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One door down, three more to go! Finally, after 2 1/2 years of temporary solutions, we once again have a real bathroom door. (Remodeling is not for the faint of heart, or the modest.) The color is “thunderbird” from Benjamin Moore. We used Natura zero-VOC paint in a semi-gloss finish. Here’s how it looks from […]
I’ve been eyeing the Boskke sky planter for a while now and last week Kyle surprised me with one of my very own. I kinda love it. Not only do I have basil at my fingertips, but the little bit of greenery and whimsy is a perfect antidote to this dreary Seattle weather. (Ok, maybe a perfect […]
So, apparently I need to see The King’s Speech. Oh, and Black Swan, The Social Network, and a bunch of other movies. But we saw Inception! Whatever, I blame the remodel. So this was our Sunday: Breakfast and paint chips! We came up with a potential color palette (above, right) for the doors and picked […]
The barn door concept started out as a way to further maximize our house’s efficiency while creating an interesting layer of functional texture (I just came up with that architect-speak on the spot!). Anyway, unlike a swing door, a sliding door doesn’t take up extra floor space when it’s in the open position (the same is […]
I’ve been coveting the Coqo rug from Anthropologie for some time now (see it in this post from last June) but sadly, they no longer carry it in yellow. Crossing my fingers that it was just a temporary shortage, I waited patiently but to no avail. My eyes then strayed to this Angela Adams design, but […]
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.