Picking the right designer

Unless you're a designer yourself, you'll need to hire one. Kitchens are far and away the most complicated room in any house; a good guide is worth more than money.

STEP 1 - Take some time to educate yourself and refine your tastes.

STEP 2 - Learn what goes into a kitchen. Research magazines, books, television shows and Web sites.

STEP 3 - Learn as much as you can first. The more you know, the easier the process will be.

STEP 4 - Ask for referrals from friends, contractors and craftspeople.

STEP 5 - Look for designers among the following groups (listed in no special order): kitchen cabinet showrooms, architects, interior designers, kitchen design companies, design/build general contractors and local cabinetmakers.

STEP 6 - Ask for qualifications - how much experience they have and what references they can provide.

STEP 7 - Ask to see photographs. You can gather a lot of information just by looking.

STEP 8 - Hire someone you feel comfortable with. You'll be spending time together for the next several months (at least), and not all of it will be fun. Like any relationship, it requires mutual respect.

STEP 9 - Be prepared to pay well for a design, from several hundred dollars (for minimal plans and no followthrough) to several thousand dollars, depending on the scope of the project. As with anything else, you often get what you pay for.

STEP 10 - Pay separately for the design. Many designers work in showrooms; if you want to commit to buying the cabinets from them, fine, but if you have a separate contract for design, you can go somewhere else later if you want to.