CKBD stands for Certified Kitchen and Bath Designer. It is a certification given by the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), the world's leading trade association for the kitchen and bath industry. 

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Certification involves several requirements. The first is Experience. An applicant must have at least 5 years, with at least 2 of them in residential kitchen and bath and the other 3 in a related experience. I worked as a general Interior Designer for 2 years, and 5 years specializing in Kitchen and Bath Design before I received my CKBD certification.  

 

The second requirement is 60 hours of Education. This can come from NKBA approved design courses in college and/or special NKBA courses. I received NKBA credit for 37 hours of college course work and took 60 hours of NKBA courses to prepare for the exams. 

 

The third requirement is Documentation. Candidates must send in references from two clients and two professionals in the industry. They also have work verification forms, college transcripts, and various application forms to submit. 

 

The fourth requirement is passing three Exams. The first is the AKBD exam, which consists of 150 multiple choice questions testing knowledge in residential construction and systems, design principles, sustainable design, business and project management, products and materials, design presentation, lighting, and the NKBA kitchen and bath guidelines. For this test I studied over 100 hours using online courses, practice tests, and 1000+ flashcards. The exam was 3 hours long, taken at a Western Washington University testing center. 

 

The second exam is the CKBD multiple choice exam, which is focused on practical application of the knowledge base. This exam is normally also taken at a testing center, but because of COVID-19, I took it at home online. 

 

The third exam is a Drawing Exam. The candidate is given a Kitchen project and a Bath project, with clients, existing plans, and client requests and requirements to fulfill. Candidates must create a design solution shown in a Floor Plan with specifications, a Mechanical Plan, a Construction Plan, and one Elevation for each project. I also completed this exam at home, working more than three weeks full time, before submitting my CAD drawings online. 

 

If a candidate passes all the requirements and receives a CKBD certification, they must maintain it with 20 hours of CEU credits every 2 years.

 

Earning a CKBD certification was a challenge I set for myself that took a lot of work, but I am glad to have accomplished it. I want to serve my clients the best that I can and bring education, knowledge, hard work, passion, experience, and professionalism to help you create a home you love.

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*Please note that anyone can call themselves a kitchen designer, and some companies say their designers are "certified". It is often just a few days of training. This is NOT the same thing as a CKBD certification from the NKBA!