Hi , my name is Lorna, a 20+ year kitchen designer at The Home Depot in Oregon.

I have found lead times for designs will vary depending on how many other projects are being worked on at the same time. I typically give myself about 1 week to create a design but there have been times where it has taken a few weeks to get caught up. Its on a first come first serve basis and also about urgency especially when an existing install needs attention. Of course being at Home Depot, our designers are open to the public throughout the process which can create delays as well. We make appointments to review designs once they are ready and that can be an appointment that is 2 -4 hours. But then you will know your new kitchen design inside and out. So the design process can be a real investment of time for everyone involved.

Initially we can give you a quick estimate based off the cabinet brands that we have and the Linear Foot Pricing. Architectural Plans are not typically detailed enough for the final kitchen design so we would want a detailed measure performed to be accurate. When Home Depot performs a professional measure, we guarantee the layout. For a budget, we suggest between 10% to 15% or more of your home value for a kitchen remodel. Divided into thirds, approximately 1/3 of the budget should for the cabinets, not including install labor. The remaining thirds would be for labor and materials such as flooring, countertops, backsplash, lighting and appliances.

We have major manufacturers for cabinets like Thomasville Nouveau/KitchenCraft with standard finishes that are better than custom finishes. The painted finishes are considered opaques because the composition is a cabinet grade finish with a protective coating that outshines a traditional paint. We also have a Hertco custom cabinets in the Northwest that does Sherwin Williams Custom Paint colors but more care would be needed to protect those finishes.

As far as deposits for Home Depot, we are only looking at $99 for a professional measure. Once you are happy with the layout, we would take payment in full for the cabinets with financing available.

Regarding the deposit, if you know approximately how much the total purchase will be ,even if it is a ball park estimate, and you know that cabinet brand offers what you are looking for, then paying the deposit, if it is a substantial portion of the final order, should be a real step towards purchasing. In other words, I would say only if you are sure you want that brand of cabinets.

Hope this helps.

:) Lorna

Sorry but no kitchen cabinet company is going to design your kitchen without thinking how many cabinets they can sell you and HD can only design what their line allows Get an actual independant KD and then see what happens.

"My only concern is I believe that a good quality manufacturers paint finish will always be superior to a custom builders. Am I wrong about this?"

No, you are not wrong. There is no comparison between a guy who finishes every day and decides how much retarder he will use based on the weather on his drive work in his shop with the explosion proof lights and a guy who sweeps the floor of the garage of a home under construction before he sprays.

We just redid a kitchen. Funny how different the approaches and the amount of money.

We would never pay to have a design presented to us. Nowadays, everyone has software, they are not drawing by hand!

We have never hired KD separate from the company that is doing the cabinetry.

I would go to other showrooms and collect as much info as you can.

Jay Rambo doesn’t seem to be working out.

If I went to talk with a kitchen and bath designer at a showroom, I would expect some form of pricing info before paying a design fee. If the information is just a number, that wouldn't be sufficient for me. Now, if the design had a drawing (3D or blueprint style) that I could review in person but not take a picture or get a copy, that would work.

I would also consider paying a design fee if the designer would tell me that a bare bones cabinet set for that size space is going to be about X dollars. Then tell me that adding a few commonly purchased options might be Y dollars and the kitchen you want until you see the price might be Z dollars.

Custom design is not free but very few people are in the price doesn't matter, give me what I want group. It is unrealistic to ask someone to commit to paying a significant design fee without a reasonable idea of the final price tag. I would rather hear that we only work with projects over $50,000 than be told we can work with your budget, then pay for a design that turns out to be double the stated budget.

Jan, not everyone has the money to pay an extra person to design a kitchen.

We have been remodeling personal and rental spaces for years. Never hired a separate KD.

The point I was bringing up is that you should not have to pay for a presentation from a kitchen and and bath company. If they expect it, we move on.

Nobody designs for free. You can get a cabinet SALESMAN. You will not walk into the sunset with that plan, until you have PLACED the order.. Until then? He keeps it in his hands, As he should.. The "free" you are getting? It's in the sale of the cabinets, No way will anyone let you shop the design around town for the best price and cabinetry to fit. There IS no free lunch. Nor should there be. For those who believe there is such a thing? Many turn up here with big regrets or mistakes.

Id go with the Harmoni/Bentwood dealer. I think he’s earned your business.

Jan, of course. The salesman/woman comes to the house. They get ideas from the customer and see what is feasible in the space. Then you go back to the showroom and they present their 3D design plan with a quote. You discuss from there or move on,

Some want you to pay to see their design plan. No thank you.

Where does one find a KD? And why would someone pay for that as a separate service?

Again, we have never had a problem. We take our time, interview and shop around.

We went with Jay Rambo (they’re local to us), and every step of the process was fantastic. In terms of the quality of the cabinets, we could not be happier. If I remember correctly, they did not send us the full design specs including measurements until we had paid a deposit, but that did not mean that they were not working on our design until then. We met with them regularly to go over the design and make tweaks as needed, keeping the budget in mind the whole time.

I think that it is understandable that a company would not do a full design with multiple revisions and hand over the entire thing without any commitment on your part (what would stop you from turning around and using their design with a different company?). I’m not sure if that’s what you’re hoping for, but my understanding is that that was not an option with any of the custom places we looked into. I can’t recommend Jay Rambo highly enough in terms of quality or communication (though ours was direct and not through a rep).

The "no" word is extremely important when it comes to a kitchen. Translation there is: .........The "no word, with opportunity.

"lets spend some time in your space. Let's talk about some options you may love, that make better use of your budget. Let's NOT just accept the kitchen as is because you are USED to this kitchen, spend money on cabinetry that may simply repeat a less than functional space. Lets look at the best appliances for your needs, all the finishes that may come into play. From cabinetry to flooring and counter tops. What about the lighting, natural and electric, and the multiple levels that can be employed, along with all the finishes or mixing of finishes" ...........and on it goes.

That involvement can be an interior designer along with a good cabinet source, an independent KD whose only real loyalty is first YOU.........

The rare thing is to find this all for "free" in any cabinet shop. Far more common is. "whatever you want" and that can have widely varying outcomes. Rarer yet is "NO".

@JAN MOYER

@User

Maybe I should have said this in the beginning... I have an interior designer and architect. I have been working on our full house renovation since March when we purchased this house, I already have my flooring, backsplash and cambria quartz counter top picked out. I have already purchased all Viking appliances. Our layout can only be done a few ways in a L shaped kitchen with 11’ Island. The 5’ galley sink will go in The island with trash on one side. And DW on the other. Refrigerator has to go on the end of the short L. The stove top will go along the long L side across from the sink. The only thing I have to decide is the double oven placement which I have decided t would prefer at the end of the long L instead of near the refrigerator. Its just my husband and I and no kids or extended family. We eat fresh/clean so no need for a large pantry for canned goods, pastas, cereals, crackers, snacks ect So, maybe I’m not the typical customer, I have personally spent over 500 hours in coming to the conclusion of what this house will look like. The problem is, I started looking in May for cabinets and have yet to get a price from anyone. Not because I refuse to pay their design fee as no one asked for one...the last person wanted a deposit ....I asked each privately owned / non franchised Kitchen cabinet Company ( Not HD or Lowes) what their process is in designing a kitchen and followed it. I’m not trying to get something for free, I’m just trying to get a price To make a decision and move forward. I really wanted Jay Rambo cabinets because I want to have the cabinets custom painted to match my walls. JR doesn’t upcharge too much...my layout works great with Harmoni, but I will need to pay close to 10k more to get my custom paint because I can only do that with Bentwood. I cannot do business with someone I feel uncomfortable with. The last person I met with wanted a DEPOSIT..not a Design fee, with zero information as to what that cost entails.did not get a cozy feeling. She does full house design and although she will do my cabinets only, I got the distinct feeling she would prefer not to.

PS..No one came to my house at my request...I would never have anyone spend their time until I was going to hire them, My background is in sales and only one out of the 5 businesses that I attempted to do business with deserves to get my business! Frankly the majority of your responses on here were borderline rude and assuming I was trying to get something for free. There is no excuse for a company to say they will work up a price and then never call again! If you see nothing wrong with that, then you need to take some courses in customer service and selling.

@jemimabean I really wanted Jay Rambo cabinetry..I spoke with Jenny at corporate and she was wonderful! Unfortunately I only have 2 dealers in my area and the first one never got back to me and I did like him, and the second one is the person I didn’t care for personally and wanted a deposit before finding out anything.

@roccouple You are correct! I may be spending 10 to 15k more going with Bentwood but I know I am doing business with a good company...and that money can’t buy!

Would not agree to a non-specific "agreement". Specifics protect both buyer and seller.

Are the walls finished and painted with outlets and switches covered? If so, you might want to go ahead and add your appliances and then take your measurements.

Determine the height and width and depth -- (making sure your refrigerator doors will not be blocked from opening fully) -- of the different spaces you have in which to set cabinets.

Decide what style cabinet you want that works with your space and then get quotes on specific cabinets from both your nearest Lowes and Home Depot and other stores that sell cabinets. Even if you choose not to buy them from the big box stores, you'll have some beginning notion of the cost involved. Expect custom built cabinets to be more expensive.

IMO you have already decided who you are going with so the discussion is moot. BTW I have been designing kitchens for 25+ yrs and I can’t tell you how many times a cabinets saleperson told clients there was no other space for X and I came on board and found other places. IMO the “free” design you get is just cookie cutter what they have always done design. If that makes you happy go for it. The reason I do independant design is so I have a choice of the cabinets i go with for my client .

@suezbell This is a full gut down to studs and we have a contractor. Every cabinet person takes final measurements during this stage before ordering cabinets I am told. My only issue is not able to get pricing for cabinets so I can make a decision on what company to go with. We have plenty of space.

I’m finding the same thing, and not just with kitchen cabinetry. We spent 2.5 hours with an Omega rep 6 weeks ago. She ignored two follow up calls and told me on the 3rd (1 month after we met) that she expected to have something for me in a few days. That was nearly 2 weeks ago. Lighting was the same way (although there I tried 3 different firms.) I finally located an independent lighting designer who helped me to ensure I had the right amount and types of lighting. Seeing some of the same with landscaping too. Frustrating!

Its unfortunate that independent designers resort to "name calling" and negative comments.

Both Nouveau and Hertco have custom availability. Special Requests for specific cabinetry is available, if needed, to satisfy the design. But in most cases , a spec book of at least 300 pages is more than enough to create a unique, stylish and functional layout.

My comments are purely an effort to help.

"Where does one find a KD? And why would someone pay for that as a separate service?"

Where to find one? Google in your area; ask friends and neighbors; ask custom home builders; ask custom cabinet makers; ask local architects.

Plenty of reasons why to hire a kitchen designer; some below are based on experiences from a very good KD that I know:

- The KD will manage all the details: keeping after the manufactures and installer, being on site for delivery/unpacking and making sure all the right pieces are delivered in new condition, and managing the process if something is missing, damaged, the wrong color, etc.

- The KD knows which manufacturers / custom cabinet makers do the best job, offer the most options, etc.

- The KD will help coordinate timing with other tradespeople: plumbers, electricians, counter fabricators, etc.

- You are more likely to end up with a functional design, and less likely to end up with issues like those below

OP, it sounds like you want a design you can take to the cabinet makers and present to them. IMO you should get a design which includes cabinets sizes and types and present this to the cabinet maker. Doing this myself has made it easier to get quotes. It also allowed me to eventually order my own cabinets, as I had difficulty with the local cabinet sales people changing my design or not responding at all. You should also be aware that cabinet companies will generally not break down prices of cabinets. Some people don’t mind and some do (I’m one that does mind so I chose not to go to the local shops). If you are bothered by it then you might have to consider another source for cabinets.

YMMV.

The bottom line is that if you want a kitchen design that you can shop around with, you will need to pay for it. If what you want to do is very simple, you might be able to get away with designing it on IKEA website, but this is going to be all standard sizes and not very customizable.

“Rogue client”

livewireoak

You can pay for a service, such as coming up with a cabinet design, and buy your own cabinets. There are many designers that do this (I am shocked you do not know this as you pretend to be so knowledgeable in this area). They have been paid so there is no problem. You have an agenda and try to spread your BS all over these threads.

Your beliefs about the way things should be do not align with the way things are.

In both my comments I stated that they need to pay for a design.

OP. If you want someone to design your cabinets for you, you can pay for a design.

The answers you find here are very much a reflection of the local norms in an area. In my area, you don't pay for kitchen design, it is just not a viable business model here. Typically, you will be presented with an image of the proposed design along with prices. It may, or may not, have specific information on cabinet sizes, but any "cabinet salesperson" can reverse engineer the design from the images alone. The cost/risk of losing clients is simply built into the business model.

I have also lived in areas where the norm is to pay for kitchen design services. The business model is usually dictated by local norms and has no relation to the quality of the design services. A good designer is likely to produce a good design regardless of whether their business model is based on charging for design services to shop around or building design overhead into cabinet profit margins.

The only real generalization I believe is fully supported is that better quality designers rep better quality products, but that doesn't capture fully independent designers who rep no products, however, I suspect they are a small portion of the market.

Oy....all this drama is giving me headache

Have you asked your architect to put a few layouts on paper for you? For the past two kitchens, I worked with our architect to come up with the design that worked for me and had a general idea on what “guts” I wanted in terms of dividers, shelving, etc. Lets say I had the layout 95% finalized before I talked to any cabin person. Pricing was provided with the understanding it could change based on final measurements. No one provided sizes or very specific (like per cabinet) pricing because I already had my own cabinet sizes put on paper.

If you want a price quote, we are happy to accommodate you. Just bring in your pre designed cabinet floor plan and elevations or a complete cabinet list, with all of the modifications noted. Or we can tell you that the average 11’ by 14’ Kitchen usually costs 10-40 thousand in cabinets.

If you don’t have that design work already done, then you or your contractor can supply us with measurements for a rough beginning quote. There is little to no “design” in a pricing quote, and we do not go to anyone’s home to measure. We will discuss the rough price with you, and verbally indicate other options that could change the pricing. No diagrams, lists, or anything else proprietary to our business is shared with shoppers. Clients, yes. Shoppers, no.

At that point, we require a design retainer to commit to the hours of designing and revisions. Or, you can pay that retainer on the front end, if you want the design work to begin from the very first meeting, as an interactive process. But, you can’t price shop, and expect to design shop at the same time. You have to pick what you want to happen from the experience. Are you looking for a price, or a design?

If you have professionals involved, then they should have provided you with an implementable design. We frequently partner with interior designers to provide cabinetry for their projects, as primarily cabinet retailers. They bring us the designs, and they are committed to us by that prior relationship to using us as a source. Some designs do need work, as they aren’t specialists. But they are not shopping it around. Their clients aren’t shopping any products all over town. That’s not how design works. The designer is compensated through the purchase of the products. Therefore we do not require design retainers from our professional partners.

Since when does Prosource have non-professional partners?

Isn't the entire business model a one stop shop for contractors? The locations I have been in are essentially a tract builder design center for non-tract builders. I am not knocking the business model, it is great, but it doesn't seem relevant to people who are barred from even qualifying for membership.

ETA: my Prosource doesn't charge me for kitchen design services, I just send my account manager measurements, get some follow up questions, do a design appointment and leave with something I could easily take anywhere. I realize they are franchised businesses, so you do your thing in Memphis.