Kitchen design: services, preparation and costs
Kitchen design starts with the jobs your kitchen needs to perform. Layout, storage, appliances and materials are then coordinated. You can commission initial advice, a new concept or detailed documents for construction. What matters is which results the design fee includes and how you can use them afterwards. Supplying and fitting the kitchen are separate services.
Distinguish advice, concepts and execution drawings
Advice on a kitchen layout is a different commission from a complete design with furniture specifications and coordinated service positions. State the decision you need help with. An existing design can also be reviewed or developed further.
Name the deliverables: floor plan, elevations, visualisation, material proposals, appliance selection or technical drawings. A 3D image helps you picture the space but does not replace verified dimensions and connection details. Packages differ in the stages they cover.
| Service | Possible agreed result |
|---|---|
| Initial advice | Clarify needs, unresolved questions and next design steps. |
| Space and furnishing concept | Coordinate layout, organisation, work surfaces and storage. |
| Materials and appliance concept | Suitable surfaces and equipment with explained proposals. |
| Visualisation | A spatial representation of an agreed option. |
| Detailed and services planning | Dimensionally coordinated documents and service requirements for the professionals involved. |
| Quote comparison / coordination | Compare the work included or support agreed interfaces during implementation. |
Clarify sales-related advice and an independent commission
A kitchen retailer generally designs using its own range and suppliers. A separate design commission can prepare for a later purchase without the designer supplying the kitchen. Either approach may suit you; choice and payment arrangements should match the service you need.
Ask whether the fee is paid separately, credited towards a purchase or offered as part of sales advice. Advertised free advice does not automatically mean free detailed drawings, an independent concept or documents you can use without restrictions.
Agree which plans you receive, when they are handed over and how you may use them. Quotes from other contractors need sufficiently precise, understandable specifications. A representation based on a particular furniture system may need adapting for another manufacturer.
Record the room as the basis of the design
Existing plans and approximate known dimensions are enough for the initial request. Wall lengths, height, angles, doors, windows, radiators and service positions need reliable recording later. Opening directions and projections matter too: a cupboard must not block a window sash or passage.
Agree who takes measurements and what condition the room needs to be in. An early survey for a concept is not always the final ordering measurement after renovation. New floors, wall finishes or altered services can change dimensions.
An island can complement a single run, L-shaped or U-shaped layout. Consider passages, open drawers and appliances, and use by several people. The kitchen layout should follow the room and activities, rather than a picture alone.
Design everyday routes, storage and operation
Describe what does not work now: too little work surface, hard-to-reach supplies, awkward routes or poor lighting. These problems lead to concrete improvements. You do not need to decide on a style or every appliance at the start.
Storage, preparation, cooking and cleaning should be considered together. Frequently used items belong within reach in the right area. Drawers, corner storage and waste separation should suit actual needs; adding as many special fittings as possible is not automatically the best answer.
Work heights, appliance positions and reach depend on the users. More accessible operation may require different movement spaces or solutions. Discuss the functions you need without providing personal health details. Lighting should support both food preparation and the room’s other uses.
Include retained furniture and appliances deliberately
Mention any appliances, cabinets or worktop you want to retain early. Condition, dimensions, models and connection requirements will be checked for later design. A working fridge does not automatically fit another cabinet; its door system and ventilation must also be compatible.
Materials and finishes are selected for use, maintenance and appearance. Samples help you judge colours and textures in the actual light. Worktop, sink, hob and splashback need suitable junctions and cut-outs. Thickness and fixing arrangements belong in coordinated detailed design.
For several kitchens, layouts and retained components can differ. One brief combined description is enough initially. Individual schemes should be clearly identified later so plans and quotes do not confuse equipment between rooms.
Bring furniture design and building services together
Water, drainage, electricity and extraction need to match the layout. When services move or new appliances are planned, the responsible professionals coordinate positions and technical requirements. Product sheets and fitting conditions matter more than assuming any model can go anywhere.
For an island with a hob or sink, service routes and ventilation need checking early. Lighting, sockets for small appliances and access to connections belong in the design too. Kitchen design does not replace any required electrical, plumbing or structural design.
Changing walls or removing old finishes can require further investigation. Consents, construction and potential hazardous materials are clarified before work starts. Agree who coordinates specialist designers, the kitchen supplier and contractors.
A commercial production kitchen adds operational flows and other technical requirements. A concept for a private domestic kitchen is not complete catering-kitchen design. The actual use should be clear in the commission.
What does kitchen design cost and what is included?
The fee follows the commission: a consultation, a new concept, several options, detailed drawings or support during implementation. It may be charged by time or as an agreed fixed fee. Prices for a complete kitchen are not prices for design alone.
An Aargau design contract states CHF 140 per hour excluding VAT and approximately eight to twelve hours for a medium kitchen, generally with one option. This example is not a Swiss average or binding project price.
Check the number of options, revisions, meetings, surveys and documents handed over. Additional concepts, investigation of existing conditions or later changes to the brief can require extra work. Agree how that work is announced and approved.
Design fees, kitchen purchase, fitting and preparatory building work should be identifiable separately. Any credit towards a later purchase also needs clear conditions. Compare costs with the result you actually receive, including VAT, travel and expenses.
| Comparison point | Agree before commissioning |
|---|---|
| Scope | Name advice, concept, detailed drawings and coordination explicitly. |
| Options and changes | Define included designs, revisions and additional work. |
| Measured survey | Who measures, when and for which design or ordering stage. |
| Documents | Format, detail, handover and agreed use of the drawings. |
| Payment | Hourly rate or fixed fee, expenses, VAT and any purchase credit. |
| Implementation | Separate supply, fitting, specialist design and other building work. |
Brief preparation is enough to get started
Bring together what you already know. Missing technical information can remain open initially; obtaining it may be part of the commission. A voluntarily stated financial framework can help assess options later, without replacing initial design work.
- Project. State new build, replacement, partial changes or ongoing renovation and the number of kitchens.
- Goals. Identify the main improvements in use, work surfaces, storage or accessibility.
- Existing information. Gather known room dimensions, available plans and components to retain.
- Results. Identify the advice, representations, detailed documents or quote-comparison help needed.
- Timing. Distinguish design from later ordering, preparation and fitting.
From wishes to usable design documents
Depending on the commission, advice itself may be the result. For later construction, unresolved technical points and responsibilities need clarification in good time.
- Describe the need. Give the support required, project stage, kitchen count, goals and known existing conditions.
- Agree the commission and information. Coordinate services, fee, documents and necessary measurements.
- Review the concept. Assess layout, operation, materials and equipment against the agreed goals.
- Coordinate details. Agree dimensions, appliances, services and requirements with suppliers and professionals.
- Receive the documents. Record the current design, unresolved points and next commission for purchase or implementation.
Frequently asked questions
Is kitchen design free?
Some contractors offer initial sales advice or an indicative quote free of charge. Individual design can be charged separately or credited towards a later purchase. Clarify services, documents and conditions before commissioning detailed work.
Can I have the kitchen designed without buying it immediately?
Yes, separate design commissions are offered. Agree scope, manufacturer links and use of the documents. Supply, fitting and additional specialist design are not automatically included in the design fee.
Which plans should I receive?
That depends on the commission. A concept may include a layout and visualisation; construction and services need suitably detailed, coordinated documents. Agree format, version, handover and use. A 3D view alone is not a complete services drawing.
Must I choose the layout, materials and appliances already?
No. Describe the improvements you want and constraints you know. Layout and equipment can develop during design. Dimensions and specific models must be coordinated before ordering.
Can existing appliances or cabinets be retained?
Yes, identify the components you want to keep. Condition, dimensions, fitting system and connections will be checked. Reuse should be clarified before detailed design; a retained appliance is not automatically compatible with every new furniture system.
When should kitchen design start?
Once the room and main goals are known, especially before fixing new service positions or building alterations. Early design can start with provisional information. Final measurement, delivery arrangements and fitting are coordinated separately at later stages.
