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March if, 1977 PAGE 25 (Continued from pa^e 24) if the firm is a member of the American Institute of Kitchen Dealers, a national organization that sets stan­ dards of professionalism for the members. Another thing to look for is the initials CKD after the name of any individual with the firm This stands for Certified Kitchen Designer and means that he or she has been in the industry ten years and has passed several tests, or has been in the field seven years and has taken an 8-hour test to prove his competence. At the time of certification, the designer must be employed by, or owner of, an AIKD member shop, but he retains his CKD status for life, regardless of where he is employed. There are ahnut wk) CKD s in the entire country. There are other fields related to kitchen design, such as my own--home economics. More and more home economists, who have-8 background for the field through their scholastic ed­ ucation. are becoming certified kitchen designers. We have relied largely on contractors in the past, which makes remodeling equivalent to new construction.. People who specialize in kitchen remodeling usually also do bath remodeling because the same types of products are involved These people usually do very little new construction. Why is that an important difference? In remodeling, you have to remove the existing, then revamp the existing, and make it fit your new design. That can be very difficult to do One example is in the remodeling of baths with sunken tubs. All the plumbing lines under a house are on a certain grade and filter to one main drain line, which goes to the city sewer line. When a sunken tub is put in, the drain may be lower than the main drain line for the house, and you can't do that. Water won t flow up and then finally do&n and out. A professional remodeler will know whether or not you can have a sunken tub, and if not, how to simulate the appearance of one by raising the tub on a platform with a couple of steps leading up to it. To the eye, it appears to be sunken, but it meets and uses the existing plumbing line. That's just one small example of how remodeling differs from new construction Does a kitchen designer charge a fee for this initial call at your home? As you go from place to place, you may find a lot of variation in fee policies. If the firm doesn't charge for its estimates, then ultimately whoever does do business with them is paying for the free calls to other homes. The design fee, as it's callcd, can vary from $50 to $250, with the average running from $100 to $150. It's like a consultation fee for any professional advice. You may decide to take the plan and do it yourself. But he should be paid for his ideas. The real question here is whether he's a professional and you think his ideas are worth $150. Find out just what the fee covers, whether it will be subtracted from the contract amount, and whether he will revise it without additional charge if you don't like it. What happens at this initial home visit? The designer will normally be there at least an hour to get a good feeling for you. your family, your decorating likes and dislikes, your desires for the new kitchen He'll ask a lot of questions, such as. "Are you right or left-handed" How tall are you'.' How often do you like to shop? What special activities do you want to provide for-- such as laundry, a study desk for the children, a phone desk for you?" I need to know if the children will be studying at the eating counter because - it changes the* lighting requirements. No matter how good a designer I am, I have no way of incorporating your wishes into the plan unless you tell me. I've had clients with one or two large dogs who buy dog food in 50 or 100-pound bags. This bag is always in the way in the utility room, tipping over and spilling. A note in your preliminary idea list that you want some kind of bin or storage for the dog food is an example of the detailed kind of information you should have jotted down before a designer comes to the house. He'll, of course, measure the room and ask you about colors, whether there's any part of the work you want to do yourself, and he'll also probably ask you if you had a particular amount of money in mind to spend on the project. Whether or not you want to commit yourself at this point is up to you. but the reason he asks is because, just as you can take any lot and put a $30.0^0 house or a $100,000 house on it. you can take any room and put in a $4,000 kitchen or a $10,000 kitchen. If you feel comfortable with this designer, you can try to give him an approximate figure--say not over $5,000. He may tell you right on the spot that you're dreaming, that what you've just described to him will cost twice that figure. When he goes back to his office and comes up with a preliminary plan to present on his second visit, his figure will also be in the ballpark--but probably within ^OO of the final contract At this point he still doesn't know what all your final selections will be. Can you get other bids on the plan? A firm has the right not to release drawings which are a copyrighted design, and this should be understood before the designer comes out to the house But normally, when you've paid for a design, it's yours. That gives you the option to take it out and compare figures. Some people will pay the design fee to the person who impresses them most, then take this design to other firms for estimates. However, getting bids in remodeling isn't quite the same, because different firms carry different equip­ ment. When an architect draws up specifications for a new building, there are no unknown remodeling problems that can develop, so you can take this plan to several contractors for bids and they'll all be based on the same material. They have to follow the designer's specifications. If you really want to compare figures, get a list of specifications along with the design and compare bids based on those exact snerifiratiohs. But if a com­ pany has been in business for some time, it's usually a sign their prices are competitive or they wouldn't have stayed in business. Also, if you're .especially comfortable with one individual, it's more im­ portant to work with someone with whom you can com­ municate than to try to save money with somebody who tells you he can save you "X number of dollars" on appliances. On the designer's second visit, he'll go over the room drawer bv drawer and outlet by outlet and make specific recommendations. He may suggest a particular make of oven, and he'll tell you why. This is where the expertise of the piuie^Muiidi again comes into play. His comparative shopping ability is ten times yours. Is this a good point for the do- it-yourselfer to take over on his own? Yes, I've had many clients do this, and it gets the do-it- yourselfer started off on the right foot. Thev tell me, "I'm (Continued on page 26) General Electric Check your home insurance! Improvements ond additions increase the value of your home and property. Don't let disaster catch your property insured for less than its octual value. See Fitzgerald's today for low cost rates to adequately insure your valuable investments. HOME OWNERS MORTGAGE INSURANCE Could you make your monthly mortgage payment if your spouse suddenly dies? 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