FAQ

To sum it up in one sentence: This is your home and our job is to bring out the best of it. We want you to walk in the door and feel a sense of ease, joy, and comfort.

To achieve this, we focus squarely on thoughtful design, beautiful aesthetics, and sustainable materials.

This is incredibly important and we have a proven, reliable method to hone in on your style. First, a bit of homework—we’ll ask that you collect images of spaces you like via a Pinterest board, Houzz ideabook, images in a Word or Googledoc, or magazine clippings. Then, we move on to a questionnaire with strategic questions about your likes and dislikes. These steps, combined with ongoing conversation and observation, lead to a highly personalized result.

Our questionnaire drills into how your spaces are working for you now—and, more importantly, how you’d like them to work better. The initial in-person interview gives us insight into the details of your day-to-day living: how you come and go from the house, what you like to do when you’re home, household members and pets, your dominant hand, etc. We dive deep and solve design problems in elegant ways.

Most likely, no. Our team is well-versed in what it takes to reconfigure spaces so they are engineered properly. We work with structural engineers and contractors to ensure the proposed plans are up to current building codes and standards.

We put function first in every space. Yes, the design will be beautiful and perfectly fit your taste and style—but if it doesn’t function well, we have missed the mark. It’s the function that makes the true difference.

We are great listeners. Our job is to truly “get” you—and we set out to fill your home with healthy, durable, and sustainable materials that tread lightly on the planet.

We know your time is valuable so we bring everything—curated finishes and furnishings, functional recommendations, and custom solutions—directly to you. You will not need to go trekking around from store to store to find the perfect items for your home.

Finally, we are respectful of your investment and honored to act as your advocate.

In many cases, yes! We love to repurpose, reimagine, refinish, and reupholster your existing pieces to work in the newly renovated spaces. We also excel at using your existing house footprint to create a more functional layout.

Our approach to sustainable design focuses on timeless design that doesn’t need regular updating and the use of durable materials that last a long time. Some aspects of this approach—though certainly not all—may require a larger initial investment. But that payoff comes with longer lifespans and less money spent in the long term. This is a very real return on investment that we’ve seen again and again with previous clients.

It can—but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. After all, some options are things that you wouldn’t want in your home to begin with. And we can promise this: There are so many excellent options to choose from that you’ll never feel like you are compromising.

Our focus is on thoughtful design that utilizes every square inch of your space and our streamlined design process is focused on creating a positive experience—making it easy for you to make good, informed decisions.

We proactively anticipate potential “surprises” that could come up during construction and head them off. Working very closely with the construction team to make sure they have a clear idea of the project scope before construction begins is an essential part of this.

We work on a fixed-fee basis and our projects are typically divided into three phases.

Phase one is our “design and discovery” phase where we learn all about you, the project scope, budget, timeline, and what your hopes and dreams are for your home.

We take inventory and measurements of the spaces being reimagined and create 2-3 layouts to show you various possibilities. From there, we collaborate to create a final plan that checks off as many items on your wish list as possible. That final plan will be used to get pricing from contractors and to create a materials budget

If this is a multi-phase project, we work together to determine which spaces to tackle first and which elements can be left for later. Creating this overall plan—to be executed over time—prevents redos and wasted materials.

Next, we review inspiration images to come up with an overall look and feel for the finished spaces. By the end of phase one, we have a final plan, a clear sense of the construction and material costs, and have established an overall look and feel for the spaces.

In phase two we are selecting finish materials like cabinetry, lighting, plumbing fixtures, tile, paint, wall coverings, and furnishings. We bring almost everything to you to review, saving you time and reducing the overwhelming feeling of too many choices.

Behind the scenes, we are creating the final set of detailed construction drawings for the contractor to use. This includes dimensioned floor plans, electrical plans, elevations, and detailed plan notes. Our meetings with the construction team to review the plans in detail and answer questions from subcontractors and other tradespeople ensure that we are all on the same page. We also create a specifications binder and spreadsheet for all members of the team to reference during construction. By the end of phase two, we are ready to start construction

In phase three, we focus on regular site visits and are in frequent communication with the construction team, fielding questions as they move through the building process.

We provide our clients with the peace of mind that the designs we create on paper get executed correctly and completely. We make sure you’re in the loop when there are important decisions…but don’t make you sweat the small stuff.

If you’re considering a renovation, we are your best first step. Contractors love a detailed plan to review so they can give you a clear budget and timeline for the project.

Timelines are determined by project scope, size, and contractor availability.

If you can do everything at once, that’s the best approach. Sometimes, limitations can prevent a complete simultaneous renovation. We will work with you to prioritize rooms and then create a master plan that can be executed over time.

You will hear from us a lot! We check in regularly during all phases to keep you updated on progress, next steps, and other important details—but we won’t bog you down. The communication is consolidated so we can hit multiple items as needed without overwhelming you.

We specialize in renovation projects and prefer to design a kitchen or bathroom at a minimum. If you need help with a smaller project or general guidance, we offer consultations at an hourly rate.