kitchen and bathroom designer - change of career!

[CookieDoughKid]

I'm obsessed with interior design magazines, especially bathrooms and kitchens. Last year I project managed my own house renovation and thoroughly enjoyed that, especially designing my own kitchen!

Do any of you work as a kitchen designer? Is it possible to make a decent living out of it? Have you any tips to help me start out a change of career? I work in IT in the city but feel it's really dull. I have a technical brain, logical, can project manage and I'd be OK with earning a lower salary.

If any one can provide a perspective, I'd be very grateful!

Most " kitchen designers" are actually kitchen sales people and you so see these jobs advertised.
However, I'm not sure how you become a proper non selling type kitchen designer.

Thanks Hopping. Yes, I'd agree that it is sales.

If you are one of these sales people, any inside info on this role? Do you enjoy it and do you make decent commissions? My guess is competition is very tough but people still buy kitchens!!

I don't do it myself but a close family member was a regional manager for a very well know kitchen company.
His people were commission only and it was very hard with a high staff turnover.
It's all about the sale mainly not the design itself and if you want to do it because you like designing then it might not be the best job for you.
Lots of evening and weekend work as well.

I have worked as a kitchen designer and yes the biggest focus is on sales, many a successful 'designer' creates truly awful kitchens. That said you will find many who are passionate about design (myself included) who put the effort in and take pride in producing stunning designs.

I left the industry because I found that since the recession started people cared less and less about quality of build and design and were only interested in spendinh as little as possible. Not everyone of course, but too many for the job to be enjoyable for me.
It is possible to earn very good money as a kitchen designer/sales person, anywhere retail or bespoke will have a nice margin and commission that pays well. You will need to work weekends and some evenings generally as that is when most people are able to commit time.

You may be better looking at interior design/project management as it sounds like the elements of what you enjoyed from your own house fit better with those jobs?

Maybe you should pitch yourself as someone who takes the job from beginning to end. You will work with the client to produce the design, then source the materials and the trades, then oversee the work and ensure everything comes in on budget and on time.

You could charge a set amount which covers all of the above (carefully worked out, of course) and your fee is worked into the overall price. You would be surprised how much people will spend on a kitchen or bathroom. £10,000 to £20,000 isn't unusual.

You could have several project working at the same time, as long as you are able to keep up with managing them all. This would bring down the amount you would need to charge for your services, keeping you competitive.

My husband fits kitchens and bathrooms and has deliberately avoided working with clients to buy the materials as it causes issues with what happens if something breaks down. Plus it keeps him under the vat threshold.

whatdoesittake and others, thank you for your responses. I would love to project manage too
I'm not sure how many people would really buy this service (turn key service/complete end to end) as people are really wanting to save money and do it themselves. I also think it's hard to break in without references. Maybe I ought to network heavily with a small niche building company or tradesmen where I can learn the ropes and gain experience...

pickles what are you doing now if you don't mind me asking?? Have you completed left design....Thanks.

I've just done an extension with an architect and I would definitely use a kitchen planner in the future. I didn't enjoy the experience at all.

One provisio though: you have to be very, very clear that you will get best value for your clients. For example, our builder sent us to Howden's to get a quote, and what they do is give the quote to the builder who then adds margin. With his margin a cheap kitchen ended up the same as a mid-range kitchen from the Wickes sale.

So if I was to pay for your services, I'd expect you to put as much thought into the bottom line as I would myself: if I want a worktop I want you to show me a priced range of worktops and be perfectly honest about costs, not simply push me to the one where you make most commission or margin.

Like the new types of IFA services - charge your costs upfront and find me the right product at the right price, rather than selling me the thing with most commission...

You need to think of the added value. Why would someone go to a designer/project manager when they can do it themselves. You need to offer something they don't - usually that means contacts, experience and time.