“When it comes to kitchen and bathroom remodeling, current trends and tastes are moving upscale,” said Christi Pryor, Marketing Manager with Callen. “Square footage in kitchens and bathrooms is expanding, and homeowners tend to spend more as the value of their property increases.”
Due to these current factors, kitchen and bathroom designing services are increasing in value proportionally. Kitchens and bathrooms represent more than 30% of a home’s total value, meaning the quality of a remodel can significantly affect the resale price. “When hired onto a remodeling project, qualified kitchen and bathroom designers raise the value of the final product to provide a significant return on investment, coupled with an increased ‘WOW’ factor for the homeowner,” Christi said.
Primarily, the design process of both kitchens and bathrooms presents a technical challenge that a trained professional is best equipped to deal with. Both kitchens and bathrooms require significant draw from utilities, impacting the layout planning process. Furthermore, a professional designer will know which materials and features are practical and reliable for their client’s goals. “Certain materials will erode over time with constant exposure to hot steam, for example,” said Christi. “When you’re putting in a bathtub, shower, or vanity, it’s important to know how those will affect the surfaces around them. It’s easy to make costly mistakes without the proper know-how.”
For example, if using a wood window in a bathroom, the window will absorb moisture over time and begin to rot. With Callen, the area’s exclusive provider and installer of Infinity from Marvin Fiberglass Replacement Windows, that issue will not occur, as the Infinity product is comprised of Ultrex, an extremely durable material less prone to changing size or shape under different thermal or physical pressures. “Plus, Interior Ultrex frames are available with Everwood finishes, a wood replacement that appears identical to wood visually and in texture but doesn’t absorb moisture or decay with age,” she said. “Everwood can be stained and painted the same as authentic wood, and thus retains the benefits of wood frames while reducing needed maintenance.”
Kitchen and bathroom designers also help achieve their clients’ design goals. Keeping up to date with trends is part of a designer’s job, and a client doesn’t need to spend excessive time researching and learning “how to design” to implement them into their space. Designers can also use their experience to help a client explore a variety of material options like tile, fixtures, and lighting, while informing how they will affect the project budget and whether they are feasible within the remodeling area.
“We’re not going to take away a homeowner’s creative control, though,” said Christi. “Our job is to understand needs and help refine the vision into a plan that will “WOW” the homeowner, while meeting budget and code requirements. We help save you time and help you get a better return on your investment.”
Designers also assist their clients with making all the necessary functional considerations up front. Storage space and functional design may not be top-of-mind for a visually focused homeowner, but a designer will have experience optimizing spaces for usability. Finally, if a homeowner has unique physical needs, such as mobility challenges, a designer will be able to tailor the kitchen or bathroom to their specific requirements.
Professional kitchen and bathroom designers often obtain additional education that enhance their qualifications for the job. “At Callen, we are members of a few national trade associations, and we regularly participate in sessions that allow us to gain additional skill and insight within the industry,” Christi said. “This type of training allows us to better understand emerging trends and products that become available, allowing us to share this knowledge with our clients and create the space that best serves their needs.”
For more information or to arrange an initial design center consultation, call Callen at 414-867-2207 or Request a Free Estimate through our website.
