The National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) is the governing body serving the needs of the residential kitchen and bath industry. Founded in 1963, the Association today is comprised of retail kitchen and bath specialists and related fields such as appliance and cabinetry manufactures, utilities, publications and educational associations. Member firms adhere to high standards in the kitchen and bath industry. The NKBA symbol indicates integrity, dependability, good workmanship, quality products and reliable service. Hermitage Kitchen Design Gallery has been an NKBA member in good standing since 1968.
A Certified Kitchen Designer (CKD) is a professional who is qualified by education and experience to research, design, plan and supervise the installation of residential style kitchens. The expertise of a CKD lies in researching the personal needs of the client and designing the most functional and aesthetically pleasing arrangement of space. The designer is trained to plan for efficiency, cost and mechanical installation unique to each individual project. They are also experienced in supervising the physical development of the project according to set industry standards that protect the long-term investment of the client.
The designation of Certified Kitchen Designer (CKD) is based on the documented proof of knowledge, ability, and experience in the design of kitchens. Individuals must have a minimum of seven years experience within the industry before being eligible for the exam. A CKD has to prove his or her knowledge, technical understanding and ability to communicate ideas through a stringent examination process conducted by the Society of Certified kitchen and Bath Designers, which is the licensing and certification agency of the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA). He or she must meet these standards before being awarded the CKD designation. Once awarded, the designer must maintain this certification with ongoing professional courses. Furthermore, the CKD adheres to a strict code of professional and moral conduct in business.
Kitchen salespeople who are not compensated unless they sell cabinetry often offer their drawings for "free" as a part of the sales process. More often than not their drawings are not fully developed, are not in compliance with the NKBA's kitchen planning standards.
Unlike most purchases where you can see what it is you are buying, a custom kitchen does not exist in the form you are ultimately going to receive it, until it is manufactured, and installed in your home. You can look at displays, samples, and brochures to get a sense of the features, quality and features of certain aspects of your kitchen, but detailed drawings, drawn to scale, which show the floor plan, elevations, and details of your kitchen are critical in communicating to everyone involved in your kitchen what you want and expect.
They may be, but chances are, the architect simply blocked out the space and routinely placed typical appliances in the space. The custom kitchens we design for our clients are created to meet their needs as perfectly as possible. Sometimes that requires collaboration with the architect and moving doors and windows in the space allotted for the kitchen, as well as rearranging the layout of appliances, cabinetry and lighting.
The cost of your kitchen will vary depending upon the size of the space, how many custom features you choose and the quality and relative expense of the cabinetry, surfaces, and appliances that you select. Purchasing a new kitchen is like almost every other purchase; the more options and upgrades you select, the price goes up accordingly.
How much you choose to spend is a personal matter and include the estimated value of your home, how long you plan on staying in the residence and how important the kitchen is to your lifestyle. We take great care in presenting designs and products that are best suited to meet and satisfy each client's individual needs and budget.
Our plans are drawn using standard architectural symbols and are available in a final AutoCAD format. They illustrate the appliance layout, the position of storage space and counter surfaces around them, and the creation of non-spatial entities such as clearances, traffic paths and lighting specifications. The final package includes a detailed set of scaled drawings showing the floor plan, elevations, a mechanical plan, and any other drawings needed to illustrate the details of the project.
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