On the Design Process

Fees

I charge a flat fee of $7,500 per kitchen, with travel expenses covered by the client.

I make no mark-ups on any equipment or materials clients may choose, which allows me to make recommendations without any financial interest. As I have just finished researching a book on equipment and materials, I am quite fluent in what's on the market and how different brands and pieces of equipment work. I write for Food & Wine on such subjects, and function as a source of information for The New York Times on these matters as well. I am also heard regularly on National Public Radio's program, The Splendid Table, talking about kitchen design and equipment. My book, Kitchens for Cooks, published by Penguin Studio Books and available at Amazon.com, outlines my zone approach to kitchen design.

Style

While I have designed kitchens in every imaginable visual style, all of the kitchens have in common a number of elements: they are extremely functional, with intelligent organization and geography; and they "fit" the people who use them by virtue of customized counter heights, storage and lighting requirements, and arrangements for any special needs. They are designed to fit the way in which each client lives and cooks. I think they also all have a sense of beauty, and, of course, they also reflect the particular tastes and desires of each client.

Process

The initial planning meeting usually takes about five hours, discussing needs, habits, and preferences, in order to answer some of the above questions. At the end of it, I make a very rough drawing of how the kitchen might be organized, and take a series of measurements of the space. At this point, discussions often reveal further elements that can be integrated, and the design is again refined. Then preliminary drawings are generated, which are subject to as much discussion and revision as required (in person, or by telephone and/or fax) before cabinet design starts and the creation of a light plan. We would, of course, also be having detailed discussions throughout this design process, making decisions about counter, floor, wall, and cabinet materials and styles at the same time, along with equipment choices.

Typically, I work by mail, phone, and fax with local architects and/or contractors who schedule and oversee electrical and plumbing work as well as any structural changes, should they be necessary. When creating custom cabinetry, I work closely with the cabinetmaker to insure that the design is carried out accurately, built carefully, and installed as planned. I work most closely with clients to create an appropriate geography, light plan, storage system, work areas, and to maximize the functionality of their kitchen.

Elements

In addition, while going through the design process with clients, I make sure that we carefully consider all the variables -- materials for counters, floors, walls, as well as whether to customize counter heights, create cabinets with European kickplate standards, whether we should make counters vary by virtue of materials or heights, whether to create places for children as they grow, considering further various amenities and grace notes that can add so much to a kitchen's atmosphere, and ultimately figuring out how to showcase the kitchen's over-all style while integrating it into the style of the rest of the home.

To be specific, we will have made decisions about:

• the complete floor plan and the geography of the room (in rough form and detailed scale drawings)
• equipment choices (including manufacturers, approximate prices, features)
• complete cabinet design, from exterior materials, finish, and styles to interior features and organization within each cabinet, made with attention to how the cooks use and store things in their kitchen
• materials choices, noting, for instance, different counter materials, flooring, or paneling details
• a light plan, showing how each part of the kitchen will be illuminated, along with particular suggestions for fixtures and controls
• how the kitchen functions for cooking, for entertaining, with one cook or multiple cooks