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Our message in a nutshell: No, the first step to a remodel is not to call a contractor. Design comes before construction and each professional has their expertise. (Photo by Renovation Solutions)

Many of our friends and acquaintances are kind enough to tell us they enjoy reading our columns. Other than that, however, we don’t get a lot of feedback. So, it was with interest the other day when we received an email commenting on our efforts.

The author was a man with a personal interest in architecture and a professional background in interior design. His comment was that many of the photographs that accompany our articles left something to be desired in terms of interior design, and he recommended that we considered upgrading the performance of our firm’s current interior designer.

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After: A leaky sunroom was replaced with a new music room that was not only more beautiful and functional, but much more energy efficient. (Kevin Bunnell )

Many medium and large architectural firms do employ a full-time interior designer or even a whole department of interior designers. Our firm, however, is small and we do not have an interior designer on staff. His comments, however, caused us to think about the philosophy of our firm.

We started our firm to bring architecture to the “masses” — to real, everyday people. In our previous firm, we seldom worked with clients with budgets less than $1 million. These clients always used interior designers, and the results were generally worthy of publication in glitzy design magazines. At the same time, we noticed that we regularly received phone inquiries from people regarding how to proceed on remodeling their homes, but their budgets were too small for that firm to serve.

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Before: A leaky sunroom was replaced with a new music room that was not only more beautiful and functional, but much more energy efficient. (Kevin Bunnell )

 

The result was that in 2003, we took a deep breath, left our well-established employer, and started a company designed to help homeowners who want good design in their lives, even though their budgets are more “normal” than those served by most architects.

For the last almost 12 years, we have had the privilege of working with 900 clients and uncounted numbers of “investigators” who have come into our office to find out what an architect does, how much they cost, and why would one want to hire one anyway? We have spent countless — unpaid — hours educating people about the concept of good architectural design and the necessity of having a master plan before one undertakes a home remodel.

 

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After: A leaky sunroom was replaced with a new music room that was not only more beautiful and functional, but much more energy efficient. (Kevin Bunnell )

Our message in a nutshell: No, the first step to a remodel is not to call a contractor. Design comes before construction and each professional has their expertise. If you wouldn’t be comfortable with us swinging the hammer to build your addition, you shouldn’t feel good about a contractor designing it.

Interestingly — and sadly — we spend a fair amount of time working with clients to redo previous remodels clearly undertaken by homeowners or flippers without professional help. Some of these houses even showed well in their open houses, but once the clients moved in they realized that the work was shoddy and/or the house did not function well for their family.

No amount of clever or creative interior design can overcome a floor plan that doesn’t flow well, rooms that are awkwardly placed or sized, or spaces that lack order or sufficient light and views. It is sad to see people spending money on new cabinets, countertops and floors in a kitchen that is no more than a large corridor and which will never be the space the owner wants without some basic design revisions — no matter how good it looks.

On the flip side, it is very satisfying to be able to change the way a whole family functions on a daily basis by making corrections to the basic layout of a home. While we have to honestly say that a true remodel will cost more than a cosmetic makeover, the difference is sometimes less than you would think — and surely worth the money if you can swing it. The value of correcting the flow and function of your home will pay dividends.

If you think of architectural design as a continuum, we would propose that it is somewhat sequential and admit that we focus on the first half. We want to get the “bones” of the house as good as we can; if there is still time and money left for more design, we are happy to move forward as far as the client wants. While we have our share of clients who can afford to move all the way through the continuum, we are also willing to help others with the foundations of good design, knowing that some design is elemental and some is optional. Design is one of those things that, in some ways, never ends; once the space and volume is correct, there is plenty of time for additional architectural details and interior design galore.

The goal for our column is to focus on important and essential design concepts. If some of our after pictures aren’t quite as polished as those you see in other settings, it is because we use pictures from our real-life projects. Remember that most houses are works in progress, and these are real houses with real owners. Houses are also a reflection of each owner or family and represent their values and interests. For some, this may include beautiful fabrics, interesting lighting fixtures and distinctive accessories; others may view their houses as more utilitarian or value the calm ambiance of simple uncluttered surroundings.

It is in the difference that we find each client and each project interesting and unique. Hopefully, the lessons learned and shared from each project will help you see new potential in your home as well.

 

Ann Robinson and Annie V. Schwemmer are the principal architects and co-founders of a residential architectural firm focused on life-changing remodeling designs at RenovationDesignGroup.com. Send comments or questions to as*@Re*******************.com

The author was a man with a personal interest in architecture and a professional background in interior design. His comment was that many of the photographs that accompany our articles left something to be desired in terms of interior design, and he recommended that we considered upgrading the performance of our firm’s current interior designer.

Many medium and large architectural firms do employ a full-time interior designer or even a whole department of interior designers. Our firm, however, is small and we do not have an interior designer on staff. His comments, however, caused us to think about the philosophy of our firm.

We started our firm to bring architecture to the “masses” — to real, everyday people. In our previous firm, we seldom worked with clients with budgets less than $1 million. These clients always used interior designers, and the results were generally worthy of publication in glitzy design magazines. At the same time, we noticed that we regularly received phone inquiries from people regarding how to proceed on remodeling their homes, but their budgets were too small for that firm to serve.

The result was that in 2003, we took a deep breath, left our well-established employer, and started a company designed to help homeowners who want good design in their lives, even though their budgets are more “normal” than those served by most architects.

For the last almost 12 years, we have had the privilege of working with 900 clients and uncounted numbers of “investigators” who have come into our office to find out what an architect does, how much they cost, and why would one want to hire one anyway? We have spent countless — unpaid — hours educating people about the concept of good architectural design and the necessity of having a master plan before one undertakes a home remodel.

Our message in a nutshell: No, the first step to a remodel is not to call a contractor. Design comes before construction and each professional has their expertise. If you wouldn’t be comfortable with us swinging the hammer to build your addition, you shouldn’t feel good about a contractor designing it.

Interestingly — and sadly — we spend a fair amount of time working with clients to redo previous remodels clearly undertaken by homeowners or flippers without professional help. Some of these houses even showed well in their open houses, but once the clients moved in they realized that the work was shoddy and/or the house did not function well for their family.

No amount of clever or creative interior design can overcome a floor plan that doesn’t flow well, rooms that are awkwardly placed or sized, or spaces that lack order or sufficient light and views. It is sad to see people spending money on new cabinets, countertops and floors in a kitchen that is no more than a large corridor and which will never be the space the owner wants without some basic design revisions — no matter how good it looks.

On the flip side, it is very satisfying to be able to change the way a whole family functions on a daily basis by making corrections to the basic layout of a home. While we have to honestly say that a true remodel will cost more than a cosmetic makeover, the difference is sometimes less than you would think — and surely worth the money if you can swing it. The value of correcting the flow and function of your home will pay dividends.

If you think of architectural design as a continuum, we would propose that it is somewhat sequential and admit that we focus on the first half. We want to get the “bones” of the house as good as we can; if there is still time and money left for more design, we are happy to move forward as far as the client wants. While we have our share of clients who can afford to move all the way through the continuum, we are also willing to help others with the foundations of good design, knowing that some design is elemental and some is optional. Design is one of those things that, in some ways, never ends; once the space and volume is correct, there is plenty of time for additional architectural details and interior design galore.

The goal for our column is to focus on important and essential design concepts. If some of our after pictures aren’t quite as polished as those you see in other settings, it is because we use pictures from our real-life projects. Remember that most houses are works in progress, and these are real houses with real owners. Houses are also a reflection of each owner or family and represent their values and interests. For some, this may include beautiful fabrics, interesting lighting fixtures and distinctive accessories; others may view their houses as more utilitarian or value the calm ambiance of simple uncluttered surroundings.

It is in the difference that we find each client and each project interesting and unique. Hopefully, the lessons learned and shared from each project will help you see new potential in your home as well.

Ann Robinson and Annie V. Schwemmer are the principal architects and co-founders of a residential architectural firm focused on life-changing remodeling designs at RenovationDesignGroup.com. Send comments or questions to as*@Re*******************.com

Renovation Solutions: Design for everyday homeowners