Whether your dream is a great kitchen, a spa-like retreat in the master bath, an addition or another project to enhance your pleasure in your home, the design process is the blueprint to achieving that goal.
The design process is the foundation for building the relationship with our clients that allows us to bring your project from dream to reality. It’s important that you know what to expect every step of the way.
First, a conversation about how you’ll use your new space, your must haves and wish list and the feasibility of your vision. A cosmetic facelift design process is a less intensive conversation, but even then, things may not be as simple as they first appear. For example, a kitchen facelift where the layout isn’t changing is fairly straightforward, but if you want to relocate the sink or the range things get more complicated. The more moving pieces to the puzzle, the more important this conversation becomes to the design process. Not every element of your vision may be feasible, but we’ll walk through each part of the plan to get as close to your dream or need as possible.
The most sensitive part of the design process is the conversation about the budget. Often clients are reluctant to reveal the full amount for fear we’ll spend it all. we work together to fit the project within the budget. We are mindful of their investment level & suggest that part of their budget (up to 10%) is set aside for owner contingencies (unforeseen conditions , extras, & upgrades).Trust evolves throughout this process. Our goal is to give you the results you want, not spend your money frivolously. We will also be transparent about how far your budget will go and how to use it most effectively, including an amount reserved for the issues we can’t see. This is the contingency fund and is often a percentage of the total budget or reflects the complexity of the project. Having it alleviates some of the stress when the unexpected occurs, and the good news is what isn’t used is available for savings or splurge!
There is a place where dream or need and reality cross. For instance, you’d like to open the sight lines between the kitchen and the living room by removing a wall, but it is load bearing. One possibility to accomplish this is to replace the wall with a structural beam, which can be quite costly. There are other possibilities that aren’t as costly. And prioritizing the various elements of the project may find that removing the wall is top priority, meaning some other element must change. That’s where our expertise and the design process show their true value in optimizing your budget.
Next in the design process is to put together an estimate, and when that’s approved the actual bid is created. Some clients want to receive this via email for review, others prefer a meeting to go over the bid in person. Once the bid is approved the project is put on the build schedule.
The design process has specific steps but is a very personal experience. This is a 25,000-foot overview of the process, but hopefully gives you a sense of who we are, the way we work and our commitment to our clients. More than half of our new clients come from previous client referrals.
Whatever your project, we look forward to sitting down with you to begin the design process to realizing your remodel dreams.
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