Great New Kitchen Design Blog - Useful Spaces
I just discovered a great new blog (new to me) by Canadian kitchen designer Arne Salvesen, CKD.
He joins just a very few male kitchen and bath design bloggers. Most of us are of the female persuasion.
Arne has a lot of good posts already up since his launch in March 2009. I especially love his spelling of "colourful" and "centre".
Check him out at Useful Spaces. Welcome Arne!
I was especially taken by his post The "B" Word, about budgeting for your kitchen remodel.
This is a sore subject among kitchen and bath dealers and their clients - The dealers need to have a budget figure to design an appropriately priced project and the clients often like to keep the information close to the vest to avoid spending more than they want.
As an independent designer who represents and works only in the client's interest, I have found it quite remarkable how differently my clients react when I ask the "B" question. They are almost always very forthcoming about their budgets. It is one aspect of the transition I made in 1996, when I closed my showroom, that has made my task as a designer soooo much easier.
The remarkable thing is: I don't do anything any differently than I did before. I just stopped selling product to my clients. The difference is that they no longer SEE me as a salesperson.
Peggy
Posts
I wanted to respond to this blog because you noted the scarcity of male bloggers in this particular field. My partner and I are both males, cabinetmakers actually, and both Joes! But last year we put together our own blog site and determined that we would simply call them as we see them. Our expertise, of course, is in the woodworking part of things, but as the blogger (my partner is the webmaster) I have found myself increasingly interested in all things European. They have the most astonishing designs for kitchens and bathrooms, and I often write about them.
ReplyDeleteAs for budget questions, you are quite right about clients being reticent on this subject, but the reason for it is pretty obvious. How many times can you walk into a place of business, tell the man how much you have in your jeans, and leave with none of it? So, people get a little gun shy. On the other hand, if my product costs considerably more than what the client intends to spend, then the conversation is a waste of his time and mine. For myself, I simply ask people, "Why do you want me to do this job for you?" And if the answer is "because you'll be cheaper," I can then educate them--or steer them in a different direction.
Well Joseph, of the two Joes blog, why don't you leave your site address so I can cruise over and see what kind of blog you're doing there?
ReplyDeleteI'm always glad to give a plug to newbies as long as their spelling and grammar are good and their content is great.
Peggy