Good question!  For many people, the design and remodel of a home is an once-in-a-lifetime experience. As I am sure, you know the world of Kitchen and Bath design has become more complicated through the years: The construction of homes has become ever more complex and building code requirements have become much more stringent. Meanwhile, the marketplace for cabinets, appliances, hardware, plumbing fixtures, and all manner of interior products has exploded in recent years.

Our professional design expertise will advise you through every phase of your project.  With each project, we guide the hundreds of decisions required to complete such a task and work hard to help you avoid costly design and remodeling errors. Our design plans consider such needs as lighting requirements, distances between cabinets and equipment, and the correct amount of room for specific tasks.  It all works together to provide a beautifully functioning space to be enjoyed for years to come!

Working with a designer is like any important relationship. We need to develop a good fit. I think the best way to find out if the fit is right between us is to schedule an appointment to talk with me about your project, and talk to previous clients I have worked with.

Beautiful and creative solutions to design and remodeling problems is the main product of our business. Often, good ideas and creativity — can be difficult to define, or for people to agree upon.

We make money mostly by selling our time. Unlike businesses that sell products, we cannot take time back and resell it. All businesses have fixed overhead costs — computers, peripherals, software, supplies etc. We must charge for the time spent working on all stages of a project, if we didn’t, the costs for these non-billable hours would have to be added to the overall charges to every client.

We know that a small business like ours (maybe yours, too) has to watch costs carefully. If we did give away our time — it is likely we would not be in business much longer. 

Developing creative solutions is very labor intensive. Although we wish it were otherwise, it seldom comes in a spark of inspiration. Instead, it usually requires research, problem solving, then the working through of many different ideas and approaches. 

Initial design hour estimates are based upon the design questionnaires, interview process, and the physical examination of your home during the first and second consultation meetings.  In addition to your preferences, kitchen and bath design must also address functionality, safety, construction limitations, and your budget. Universal design that allows people of all ages and abilities to function comfortably in the space is also a consideration in every design we do.

It is important to remember that if the project unfolds in a much different direction from its original scope due to extensive changes and multiple revisions this will extend the design hours.  Trying to stay within the original estimated hours on a project that has drastically changed in scope makes it difficult or impossible to do good work and usually requires cutting corners.

The initial consultation at your residence will be billed at our hourly rate.  This fee is payable at the end of this time. The meeting is usually 1 –2 1/2 hours depending upon your needs. We will discuss your requirements, wants, and desires for your new kitchen, bath or living space. 

We will go over the questionnaire I provide prior to our appointment and any “idea/design files” you may have been collecting.  This allows me to begin understanding your style, preferences, and tastes.  I will spend this time talking with you about design and construction possibilities, answering any questions you may have or topics you want to discuss. 

Should you decide to work with our firm, the next step would be an appointment to photograph and take careful, exacting measurements of your space.  At that appointment, we will sign a design contract and collect a design retainer.

Most design projects go through minor revisions and the estimated hours I give for a project includes one or two design revisions.  However, multiple changes to your project midstream and the accompanying revisions can add greatly to the total number of design hours for your project. 

The amount of consultation time needed to discuss the project and make material selections varies for each client. Because of this, these hours are billed separately.