The Worst Thing to do in a Kitchen Showroom
You walked into the kitchen showroom and your natural instincts kicked in.
You told yourself you wouldn’t do it, but you did.
The worst thing to do in a kitchen showroom is to walk through without opening doors and drawers and without talking to the showroom staff. Is it really any better than looking at photographs?
Kitchen Showroom Don’ts:
Don’t get your keys out to try to scratch surfaces. ALL surfaces will respond to a key! See our handy benchtop guide here.
Don’t meander through without touching anything. Feel the surfaces with your fingertips – would this surface suit you? Is it cool enough for your trademark pastry making? Does it come in the colour you desire?
Don’t wander through without asking anything. Can the kitchen be installed in the timeframe you require? Are all of the materials you desire available? Are there any appointments available at a time that suits you?
Kitchen Showroom Dos:
Walking into any showroom can be daunting. A kitchen showroom not only has kitchens on display but a dizzying array of materials and finishes, it can be quite overwhelming. Showroom staff are there to guide you. They will draw your attention to the aspects of the displays that suit your style and your budget. Their job is to assist and you should not feel that you are bothering them by asking questions.
Open the cupboards and drawers
In my family, we have a weird test for new cars – the door test! If a car door has a good solid thud on closure and not a wobbly, tinny clang it feels better quality – because it is! It is similar to kitchens. If you go down to the local budget furniture store and open a door or drawer, you may notice cheap door hinges and flimsy drawer runners (if any!). It is something that can only be experienced in testing them. When you are in a kitchen showroom, test the doors and drawers to see if you can live with (or without) that level of quality.
Often there are hidden storage solutions, clever automatic bins and other internal hardware options that are worth knowing about. Before you have the design meeting make sure you know about a few of the gadgets you want within your kitchen. Do your research and ask the showroom staff to show you what is available.
Ask questions
Expect the showroom staff to be able to answer your general questions. Specific pricing questions are for your designer who has access to accurate and up to date price lists. Showroom staff are there to help you understand what the kitchen company offers.
Ask questions about:
Materials – ask them to show you samples of the materials you are interested in such as laminates, acrylic, natural stone, engineered stone and timber – ask how they differ in durability and care;
Finishes – What are the finishes offered by the kitchen company? What door and benchtop profiles are available? Which finishes are at the high end and which are at the lower end of the scale?
Gadgets and storage solutions – ask the staff to show some of the options available (not all will be on display as there are scores of options).
Construction and quality – look in the cabinets to see the construction, open doors and drawers to get a feel for the quality of the hardware ask questions about warranties. Ask the showroom staff how the quality of their cabinets differs to other kitchen companies.;
Design – find out about the design process, ask how long it takes and what sort of styles can be catered to; and
Timeline – ask how long the process takes from design to delivery and what can alter this.
Make an appointment with a designer
While our showroom staff are highly trained, they cannot see your house or the area your kitchen is to be placed. Showroom staff do not get involved in pricing or designing.
Many people shy away from making an appointment with a designer fearing that as soon as they let the designer in the door, they will be forced to sign on the dotted line no matter what is being offered. This is not the case with Smith & Smith.
The best way to find out how your kitchen can be transformed is to have an appointment with a designer.
Budget discussions can be reserved for when you meet with the designer. However, it is good to research what people pay for a kitchen in Australia and make your budget around that. Knowing your range allows you to hone your perusal. There are such a lot of materials to become familiar with, it can become overwhelming. Give yourself a focus and work within that.
When forming your budget, there are three main areas you want to include. Cabinetry, trades (including installation), and appliances. Many kitchen companies (such as the big furniture and hardware stores) give the price for cabinets alone and it can be quite a shock when the other costs are added in after the order has gone through.
