Who do you hire first, Designer or Contractor?

We had a potential client a while back that met with one of our kitchen and bath specialists for an initial design consultation. By all accounts, the meeting seemed a success and the designer was excited about the project. Upon a follow up call, the client informed the designer that her contractor wanted her to go in a “different direction”. “I really liked what you offered”, she said. When asked for any helpful feedback, the client simply stated that she didn’t feel she could disagree with the contractor. What??

It’s more fun to come into a beautiful showroom where you see what’s possible… where you can touch and feel cabinetry wood, countertop, and hardware options. It’s no surprise that many customers come to us first before hiring a contractor.  How do we manage the process?  We ask, “Do you have a contractor?” Yes=”Look forward to working with them”. No=”Would you like some names to contact for bids”? “How can we be of assistance?”

Customers should always be in the drivers seat. They should always have the veto power. Unless a contractor can show you an extensive portfolio of spaces that they have designed in-house, decisions about designing your space are best addressed by architects and kitchen and bath designers that customers  connect with.