Designing a functional and attractive kitchen or bathroom requires a design professional who is focused and specialized solely on these spaces of the home. Not only do these rooms arguably see the most action of any room in the house, they require the most functionality and ease of use. When designing them, one must keep a strong focus on the home owner's needs, while also considering the resale value, as the kitchen and number of usable bathrooms are both key selling points for the resale housing market. A kitchen and bath designer knows to take all of these crucial points into consideration, and can help plan the layout, materials, and overall look and feel of either of these rooms in your home.

A kitchen and bath designer is constantly staying on top of trends in their ever-changing industry. The designer also knows the best layout for your room, and can configure the layout for best functionality and utilization of the space. In the kitchen, the refrigerator, stove and sink should be laid out in relation to each other, and it should be seamless and easy to move from one to the other. A professional will know the best way to plan the flow of the room to work best for your needs.

Before you talk to a professional, consider how you will use the room. For a bathroom, is it necessary to have an actual bath for bathing kids or pets, or do you prefer just a shower? Perhaps all you need is a half-bath for downstairs, or a smaller guest bath off of a guestroom. Similarly, for kitchen renovations consider your cooking habits. Do you eat out every night, but prefer a space to entertain? If so a smaller kitchen might be fine for you, with a space devoted to wine storage or a bar where others might prefer a bigger stove or extra cabinets. When interviewing a kitchen and bath designer, make sure to share these habits so they can best fit the room to suit your needs.

Questions to ask a Kitchen and Bath Designer:

• May I see your portfolio?
• What type of education and experience do you have in kitchen and bath design?
• How many plans do you provide?
• How long will the redesign take to complete?
• Will you provide any cost-saving ideas?
• Do you design eco-friendly kitchens? Or can you add in green kitchen or bathroom features?

Find a Kitchen and Bath Designer on Houzz. Narrow your search in the Professionals section of the website to Kitchen and Bath, then choose the metro area in which you'd like to find a designer. You may also look through photos by style, like Traditional, Asian, Contemporary, Modern, Eclectic, Mediterranean or Tropical, to first find a kitchen or bathroom you like, then contact the professional who designed it.