Full disclosure. I happen to make the majority of my income designing cabinetry. I wouldn’t quite call myself a designer due to the level of creative mastery it implies, I do however seem to spend a lot of time drawing cabinets and receiving money shortly afterwards. With that out of the way, let’s get into why I reckon it’s worth working with someone like me, not necessarily me, but maybe me.
1. It may save you money
Designers will have connections to lots of tried and tested manufacturers, suppliers and fitters, that means you get to benefit from the working relationships that have built up over the years. Manufacturers will normally give preferential treatment to designers they know and work well with. Your designer will also likely have trade accounts with a variety of suppliers so you may even get things at below market rate.
2. You own the drawings
When you pay a designer specifically to produce drawings, you normally own them, this isn’t always true so make sure to check before moving forward. This means you can shop around yourself and compare quotes with other makers. It also means if for whatever reason you decide to work with someone else you can take the drawings and approach alternatives. If you work directly with a manufacturer you may be locked in, potentially losing your design fee and needing to start all over again.
3. Design focussed
When manufacturers provide in-house design services they will naturally gear everything to suit their own processes, this makes sense of-course from a production perspective but may compromise on your vision for the space, it may be best to start with an ideal design and find the perfect manufacturer to bring it to life. Every maker will have their preferred methods and materials and you may not notice the mismatch in ideas until you’re already signed up.
4. Headspace
I’ve worked with a lot of makers over the years and one thing has been consistent for all of them, they are spinning a lot of plates. An owner of a small local cabinetry workshop is usually forced to wear a lot of hats, they’re making, drawing, doing the admin, talking to clients, managing installs, marketing, surveys, cleaning the toilet… there’s a lot going on. Working with a designer who is purely focussed on their part of the process may allow for a more attentive service and a better end result. Your maker may even thank you for it.
A designer is not always necessary, you may have found the perfect maker, you’ve seen their work and you know it’s exactly what you want. In that case there’s not much need of one, but if you’re starting from scratch it’s likely a good idea.
Ps. If you’re wondering what the difference is between an interior designer and a cabinetry designer it’s this; a cabinetry designer is more technically minded and has a detailed understanding of the full cabinetry process; design, materials, manufacturing and installation. They will be able to produce workshop ready working drawings, cutlists and specifications as-well as clear visuals to fine tune your space. They will be able to communicate effectively with the maker and will know what is possible and not. Often when an interior designer sends drawings to a maker they will need to be redrawn as they will look great but may not work in the real world. Whereas a cabinetry designer’s drawings should be ready for making, saving time and money. They’ve got a penchant for drawing boxes and know which hinges go where, need a pivot bifold pocket sliding door, no problem, but will be less useful when it comes to picking out fabrics or knowing what’s opposite what on the colour chart.