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Original poster

Kitchen designers - how does it work?

36 replies

ManxRhyme · 18/01/2021 19:17

We are getting a new kitchen soon and my husband suggested getting an independent kitchen designer. Has anyone used one and how does it work?

Do they design the kitchen down to where you keep your bins/small electrical appliances? Do you need to commit to a kitchen supplier before or do they give you the options for different makes of kitchens?

Sorry to sound clueless. We've never had a new kitchen before.

OP posts:

noworklifebalance · 19/12/2021 16:44

@Jessie75

Does anyone have contact details for Karen ?

And for me, too, if they prefer to DM rather than put it on this thread

TIA

MrsJamin · 19/12/2021 20:14

www.houzz.co.uk/pro/oneplan/oneplan

Jessie75 · 19/12/2021 21:32

@MrsJamin thank you

Needsleep32 · 19/12/2021 22:02

Sorry to jump on this thread - I also need a new kitchen, never bought one before. It’s a very small galley kitchen. Don’t know where to start. Does this work - get a designer to draw up a plan/spec, then get builder to purchase/install?

kitchensrus · 20/12/2021 01:02

I used Karen at oneplan. I waited 4 months for a slot and paid £700 just for the kitchen as it cost even more to include the utility. Not sure why others have been charged £450 as this was the quoted price for one room. I was so disappointed. I had used Ikeas designer just before that who was amazing (and free) and achieved more in 3 hours online with me than Karen in a week. Ikea work with you online so it is really quick and their designer just seemed to grasp everything instantly. Whereas Karen did most of the work without any contact. She just works from a brief you submit and doesnt usually chat until day 4 I think.

You have to pay Karen the full amount in advance and she doesnt accept credit cards. The plan you get is not alterable at the end. If you use or get someone to use DIY kitchens design package or a similar package then you can alter the layout or colour yourself later if things change.

However the worst thing was afterwards when I showed Karens plans to suppliers they all pointed out that the kitchen tap/centre of sink was 4.8cm off centre from the window (which has a vertical bar down the centre of it) so the plan could not be used as it was. I had told Karen the tap had to align with centre of window. She hadnt explained to me that she had put it off centre as she couldnt fit a standard cupboard in the space. It didnt show on the plan that it wasnt central. Had she told me the issue it could have been resolved much sooner and I would only have visited kitchen suppliers who could provide correct solutions. I cant believe any designer would position a tap 5cm off centre to a vertical central bar on a window. It must be the most fundamental principle of kitchen design and to not mention it to a paying customer is so disappointing.

I never got to the see the kitchen in other colours. I had thought I would get to see it in several different colours to help me visualize it. She did agree to let me have another session to do so but I would have had to wait a week or two and be charged by the hour. I didnt want to pay any more money as I was so upset. I still feel totally cheated by paying for these plans and that I wasted 4 months waiting for the appointment. I didnt receive any refund or even an apology.

I wasnt able to leave a review and presumably no one else who was unsatisfied has ever been able to do so either which seems very misleading.

Jessie75 · 20/12/2021 12:11

@kitchensrus who did you go with in the end ?

CatkinToadflax · 20/12/2021 12:32

We used Karen a few months ago and I'm now sitting in the completed dream kitchen that she designed. She was absolutely brilliant and worth every penny.

kitchensrus · 20/12/2021 14:52

Jessie - HMKOC but we had new plans done first.

Catkin - did she design it for a specific kitchen supplier so you knew what size units were available? Did you pay £700 too?

It is strange not one person has ever been able to rate less than 5*

CatkinToadflax · 20/12/2021 15:53

kitchensrus I paid less than £700 but I booked her for a day, not a week. Your experience sounds the complete opposite of ours. We discussed what we wanted at length and spent most of the morning on a Zoom call. In the afternoon she did her designs and a couple of hours later we re-met on Zoom and tweaked the design. We did have a specific kitchen supplier in mind, but she used standard measurements so that the design could be used at a number of different kitchen companies.

As for all of the 5* reviews, I can't comment on that but I had never seen anything approaching a negative review of Karen's work on MN, hence we booked her, and were very pleased that we did. I'm sorry you didn't receive an equally good service.

kitchensrus · 20/12/2021 19:54

Catkin - not sure if that was recent but when I went to book I was told the only option was the one week £700 service. I did ask if i could pay for a couple of hours first and see if it was going to work for us but she said she is only doing full weeks and no shorter slots. I just presumed first half day would be chat but she has it all documented in her terms and conditions how the week works. She does 2 clients in a week and it is a very set timescale.

CatkinToadflax · 20/12/2021 20:53

kitchensrus Would have been 9 or 10 months ago that we had our appointment. Sounds like there have been changes since.

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