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We’ve officially passed our one month mark – so far, so good! Here’s the re-cap from last week: 1. After the Benite dried, we applied a coat of SatinThane, a non-toxic polyurethane finish. The old growth fir soaked up the finish nicely and we decided one coat was plenty. 2. Since the joists will be […]
There are two major material decisions that we still haven’t finalized: our countertops and our flooring. I know, I know…we talked about cork here and here, and completely had our minds made up here, but as things evolve we are rethinking our flooring one more time. Bottom line – we still love cork. But the two major considerations […]
Lots to report this week! 1. When we bought the house, we were so excited to find oak floors under the yucky green carpet. Well, they’re getting covered again! Even though the floors could have been refinished, we would have had to deal with a toe-stubbing threshold between the oak and the new cork and the […]
One of the exciting things about taking out walls and ceilings is that your perception of your space and design ideas can instantly change. In previous design iterations, we considered doing a full attic loft, but had concerns about being able to create enough acoustical privacy from the bedroom(s) below without having to add more structure/insulation thus decreasing the […]
With no real deadline to finish this project (besides my b-day in September…which seems like so far away!), we didn’t sit down and hash out a week-by-week schedule like we’ve done for other endeavors. And it’s a good thing too, because we know it can be hard to adhere to schedules created under ideal circumstances. Take last […]
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.