deeper, "as it should be"to allow several sets of silverware to be stacked one above the other. I don't know why more face frame cabinet manufacturers won't give us this option without going to great lengths to customize. This should be a basic feature. If you order frame-less cabinets you can pick up more space with the absence of the face frame, but still not as much as it should be.
   One of my tricks I will share with you: instead of a drawer, order a base cabinet with a full height door and add several deeper roll out trays for cutlery. You can store much more in the same cubic space in stead of a standard door/drawer combo.
   
5. The storage: a well stocked freezer with chickens, racks of lamb, frozen soups, chicken and beef stocks. If your kitchen is small like Colin's, plan for a freezer in your garage to stock up on all the necessities.
   
6. Organize your spices alphabetically with the labels facing out, (I know it is a little reminiscent of the eerie move, "Sleeping with the Enemy", but to be ready to entertain, you want to see everything at once in a well organized spice cabinet or drawer. as for spice storage, I avoid designing with swing out spice racks in wall cabinets, because I don't like small jars falling off the rack. I find most of my clients feel the same. I prefer a wide drawer with all the spices at easy viewing. Again, this is where slightly deeper drawers would come in handy. Or utilize the pull out wall cabinets that are so handy for seeing all your spices. Warning about decorative wall mount spice racks above a stove: spices should be kept in the dark and away from heat to preserve the freshness. Also watch the expiration dates. Use them or loose the flavors in your next meal. Buying Costco sized spices? Are you really going to benefit from that much? Unless you are serving 1000 people a day, the best bet with spices is to buy smaller quantities to enjoy the freshness.
   
7. Zoning: keep all the foils, wraps, plastic, wax paper in a drawer close to the refrigerator for ease of wrapping up left overs.
   
8. Music. I love to have music piped in to my kitchen as I prepare a meal. It can be as simple as a shelf mini stereo or when planning your kitchen, factor in a place to hold a reciever and install built in speakers from the ceiling. My client in the Hollywood Hills had a very small kitchen and we found the perfect spot in the wall cabinet over the refrigerator to house his small Bose system. The doors were removed for ventilation and to access with a remote. CD changing was not a problem as he kept his top 5 in there and changed them out at random. Music equipement needs air circulation. Be sure to factor that in your design.
   
9. Shop for fresh produce. Get out to your local farmers market. It is cheaper than buying frozen and tastes so much better.
10. Enjoy your holidays!

Laurie

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What to expect in 2009: Price Increases

What buzzed across my fax machine this past week caused me to groan, "price increase from my cabinet manufacturers? Not again!"

The three things that are unavoidable are death, taxes, and price increases.

Several appliance manufacturers recently increased prices by a dramatic 20% due to the cost of raw goods, energy and production costs. If you got in on a sale before appliances went up this fall, good for you. I am telling all my clients who were holding out until after the holidays to order now while you can still buy cabinets at 2008 prices.

Why wait? Cost of goods inflation waits for no one.

If you were thinking of getting started in '09, start looking for end of year deals now.

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A trip to Appliance Notes: Hank Goes Tankless

A thanks to Peggy Deras at Appliance Notes for highlighting the article Smarter Hot Water: The Big Switch- from Tank to Tankless. A good article for anyone thinking about replacing their old hot water heater.

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Verify everything in writing

At the scene of an auto accident,
the one thing for certain is that there will be numerous versions of what lead up to the accident.

At the scene of an accident, every witness and every party involved in the accident has their own version of what took place. What is perceived as each persons truth will never really agree with the next persons story. Explaining what happened varies: speed of travel, weather, amount of cars on the road, color and type of cars involved all are subject to interpretation. The accident happens so fast, that everyones recollection will be weighted based on what they were doing at the time of the accident.

Don't let your remodel become a scene of an accident.

A home improvement project can become an accident without proper documentation. I got a call today from my sister complaining about a home improvement project that is nearly completed. There was mold and water damage in the kitchen. The insurance company had a specialist come in to handle the mold remediation and repair the cabinetry. One of the workers promised, "a verbal promise", that he would install all new roll out trays in the pantry.

Listening to this story, my red flag alert went off.

Does a a verbal agreement between an employee of a company constitute a valid
contract change order? No. Anything discussed verbally, requires a written change order detailing additional time, materials and labor that will be added to the project cost.
Should a company honor a verbal agreement? It becomes a problem at this point. There is the interpretation argument of what was promised versus what was in the contract.

The issue is, that this employee's promise of roll outs was never written into the contract originally and a change order adding the roll outs was never submitted for her to sign off after that discussion of roll outs. An employee of the company can promise an item all he wants, but the homeowner must ask for this in writing so that there is no "he said/she said" dispute.

Imagine you were to explain your story in court, you are before the judge and you explain, "Your Honor, he told me he would install new roll outs for me. How was I supposed to know this was not in my contract , I was under the impression it was included based on what the salesperson said." It is a homeowners responsibility to know what they are signing for, what they are buying, and if not, they need to ask questions and have it explained if they are unclear about anything. Whenever your sales person starts explaining what they will do in a contract, have them take the time to show you where this is in your contract. Signing a contract, no matter how much paperwork you have to read, and no matter how tedious it is to read, you cannot ignore this step and plead ignorance later.

Get it in writing.

Now that it is time for the project to end, she is asking for the roll outs installed based on a verbal promise made by an employee of the company. The owner of the company is saying this wasn't billed into the contract and he will not do it. So the employee who made the promise is now denying he said that, the owner is not willing to supply the roll outs, and my sister is going to demand they be installed because they were discussed and requested originally. The whole reason she went with this company was he was the least expensive and the sales man said he would install roll outs where others who bid the project did not include them in the cost. The problem is that roll outs are not written anywhere in the contract. She is insisting it is the companies obligation to make good on that employees promise. If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is. Get all promises in writing.

So who is right and who is wrong?

There is a customer belief that they would receive roll out trays because of a verbal promise. The problem is there is no documentation of roll outs in the contract. You can't go on the assumption that a verbal agreement will be honored. Most likely, they were never included in the original charges. If the owner was willing to make amends for his employee promising items he had no authority to do without charging for it, he could split the cost or reduce the cost of the roll outs and install them to keep the customer satisfied. My sister is right to be upset, the employee was wrong, but all this could have been avoided if she checked her contract and got the change order in writing. If it sounds like I am taking sides with the owner of the company, I really do not want to, but my sister should have made sure to get the sales person's verbal agreement in writing that it was included, she would be in a better position to ensure that work gets done. Saying she trusted the sales person is not good enough.

Put your wish list in writing and compare it to your written quote.
Question anything that is vague.

I put a bid on a project where the client had a cap on what she wanted to spend on her kitchen remodel. (Who doesn't? Every one has a budget). We crunched the numbers and came up with a plan that accomplished what she wanted in her project with a few exceptions. We could not honor the whole wish list without breaking her budget; but we provided a very nice complete project for the budget.

To keep the project on budget, the wish list items that didn't make it into the project were relocating the water heater and going tankless; adding an exterior door into the kitchen plan; adding a desk; adding a glaze to the cabinets; changing the door style to a more expensive door; adding custom cabinetry; adding more cabinetry and molding in general.

What I discovered was that the client was not willing to compromise on excluding anything from her wish list. Incidentally, she was not willing to expand her budget to include the wish list work.

The wish list made it's way back into the plan.

In the end, the client added her whole wish list back into the project.

This was all detailed by me in writing with a change order form detailing the costs and additions to the project.

Drawings were resubmitted for approval, and explanations of where the additional charges were added. This was all explained to the client in detail, and was approved by the client and signed off. Now that all of this was approved in the last meeting, the cabinet purchase order was painstakingly reviewed and submitted to the factory for order processing.

After all of this, the client had a change of heart, admits she does not understand why these changes were not included in the original estimate and cannot justify spending the extra money on her wish list items. One aspect of this is that she could be getting more estimates from others who will down play the construction costs, underbid items only to throw change orders at her later, throw doubt into her mind. Someone can always do it cheaper. One thing I know is that I never have to apologize for quality.

Adding more construction and adding more materials costs more. If anything was not included in the original quote, it can not be assumed to be included.

What I know for sure is that my original budget friendly design gave her a great design for the budget. It was a perfectly doable project. It just could not include the fancier details.

The reality is that getting everything on your wish list will cost more.
If you are willing to add more details, be prepared it will cost more.

Managing a client's expectations is probably the most challenging aspect of my job. Normally, my time with a client during a design meeting and a contract signing is very thorough and can last on average for two hours to make sure both husband and wife are very clear on what they are buying.

In managing your own expectations, write it down exactly what it is you want in your project, convey that to your contractor or designer. Then write down a separate list on what items you are willing to compromise if it won't work with your budget. There has to be some give and take in what can be accomplished for the money.

In an auto accident, there is no time to think of all the details leading up to the accident. In a construction project, you have the opportunity to review and make sure you are clear about all the details in the project. Don't rush the details. Read your estimate, read your contract. Have details explained if you don't understand them. Taking the time now, prevents the problem later of dealing with the disappointment of what you thought was included, when it wasn't.

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Learning From Others Mistakes

I must give a nod to The Kitchen Designer, Susan Serra, for her masterful opinion in her blog dated 04/06/08, Lessons Learned from New York Times "Dream House Diaries". Susan Serra's 14 points are a primer for anyone planning a home renovation project.

A builder who assumes the cabinets are to be built around a predetermined plumbing and mechanical plan means someone put some thought in planning the kitchen, you would think so. But to read in the "Dream House Diaries" that the builder suggested to leave the kitchen planning till the point where the floors are down is nothing but a** backwards. It indicates the builder is interested in a cabinet order taker to come in later to get it in and get it done. This causes a huge disservice to the homeowner who is intent on a "Dream Kitchen for their Dream Home".

Whether building from the ground up or renovating an existing home, the mechanical locations for plumbing & gas lines, go hand in hand with planning the kitchen. Also, the placement or relocation of windows and doors is a critical stage in planning the kitchen. The design of the cabinetry, the doors and windows and the appliances must all be factored in at the beginning of the project, not the middle and not after drywall is up. For the do-it yourself crowd, I admire your fortitude to handle the project yourself, but it would not hurt to get a second opinion from a kitchen designer before ordering your cabinets. See the article link by one homeowner, "Did I get it right".

You can't leave planning the kitchen foot print to chance, thinking or hoping that the architect or builder is intent on the specifics, making sure the appliances and cabinets will fit. As much as we hope to see standards in the appliance industry, there are no "standards" when it comes to appliances. See an analytical point by point appliance comparison at the Kitchen-Exchange by Peggy Deras, Comment on Arrol Gellner's Appliance Advice. A builder that allows a variance of (+ or -) 6" can cheat the space with over sized cabinets and therefore cheat you by not allowing for the trash base or a proper bank of drawers or a lazy susan or a larger refrigerator. Kitchen Designers are not order takers. Planning the flow of space around appliances, cooking and clean up zones requires specialized training. A kitchen or bath designer will factor the dimensions of a space down the to the 1/8" inch and provide the builder a detailed plan ready for installation.

As Susan Serra stated in her article, the other problem by not planning the kitchen in the beginning creates a problem of cabinet size continuity. Wall cabinets with different door widths creates disharmony. Anybody with a tape measure can fill a wall with stock cabinets and fillers. To me, this is a waste of space and a waste of money when the design is washed down to nothing more than a bunch of boxes on the wall when the home owner's intent was a dream kitchen. Please refer to Peggy Deras excellent commentary Choosing a Residential Remodeling Architect.

The next factor the client has to be ready for is patience in planning. Don't rush into signing a contract until you have thoroughly interviewed the candidates. Take time to interview the architect, the builder, and the designer. If you fail to plan, plan to fail. Signing a contract with a professional who starts promising he or she will throw in free enticements or prices "good today only" are red flags. See NKBA for more advice on hiring a Kitchen and Bath designer. Go to NARI and AIA to find professional Contractors and Architects in your area. Check the BBB Reports to see if the business is in good standing. As a professional, I am so frustrated when I see a client taken in by the lowest bid, and outright lies about materials. To have a client compare my all plywood cabinet construction backed by a lifetime warranty against a 45# particle board box with a 5 year warranty and be taken in by lies by the "cabinet order taker" who says they are the same quality really frustrates me. My recommendation for homeowners is to be patient in the process of finding selections. As one homeowner said, she hoped she could just breeze right through this. This is not the same as ordering take out food. Patience is required.

No one can discount the value of the Builder, an Architect and Designer; each professional has the task at hand to provide the client a beautiful project. While a builders' interest is to get the project built on time and on budget, there is no fault in that. But, a quality builder will recommend you start working with a Kitchen and Bath specialist from the beginning so that the client can achieve their Dream Home.

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Paint your Kitchen with Cyber Paint

Time is money when your painter is waiting for an answer. Hearing the painter ask. "What color?" can be unsettling when all you have to base your decision is off of a small paint chip the size of a business card or a postage stamp.

My client and I were going back and forth on the idea to paint the molding dark or not.
Seeing a concept before you put the paint brush to work is a huge help to visualize the space.

For us, we needed to see french windows, doors and door casing and lots of molding for a comparison. The cabinets and cabinet crown molding is a dark cherry wood, the crown molding around the room is paint grade. Should we go with a dark stain on the exterior doors and casing or paint them light?

There are two on line tools I want to tell you about that are invaluable.
Experimenting with different colors before painting saves a lot of time and mistakes.

Quick Tips:

1. Take the smaller paint chips from the paint store, grab a 1/2 dozen and paste them together to make one large paint chip if you don't want to buy a small quart of tester paint.
2. Dunn Edwards offers larger paint chips (about 4" x 8") through the architectural division. You can order these large paint chips on line at no charge.
   
3. Have your painter (or do this yourself), apply test samples on the walls and trim. Live with it over the weekend before you commit to the color. View the color in morning, noon and night lighting.
   

I really like the Paint Brush tool offered at House Beautiful. It is great for quick room concepts, and saves the trip to the paint store. You can do this in the convenience of your home. There are 25 room images to select.The paint colors are from Benjamin Moore, Valspar and Sherwin Williams.

HB Paint Brush is missing the advanced options. It only allows you to pick one color trim for all the trim.
When comparing it to Dunn Edwards Palette Previewer, Dunn Edwards is more advanced and offers more flexability. Again, there is another learning curve. It is not for the impatient, but once you understand how to use it, it is really great to see your scanned photo of your actual room transformed with the paint colors you select. If you want to keep it simple, you can use the sample pictures to paint with.

Both programs allow you to print out the photo of your room with the paint numbers listed. Great idea.

Environment Friendly. I use the Dunn Edwards Computer Palette Previewer on my projects all the time and the larger paint chips so clients don't have to invest in a quart of paint three or four times over to test multiple samples on the walls. I just wish Dunn Edwards would come out with smaller paint testers. A quart of paint is really a lot of paint when you add up three or more colors consumers may buy before making the final decision. Half empty paint cans for the recycling centers is not eco-friendly.

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Weighing in on the Cost of Remodeling

An article in the San Francisco Chronicle, "Save Money: remodeling now, upgrade later" by Arrol Gellner, has merit however I have to take issue with a couple of points. Namely, I disagree that the idea of buying inexpensive cabinets now and replacing later is not as simple as Mr. Gellner makes it appear to be. Secondly, Arrol Gellner's appliance advise may lead to complications later. Kitchen Designer Peggy Deras, has successfully challenged this idea that appliances are not easy to replace later because appliance cut out sizes are not standardized. Please read on at Kitchen-Exchange for her article, Comment on Arrol Gellner's Appliance Advise.

I have been a fan of Mr. Gellner since I was introduced to his work and insightful articles on architecture, however I would have to argue with his idea of cabinets being fairly simple to remove and replace. Mr. Gellner's theory of using budget cabinentry for the short term a fairly open-ended way to save money may not be so simple or cost effective.

I would caution that homeowners be aware of the variance in toe kick's depths from different cabinets manufacturers. A standard 24" deep cabinet may have a toe kick depth of 21" but I have seen variances, which leads to the question about what to do with the scar on the floor. If the difference is less than 3/4" than a matching shoe base can be installed to hide the gap. If the foot print of the cabinets changes, even slightly, means the flooring will have to be patched or replaced.

If you have a peninsula, and you want to change it later, (shorten it, angle it, or remove it) and the flooring is hardwood and continues throughout the rest of the home, the patching in of the new material will show a visible shade difference, unless the whole floor is sanded and refinished. So what to do? In order to make this budget transition work, and remain "simple and cost effective later", keep the footprint fairly the same, always order extra floor material, for repairs later, or do as they do in Europe, tile under all the cabinets now, so no matter how the foot print varies later, this makes using budget cabinetry for the short term a fairly open-ended way to save money. Yet, one has to question, is a short term investment in new budget cabinets really a good investment? I would suggest a better way to save money in the short term by painting the old cabinets now, removing really ugly wall cabinet doors and opt for open shelves instead. Paint kitchen cabinets is very budget friendly, while planning to remodel the kitchen properly later is a better investment.

The Los Angeles Times, Real Estate section, Sunday January 6, had a great article by Marni Jameson I recommend everyone read before remodeling. "Mad for makeovers" is about homeowners that focus on remodeling for comfort, not resale. The article quotes Dan Fritchen, that "remodeling in a down market can make a lot of sense...you just have to be smart about it", author of 2005's "Remodel or Move? Make the Right Decision."

Quoting the article, A national survey that Fritchen's Web company, RemodelEstimates.com conducted last fall among 5,000 homeowners found that folks are planning to spend as much as ever on home improvements in 2008 but they plan to do so more carefully.

Also the article profiles one homeowners justification for remodeling rather than moving. Mark Yegsigian of Laguna Hills is a certified public accountant and financial planner who also has a real estate license. He describes himself as "the bean counter's bean counter." He has some sage advise on remodeling and able to back up his statement with the numbers to prove it.

Another safe move, Fritschen added, is fixing a design problem. For instance, it could pay to open up a galley kitchen and add space or an island. Likewise, if you expand a tiny bathroom, you probably won't lose.

Fritschen says, "I don't see galley kitchens or tiny baths ever coming back."

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Remodeling the Ranch Style Home

The challenge of a Ranch Style kitchen.

The challenge for many who are ready to update the ranch: keep budgetary costs down with minimal structural and mechanical changes while improving the layout of the kitchen. Here are some ideas from my own collection of jobs and from around the net that show small space Ranch Kitchens with maximum impact.
Newspaper ad from 1962.
A new ranch style home for sale.

In California, ranch home subdivisions exploded like wild poppies all over the state in the 1960's and 70's. Some better than others. Big lots, huge backyards, massive windows and sliding glass doors welcomed indoor/outdoor living, vaulted ceilings, 2 car attached garages, walk-in closets, spacious formal dining room, living room and den to boot.

The Klawitter Home in Long Beach, CA. An example of the best part of California Ranch House style: The indoor/outdoor living.

Ironically, the kitchens in these big, beautiful ranch homes usually shared the same impossible U-shaped footprint or narrow galley kitchens. Peninsulas with blind storage corners, massive sink base cabinets centered over a pass-thru kitchen window intended for ease of entertaining and serving to the patio. Before: Clerestory windows. Vaulted Ceilings. Views of the backyard make for a good beginning.
Goal for the new kitchen: Improve the layout, add counter space.

After: continue the clerestory windows into the kitchen allows the light to flood the kitchen.

Before: Three entries into the kitchen makes for an awkward layout with small counter space, small pantry and limited space for appliances and storage.

After: Third doorway closed off allows for bigger range and powerful vent hood, microwave and warming drawer allows the cook more flexibility for cooking large meals and entertaining. More counter space, open airy space with new half wall into dining room.

Before: Soffit over the sink area and wall cabinets close off the
kitchen and make it look smaller.

After: Soffits gone, glass front and sides of wall cabinets allow light
to bounce off reflective surfaces.

Before: Awkward and incomplete.

After: Additional counter space and an easy place for guests to relax with you in the kitchen.

Customized storage makes cooking easy.

The storage in this kitchen was doubled with customized features.

Accessible and Durable Storage: Lighted corner cabinets. Heavy duty hinges.

An 1965 newspaper ad. The Valley News, San Fernando Valley, CA .

A 1970's Raised Ranch with it's original kitchen layout.

Cabinets with impossible storage corners.
The peninsula and large spans of windows prevents needed wall cabinet storage.

During the remodel: the peninsula with the blind corner banished allows for the sink wall to be outfitted with a giant lazy susan corner and a trash base to the left of the sink. The new position of the dishwasher is given a proper home to the right of the sink, followed with drawers to the right for cutlery.

The cook top location remains at the same location but gets a boost of cooking power with an under cabinet oven. The old kitchens with the typical 70's dropped fluorescent oak trimmed light fixture.

The new hood becomes the focal point.

No space for a double oven?
If it's been a while since you shopped for a range, the new double oven range offers unequaled versatility in one convenient package.
Introducing GE's hottest new innovation in cooking convenience! This new GE Profile™ double oven range allows you to cook two different dishes at two different temperatures at the same time.



The stunning kitchens below are from www.bauerdesign.com.
Here, a U shape Kitchen with functional storage in every usable inch!

This mahogony stained kitchen is fabulous.

Small u shaped kitchens are no place for tall oven cabinets. This under cabinet oven makes way for spacious counter tops. Lou Ann Bauer and her staff at Bauer Interior Design was recognized by Interior Design Magazine as one of the nation's top Kitchen & Bath design firms. For more inspiring views visit http://www.bauerdesign.com/news.html

The Best of Ranch Style
Rancho Style: Modernism Meets the Ranch House.
I am a huge fan of the Cliff May homes. They were certainly inspired by the Western ranch house, but they are unique in their modern interpretation of this California design. The Long Beach Cliff May's were built in the early 1950s and reflect the modernist influences of the time with open floor plans, exposed post-and-beam ceilings, clerestory windows and floor to ceiling glass.

Floorplan Design and Placement
Many Cliff May designs are L- or U-shaped and are positioned to the back of their lots, a design layout which he envisioned would provide for more open outdoor space and an enhanced relationship between the homes' interior and yard.

Appreciation for Design
As more people become interested in design—whether it‘s a toaster or an automobile—more are wanting their homes to reflect what they value. These individuals tend to share a common aesthetic and appreciation for form and function. They are, in large part, the new breed of owners who are shaping the future of neighborhoods such as the Ranchos. And somewhere in the great beyond, Cliff May is undoubtedly cheering them on.

For more information, please visit: http://www.ranchostyle.com/lbranchos.html




The Eichler Home: Distinctively different from the Ranch Home, the Eichler shares the same beauty of indoor/outdoor living with Atrium courtyards. A midcentury modern home built by developer Joseph Eichler and his Eichler Homes, Inc. built nearly 11,000 single-family homes in California, beginning in the late 1940s. In Northern California, they can be found in areas in and around Marin county, the East Bay, San Mateo county, Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, San Jose, San Francisco, and Sacramento. Three small communities of Eichlers in Southern California stand in Orange, Thousand Oaks, and Granada Hills. In addition, there are three Eichler-built residences in New York state. Together these thousands of "Eichlers" reflect the beauty and uniqueness of the Eichler design and the integrity and daring of the builder behind it. Fifty years later, the house that Joe built endures as a marvelous legacy.

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