The BIG Questions When Hiring a Contractor

Can I meet a client and see a project that was completed 5-10 years ago?

We all like to browse cutting edge technology and the latest and coolest design offerings, but that is what showrooms are for! Truthfully if you can see one or two prior completed jobs when you are considering hiring a contractor, see something that was designed and built a few years ago. This will give you a window into a few important things

• Brand and Durability of products offered
• Integrity and quality of the installation
• Ease of the process'
• Long term Client satisfaction
• How long the Contractor has really been in business*

*a few contractors, certainly not all contractors, exaggerate the longevity of their business, beware of this practice.

When you meet that client, it’s important to ask the right questions

• Was your Project completed on time and in budget?
• Were there many changes after the project began-surprises and extra work
• Were you permitted as the homeowner to supply any of your own material, tile flooring etc? Or did everything need to be purchased through the contractor?
• Did the contractor charge a premium?
• Was the job well supervised?
• Was the work continuous within reason (stopping for inspections)?
• Were there any issues after the job was completed, how were they handled
• Does the client feel like they got good value, and what they expected?
• Was the name of the Business hired 5 years ago the same as the contractor is using today?*

*again, changing a business name is a tactic used by a few contractors out there to hide from bad reviews, lawsuits, and dissatisfied customers. Do your homework and don’t fall for this.

None of this is to say that you shouldn’t hire a new business or a young contractor. Quite the contrary, it just does pay to do your homework to find out where they got their start, and if they are young, have they worked for someone in the past? Ask to speak to that contractor.

Some contracts have 50 clauses on the back, if they do, take the time to read each one. If you think you need a lawyer to review the contract, then get one or move on to another contractor. It's possible the contractor you're dealing with has been on the receiving end of a lawsuit. This may or may not have been warranted or unwarranted. Your contract should be in easy to read language. Make sure that you are protected and negotiate changes you want up front.
I grew up in the construction business, third generation after both of my grandfathers’ and my own dad. Many of the people who worked for my father went on to have their own businesses. They stayed in touch with us as a family, and when the work was getting beyond my father he took pride in handing the jobs down to his past employees, with confidence they would do a great job.

If someone hasn’t come up the ranks working on the job-sites, as an apprentice, then journeyman, then master craftsman they are more of a “marketing expert/business person”, their perspective on the business may be very different than someone who learned the business from the foundation up.

Finally always check the name of the business with the Better Business Bureau. Accreditation with this organization shows a willingness by the contractor to be openly scrutinized. This practice protects the consumer and the Contractor, and if the business you are looking into has nothing to hide, they will want to share their excellent rating.



Author’s note: Working for one of the top kitchen design showrooms in the country is an honor and a pleasure. I have shared with my employers at MCK+B what I have learned through my personal experiences in this business, and they know that while they chose me as the right person for the showroom, I chose them based on their impeccable reputation. I am never too busy to offer advice, or give the name of independent referrals within the industry. Follow me on Twitter for industry updates!

Bright Ideas in Under Cabinet Lighting

 

 Traditional Inset Kitchen with LED strip lights.

There are so many decisions to make when planning a kitchen. Some of the most important ones need to be made in the beginning, like appliances, cabinetry, under cabinet lighting. You may wonder why under cabinet lighting couldn't wait until closer to the end, especially if you're feeling overwhelmed by the choices. When properly planned for ahead of time a professional designer will customize the bottoms of the cabinets to conceal the light fixtures. If you wait until the cabinets are already  made to decide you could end up scrambling last minute for cover moldings, panels, or worse yet staring at your fixtures for the lifetime of your kitchen.

If you are already in the process and haven't addressed this yet don't wait, contact your designer and add a small molding to the order, something like a soffit crown for a traditional kitchen or a solid stock with return, a plain molding like this can be left "as is" in a contemporary kitchen or receive an applied molding to dress it up. Calculate the linear feet of exposed bottom edge and then round up to the nearest multiple of eight. If you are within two feet, add an extra length. Ultimately you want your molding produced with or as close to your cabinetry as possible to achieve the best match and allow all the materials to age together.

Next you will want to sit with a knowledgable lighting specialist, someone who can match up the necessary drivers and connectors to whichever fixtures you decide in. They should also be in the best position to show you the latest offerings in lighting. There are so many to choose from, flourescent, halogen, LED, avaialable in tones ranging from cool white, to warm, to natural daylight. Not all fixtures can be placed on dimmers, so if this is a feature you like, make sure it's compatible.  

Contemporary Kitchen in Blue
Lacquer with Figured Anigre

In a kitchen you can create visual excitement by layering your lighting as in this contemporary blue kitchen. There is LED cool white puck lighting installed in the stainless flyover panels, under the cabinets, and behind the butterfly cabinet doors.



Custom Light Shelves

If you are looking for a more subtle lighting effect, I recommend custom fabricated bottom light shelves. The ones here are a constructed as a double hulled glass with interior flourescent lights to create pleasing downward and and upward lighting, perfect for cabinets with glass doors. Here shown with backpainted white glass lift up doors. All the materials shown here were designed and are on display at Manhattan Center for Kitchen + Bath.

Jorger-Rohl Athentic Luxury Plumbing Fixtures Launch

http://www.mckb.com/ 

New Empire II collection from Jorger/Rohl

 Today in New York City Mark Rohl, President of the Eastern Region for Rohl , a company known for discovering and marketing luxury Kitchen and Bath products from around the world unveiled a new product offering that will certainly create some excitement in the residential design field.

At the launch he was joined by Oliver Jorger, the Managing Director of Jorger, a German manufacturer of their high end in house designed plumbing fixtures. Jorger has a history in plumbing going back over one hundred years to a great, great grandfather that oversaw palace plumbing in Baden, Germany.

This venture has been in the making since 2006 when the two companies originally met at KBIS. Jorger will bring the relationship beautiful designs developed specifically for the targeted high end markets of New York, Chicago and Dallas where the products will initially roll out with limited distribution. Rohl will masterfully orchestrate the introduction to the market through select channels, the closest of which to New York City is Hardware Designs of Fairfield, NJ

As a designer serving the exclusive New York Market they seek to capture my personal opinion is that the Empire II Collection, a contemporary design with an Asian influence will find the larger audience and reach more consumers, keeping in mind this is exclusive luxury and not intended for the mass market.


Aphrodite Collection from Jorger/Rohl

 The Aphrodite Collection, a somewhat classically styled introduction with a Greek flavor derived from the famous columns, is beautiful and uniquely styled offering but a bit more complicated and not as yielding in bathroom where there can be many elements competing for attention. I will say that it is interesting the way the tops of the columns seem to imply a modified look on a traditional and still often used cross taps.


Oliver Jorger of Jorger





There is a promise of more to come in the next year, I have seen previews and think this will be worth the wait! We show the full line of Rohl Products in my showroom atMCK+B at 29 East 19th Street, New York, NY.



The launch took place in the Liederkranz Club a former private residence on the corner of East 87th Street and 5th Avenue. The club whose name means “garland song” has a long history of promoting the musical arts and fellowship in New York, and while it shares Jorger’s German roots, it has no political affiliation.

Looking Forward to Designing in 2011

Happy New Year to all…2011 is off to an excellent start…we have seen a big surge in showroom traffic and several of the pre-new year project commitments have already been realized.

On January 6th Gales Steve’s noted speaker, author of Right-Sizing Your Home as well as other books, and expert on home organization and space utilization visited MCK+B and met with my colleague, Hany Gerges and me to discuss trends in kitchen design with a focus on aging in place technology. Researching the very relevant topic for her latest upcoming book, she chose MCK+B particularly to reacquaint herself with the product offerings from Rutt Cabinetry, a company we love for their quality and style, that Gale is familiar with and says she has turned to in the past for storage solutions.

We were happy to report to her that the change in the real estate market and subsequent drop in “flip renovating” has led to nicer better equipped kitchens that folks plan to live in long term. For us that equals more client input, and more requests for extras in the way of LED under cabinet lighting, Drawer inserts to pre-dedicate storage, and additional storage areas in the home that tie in to the kitchen such a wall units, desks, and mud room storage etc.

Specifically relating to aging place, we are seeing a commitment to full access storage, where every cabinet has a roll out function, or other purpose, and upper cabinets which are equipped with pull-down shelving, so nothing is lost. Additionally these kitchens will have function in their toe kicks space, everything from platter storage to the step ladder needed to retrieve anything that is beyond easy reach, or to clean taller cabinets and the kitchen window. If you are looking for more information on aging in place there are designers who specialize in it, some are certified, one knowledgeable person in our industry who is a  great resource, and a Certified Aging in Place Specialist or CAPS is Andie Day,  talented Interior Designer who runs her company out of Boston.

Our urban easy living attitude has again seen a further drop in use of granite and a rise in the use of quarts, particularly Caesarstone, counter surfaces. Clients asking for the differences are thrilled to learn of the anti-microbial properties of the Caesarstone, and the fact that it requires no sealing for the lifetime of the product.

The irony is that my best selling granite right now is a stone that looks more like marble; it seems everyone is willing to try something new these days. That said, our line of engineered veneers has captured a lion’s share of our contemporary slab business, everything from deepest Ebony, to Rift Cut White Oak, to Quartered Zebrano, to Ribbon Sappele, the natural color palette is intriguing and inviting at once. With the advantages of using material from managed forests, knowing that you are doing something that is natural, beautiful and Green it has been an easy choice for many.

We have added new displays for 2011 and I am thrilled for the public reaction I’ve been getting. We have one more new display going in this first quarter, and it promises to cause a lot of excitement!

Art in Your Kitchen- Fused Glass Backsplashes

As a designer/multi-tasker I have to admit, I have been known to let my attention wander. If something peaks my curiosity, I have been known to drop everything and pursue!

Last week I was contacted by a woman, not a kitchen client, not even a potential...a backsplash only inquiry. She was very passionate about a glass backsplash she had seen in a New York City Showroom. She was in love, enthralled, and stumped! The owner of the showroom would share no information about it, or how to get it. So she had launched a campaign to find it on her own.

Not only did i feel for her plight but she was so excited, she got me wrapped up in her fervor too. Google hadn't been easy for her since she was not from an architecture or design field and the kitchen lingo wasn't on the tip of her fingers.

So in the middle of last weeks storm that never seemed to end, I set out on the train in search of this jewel she described. Albeit I was drenched, I did find the place, and beheld her prize backsplash. It was beautiful. But, I had to admit, I felt no more love from the gentleman in the showroom than she did, so I did no sleuthing. I gave it a quick look, took mental images, and went home to Google myself.

Along the way I came across a company whose product I felt I had to share. I happened upon these folks who do such amazing work, I think it needs to be recognized! Tom and Saundra Snyder, of Charlotte NC, have a studio and design center in Pineville NC There work is detailed and precise, and completely custom.

Saundra is a renowned Watercolor Artist, who will custom design and render your project and then combines her talents with Tom's glass cutting skills to achieve a completely personal and unique piece of art for your home.

They do more than just Backsplashes, the will do wall hangings, home accessories, serving pieces, I dare say anything you can dream up. And a quick look through their online portfolio quickly dispels any thought that they have a theme to their work. Aside from Glass being the medium they work in, their style will range from contemporary abstract, contemporary geometric, landscape, still life to portrait.

I am always looking for new, unusual elements to incorporate into my designs, glass adds life to architecture and design in many ways, by allowing light to pass through, and also in its natural resemblance to water. It is a natural compliment to tile and

I would imagine that use of glass allows an opportunity to incorporate recycled material into the project, and I would encourage you to contact Tom and saundra for more information on their Art Glass works.

When I called my inquiring client back, she was so pleased with the information and the link she has promised to follow up with me when her project is complete, and likewise i will share those images with you!

Garbage Disposals, Batch Feed vs. Continuous Feed

The first kitchen I ever had a part in the technical design of, was my own, it was the start of the love affair I have with well designed kitchens. I thought I was going to have fun with the window treatments, and the dining table, after all, interior design was my field. Boy was I wrong, it was the appliances that charmed my socks off! Looking back, I did things in that kitchen that I will never do again, without a sign off of course!



One appliance that had me on the fence was a garbage disposal. I hadn't grown up with one, but had managed to feed nearly an entire set of cutlery to one in an apartment I had in college. So even though the designer was recommending I install one, I was skeptical. True also is that I was looking at the sweet plump fingers on my baby's hands, and the thought of her reaching in at the wrong moment, well it made me squeeze my eyes shut real fast!



When I caught my breath the designer gave me a little lesson in batch feed vs. continuous. Most people have continuous feed disposers with the black plastic flaps that give way to the food as it slides through the opening. This type usually has a switch on the backsplash or countertop that you simply flip as you are feeding the unit, it can run this way at any time, and if you drop a knife or spoon it's going in! I know it's a longshot but as a young mom, I could just envision my for year old son chucking his Thomas the Tank Engine down to here the cool noise, and well the possibilities of his retrieval method was of most concern.



What my kitchen designer recommended was what they call a Batch Feed Disposal. It has a plug that covers the opening but allows water to pass through it, the plug must be in and turned for the power to run to the unit. therefore there is zero risk of little fingers intruding on the blades, and it only slows down the feed process slightly, and just enough that you have very little risk of losing cutlery or jewelry or any of the other fun stuff that slips by.

I took his advice, and bought the Kitchen Aid Batch Feed Disposal. I was so happy for the convenience and peace of mind it offered, and I recommend the very same unit to my clients today. Batch feeds are made by many manufacturers and they all work fairly the same way.

As with all disposers, the recommendation is that you use cold running water and do put bones down. It's generally thought that this does the best job of preventing grease from buuilding up and clogging the waste line. Check with your town before installing one, as not all municipalities allow them, and if you are on a septic system check into the special enzyme treatments to assist in the decomposition of the food matter.

How Do I Choose a Good Contractor?

Choosing a contractor is not often easy, and many times fear of commitment holds homeowners back. One of the best ways to find a good reputable contractor you can trust is to ask friends and neighbors for referrals. It's even ok to stop at an ongoing job, but be careful to stay out of the way and speak directly with the homeowner. For the most part people are flattered that you noticed their project and they are proud to show off what they are having done. Strike up a pleasant conversation and you may even be invited back to see the progress.

The remodeling industry is frought with nightmare stories, so it's also important to be able to weed out the truth, the homeowner may have had a bad experience yes, but it's possible that it had nothing to do with the contractor.
One of the most daunting things about remodeling is the cost overrun factor. If you ask a neighbor who just had their kitchen remodeled and they exclaim "my kitchen was supposed to cost $50,000, but when I was done paying for the extras it was closer to $70,000...I love my new kitchen, but I won't recommend the contractor because of how the price went up." Hmmmm, what can you make of that statement, it comes down to what were the extras? Was it that the tile, which the homeowner said went completely under the cabinets really only went two inches under them?...and now with the new cabinet layout the entire floor needed replaced, and while selecting the material, the homeowner fell in love with an exotic marble tile and thought it made sense to add radiant heat, and continue the floor to the foyer?

That's a big change, they just added work and material to include:

1. Rip out and removal (contractors pay to dump waste) of the exisitng floor
2. Expanded the job to the foyer not just the kitchen ($50,000)
3. Radiant heat (will invlove either plumber or elecrtrician depending on the sysytem)
4. Labor and material for Marble floor install (more expensive than ceramic/porcelain.

This change could easily add $10,000 to the bottom line on a job. If the homeowner was warned that uniform flooring throughout was key reusing the exisiting floor in a new layout, and advised of the costs of a potential new floor, gave the go ahead, then the contractor was completely upfront and the homeowner just has remorse over the expense. The homeowner picked beautiful natural stone and wanted warm feet, no wonder they love their kitchen! Give the contractor a break here, he was doing his job.

Now take the same floor, same homeowner, they told the contractor the tile only went under the cabinets by two inches and they wanted to replace it with marble throughout the foyer and add radiant heat since the tile was cold in the winter. The homeowner still ended up with almost $8,000 in additional flooring costs, then you would look at the allowances the contractor included for labor and material, were they enough, did they include the foyer at all?? Probably not or at too low a rate, in this case the homeowner has a right to feel upset.

Unforseen conditions and exposed code violations have to be brought up to code at the homeowners expense. If you bought Pandora's box, it's unfortunate, but it's yours. In this case, the key to a good contractor is that he helps you through the process, with the right subs, and getting the work done quickly and inspected so you can put the situation behind you and your mind at ease.

Remember if you told your contractor your entire wishlist and that you wanted to spend $50,000 on your kitchen, you have to carefully read the contract that everything you want is included at your number. Full disclosure is they key to an honorable home improvement contractor. Ask for a list of what is not included in the job, or what is covered by an allowance, how much is it, and can you go to any store? What good is a $750 allowance for an Exterior French Door, when the least expensive one they sell at the approved vendor is $2000? Well, it $750 worth of good, now add $1250 to your personal bottom line.

Items typically covered by an allowance only or not included:

• flooring material
• cabinetry upgrades (premium woods, finishes, drawer glides, plywood const.)
• faucets
• appliances
• specialty windows
• exterior doors
• exotic granite
  

Remember it IS reasonable for the contractor to cover these items by allowances, after all, you don't want to have the cost of Blue Bahai Granite built in to your kitchen when what you want is a Blue Sapphire or Blue Opal. If you know the stone you want ahead of time, you can ask that it is specifically included in the contract to avoid questions later. When it comes to a kitchen faucet you could spend anywhere from $120.00 to $1200.00, if the contractor offers you a credit to supply your own, believe me there will be noisy days you won't want to be at your house, and they will be perfect for faucet shopping!

Three reasons not to base your decision to hire a contractor:

1. He/she said we didn't need permits or contracts because my project just direct replacement etc.
2. He/she looked the most professional.
3. He/she stayed for hours going over the reasons we should hire them.

You may feel more comfortable and friendly with a contractor who doesn't want to deal with paperwork, let call it a "handshake deal", but the truth is, a contract is to protect everyone and your state has laws by which the contractor must abide. This is important for both parties, and it should clearly outline all of your project specifications, allowances etc as well as your obligations for payment and cost overruns. A well written contract can save the project for all involved. With regard to permits, allow the town to tell you they aren't needed, even if you are just upgrading from electric cooking to the evermore popular dual-fuel range, you will need a plumbing inspection. This is in your best interest to get.

It's fine and good to clean up and present well after a day on the jobsite, but when a contractor sits in your home for 2-3 hours in a pressed shirt and slacks and says "you know how I know all this, it's because I make this presentation to homeowners four times a day." Now ask yourself, if that is the case, when will he/she find time to be on my job. You are talking to a professional salesman. If he really does this schpeel that many times a day, how would he ever find time to manage or supervise your project? BEWARE.

This "contractor" who took 2 1/2 painstaking hours selling you on the reasons to sign with him/her surprises you and then jams through the paperwork so quick you don't remember what you bought. Now should now sit down and read the paperwork before your time to ask questions is up. Often under the sense of relief that the commitment is made and the process is underway, homeowners tuck the contract in a drawer, unfortunately the next time they pull it out is when they face the first unexpected add-on of something they thought was included

Lastly, online contractor referral services, they are paid for and supported by the contractors. Not all the feedback customers post remain online for your eyes to see. These services are not necessarily bad, just make sure you check references carefully. Always consult the Better Business Bureau, local trade associations, ask for references, speak with the subs if possible, meet directly with the kitchen designer and go see at least one job!

I wouldn't like to make it sound like one industry has it tougher than another, but if the landscaper scalps your hedges and they look terrible, you can still take a shower and sit down to a home cooked meal. A troubled home renovation can affect how you live for many months so take the time to make a wise choice, you will be happy you did!

New Holiday Tradition

As you know, by trade I am a kitchen designer, but the secret underlying passion that led me to my chosen path, was a love of cooking. This is a time in my family's life when completely new holiday traditions are being born one celebration at a time. So as I have seen my hosting responsibilities go on temporary hiatus, it's become all the more important that the "What Can I Bring To Your Party" item is a hit.

When Emilie Barta asked for Tweets on what the favorites dishes were this Thanksgiving I shouted back "Spinach & Artichoke Dip, putting it in the oven now."

Emilie quickly asked how and how hard...I am here to tell you not very hard at all, and it always draws a crowd.

Recipe for Spinach & Artichoke Dip

What you will need:

• 9 oz package of Birdseye Artichoke Hearts
• 10 oz package of Birdseye Chopped Spinach
• 8 oz package of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
• 8 oz sour cream
• 2/3 cup Mayonnaise
• 4 cloves of fresh minced garlic (alt:1 clove elephant garlic)
• 1 medium tomato diced
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• spicy optional ingredient sprinkle with crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mixing Ingredients:

1. thaw and drain frozen vegetables
2. soften cream cheese for 30-45 seconds in microwave
3. coarsely chop artichoke pieces (chunky)
4. set aside 2 Tbsp of diced tomato for garnish
5. in large bowl combine all other ingredients
6. mix well and move to oven safe/microwavable serving dish
7. heat in microwave on high for 12-15 minutes stopping (stir after 5 minutes) mixture should be creamy
8. stir well
9. sprinkle leftover tomato on top of dip for splash of color
10. bake in oven 20-25 minutes
    

Serve warm with tortilla chips or other snack chip, great with garlic points!

Put your own twist on the ingredients, even try a different cheese, after all, that is the fun of being a chef in your own kitchen!

I hope that you add this recipe to your "What Can I Bring" list, and that your holidays are happy and spent with loved ones.

Follow Aston Smith

The Changing Kitchen Customer

Quality craftsmanship and professional remodeling have inherent value, you get tremendous benefit from a new kitchen when it is well designed and properly installed. Taking shortcuts in the process and product will only shortchange you and your investment in the end. After all, most homeowners look at their house as part of their future financial rewards, a nest egg.

As a Kitchen Designer, sometimes my profession can be viewed as a "fat" that can be trimmed away in lean times. After all I am a leap of faith, and from the moment my client engages my services, I have to prove my worth. I quietly point out that I pay for myself many times over when I save you from making mistakes in your new kitchen, either costly to fix, or unsightly and inconvenient to live with.

Hiring a professional designer or a remodeling company that provides a designer you should expect:

• detailed measurements for project planning
• best use of space
• innovative design ideas
• current industry technology in your design
• what you have ordered will work
• you don't pay for excessive material that gets wasted
• material is right and on time
• open communication with the crew installing your kitchen
• a direct line for help when you have a question
• no "last minute" details that were forgotten

These are benefits the Home Centers can't pitch to you, because if you design your kitchen there, your project may changes hands as many as three or four times before your kitchen ever gets ordered.

Increasingly over the last few months I have received an influx of inquiries from homeowners shopping for design services as a first step in the remodeling process, prior to talking to any contractors. It comes as welcome news when I tell them of installation services we offer at The Kitchendeziner, we recognize a trend towards design it, sell it, and install it, all in one place. I have been designing in the Millburn/Short Hills area of New Jersey now for over a year and half now, about thirty minutes south of Bergen County where I initially developed my reputation as a kitchen designer. Both areas are saturated with a variety of remodeling "shopportunites" from the entry level Home Center to the Ultra-Boutique experience.

A common complaint I hear from my clients when we first meet is, "No other designer would even talk to us without a retainer." And what I hear from colleagues is "People just aren't buying" and I believe once you take that view, no one will buy from you. I understand that time is money. I have been known to ask a "shopper" who becomes pushy for a copy of my actual design before committing to the project "what do you do that you get paid for, that today you want to do for free?" The truth today is, in this economic climate, if you hold people to money just to talk, you may find yourself very lonely in your showroom.

Less people are out spending money right now, and everyone knows it. And those who are out there shopping, know they can probably get a little more than they would six months ago. What I have also concluded is homeowners are enjoying the design process a little more than before, taking longer, asking more questions, and exploring their options. The current buying behavior is definitely more conservative. If I have to be more inventive, and entertaining to please my customer, then sobeit.

In an attempt to help folks over the buying hump and give them a place to shop for a kitchen that isn't high pressure or intimidating, we have redesigned our showroom with offerings that make sense to today's customer, more smaller displays, beautiful and real, but not over done, showing styles and finishes that range from Contemporary Dark Wenge to a Distressed Glazed Tuscany motif, and all else we have room for in between. The focus is definitely on added value, features like roll out trays, spice storage, base wastebasket pullouts, and customizable cutlery storage. The response has been great, and once they are in on the design, it's very short leap to purchasing our complete installation services.

Offering homeowners the complete service package has been the key to our success in these tougher times. Homeowners want to know what their project will cost when it's done, and they want to know before they begin. We have taken steps to help our clients avoid cost overruns. People are looking to hear that from us, especially with today's economy.

At Empire we take a project from inception to completion offering the client:

• cabinetry
• tile back splashes
• counter top surfaces
• flooring
• project management
• decorating advice
• engineering/sealed plans
• dedicated electricians and plumbers
• in-house crews
• a detailed project timeline
  

These are the features that we are offering to put our clients at ease and give them the assurances they are looking for. With as much HGTV as the average kitchen consumer has seen, they are more savvy than they were 5-10 yrs ago, many know what they want when they come in, others take a guidance. Either way the pace of sales has slowed a little for now, the time isn't wasted, we are using it to expand our offerings, improve our services, and get better at what we do best, taking care of our clients, and building great kitchens. Doing anything else now, just wouldn't make sense!

Diary of a Bathroom Remodel "Go ahead and rip out both bathrooms, I'll shower at the Gym"

You know that famous interview question "what is your greatest distinctive attribute?" we have all heard it! As a kitchen designer, I had a great answer for that one--my age. Young enough to be seen as "hip" "in touch" "with it" and old enough to know better, not a rookie.

At The Kitchendeziner, we don't start a remodeling project until everything we need for it is inventoried in our warehouse. All stamped with Mr. or Mrs Happy Kitchen-Customer's name on it. Before we start the project we lay out a timeline with the clients that works for both parties. When I have more than just a kitchen remodel (kitchen+ 1 or more bathrooms), before we turn a screw in any room, we establish a sequence. My goal: balancing continuous job progress against access to facilities i.e.: shower, water closet etc. I never want a client running in the house after being stuck in rush hour traffic for 45 minutes and scrambling up the stairs to use a bathroom that doesn't exist anymore!

Last October, I started a kitchen and bath renovation I was really excited about. The job was a kitchen and two bathrooms in a two and half bath townhouse. That left Ms. Happy Kitchen-Customer with a half bathroom all to herself for the duration and my commitment that she would always have a shower. I thought about my options, knowing I had an excited and anxious homeowner on my hands. She had the desire to choose beautiful things and followed her heart. This was obviously a fun pleasureable undertaking, and I wanted to do everything to keep it that way. Keep in mind even kitchen remodleing customers who take six months to decide to move forward on a project have one question after they sign the paperwork, and that is: "How quickly can this all be done?"

The Plan for the Townhouse:

• rip out the kitchen
• rip out the hall bathroom
• leave the master bathroom intact
• get kitchen and hall bath past rough inspections and tile/install fixtures in hall bathroom
• hall bathroom working/rip out master bathroom(trade one shower for another)

We were projecting a job completion date 10 weeks after initial demolition, on all phases. Everything was running ahead of schedule, I found I had Ms. Extra Happy Kitchen-Customer on my hands now.

With the holidays approaching, and work sending her out of town for a week, my client, who I am very fond of to this day, came and asked me to make a change. She said "Aston, while I am away will you rip out my master bathroom? I know, the schedule doesn't call for it, but I can 'shower at the gym'(words I won't forget) until the bathrooms are ready." I was reluctant, I warned against, and then I made like a neanderthal and caved.

I should have had my head examined! As a seasoned kitchen and bath designer, I know better than to take away all the bathrooms at once! but, I did it, fingers crossed.

And wouldn't you know, that the the very next thing that happened? Ms. Happy Kitchen-Customer's neighbor had a leak that flooded her unit, old buried un-neighborly disputes rose up again, the neighbor declined to allow the proper firestopping remediation that was now necessary, and my cherished client, came down with pneumonia. You can't make this up. I was in a tailspin.

Well, I have to say that without my plumber's tactful intervention (I didn't realize he was a part time "therapist"), the township inspector bending over backwards to schedule the inspections in a tight timeframe, and some Divine intervention, undoubtedly my client would have been bathing in her kitchen sink...which thankfully was as scheduled, back in action, her hall bath only two days from completion, on time, not too bad.

The key to keeping the situation under control was remember you don't get what you don't ask for, and you need to ask nice, people will go out of their way to help, if you are polite. Equally paramount: communication, with the town, the trades, and most importantly the homeowner. Don't let a day go without checking in, you may not always have answers, but a client in this situation is reliant on you, trip up and it can be a disaster, once you lose their trust it can very hard to recover. Let them know you have been to their house, you aren't just taking other people's word for it. Copy your homeowner on imporatant emails, don't make their project their part time job, just keep them in the loop.

And put your experience in your mental file for the future, the next time that the happiest customer you have ever met asks you to tread this close to the line remember from this little anecdote, no one with pneumonia wants "to shower at the gym".