Kitchen Design Appointments at deVOL

25th February 2019

By Holly Bishop

Lots of people ask us about the ins and outs of a design appointment at deVOL, how do they work? Who are they with? How long are they? Are they expensive? I thought I would note down some useful information and a few little tips, from how to best prepare to what to expect during the appointment and what happens afterwards.

The very dreamy Millhouse Scullery at Cotes Mill.

BEFORE THE APPOINTMENT

First of all, a design appointment at deVOL is free!! We don’t charge for this initial kitchen design service, all you need to do is prepare a little before so both you and your designer can really make the most of the appointment.

Before booking in, there are a few things we recommend doing. Firstly, visit one of our showrooms if you can. This is so beneficial, it’s great being able to see our images on our website and Instagram, reading all the information in our brochures and on our project pages, but there’s nothing quite like seeing our furniture, accessories, worktops and lights in person. You can pop into our showrooms Monday to Saturday, no need to book beforehand, and there will always be a deVOL team member on hand to show you around and answer any questions you may have. However, if this isn’t really possible then don’t worry, your designer will be happy to chat you through all our furniture before you get started in the design appointment.

Your design appointment could take place around this lovely vintage table in the Loft Kitchen.

Next, send us an email with a dimensioned room plan of your space and as much information on your project as possible and we can then take a look and get back to you with an initial estimate of the price. This estimate will cover everything from furniture to appliances to worktops and even delivery and installation, so the more details we have from you, the better!!

The Design Service page of our website has a simple outline of what to email over but the points below go into a lot more detail, do take a look…

General info:

• We’ll need your contact details so we can easily get in touch with you.
• Sending in your full address is really helpful, that way we can let you know a rough figure for delivery and installation costs.

Project info:

• A dimensioned room plan – this can be a simple hand-drawn one but it does need to show windows, doors, ceiling heights, and any other features that may hinder the placement of furniture.
• Your timescales – our lead time is around 3-4 months so we tend to book people in for appointments in consideration of this.
• Budget – we’re always very happy to try and keep within budgets, an idea of this is really helpful for us to know.
• Information on any structural work being carried out – we can only book you in for a full design appointment when you have had your planning permission approved or if the planning will not affect the kitchen space. It just makes sense to begin the design process when you are absolutely certain of the space you’re working with.

Furniture info:

• The range of furniture you are interested in: Classic English, Real Shaker, Haberdasher’s or Sebastian Cox.
• Take a look on our website and through our Instagram feed, note down your favourite projects, which bits you think would work well, that kind of thing. Also, feel free to add any links to your Pinterest inspiration boards.
• Let us know any specifics – you might be after wall cupboards, a pantry, an island, a vintage piece, knowing this helps us when we’re working out the initial estimated kitchen cost.

Appliance info:

• Please tell us which appliances will be in your kitchen. This sounds obvious but one of our designers will be having a really good look at your plans beforehand, thinking about great layout options, and this can all go a little pear-shaped if he or she then discovers an unexpected washer or dryer at the beginning of the appointment!
• We are happy to supply all, a few, or no appliances for your kitchen. If you have a working fridge that you are happy with, no problem!
• If you do want appliances from us but you haven’t decided what you want yet then don’t worry at all, even noting in the email that you aren’t sure is helpful to know and your designer can chat you through all the options and advise on the best choice for you.
• However, if you do know what kind of appliances you want, that’s great too. Let us know the brand or style or model in the email.
• We work closely with a few select brands and we can talk to you about each one in the appointment but you are also welcome to source your own appliances independently if you prefer.

A built-in WOLF cooker and hob in the Islington Townhouse Kitchen, supplied by us.

All the information above means that we have absolutely everything we need for a great appointment, your designer will have plenty of ideas that will be perfectly suited to you and your space. It also means that when we first get back to you with an initial estimate cost, it should be very accurate.

If you are planning to have your appointment in one of our London showrooms, please email the above information over to london.enquiries@devolkitchens.co.uk. If you would prefer to have your design meeting at our main showroom in Loughborough, email enquiries@devolkitchens.co.uk. If you aren’t too sure which showroom would be best, have a little read below.

Cotes Mill is the perfect place if you know you would like a few vintage pieces in your new kitchen, there are rooms and rooms of beautiful old things that you can add to your order or take home the same day! It is also currently the only showroom with our Haberdasher’s range. St. John’s Square is great if you’re interested in getting a Classic English Kitchen, while Tysoe Street has more Real Shaker furniture. However, all three showrooms do have Classic, Shaker and Seb Cox, so don’t worry too much if one location is much easier for you than another.

Once we have received your email, we’ll look through everything, have a study of your space and get back to you with a rough idea of costs. If this suits you, great!! If it’s a little more expensive than you were hoping for, don’t worry. There are plenty of ways to help with costs and you can go through this with your designer in the appointment. This doesn’t mean you have to give up something you really, really want, just a few simple changes might be all it takes.

If it all sounds good to you… we’ll go ahead and book you in! Just let us know when suits you and which showroom is best – our main showroom, Cotes Mill, in Loughborough, either of our Clerkenwell, London showrooms or our New York showroom on Bond Street in NoHo. If you’d like to come in as soon as possible, appointments are usually available around a week after first getting in touch.

Please note, if you can’t visit any of our showrooms then don’t worry, we have a great remote design service – it is totally possible to design your dream kitchen with you over the phone and through emails. Have a read of our Overseas Guide.

This is the main display in our St. John’s Square showroom, lots of lovely kitchens are designed around this island.

Coming in with some thoughts about your space is really helpful for us but don’t worry if you don’t have any ideas at all, that’s what we’re here for!! Our designers are experts at what they do, they aren’t salespeople trying to cram in as many cupboards into your space as possible, they are graduates with a genuine interest and passion in design. They have lots of experience in transforming ideas into the kitchens you see in our brochures, in the magazines and on our social media – you can trust them. Their aim is to create a space that is totally functional, that is perfectly personal to you and is, of course, in keeping with the deVOL style.

Peeking into the Trinity Blue utility room in the Edwardian Villa in Cardiff.

DURING THE APPOINTMENT

You have arrived at one of our showrooms for your design appointment, you will be greeted by a lovely deVOL team member and given tea and biscuits. Your designer will then say hello, plans in hand. You will also have another designer working with you during the appointment too, he or she will be behind the scenes, drawing up your plans and making any changes that pop up during the appointment.

As I mentioned at the beginning of the blog, it’s great if you have managed to stop by one of our showrooms beforehand to see our furniture but if not, or if you’re a little confused, don’t panic. Your designer can tell you about our ranges and make sure you’re totally clear on everything before you get started.

Lots of colour samples, worktop samples, hardware and beautiful imagery to inspire you during your design appointment.

Design appointments tend to last around 2-3 hours, you’ll sit around an island or a table and go through everything about your kitchen. We always get wonderful feedback on our design appointments, they’re really fun!! Our designers make everything so easy and enjoyable. He or she will have plenty of ideas, thoughts for the layout, what could work well, how to best utilise the space and of course, you will share your ideas too – together you’ll begin to design a fabulous kitchen. You can look at all our Shaker colours, hardware options, worktops, sinks and aged brass taps, we tend to have most things on display or a sample to show you.

Handmade tiles, hanging rails, taps – we can help with everything. Beautiful image taken by Our Food Stories.

After a couple of hours, you will have a good idea of what your dream deVOL Kitchen will be like. The designer doing all the drawing (the ‘behind the scenes’ person I mentioned above) can then get the final design finished for you and write up a fully itemised quote. For Shaker and Sebastian Cox designs, this usually takes around twenty to thirty minutes, it’s a great opportunity to properly explore Cotes Mill, the rooms are very inspiring and the grounds are stunning! If you’re in London then you can wander over to the other showroom, they’re only a ten minute walk apart, and maybe even explore the lovely area of Clerkenwell too. We really do advise our customers to stay and get the quote and full plan, if possible. It means our designer can go through everything in detail with you and if anything is too expensive, we can talk about how to reduce the cost without making any compromises. However, if you are pushed for time after the appointment then don’t worry, we can easily send the plans to you in the post.

If you are getting a Classic English Kitchen, it will take a little bit longer to get the final design and quote together as it will be bespoke. We will email or post the plans to you as soon as they are ready, this will be no longer than a couple of days after the appointment.

The top floor of the Millhouse, just one of the very inspiring spaces at Cotes Mill.

AFTER THE APPOINTMENT

You’re sure to be thinking about your kitchen plan lots after the appointment and that’s great! We recommend taking a few days to really analyse everything and consider any tweaks you might like to make. We may have quoted for two different design options, perhaps a marble worktop and a Silestone one, and this is when you can really think everything through and decide what is best for you. Your designer will be happy to alter a few details, it’s very normal, and only when you’re totally happy, you can pay the deposit. This doesn’t mean everything is then absolutely set in stone, small changes can still be made after the deposit has been paid. The deposit amount varies with each project, it will be on your itemised quote and your designer will chat to you about this at the end of your design appointment.

Shaker cupboards in Trinity Blue and a hard-wearing Silestone worktop, perfect.

Once the deposit has been paid, we’ll book in your delivery and installation (if we are fitting your kitchen) date to suit you and you will be assigned a project manager. This is the person who will be responsible for all the technical aspects, he or she will make sure everything runs smoothly and ensure the whole process is nice and easy for you.

The sign off paperwork will be sent to you, this is just you agreeing to the design – e.g. confirming dimensions, the appliances, colours, etc. Your designer will be on hand during this time to help you with any last minute decisions and your project manager can offer advice too.

If you don’t feel confident confirming the dimensions of your space, you can organise a site visit with your designer or project manager. If you are going for our delivery and installation, this is part of the service. If you have chosen delivery only, it’s a small fee, determined by the size of the space and the location of the property. If you’re unsure whether you need a site visit, just ask your designer! We don’t always think it’s necessary for simple spaces and your designer will be happy to advise.

One of our latest projects, a beautiful galley-style kitchen in Bath.

Now, the deposit has been paid, the paperwork has been signed, you may have had your project manager come and confirm the dimensions of the space… We can begin making your kitchen! All our furniture is made by our wonderful workshop team in Leicestershire, so much work and effort goes into every single piece we design and create. Once it is all ready, we’ll drive it to your door and either drop it off for your local team of trusted builders to fit, with plenty of guides and advice, or our expert team of fitters will begin installing it. If you have chosen stone worktops, our team will template on delivery, fit temporary worktops and come back with the cut stone around two weeks later. Wooden worktops can be fitted on site.

And you have your deVOL Kitchen!! I really hope this blog has been helpful, designing your perfect kitchen is a big project but we always make sure it is easy and enjoyable for you. We are on hand from the beginning right to the very end, ready to answer any questions or queries you may have – nothing is too small, we’re always happy to help.

There’s nothing better than a hand-aged copper worktop, splashback, integrated sink and draining board.

A quick reminder of our email addresses:

• london.enquiries@devolkitchens.co.uk to book an appointment in one of our London showrooms.
• enquiries@devolkitchens.co.uk to book in at Cotes Mill.
• usa.enquiries@devolkitchens.com to book in at Bond Street, our New York showroom.