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After writing about our mustard yellow fiberglass shells, the quest for dowel bases officially began. Our preference was maple and zinc, but we knew that might be tough to find. Or maybe not. Our shells post generated a lot of positive feedback for reproduction company Modern Conscience. Kyle contacted the company and was pleasantly surprised to learn that 1) […]
A few weeks ago, our kitchen remodel was featured on Design*Sponge as part of their “Before and After” series. We were thrilled to be included and encouraged by the many positive comments. But then, inevitably, came the other comments. The reactions were similar for our kitchen and bathroom posts on Apartment Therapy and in a […]
A year ago, we wrote this post about our quest for dining room chairs. After much research and discussion, we decided to keep the IKEA ones we had until the right thing came along. Well, hello Mr. Right: It all started a few months ago, when Anna clued me into some mustardy yellow Eames fiberglass shell chairs that she […]
What’s a good activity for a crisp fall weekend? Welding, naturally. In our deck reveal post last month, we showed you the raw steel panels that we bought off Craigslist and had cut by a local sheet metal shop. Since then, they’ve been hanging out in the backyard, working on their patina. Material exploration and hands-on experimentation like […]
With all of the improvements we’ve made to our home in the last few years (coupled with record low-interest rates!) we decided to refinance our mortgage. (More on that later!) Aside from the obvious, one of the biggest changes we’ve made is that our house now has two bedrooms (which has a big impact on home value, […]
An architect is a qualified professional that not only designs your home or remodel but acts as your advocate throughout the entire process. A good architect will listen, they’ll be honest about how much things cost and how long things take and they’ll use their years of expertise to navigate an onerous permitting process, help vet potential contractors and be there for you during construction. If you don’t have an architect, that work is either done by you or the builder and compromises and sacrifices will inevitably happen.
This depends largely on the size and scope of the project and where you’re located. In some jurisdictions it’s easy and straightforward to get a permit, in others it can take 6 months to a year or longer. We usually advise clients to budget 3 -6 months for design for smaller projects and 12 months for larger projects. Permitting timelines can extend those estimates. Construction can take 4-6 months for small remodels or 16-18 months for custom homes.
Absolutely! We love to see what clients like (or don’t like!) and we’re used to gleaning the important info from all sorts of media – photos, sketches, diagrams – we’ve seen it all!
Maybe – this really depends on the housing market and how much time you have before you make an offer. It also depends on the property itself. If you’re looking at a house with a steep slope, we may advise that a geotechnical and structural engineer make their own evaluation. This can add more time based on people’s ability. We can usually make some basic recommendations based on our knowledge of the local codes, but it’s not a replacement for a more thorough feasibility study. If possible, we usually recommend that people make an offer contingent on a more thorough analysis. What we don’t want to do is give you a rosier outlook only to find that there were some unexpected issues with the property.
Depending on the scope of the project, phasing can be a practical approach. However, we usually advise that homeowners do everything in one phase if possible – this not only takes less time but simplifies the permitting process and is a more appealing process to contractors. When you phase a project, you have repeat mobilization costs that create a more expensive project in the end than doing it all at once. We’re happy to talk through phasing options though as each project is unique and sometimes it does make sense.
Yes! For us, interior design is an integral part of our process. We enjoy working with homeowners to think about their homes holistically and have extensive experience in all aspects of the design process.
In our experience, successful projects have homeowners that are engaged but trust us and the process. They ask questions and are clear communicators. They make timely decisions and speak up if something doesn’t feel right. They’re transparent about budget and schedule constraints so there aren’t missed expectations.
Say hello. Tell us about your project.