When it comes to getting your kitchen designed, there are some kitchen design certification acronyms you may hear that could be confusing. What do they mean and are they important? We’re here to explain them.
Some of the acronyms in the Kitchen and Bath Industry have to do with whether a designer is certified (or not), how many years’ experience they have, how much education they have, as well as their skill level. So yes, they are definitely something you should be aware of.
Below are the most common certifications or titles you will hear and what they tell you. To achieve these certifications, it takes years of experience, a certain level of education and passing grueling tests to prove expertise.
CMKBD (Certified Master Kitchen & Bath Designer)
CMKBD’s are the least common, because it’s the most difficult to achieve and they are the most experienced designers. This certification is the highest for kitchen designers, and for this reason takes the longest time and most experience to attain.
- More than 17 years of industry experience
- Has CKBD (Certified Kitchen & Bath Designer) certifications
- At least 100 hours of NKBA professional development or equivalent formal design education
CKBD (Certified Kitchen & Bath Designer)
CKBD’s are more common than Master CKBD’s (above), although it is still a daunting task to achieve this certification.
- Minimum 7 years kitchen design experience.
- Minimum 4 years of formal design education or 60 hours of NKBA professional development.
NOTE: Previous to CKBD the Kitchen certification and Bath certification were separate. So you may hear someone is a CKD (Certified Kitchen Designer) or CBD (Certified Bath Designer) or both. Now they are combined into one CKBD certification.
AKBD (Associate Kitchen & Bath Designer)
- Minimum 2 years industry experience
- At least 2 years of formal design education of 30 hours of professional development from the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA)
At Kitchen and Bath Solutions all of our designers are at least CKBD’s (Certified Kitchen and Bath Designers).
CAPS (Certified Aging in Place Specialist)
- Successfully completed a number of courses all around design and construction for aging in place concepts and specifications. The curriculum ensures the specialists are equipped with the knowledge to ensure the best and most effective design for future needs as people age.
All of these certifications require a certain amount of continuing education to retain the certification that ensures the specialists keep up with new trends and industry changes.
At Brakur Custom Cabinetry, we have certified designers that will ensure you have the best possible design for you home. To begin the process with our experts contact us here.
You can download our FREE guide to popular kitchen designs below:
