Our Design Process

The process of space planning and creating any new environment in your home takes time and expertise. Our team of experienced designers will work with you to create a space that truly reflects your taste and lifestyle.

The following summary of our design services and fee schedule will give you a general idea of the way we work. Please be aware that these guidelines may be different for specific projects. All payments for design services are non-refundable and due prior to commencement of our work. However, most of the design fees are fully credited to the total cost of materials.

Initial Appointment
The first step in most projects is to make an appointment to visit our studio. One of our designers will dedicate approximately an hour to meet with you and discuss your project. At this time, you are invited to browse our showroom, review our portfolio and ask any questions that will help you decide to embark on a project with our firm. This visit is by appointment only so that we can give you the attention you deserve and the expertise for which we are known.

There is no charge for this visit.

Home Visit
Once you have visited our studio and have a sense of our design process, we will be happy to set up an appointment to visit your home. This allows us to actually see the space we will be designing, as well as get a sense of your lifestyle and how it will impact the design. At this point we will have you fill out our project information survey, which asks everything from how many cooks use a kitchen or how many people will use a bathroom to ages of children, preferred colors and more. This helps us to begin the conceptual phase armed with real information about the people who will live in and use the space we are designing. If your space is part of a new construction project, we can visit the site or meet once again at our studio to review blueprints of the structure and discuss how our part of the project will integrate with the other rooms in the home.

There is a $250 consultation fee for this visit which is not applicable to the project.

Preliminary Design Study
Our design professionals will take your existing space or available blueprints and conduct a preliminary design study. At a subsequent meeting, they will present you with two or more possible layouts. This will give you a clear idea of how we will approach the project and will give you the opportunity to ask questions and suggest alterations to our plans. We will then review your selection of appliances, electronics, and other materials, talk about unique design solutions and proceed to draw a composite floor plan that may incorporate various design elements of each of the initial layouts. At this time, we would also be able to formulate a cost analysis of the project including alternatives to reconcile it with your budget.

The cost of this preliminary design study is $1,000 per room or space, which is applicable to the cost of the project.

If necessary, we will make one set of revisions to be presented at a third meeting. If more revisions or changes are requested, a second retainer fee will be required.

All these plans are available for review in our studio only and will not be released without the applicable deposit.

Project Development and Final Drawings
Once we have agreed on a direction for the project, our designers will incorporate your ideas into final drawings to include floor plans, elevations, and mechanicals. These will be used to not only finalize the design process and detail the full specifications of your cabinetry, but also to specify your appliance selection, color and finishes for all materials, and do accurate cost estimates for the entire project.

At the outset of this phase, a 40% deposit of the total estimated cost of the project is due.

Custom Order of Materials & Scheduling
After all materials are selected and you have signed your agreement for design services and purchase of materials, we will schedule your project for delivery. If you choose to use our sister company, Roomscapes Inc., for your installation and/or remodeling, a separate agreement will be prepared.