This free service is usually conducted over the phone. I like to hear from you about the project you have in mind and assess the scope of design work required. There are many questions that I will need to ask over the duration of our working together. At this point we are just beginning, but my goal of helping you to realize your dream will already be starting. You may not be very clear at the outset, but don’t be deterred. The joy is in the dreaming. Let’s discover it together.
2/Site visit
Coming to your space, whether it’s your home or some other place, is always a treat for me. I will enjoy meeting you, as well as your structure, and start by a review of our previous conversation, putting a visual into the mix. Together we can explore your objectives in more concrete terms, while I will be gathering a lot of information from you about your lifestyle, your likes and your dislikes. The style and colors of your existing environment are usually significant in the new design, but a complete makeover sometimes gives free reign to the dream process. I will also spend some time measuring the existing space and taking some photographs.
This is usually a 3hr meeting, the cost of which is $295. There is an extra trip charge if further than a 30 mile radius.
3/Planning
There are many options available at this point. You may require a simple sketch layout to give you an initial sense of a possible creative solution. Or, you may need to have a full scale blueprint style set of plans, with detailed perspective views, elevations and floor plans. The specification of products and finishes is also very variable, according to your circumstances and needs. I usually discuss this at the site meeting, and find out where you want to start out. It can often evolve as the project progresses. There is also the question of recycling, health issues, budget and previously owned product. All these affect the design process and the approach to creatively finding solutions that really work for your dream.
Typically, I will work on a couple of designs, and then check back with you. We will go over some options and together make a decision to move forward with one design choice, sometimes from a combination of solutions. I will prepare plans according to your needs, and we can also start to select products that work with your space, style choice and budget. Lighting and electrical will also be considered at this point and can be included in the plan if required. The plan is the key element of communication between all the major players on your team, so there is a lot of value in detailed notations and clear specifications.
This phase can cost between $250 for the basic sketched out ideas, to $2500 and up for a more detailed and complex set of scaled plans including elevations, perspectives and product specifications. Once we have a clear idea of what your needs are going to be, I can give you a quotation.
4/Installation
I am a firm believer in working with people we trust. The installation of most space remodels fills up our home sanctuary with a fair degree of disruptive noise, dust and activity. So it is a huge bonus to have a contractor who can be trusted to keep the impact to a minimum both in terms of the efficient use of time as well as the care towards your home environment. I have worked with several local contractors and can probably recommend a good fit for your needs. However, if you have one who you know well and trust, this is going to help the process no end. I will be happy to meet with them and establish a way of communicating beyond the scope of the plans, so that we will keep things running smoothly, on time and on budget. We are, after all, creating the ‘Dream Team’.
