Moving to a new home or deciding to renovate your home is not an easy task as you face many organizational challenges. Meetings with suppliers and experts, visiting showrooms, comparing prices – all this is a lot of work. To make this process easier, interior designer Tehila Ramati launched KitchenPlan (kitchen planning and construction management).
“For me, the kitchen is the most important part of the house. We invest a lot of money in it and also need to put a lot of thought into it. After all, customizing and making the kitchen fun will improve the standard of living for a family, because we spend a lot of our lives in the kitchen,” says Ramati. Tehila Ramati specializes in designing kitchens in a different way than you're used to.
“I developed a kitchen planning process, from the characterization stage to the finished plans, everything was done online via email and WhatsApp,” she says. “The customer doesn't have to waste time running around to different stores. I create a questionnaire that helps them characterize their wants and needs, which they fill out and send along with the apartment plans. I provide a 3D simulation and, after a few rounds of approval, I send the construction and infrastructure plans, which are also sent to contractors. From here, I hand the plans over to carpenters and kitchen companies to get quotes. Throughout this entire phase, the customer didn't waste a single minute on meetings or tours between suppliers – in fact, they didn't leave their home at all.”
How do audiences react to that?
“We felt an increase in demand during the recent coronavirus period. People do not like to spend time outside during this time, they prefer to minimize meetings and do as much as possible online. People do not want to waste time and prefer to start the process quickly. Our solution is perfect for them. At the same time, we are aware of the fact that many customers understand the fact that kitchen designers from kitchen companies are actually salesmen, who care about the scope of the deal and put the scope of the deal above the interests of the customer. This is what drives us forward, because customers are not salesmen and want the plan to suit them, according to their budget and needs. They are familiar with the materials available on the market, but do not know what is suitable for them. The price of Formica can be twice as high, and I am protecting my customers.”
“After all, everyone knows these days that instead of getting a mortgage from a bank that puts their own interests first, you go to an external mortgage consultant that puts the customer's interests first. We want to get to the point where someone planning a kitchen works with an external kitchen designer and then submits the completed plans to a carpenter or contractor.”
What happens after you hand the plan over to the client?
“Up to this stage, the customer has not even left their home. Now we contact carpenters and companies and receive price quotes for execution. The advantage is that you receive quotes for the same plan with the same specifications and can accurately compare quotes. The customer decides who to contract with, but as part of the service, I accompany the customer to meetings with the supplier of their choice. Some companies offer additional services such as marble cladding or sink selection and I advise the customer what is suitable.” The installation procedure may be complicated for each individual customer.
“Of course! Kitchen installation is a long process that requires ample preparation and ensuring it is done in the most professional manner. Sometimes it can take a whole day to chase after different suppliers, but my company leaves the whole installation management issue to them. Together with the kitchen company, we are in charge of managing the installation schedule and coordinating all the professionals related to the kitchen, not only the cabinets themselves, but also measuring and installing the countertops, installing the sink and faucets, installing the wallpaper and even coordinating the installation of the appliances. In fact, they ensure that the family enters a home with a perfect kitchen.”
How does your background as an interior designer inform your kitchen designs?
“I know how to make the kitchen fit into the apartment, its structure and the overall design. I know how small changes in the design can make a big and important difference when you look at the whole plan of the apartment. For example, a family moved into a contractor's apartment and gave up the contractor's kitchen, and received a proposal from a designer from a kitchen company. When the plan came to me for inspection and I saw the whole plan of the apartment, I realized that it was possible to change the position of the dining area and add another wall for the kitchen. So, in the end, we had a 17-meter-long kitchen. It's about the client's interest, or getting the most out of the building. For me, being on the client side, this is very important.”
For more information, please visit Tehila Ramati's page.
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