Tim Foley suggests recognised qualifications are a must before we consider charging for design...

Charging for design costs, or not, currently seems to be the hot topic of debate with opinion divided among readers and writers of this magazine.Back in the days when onyx worktops seemed to adorn 90% of kitchens up and down the country, I was first let loose on the nation's households in an effort to transfer the visualisations of a designer's drawing on to the walls of a real kitchen.

On rare occasions, I have actually managed to see the odd project through to the finish without having to pick up the phone to a designer whose tape measure was vastly different from the ones used by installers.

But how does this memory lane trip relate to design charges?

Well, going back to what Vanessa Brady of IDS said recently, a clear distinction can be drawn between interior designers and the role expected of a KBB designer. Having worked with the best of both, I can tell you that a good kitchen or bathroom designer has expert knowledge, not only of products and their dimensions, but also of the practical implications of their plans and, as a result, have the respect of the installers.Designer is a term used too loosely and applied to many in our industry who'd be better described as sales representatives using CAD software with a brief to sell, sell, sell.

What both avenues of design do have in common, of course, is a lack of qualifications or certification in order to distinguish their greater ability. I agree with Robert Laurie of Poggenpohl on this point when he says validated qualification is the right way forward. Until such a time arrives then charging for design, it seems, depends on the perceived quality and value of the service from a client's standpoint.

If a designer visits the client, uses an installer's tape measure, liaises with the client on their preferences and is able to account for any practical limitations before presenting them with a hand-drawn perspective worthy of being framed and hung on a wall, then that's often considered good value, particularly at the top end of our market.

However, if my Aunt Fanny decides to go ahead with her interior design business after purchasing her copy of Kitchen Design Made Easy and the latest free version of 3D CAD for Kitchens, she may have a few problems requesting payment for an A4 cartoon that evokes howls of laughter from the fitter.

Vanessa says that if people want design, it's a separate service they have to pay for. But applying this statement to the KBB sector, I believe, is of little relevance and isn't borne out by the buying majority in the midst of a recession. I'm not aware of a mad rush of clients seeking to hire the services of a designer who works independently of the showroom where they will eventually purchase their goods. And why would you need to, when the carrot currently being dangled by most retailers is free design?

If designer qualifications existed in the KBB sector, then the customer would be left with a similar choice to that they now have when choosing an installer. But until then, I'm afraid it's more dodgy tape measures and more disgruntled fitters having to double up as on-site designers.

Tim Foley is the founder of www.kitchensfitted.co.uk