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When Should You Choose Appliances for a Kitchen Remodel?
Appliances or cabinets first? Learn when to choose appliances for your kitchen remodel and how early coordination with custom cabinetry helps everything fit and function as intended.
“Can’t You Just Draw Up the Permit Plans?” (And Why the Answer Is Always No)
It is one of the most common questions we hear from homeowners eager to break ground:
“Can we skip the design phase [for now] and just have you draw up the permit set so we can get in line with the city?”
The instinct makes complete sense. Permitting takes time, municipal queues can be slow, and the assumption is that permit drawings are simply administrative paperwork—a basic floor plan to satisfy a bureaucratic box while you figure out where the kitchen island goes later.
In the eyes of building departments, however, a permit set is not a sketch of an idea. It is a legally binding, technically coordinated instrument proving compliance with state, structural, and life safety codes.
You cannot draft a permit set without a finished design because a building department will not permit an unanswered question.
Building an ADU on Vashon Island: More Possibilities on Land You Already Own
Another home may begin on the property you already own. Explore how ADUs and DADUs can support family, smaller living, and thoughtful use of Vashon land.
How to Choose Fireplace Surround Materials for Your Remodel
Choosing a fireplace surround starts with the fireplace itself. Explore material options, design details, and practical considerations for your remodel.
Home Addition or Remodel? How to Decide When Your House Feels Too Small
You love where you live. You know the neighbors, you have a favorite spot for your morning coffee, and moving sounds considerably less appealing than staying put. But the house itself is becoming a squeeze.
Open-Concept vs. Closed Floor Plans: What Works for Your Home?
Before removing a wall, consider what it contributes. Explore how open, closed, and partially open layouts support different ways of living.
Why Design Ethics & Trade Relationships Protect Your Investment
If you’ve ever walked into a custom home with flawless tile layouts, whisper-quiet cabinetry, or a thermostatic shower that feels like a spa retreat, you’ve experienced the magic of great interior design.
What Does "Procurement" Really Mean? (Hint: It’s Not Just Clicking "Add to Cart")
Because online shopping is so frictionless, it’s easy to assume that when a design firm "sources" products for a custom build or remodel, we’re doing a version of that same thing. You might picture us scrolling through websites, picking out pretty items, sending an invoice, and clicking buy.
In reality? Sourcing and procurement is one of the most intricate, highly technical, and protective services we provide. It’s the bridge between a beautiful concept on paper and a healthy, high-performing home that stands the test of time.
2026 Update: Budgeting Your Design Project
We do not take on projects without an established budget. But, how can one develop a budget without understanding the costs? Well, for starters, whether it is known or not, the budget exists. There is a number that is definitely too high, and there are expectations that would deem a low budget too low.
There are two crucial factors that should be considered before even scheduling that initial consultation. Time and Money. They absolutely do matter in planning a design project. Read on to find out how to develop your budget.
How Custom Interior Strategy Transforms a New Build
Sometimes, people think that starting the design phase of a new build is just about getting "drawings" on paper; putting down a basic footprint with a box marked for the kitchen, a spot for the bed, and a placeholder for the bath. But if you’re building custom, generic placeholders miss the best part of the process!
A New Home for Waldron Designs
We’re packing up our in-town studio and getting ready for a move! And this time, we think we may have found our last studio. Short of designing and building a space from the ground up, we found what we were looking for right in front of us: a place of our own, room to make it ours, and a view across Quartermaster Harbor that will be pretty hard to beat.
Why Vashon Needs Practical Septic Solutions, Not Regulatory Roadblocks
I recently attended a Vashon-Maury Community Council meeting where Public Health presented their proposed update for the Vashon-Maury Marine Recovery Area (MRA). That meeting was such an eye-opener that I signed up as a council member right on the spot!